95 degree weather for petting zoo rabbits

Question
Hi Dana,

in our town there is a park district-run farm and petting zoo housing many animals. There are several rabbits (mini lop, jersey wooley are some of the breeds represented) kept in small wire cages.  Like many parts of the country, we are experiencing a heat wave with temperatures reaching the high 90's.  Two trips to the farm this week have revealed that the rabbits have fresh water, a wood box to rest in, and a frozen water bottle.  On both visits though the water bottle was no longer frozen. I asked the staff if they could replace the bottles with fresh frozen ones and they said they had limited resources. A mother rabbit and her baby (looked to be about 4 weeks old) did not even have a frozen bottle, staff said it could freeze and kill the baby. There were no fans or wet towels out to alleviate the heat either.  Everything I have read indicates that temps above 92 degrees are very dangerous for rabbits. I would like to do everything I can to encourage the staff and the park district board to do more to keep these rabbits comfortable.  In a truly unexpected turn of events, the staff of the veterinary clinic we take our five house rabbits to said that 95 degree weather was fine for the rabbits, as long as they had fresh water and shade; that they were used to this kind of weather and "the wild rabbits are okay in this weather", completely dismissing the origination of domesticated rabbits and the fact that most rabbits are not hanging around in the noon heat, they are in their burrows.  This is a clinic listed on the HRS recommended vets roster.  I would not be surprised if my mention of the name of the farm as well as this community's strong ties to agriculture and veterinary medicine programs could have something to do with their answer. Please offer your expert knowledge and advice - if domesticated rabbits, especially long-haired varieties HAVE to be outside in temps exceeding 92 degrees, what needs to be done to provide the best husbandry?  Thanks so much,
Brook Taylor
Champaign, Illinois

Answer
Dear Brook,

Thank you for being an advocate for those poor bunnies.  I wish they would just do away with having rabbits in the petting zoo altogether!  The ultimate fate of those poor rabbits is probably something we don't want to contemplate.

If the rabbits MUST be kept outside, then the following things MUST be provided for them:

1.  a cool refuge with frozen water bottles at all times.
(a box with two exit holes and containing the frozen jug will hold the cold air better than an open cage)

2.  complete shade at all times

Ideally, the rabbits should have damp towels draped over the cages with air flow to provide evaporative cooling.  And if those people "have limited resources," then perhaps they should consider scaling back their petting zoo to something they can manage!

Observe the rabbits.  If they are stretched out and panting, they are uncomfortable, and need to be cooled off.  I can't believe they actually have LONG HAIRED rabbits in a situation like this!  I hope they'll at least consider a summer shave/trim of the long-haired bunnies to allow them to thermoregulate a little more easily.

I'm in Miami, FL, where the summer temperatures are nearly always in the mid-90's.  We have a constant, 24/7 open door policy in our predator-proofed back yard because we have sanctuary jackrabbits that must stay outside all the time, or they'll go crazy.

The result is that our thirteen indoor bunnies are allowed to go in and out as they please.  Of all these bunnies, only ONE prefers to stay outside, and she stays in the shade on damp soil all the time.  She's very lean and has short hair, so is able to keep cool.  But ALL the other bunnies come inside when the temperature hits about 85 Farenheit.

If that's not enough evidence of innate rabbit preference, then I'm not sure what more I can tell those petting zoo people.

I hope you are successful at getting those bunnies the comforts they deserve!

Take care, and good luck!

Dana