Rabbit temperature guide: too hot, too cold and just right

What temperature is best for rabbits?

The RSPCA gives 10 to 20°C (50 to 68°F) as the ideal range for rabbits, indoors and out. Inside that band a healthy rabbit needs nothing special beyond a dry, draught-free home. Outside it, you start adjusting: shade and cooling as it climbs towards 20°C, extra bedding and shelter as it falls below 10°C.

The two ends are not equal. Rabbits come from animals that live in cool burrows, and they shed heat mainly through their ears. They have no real way to sweat, so a hot afternoon is far more likely to kill a rabbit than a cold night. A pet rabbit that has lived outside since late summer grows a thick winter coat and, kept dry and out of the wind, handles cold well. A house rabbit has a thinner coat and should not be put out in very cold weather.

How cold is too cold for a rabbit?

Freezing is the line the RSPCA uses: when temperatures approach 0°C (32°F), it advises moving the hutch indoors or into an outhouse, shed or unused garage. Above that, cold itself is rarely the problem. Wet fur, wind and damp bedding are. A rabbit that is soaked and sitting in a draught can get dangerously cold on a night that a dry rabbit would sleep through.

Some rabbits need protection well before freezing:

• Very young and elderly rabbits
• Thin, sick or recovering rabbits, which struggle to hold their body heat
• House rabbits, whose winter coat is thinner
• Single rabbits, which have no partner to huddle with
• Rabbits with arthritis or dental problems, which may eat less hay and so make less heat

Signs a rabbit is too cold include sitting hunched and still, cold ears, shivering, eating less and being limp or sleepy. The RSPCA advises calling a vet if a rabbit seems lethargic, sleepy or limp. Our rabbit health guide covers the wider signs of illness to watch for.

How to keep outdoor rabbits warm in winter

Most outdoor rabbits can stay outside all winter if their home is ready before the first frost. These steps come from the RSPCA's winter advice and the Scottish Government's rabbit welfare guidance.

1. Check the hutch in autumn. Look for damp patches, water marks, rotten wood and stiff bolts, and repair or replace anything damaged before the weather turns.
2. Raise it off the ground. Keep the hutch at least 10 cm (4 in) up on legs or bricks so frost and damp cannot creep in from below.
3. Turn it away from the weather. Face the front away from the prevailing wind and rain, ideally against a wall or fence.
4. Pack the bedroom. Lay newspaper, then a deep layer of dust-free hay or straw, enough for the rabbits to burrow in together or apart. Our guide to rabbit bedding lists what is safe.
5. Cover it at night. Put a hutch cover, old blanket or piece of carpet over the outside, leaving a vent high up in each compartment. Open the front again in the day.
6. Shield the mesh and the run. Clear Perspex or plastic over part of the mesh door keeps rain out while the rabbits can still see. Tarpaulin over one end of the run gives them a dry corner.
7. Keep the water flowing. Check bottles and bowls at least twice a day, offer a bowl as well as a bottle, and keep a spare bottle indoors to swap in when one freezes.
8. Change wet bedding daily. Wet bedding freezes on cold nights. Remove it every day and dry a damp rabbit gently with a towel.

Can rabbits stay outside in cold weather?

Yes, healthy adult rabbits that are used to living outside can stay out through a normal UK winter, as long as the home is dry, raised, insulated and out of the wind, and the run has a covered, sheltered corner. They still need daily exercise. The RSPCA notes that rabbits are most active in the morning and late afternoon, so open the run then.

What harms them is change. The Scottish Government guidance warns against bringing outdoor rabbits into a heated house overnight and putting them back out in the day, and against moving house rabbits from central heating into an uninsulated run on the coldest days. If you want to bring outdoor rabbits in for winter, do it gradually through late summer and autumn, increasing their time inside each day, and keep them in. Our page on indoor or outdoor rabbits weighs up the two ways of living.

Heated pads and blankets for rabbits

Most rabbits never need a heater. For very cold spells, the RSPCA suggests a heat lamp or a microwaveable heat pad designed for rabbits, and the Scottish Government guidance says pet heat discs must be fully covered with thick material so the rabbit cannot touch them and burn. A heat lamp should go on the outside of the shelter, well away from hay and straw, with a thermostat.

Three things to avoid. Ordinary hot water bottles, which rabbits can chew through and be scalded. Electric blankets meant for people, which have chewable wires and no safe cover. Loose blankets inside the hutch, which the RSPCA warns rabbits may chew and swallow, risking a blockage in the gut. A blanket over the outside of the hutch is fine.

Caring for rabbits in hot weather

Start protecting rabbits once the day heads towards 20°C (68°F) or the sun is out, and treat anything above 25°C (77°F) as dangerous. HouseRabbit.org lists very young, elderly, overweight and long-haired rabbits, such as Lionheads and Angoras, as most at risk. Petplan adds rabbits with thick coats or illness, and rabbits shut in a shed, garage or greenhouse.

• Shade over the hutch and run all day, moving it as the sun moves
• A damp towel draped over part of the run, not plastic, which traps heat
• A ceramic tile or paving slab to lie on, chilled in the fridge for 15 minutes
• Frozen water bottles wrapped in a sock or towel to lean against
• Bowls and bottles of cool water out of the sun, with a few ice cubes
• Plenty of wet leafy greens
• A fan moving air around the room, never blowing straight on the rabbit
• Brushing every day to clear loose fur
• A check of the rear end twice a day for flystrike

Flystrike is the second summer danger. Flies lay eggs on dirty fur and the maggots hatch within hours. The RSPCA says to check the whole body, especially around the tail, at least twice a day in warm weather, clean toilet areas daily and talk to your vet about prevention before April. If you see maggots, ring a vet straight away.

Signs of heatstroke and what to do

Heatstroke is an emergency. Early signs, from Petplan and HouseRabbit.org, are red, very hot ears, fast shallow breathing, a wet nose, lethargy and wobbliness. Later signs are open-mouth breathing with the head tipped back, lying flat and barely responding, trembling and fits.

1. Move the rabbit somewhere cool. Into shade or the coolest room in the house, out of the sun.
2. Cool the ears. Dampen the ears with cool water or wrap them in a cold wet flannel. Do not dunk the rabbit in cold water or put ice packs on its body, as this can cause shock.
3. Offer cool water. Let it drink if it will, but do not force it.
4. Ring a vet now. Call your vet, or an out-of-hours vet, and keep cooling the rabbit slowly on the way in.

Petplan says vets commonly give fluids into a vein, oxygen and medication, and run blood tests. Even a rabbit that seems to recover should be watched closely for 24 to 48 hours.

Best room temperature for indoor rabbits

House rabbits need the same 10 to 20°C (50 to 68°F). Place their pen in a cool room, away from radiators, fires, sunny windows and draughts, as both the RSPCA and the Scottish Government advise. Most homes are fine in winter. Summer is harder: a south-facing room or loft can pass 25°C (77°F) on a warm day, so choose a north-facing room and keep curtains closed in the afternoon. See our rabbit cage setup guide for where to put a pen, and our complete rabbit care guide for everything else.