Caring For Bunnies In The Winter

When the cold and dark months start creeping in, your mini lop rabbit will start preparing themselves naturally for the winter season, but there are a few things you can do to help keep them snug and safe.

Bunnies will grow thicker coats, but you can help them prepare by adding quality straw and hay to their home. Make sure you use lots of bedding and clean it regularly to ensure it isn’t wet so that it doesn’t freeze or cause any health problems.

Keep your mini lop’s home cosy

There are some essential factors to consider when you set up your bunny’s home for the winter. You need to make sure it’s sturdy and strong, waterproof, draughtproof and well-ventilated. Check what their home is exposed to, do you need to change its position? If you need to cover up their enclosure to protect it, make sure to open it up in the daytime when it’s mild and dry for fresh air and sunlight.

Water bottles and bowls can freeze over in winter, so check your bunny’s water supply twice a day to make sure it isn’t frozen. To combat this, have a spare option handy to swap it with. For bottles, you can use a thermal water cover or an old fluffy sock to help protect the water from freezing over or developing algae in the sunlight.

Whether you are looking to bring them inside with you or keep them outdoors, make sure to only adjust their surroundings gradually. For instance, you could set up their hutch or enclosure inside a shed or outbuilding to protect them from any harsh winter weather.

If you are welcoming a new mini lop home in the winter, it is best to be consistent with what they were already climatized to at their breeder’s or previous owners.

Construct home improvements on your mini lop’s outdoor house

If their home is kept outdoors in a hutch, use a pet-safe wood preservative to help protect the hutch from weathering. Make sure to check for any damage or leaks and keep their hutch 20cm off the ground to prevent the floor of their hutch from freezing or rotting.

Protect your bunny from predators and harsh weather

If the forecast warns of heavy snow, wind or rain, it may be worth moving your bunny’s home indoors, to a protected area under shelter or higher ground. Ensure their enclosure offers lots of security against hungry predators.

Beware of household dangers too

If you are bringing your bunny inside, make sure their home isn’t situated next to the radiator. Also double-check they don’t have any access to wires or chewable furniture. They must have access to a litter tray or bedded area so they can go to the toilet comfortably. Plus, a quiet private area they can take refuge in should the household become distressing for them.

Offer your mini lop some home comforts

You can put microwavable heats pads in your bunny’s enclosure, just ensure these are pet safe and prepared to a safe temperature. These are great for babies or elderly bunnies!

You can also source various hutch covers with thermal advantages and rain protection. These are a must if you keep your bunny outside.

Get creative with their source of exercise

During the winter months, outdoor bunnies may not have access to their run due to bad weather and wet ground. To make up for this, you can either keep an area covered with a cover or keep a pen under shelter. Be careful with the use of garages, bunnies must only spend time in a garage if they are not being used by cars or other dangerous chemicals. Another option is to set up an area indoors. Just ensure they are protected from other household pets. Provide your bunny with lots of toys and stimulation. Cardboard boxes, tunnels and foraging games are all great ways to entertain your bunny. To replace any loss of grass grazing, you can get grass trays to grow yourself and give to your bunny to chew and dig.

Welcoming springtime slowly

Remember to carry out any changes to your bunny’s home gradually. That applies to taking them back outdoors from staying ‘inside’ all winter. Introduce them to the garden on dry warmer days only and build up their time outside again. They would have lost their thick coat indoors so they’ll need to adjust back to outdoor temperatures.

Bunnies are fabulous to cuddle in winter

Don’t miss out on those extra bunny snuggles that will keep you both warm!