RIP Peter Rabbit

Question
I got my rabbit, Peter, last July when he was able to leave his mum.  He was a
dwarf lionhead (white fur, grey ears paws and tail and pink eyes) and really really
cute.  I kept him inside in the winder and have recently put him outside in a
large hutch which he seemed to enjoy.  He had been eating and drinking fine
and was ok when I left for work this morning.  I came back home to find him RIP   
with nothing to indicate that anything was wrong.  I checked him all over to see
if there was anything wrong and could not find anything.  Do you think he was
just too highly bred and not strong enough?

Answer
Dear Mavis,

I am sorry for your loss.  Without an autopsy, there is just no way to know what happened.  But if he was outdoors in a hutch and in direct sunlight, then he could very possibly have died from heat stroke.

If the yard is not predator-proofed, a predator could have approached the cage and frightened him into cardiac arrest.

There are just too many variables--especially if he was outside and unattended--to even begin to guess what might have happened.  

If you have a good rabbit vet, an autopsy might help.  Wish I could be of more assistance.

Dana