Why dont rabbits get out of the rain?

Question
I read one should not bathe rabbits in water.  My rabbits seldom get out of the rain and are often soaking wet. They know where to go to stay dry because I've seen them there during rain storms.  They sometimes even run through puddles.  You would think from their behavior that washing with room temperature watch would be OK.

Answer
Dear Tom,

I've often wondered why certain rabbits just don't seem to know how to come in out of the rain.   We have little rain shelters for them all over, and they certainly *can* stay dry.  But some of them--and especially our wild jackrabbits--just sit out in the rain and get miserable.  It's funny and sad.  But then, they do seem to dry off quickly.

The difference between a bunny letting himself get soaked and getting a bath is pretty significant, however.  A bunny getting a bath usually needs to be forcibly restrained, and that is the main stressing factor, more than the wet.  It's also essential to get them very dry after they've been wet, since damp fur is attractive to blowflies who will lay eggs on the wet fur, resulting in the horrific condition called "fly strike."  

We just had this happen after a very slight rain.  Fenris was acting funny, and when we picked him up we found that the area just above his tail, where the tail folds up against the bum, was very wet...and there were maggots!!!  It was horrible!  Fortunately we caught it in time.  But if you have bunnies who are regularly wet, especially when it's warm and there are flies about, then it would be wise for you to *carefully* clip the fur on the bum and the back of the tail (VERY carefully--it's extremely easy to cut delicate rabbit skin!) so that it can't collect dampness and attract flies.

You can read more about bathing bunnies safely here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/buttbath.html

Hope that helps.

Dana