While adopting a rabbit, most owners ensure to fulfill their rabbit’s requirements and maintain its healthy lifespan. In addition, every owner wants to protect their rabbits and keeps them safe. But, it becomes challenging for them to keep their rabbits comfortable without risking their safety. So, should I cover my rabbit’s cage at night? Do rabbits get cold at night? Let’s find out all the answers in this article.
Depending on the outside weather, covering your rabbit’s enclosure at night is essential. However, if the house temperature is warm enough, it may not be necessary to cover it. Instead, you can put a few cardboard boxes in your rabbit’s pen or enclosure so they can sleep peacefully.
This article will discuss the reasons to cover the cage, whether rabbits like a blanket over their enclosure and what other things to consider. So, let’s find it out.
Contents
Do we need to cover the rabbit’s cage at night?
It can be essential to cover the rabbit’s cage at night, depending on the temperature inside the room. Although domestic rabbits can tolerate lower temperatures, it is advised that they be kept at a temperature of between 10 and 20 °C as they tend to suffer from excessive heat.
Try to allow domestic rabbits to roam freely in the pen. Rabbits must have adequate airflow to avoid potentially fatal respiratory infections.
Although if they want shelter where they can feel safe, you can provide hidden places in the rabbit-proof pen. You can put cardboard boxes in it as lots of hiding places so that they can feel safe from their predators. Ensure not to cover the enclosure because house temperature can be much warmer than outside weather in winter.
Also, covering rabbits’ enclosures can stress them out, makes them aggressive, and they can have breathing problems.
But, if you find that the room where your rabbit’s cage exists or where you allow them to roam freely is a bit cold according to your rabbit, you can cover the enclosure with a blanket while uncovering it front, providing little ventilation space.
Another benefit of covering a cage for rabbits at night is if you have other animals in your house, like cats or dogs, then it will be best to cover the rabbit’s enclosure so that they will not feel threatened at night and sleep peacefully.
For outdoor rabbits, it is crucial to cover their enclosure at night. A tarpaulin covering the rabbit’s enclosure will aid in retaining heat during icy weather.
For ventilation purposes, leave the front of the cage uncovered during the day. While it is acceptable to cover more of the enclosure at night for ventilation, you must leave a small area uncovered.
If it gets too cold outside, move your rabbits inside your house or into a shed, unused garage, or outhouse and cover them with a blanket or tarp at night with extra bedding so they can snuggle. And for increased insulation, you can provide newspaper in it.
Do rabbits get cold at night?
Rabbits can get cold at night, depending on the weather temperature. If the outside temperature is low, then your rabbit can affect by bacterial infection, which can give them cold-like symptoms, including runny eyes and nose, sneezing, and coughing.
This infection can cause severe health issues like loss of appetite, difficulty in breathing, and even life-threatening problems, which need to be consulted by the vet as soon as you spot these symptoms.
However, their thick fur prevents cold, making them feel warmer even in winter. Rabbits can easily tolerate at 30°F, but for outdoor rabbits, it is essential to keep their enclosure at 100°F at night.
Rabbits can survive in winter because most are found in the coldest areas like Antarctica to Russia. Their thick fur help to protect them from chilly temperatures and makes them warm.
Rabbits can be safe even in temperatures close to freezing with a well-insulated enclosure. You can always check by taking their temperature, ranging from 101 to 103 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, warm them up if the temperature is below 100 °F. If that still doesn’t work, you must consult your veterinarian.
To find out if your rabbit is feeling cold, you had to check by touching your rabbit’s ears. If you find it too cold, that means a drop in the rabbit’s body temperature, but if you find it too hot, it indicates that they have a fever. So at that moment, it is essential to contact your vet.
Pale lips, shivering, loss of coordination, pale gums, and low energy are the symptoms of hypothermia that indicate that your rabbit is feeling cold.
Hypothermia occurs when a rabbit’s body temperature decreases to a deficient level because of freezing temperatures in windy winter.
So, if you notice any of these symptoms in your rabbit, bring them inside where it is warm. And call your veterinarian immediately because hypothermia is an emergency, which even causes life-threatening issues.
Also read: Do Rabbits Need Heat Lamps?
Do rabbits like a blanket over their enclosure?
Covering your rabbit’s enclosure with a blanket can help keep it silenced and dark so that your rabbit can sleep peacefully without being afraid of its predators.
For example, you may have noticed your rabbit resting under the couch or bed in the dark during its sleeping time, which makes them feel comfortable.
The rabbits feel better when their cage is covered at night. Therefore, ensure they always have a hidden location that is dark. However, the blanket should remain dry. Otherwise, it can cause problems.
Also, it is vital to cover their outdoor rabbit’s enclosure with a blanket or tarp to keep them warm and comfortable in winter. In addition, make sure to uncover the front part of the enclosure for the ventilation process. Otherwise, it could be life-threatening; your rabbit can have breathing difficulties.
Also, if you are covering your rabbit’s outside hutch with a blanket, you must ensure that it remains dry; otherwise, it can cause problems. Instead, for an outdoor rabbit’s enclosure, you can cover it with a tarp to protect your rabbit even in rain or snow.
You can add extra bedding for your rabbit’s comfort and keep them warmer in winter. For example, add newspaper bedding below the main bedding to increase insulation. In addition, even in winter, it is essential to clean the enclosure of a rabbit to maintain hygiene and a healthy lifestyle.
As rabbits are prone to heat stress, please take precautions to ensure that the area where your rabbit is kept does not get too hot. In addition, ensure your rabbits’ enclosure is ventilated correctly and has enough shade to prevent overheating. You can drill two holes for the entry and exit so the air can flow.
Reasons to cover the cage of your rabbit at night?
When it’s cold outside, it makes sense to cover their cage, but there are other instances when you consider covering your rabbit’s enclosure at night. So, here are some other reasons to cover your rabbit’s cage or enclosure at night:
For skittish rabbits
Covering the cage of your skittish rabbit can be beneficial because it might be difficult for them to settle down and sleep comfortably at night. The rabbit might feel more at ease and get a good night’s sleep. Just remember that this isn’t normal and that most rabbits don’t need their cages covered at night so they can sleep.
For active rabbits
If you have an active rabbit, it won’t try to escape the cage if it is covered at night because it will keep them stabled and calm. Most people have stated that covering their rabbit’s cage at night keeps them calm and quiet.
So, it will also be beneficial to keep your rabbit quiet at night. However, it is essential to provide some open space so the ventilation process can occur.
Or else, to give them extra warmth, you can give them a little hutch inside your rabbit’s enclosure or pen.
Safety
If you have other animals, such as dogs or cats, in your house, it may also require you to cover your rabbit’s enclosure so that it will not get terrified at night. In addition, your rabbit will be more at ease at night because they won’t perceive those larger pets as a threat.
Schedule
Covering their enclosure at night not only keeps them safe but also keeps them on a schedule. Most people who started covering as soon as they got their pet will find this true.
Also, they will get to know their sleeping time whenever to cover their enclosure of pen. And whenever you open their cage, they’ll know it’s time for their breakfast.
Prevent Stress
Covering the rabbit’s enclosure might be essential to prevent a stressful environment if you have young children or other pets who are active around your rabbit at night.
However, covering your rabbit’s enclosure is unnecessary if it’s not too cold outside and there aren’t any children or other pets playing late at night.
Keep them warm and comfortable.
Another reason to consider when deciding whether to cover the rabbit cage is warmth. All you need to do is ensure your rabbits are as warm as possible so they can rest peacefully and feel at ease at night.
However, when it’s too warm, rabbits don’t like it. You can cover the cage at night if you’re concerned that your rabbit will get cold. In addition, you could also put some hay over the cage.
Things to consider while covering your rabbit’s cage?
Although it has many reasons and benefits to covering your rabbit’s enclosure at night, there are some drawbacks or things to be concerned about while covering its cage at night:
Depending on the outside weather
It would help if you covered your rabbit’s enclosure at night for outdoor rabbits. If the house temperature is warm enough, then there is no need to cover your indoor rabbit’s cage at night.
Cover the enclosure of the rabbit only if it is freezing outside.
In addition, you can provide cardboard boxes in their pen or enclosure as a hidden place so that your rabbit can sleep inside it peacefully.
Darkness
Some rabbits don’t like to sleep in the covered enclosure because they can’t see things in the dark. Likewise, your rabbit will probably become more frustrated if it can’t see to move around in the cage.
Rabbits don’t like to sleep in complete darkness. Some of them may also feel afraid in the dark. So, in these circumstances, you can add a dim light for your rabbit at night.
Aggression in rabbits
Covering your rabbit’s enclosure creates darkness. And because of that, for safety reasons, your rabbit won’t enjoy getting a blanket in the way of their view of their surroundings, which may develop aggression. In addition, they will not be able to see other rabbits and won’t be able to sense their predators.
Also read: Are Rabbits aggressive?
Respiratory issues
Your rabbit may not get enough oxygen if its cage is covered, which is not a big deal if you have a large pen. However, if the environment in which your rabbit lives isn’t ideal, you’re putting at risk their sensitive respiratory system.
So, for ventilation purposes, be sure to expose the front portion of the enclosure. However, do not cover the enclosure if your rabbit has a sensitive respiration system.
Blanket
Ensure that the blanket you use to cover your rabbit’s enclosure in winter remains dry. The rain can make the blanket wet, which causes health problems like cold or fever for your outdoor rabbits. Instead, you should provide a tarp to cover your rabbit’s enclosure outside.
Also read: Fleece vs Bedding For Rabbits?
Conclusion:
- Covering the rabbit’s cage at night may be necessary, depending on the temperature inside the house.
- Rabbits can tolerate temperatures as low as 30°F, but keeping their enclosure at 100°F at night is crucial.
- If it’s cold outside, your rabbit may become infected with bacteria, which could cause cold-like symptoms like runny nose, itchy eyes, and coughing.
- Covering the rabbit’s enclosure might not be necessary if the house is warm enough.
- To ensure your rabbits have a peaceful night’s sleep, you can place a few cardboard boxes in their pen or enclosure.