Looking after your rabbit in winter
Seasonal changes can impact your rabbit’s health and natural behaviours. Outdoor rabbits can struggle in the colder months with temperature drops, extreme weathers and the potential impact to their routine – but with your help, they can have a cared for and cosy winter.
Discover our rabbit winter care checklist, explaining how to keep your outdoor rabbits secure, warm and healthy in winter, and how to safely move them indoors.
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Winter rabbit care checklist
Both indoor and outdoor rabbits require the following things all year round:
You’ll need to pay closer attention to the things they need below as
additional cold weather care for outdoor rabbits in winter:
- A secure, insulated, warm, dry and clean enclosure
- A safe and warm location
- A sheltered exercise area
- A regular diet (checking their food and water hasn’t frozen)
- Their usual routines
- Regular interaction
- Regular housing checks (to ensure they’re dry, covered, and secure)
- Additional heat sources if necessary
- Removing any potential poisons and hazards
- Repairing or replacing any damaged items
- Moving them inside if temperatures get too cold
The importance of routine
Rabbits don’t hibernate, so will need to stick to their usual routines of daily exercise, regular food times, clean housing, frequent checkups and socialisation.
Caring for rabbits in winter
Pet rabbits kept outdoors need extra attention over the winter, to ensure they stay safe and warm as the days shorten. Unlike wild rabbits, they don’t have a burrow to protect them from the harsh weather, and can be exposed to low temperatures, rain, wind, snow and draughts.
In the colder months there may also be less grass and leafy greens to eat, and cold or wet weather may affect how rabbits choose to use their exercise areas. Keep their diet, access to suitable exercise areas and regular human interaction consistent, as changes to their routine can cause stress and suffering.
Important: As rabbits don’t hibernate, if they appear lethargic, sleepy or limp, this could be a sign of illness or emergency. Contact your vet immediately.
Keeping outdoor rabbits safe in winter
Outdoor rabbit enclosures may need some adjustments in the winter to keep your rabbits safe:
- Reinforce their enclosure: During the winter, foxes and badgers are hungrier, which makes them bolder than usual. Make sure your enclosure is sturdy enough to survive the attention of a determined predator.
- Prevent escape: Keep their enclosure securely rabbit-proofed to prevent escape, in case they get the urge to burrow in the colder weather.
- Keep their enclosures clean: Remove wet bedding daily as this will freeze on cold nights and could make your rabbits ill.
- Avoid potential poisons: Find out more below.
Winter health risks and warning signs
Winter comes with an increased risk of exposure to certain poisons, hazards and general dangers to health.
Common winter poisons for rabbits include:
- Rodent poisons: Also known as ‘rodenticides’, these can cause life-threatening bleeding. Symptoms aren’t always visible but may include lethargy, change in breathing, and loss of appetite.
- Antifreeze: The active ingredient in antifreeze, Ethylene glycol, can cause kidney failure and death. Symptoms include staggering or wobbliness, drinking excessively and lethargy.
- Certain plants: Like foxglove and ivy. Symptoms may vary depending on the plant ingested, but generally appear as loss of appetite, breathing difficulties, diarrhoea and an irritated mouth.
- Certain foods: If rabbits are moved indoors over winter, they may be exposed to foods (especially during the festive period) like rhubarb, avocado and chocolate. Symptoms may vary depending on the plant ingested, but generally appear as lethargy, diarrhoea or a change in droppings, abdominal pain and loss of appetite.
For more information, read our page on rabbit poisoning, and check our full list of common rabbit poisons.
Never watch and wait. If you suspect your rabbit's been poisoned, contact a vet immediately.
Keeping outdoor rabbits healthy in winter
A change in your rabbit’s normal behaviour can be an early sign that something is wrong. For example, if their eating habits change, they’re behaving differently, or the number of droppings reduces or stops altogether, they may be ill or in pain. If any of these occur, talk to your vet straight away.
You can help keep your rabbits healthy over the winter by:
Worried a pet rabbit is at risk?
Are you concerned that a rabbit is experiencing cruelty and neglect; showing signs of pain, fear and mistreatment? If you’re worried that a rabbit is suffering, let us know as soon as you can.
Normal behaviours for rabbits in the winter can include:
- Sharing body heat with another rabbit (curling up into a ball or huddling together)
- Shedding their summer coat for a thicker winter coat
- Becoming more active and playful (you might see your rabbit darting around, doing binkies, digging and chewing)
Providing a balanced diet
Feeding your rabbits a healthy diet will help them prepare for winter and promote good coat growth to help them keep warm. Rabbits kept outdoors may need to consume more calories to help maintain their body temperature. Speak to your vet if you notice your rabbit dropping weight or need advice on their diet over winter.
As well as their usual diet of good-quality hay and grass, some leafy greens and a few pellets or nuggets, you can also feed them vegetables as a treat, like celeriac, parsnip, parsley root, beetroot, or cabbage.
Grass seeds can be grown in trays and given to rabbits, so grass is still included in their diet when there may be less opportunity for grazing. Never feed greens or vegetables that are frosty or frozen, as these could harm your rabbits. Don’t be tempted to over-feed your rabbits – this can lead to weight gain. Only offer fruits and vegetables, like carrots, in small amounts as a treat.
Check their food isn’t frozen or frosty, which isn’t good for them.
Checking their water
Your rabbits must have access to clean, fresh drinking water at all times – proper hydration is critical to prevent fatal conditions like Gastrointestinal Stasis. Rabbits may drink more in the winter if their access to a grassy run or leafy foods is limited, as this is where they get a lot of moisture.
Check their water supply at least twice a day, to make sure the water hasn’t frozen. If water is provided in a drinking bottle, always check that the ball at the end of the spout is turning and squeeze the bottle to make sure water is flowing through the spout. You can also provide a bowl of water in addition to a bottle, to ensure there’s a large supply of water available – a water bowl is less likely to freeze than a bottle.
Keep a spare bottle indoors, so you can quickly swap it if their other one freezes. You can also buy bottle covers that prevent water from freezing in the water, and stop algae from growing in the summer.
Keeping them enriched
Rabbits should have regular opportunities to play, explore and forage, so give them safe toys to play with and chew, checking they don’t freeze or become frosty.
If your rabbit enjoys interacting with people, this should continue regularly during the winter. If your rabbit has to be kept on their own for a medical or behavioural reason, it’s particularly important to provide daily interaction, companionship and appropriate enrichment.
Keeping them active
Give your rabbit opportunities to exercise every day, to stay fit and healthy. Rabbits are most active in the morning and late afternoon, so this is when they’re most likely to benefit from access to exercise areas, and are more likely to explore and socialise with their companion.
If your rabbits have an exercise area separate from their main sheltered sleeping area, it must include a dry, sheltered space for the rabbits to hide in, and bedding to keep them warm. For additional protection from wind and rain you can cover a part of the run with plastic sheeting or tarpaulin.
For extremely cold or snowy weather, you may want to move their home and/or their exercise area inside.
If you have indoor rabbits who exercise outdoors, don’t put them outside if it’s very cold. They don’t develop winter coats as thick as outdoor rabbits, so may struggle.
Keeping outdoor rabbits warm and dry
Rabbits who are cold and wet are at risk of becoming ill – which could be fatal. Rabbits need a dry, well-sheltered and draught-free environment, with plenty of bedding to help them keep warm. Older rabbits who may suffer from painful arthritis, and rabbits who are thin, young or don’t have a thick winter coat may also need special attention or adaptations to ensure they’re warm enough over winter.
The ideal temperature for rabbits is between 10°C to 20°C. If the temperature starts to reach freezing, consider moving your rabbit’s home indoors or into an outhouse, shed or unused garage that’s protected from adverse weather conditions.
If your rabbits live outside, it’s very important their home is protected from the weather, and is waterproof, draught-proof, damp-proof, dry and well ventilated. It should also be escape-proof and predator-proof. Find out how to create a suitable and safe rabbit home here.
To keep their housing warm and dry:
- Repair or replace: Give their home and exercise area an MOT to make sure everything is in good condition before winter arrives. Make sure any sliding bolts or other locks are working, and repair, discard or replace any items that have become damaged or dangerous.
- Check inside for damp or water-marks: A sloped roof is preferable for shelter areas as it allows water to drain away.
- Move their housing: Move the shelter/sleeping area to a sheltered position, facing away from the prevailing wind, rain, snow and sleet. Consider relocating their home into a shed, outhouse or unused garage (first checking for and removing hazards, and ensuring the floor is clean and free from paint or chemical spills). Never house or exercise rabbits in a garage that is in use, as vehicle exhaust fumes are harmful to rabbits.
- Raise their housing: Consider raising their housing by at least 10cm to prevent the base from getting damp or rotten, and to stop frost seeping up from the ground.
- Waterproof and insulate: Insulate the walls with cardboard, blankets or insulation boards. Remember to make sure areas are still well-ventilated. Treat the outside of wooden enclosures and sheds regularly with pet-safe wood preservatives to ensure they’re waterproof.
- Cover their housing: Cover most of the shelter area at night – leave a small area exposed to ensure ventilation – and leave the front open during the day. Mesh doors can be partially covered with clear Perspex or plastic, to help protect your rabbits from rain and wind, whilst allowing them to see out. Covers designed to insulate and weather-proof housing are available commercially or you can make one from an old blanket or piece of carpet.
- Keep the inside warm: Ensure their living area is dry and free from drafts to help keep your rabbits warm enough.
- Create cosy sleeping areas: Provide them with a well-insulated shelter with plenty of bedding to snuggle up in. Suitable bedding materials include dust-free hay and straw, on top of layers of newspaper which absorb moisture and provide insulation. Make sure there’s enough space for the rabbits to sleep together or separately if they choose to.
- Add heat sources: If necessary, consider using a heat lamp or microwaveable heat pads designed for rabbits for additional warmth. If your rabbits are kept in a shed, outhouse or unused garage, consider providing a heater, but make sure your rabbits can’t get too close to it or any electrical wires. Don’t provide blankets as rabbits have a tendency to chew them, which could result in an intestinal blockage.
- Stock up: Make sure you always have enough hay for your rabbits to eat and sleep in. Store it somewhere dry – if it becomes damp or mouldy throw it away, as eating it could cause your rabbits to become ill. However, don’t store it too long as it may lose some of its nutritional value.
- Dry them off: If your rabbits get wet, dry them carefully with a towel.
Rabbits can suffer from heat stress and become very ill if exposed to high temperatures. Monitor the temperature of the environment to prevent your rabbits from overheating.
Never house your rabbits in greenhouses, as extreme changes in temperature can occur. Conservatories are also not ideal for rabbits because they can become very hot in summer and cold in winter. If rabbits are housed in a conservatory, their temperature must be carefully monitored, with appropriate heating in winter and adequate ventilation, shade and cooling in warmer weather.
Moving rabbits indoors safely
Bringing them inside
Some owners house rabbits outside during the spring and summer months but move them indoors in the winter, where it's warmer and easier to keep an eye on them. If your rabbits are old, thin or young and haven’t built up a thick winter coat, consider bringing them inside – it’s a great way to ensure they get lots of attention and human companionship, and that any health problems are quickly spotted.
If you decide to bring them in, they'll need plenty of time and room to exercise in a safe and secure space. It's important to minimise the stress for your rabbits, so you need to think carefully about their needs when moving them from one environment to another. Explore exactly what indoor rabbits require here.
Introduce your rabbits to their new home gradually by bringing them indoors for increasingly longer periods each day during the summer and autumn. That way they can settle in and explore their new surroundings before moving back into the house full time.
Help your rabbits adjust to the change from natural daylight hours to artificial light by gradually increasing the length of time the lights are on in the evenings. It’s best if there’s a window nearby, so your rabbits will still get natural light during the day. They'll need a darkened sleeping area where they can rest whenever they choose.
If the space is unheated, you could keep the insulation on the top and sides of their home. If it’s heated, keep them away from direct heat and any wires.
Important: Be very cautious about bringing outdoor rabbits inside for short periods as they may have difficulty in adjusting to the temperature change from outside to inside.
Moving them back outside
When returning rabbits to their outside home after winter, wait until the days are warmer (at least 10°C) and gradually increase the amount of time your rabbits spend outside. Keep them in their indoor home at night if temperatures are low. You could even put their home in a shed, outhouse or unused garage to get them used to milder temperatures before finally placing their home outside.
When temperatures drop, keep rabbits warm, dry and protected from the elements, while ensuring they still have plenty of space to exercise, explore and express their natural behaviours.
Pet rabbit rehoming
Adopt a rabbit
Looking to rehome a rabbit or two? You don’t need to go down a rabbit hole of your own – we can find the right bunnies for you and your home.
Preparing for winter
- Give your rabbits’ home and the exercise area an MOT to make sure everything is in good condition before winter. Check for damp or water marks and make sure any sliding bolts or other locks are working. Repair, discard or replace any items that have become damaged or dangerous. When did you last paint it with a pet-safe wood preservative?
- If you can, raise their home around four inches from the ground, so it doesn’t get damp or rotten.
- Make sure you have good stocks of hay or straw and newspaper – and keep them somewhere dry.
- Make a note to feed them lots of leafy greens and herbs as they won’t be eating as much grass and greens, such as dandelions, in the winter.
- Have they had a recent health check with the vet?
Rabbits staying outside in the winter
Make sure your rabbits’ home is sheltered from strong winds, rain and cold draughts. It will need insulating – with a special cover or blankets or old carpets – with a waterproof cover on top. But do make sure it’s well-ventilated. A transparent sheet can loosely cover any wire mesh during the day.
When it’s cold outside, your rabbits will need lots of extra bedding, especially in the sleeping area. Put newspaper underneath – it soaks up moisture and is a good insulator. Wet bedding will freeze in cold weather, so clean around their toilet area every day and the rest of the home at least weekly.
Check their drinking water regularly to make sure it hasn’t frozen (you can buy covers for water bottles). Water’s still important when it’s cold as rabbits will be getting less moisture from grass and veggies. Also make sure their food isn’t frozen or frosty – it’s not good for them.
If their exercise area is separate, give them tunnels or hideaways that are dry and sheltered. You can add bedding to make them extra snug. Cover part of the exercise area to protect your rabbits from wind and rain. But if they do get wet, dry them carefully with a towel.
If it gets very cold or snows, you may want to move their home and/or their exercise area inside.
Moving rabbits inside in winter
When the temperature dips, you can move your rabbits’ home and exercise area indoors, into a shed, outhouse or unused garage (exhaust fumes are harmful). Avoid greenhouses as they can get too hot or too cold.
It’s best if there’s a window, so your rabbits will still get natural light during the day. If the space is unheated, you could keep the insulation on the top and sides of their home. If it’s heated, keep them away from direct heat and any wires. A thermostat means you’ll be able to control the temperature.
Check the floor of the exercise area for hazards and make sure it’s clean and not covered with any paint or other chemicals. Think of putting down newspaper and hay, so it’s softer and more comfortable.
Rabbits living in your home over winter
We have lots of guidance on keeping rabbits in your home.
