Freezing Friday!

Fundraising Friday has been temporarily replaced by Freezing Friday because of imminent danger to bunnies.

Weather forecasters are predicting that temperatures around the country will plummet to well below freezing in the coming days, and this sudden change in temperature is going to affect every outdoor rabbit. It’s especially worrying because we’ve had a mild few weeks so rabbits kept outside will not be ready for such a sudden drop in temperature.

The most important things to remember are:

Keep draughts out of the hutch – just covering with an old shower curtain or tarpaulin will do this.
Plenty of straw for bedding and don’t forget the hay!
Put layers of newspaper beneath the bedding to help insulation.
Water bottles can easily freeze, particularly the metal mouthpiece that isn’t protected by any insulating product. So provide a water bowl too – even if that freezes the rabbits can lick the moisture.
Don’t panic – if your rabbits live in a connected hutch and run, they’ll know when it’s too cold to leave the hutch so don’t confine them. So as long as they have access to a warm and cosy den then they’ll come and go as they please.

Click the link below for our tips on keeping rabbits warm.

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/pdfs/RWAFtoptipsforwintercare.pdf

The big freeze is expected to last to at least the end of the month so please do all you can to protect your rabbits from the biting cold. The people on this mailing list will probably already be taking appropriate action, but please remember to pass this vital information on to anybody you know who has rabbits – you may well be saving those rabbit’s lives.