A close friend Lilly has just started raising her own rabbits and gave us a call one day, wondering if it was ok to walk one of her rabbits in the rain on a warm summer day. She literally asked me, “Can My Rabbit Go Out In The Rain?”
Lilly often walks with her bunnies using a bunny harness and and thought walking her bunny in the rain would be like a natural shower for the rabbit.
Our Hobby Farm Heaven response was this:
It is ok for bunnies to go out in a gentle rain or drizzle on a warm day, but it is generally not good for them to get fully soaked to the skin. You should gently and patiently towel dry your rabbit after being in the rain. If your rabbit does get soaking wet, then you can use a hair dryer on very low heat, a soft brush, and a towel to patiently and thoroughly dry your bunny.
Read on to learn How To Safely Use A Hair Dryer To Dry Your Wet Rabbit
Every now and then on a warm summer day we see wild rabbits eating clover and playing in the rain. Yes, that is natural….however, note that we don’t see rabbits, or other animals, venturing out in a heavy rain or storm.
Further, we don’t see animals venturing out in the rain on cold or windy days. Animals naturally know to seek shelter in heavy rain and storms and when the temperatures are relatively cold.
Do Rabbits Need a Bath or Shower
No, healthy rabbits do not need a bath or shower. Healthy rabbits meticulously groom themselves, keeping their fur soft and clean. A healthy rabbit has excellent hygiene.
Some rabbits have injuries, are obese, or are older and have arthritis, and can not properly groom themselves.
For these rabbits you may need to spot clean their bottoms to prevent serious issues such as:
Can I Let My Rabbit Go Out In The Rain
Yes, you can let your rabbit go out in a gentle rain when air temperatures are not cold.
Chances are your fenced rabbit area also has a place where the rabbit can shelter from the rain. If you are using a bunny leash and harness and walking in the rain, then we recommend that it be a short walk that does not soak the rabbit to the skin.
You must always gently and thoroughly dry the rabbit after their time in the rain.
Can Rabbits Die From Rain
No, rabbits can not die from rain. However, a rabbit certainly can die from hypothermia after getting soaked in the rain when the temperature is too cold.
A soaking wet rabbit in a chilly environment will struggle to maintain its body temperature of 101 to 103 degrees F (38.3 to 39.4 C) and become hypothermic.
If conditions do not change, if the rabbit is not warmed and dried, then the hypothermic rabbit will die.
Can Baby Bunnies Survive Rain
Bunnies that are still nursing and spending all or most of their time in the nest, should not be exposed to rain. These developing bunnies need to stay warm and dry.
Being exposed to rain and becoming soaking wet will stress the bunnies and may kill them. Healthy bunnies that are nearly weaned and have been exploring their environment outside the nest for several weeks have thicker fur and are more robust.
These older and more developed bunnies are likely to survive a brief rainfall on a warm summer day, as long as the sun comes out to warm them or they can then find warm shelter and thoroughly dry off.
What Are The Different Types Of Rabbit Fur?
We need to have a basic understanding of rabbit fur in order to better understand the consequences of dealing with a soaking wet rabbit.
Rabbit fur is made up of different types of hair as follows:
- Rabbit Guide Hairs – Guide hairs are the primary hairs.
- Rabbit Guard Hairs – Guard hairs are also known as “barbs”. Four guide hairs surround each guide hair. This is said to help seal the rabbit’s coat, making it somewhat water resistant or water repellent. Guard hairs make up most of the rabbit’s coat.
- Rabbit Down – A rabbit has about 60 down hairs for each guide hair. These down hairs are barely visible, but they serve to create an insulating layer around the rabbit’s skin.
How To Take Care Of A Wet Rabbit
Aside from the very unique Swamp Rabbit featured in this article Do Rabbits Like To Play In Water, rabbits generally do not like to get too wet or soaked.
Their instincts are to seek shelter and stay dry.
In the next several paragraphs we discuss the actions to take if your bunny gets wet and how to dry a wet rabbit.
What To Do If Your Bunny Is Wet
A wet rabbit must be kept warm and be gently and thoroughly dried. If the rabbit’s fur is not thoroughly dried, then the rabbit may still suffer from hypothermia.
In the wild, a wet rabbit may hop around in the sun, after the rain, allowing the sun and the warm breeze to thoroughly dry its fur. This is not possible in all regions, or all climates.
A wet domestic rabbit should not be placed back in its hutch or cage. A wet domestic bunny should be gently and thoroughly dried with deliberate care.
How To Dry A Wet Rabbit
Taking care of a wet rabbit is a slow process that requires patience!
If you’re in a rush, then you’ll be frustrated or risk hurting the rabbit. A rabbit’s skin tears much easier than our human skin!
Therefore, you must resolve to take your time and be very gentle when handling your rabbit to dry it. Your wet rabbit can be towel dried and then thoroughly dried with a hair dryer and brush, if necessary.
This means wrapping the bunny in a dry towel and letting the towel soak up the dampness from the bunnies fur. You may massage the bunny gently while it is wrapped in the towel.
This will work the towel into the rabbit’s fur and absorb more water.
After being wrapped in the towel for a while, you may unwrap the bunny and gently pat down the rabbit’s fur with the towel. Using a soft patting and wiping motion. This will absorb still more moisture.
We note that you may need to switch out the damp towel for a dry towel and that a thoroughly soaked bunny will need further drying.
Can I Use A Hair Dryer On My Rabbit
For the further deep drying, you may use a hair dryer to dry your rabbit as follows:
- Use the Low heat and Low fan setting
- Keep the nozzle of the hair dryer at least 15 inches from your bunny.
- Move the airflow around on your bunny, never keep the airflow on the same spot for more than a moment.
- Move a soft brush gently through the rabbit’s fur as you dry it with the hair dryer.
This YouTube Short about Drying Your Rabbit shows a proper method for using a hair dryer and a soft brush to dry your wet bunny.
How Do Bunnies Stay Warm In The Rain
Rabbit fur differs from human hair. The longer hairs if rabbit fur have air pockets in them that create an insulating effect to keep the rabbit warm. The rabbit’s thick fur is slightly water repellent.
If the rabbit is out in a steady rain, then it will eventually get soaked to the skin. When this happens, the rabbit is at risk for hypothermia and worse.
Can Being In The Rain Make My Rabbit Sick
Yes, getting thoroughly soaked in the rain can lead to sickness in your rabbit.
Getting wet in and of itself does not necessarily harm the rabbit. However, getting wet and chilled or even hypothermic, creates great stress for the rabbit.
Stress reduces a rabbit’s natural immune system, making the rabbit weaker and more susceptible to disease and illness.
Can Rain Cause Rabbit Pneumonia
Yes, indirectly rain may cause rabbit pneumonia.
Getting soaked in the rain can lead to rabbit pneumonia. If a wet rabbit gets chilled or becomes hypothermic, then it becomes stressed and its immune system is weakened.
A weak immune system may lead to pneumonia and other rabbit illnesses such as snuffles.
Can Rain Cause Rabbit Snuffles
Yes, indirectly rain may cause rabbit snuffles.
Getting soaked in the rain can lead to rabbit snuffles, a common rabbit respiratory disease.
If a wet rabbit gets chilled or becomes hypothermic, then it becomes stressed and its immune system is weakened. A weak immune system may lead to snuffles and other bunny illnesses.
For more about rabbit snuffles, you can read this article: Why Does My Rabbit Have A Runny Nose – Snuffles?
Can Rabbits Stay Out In The Cold
Yes, rabbits can stay out in the cold if there is very little wind. If there is wind or precipitation, then the rabbit needs shelter.
Rabbits are very cold hardy; they are built for the cold. As long as they have shelter to keep them dry and out of the wind, they can stand very cold temperatures.
We discuss this at length in this article: Do Rabbits Get Cold At Night?
When Should You Keep Your Bunny In The Hutch or Inside
Rabbits are at their best when they are dry! You should keep your bunny in the hutch or inside when there is an abundance of precipitation (driving rain, snow, sleet, hail, etc) and when an icy cold wind is blowing.
Can Rabbits Go Out On Wet Grass
Yes, rabbits can go out on wet grass.
If their feet and bottom get wet from the wet grass, they will groom themselves and eventually dry out their feet and bottom.
Note however, that our domestic rabbits that are injured, obese, or plagued with arthritis may not be able to properly groom themselves and may need your assistance in drying off their feet and bottoms.
Frequently Asked Questions Related To How To Care For A Wet Rabbit
How to Take Rabbit’s Temperature
This video from explains how to safely take a rabbit’s temperature.
How To Know If My Rabbit is Hypothermic
If the rabbit’s core body temperature goes below 101 degrees F (38 C), then it is at risk of hypothermia.
If your rabbit is hypothermic, then you should call your veterinarian immediately.
Be careful to not warm your hypothermic rabbit too quickly as a drastic change in temperature can be harmful or even deadly. The change in core body temperature must be gradual.
Is Rabbit Fur Waterproof?
No, rabbit fur is not waterproof; it is water resistant.
Final Thoughts on Can Rabbits Go Out In The Rain
Wild rabbits sometimes go out in the rain, but mostly they prefer to seek shelter and stay dry.
A wet or soaked rabbit has a hard time staying warm and maintaining its core body temperature. The wet rabbit can quickly become hypothermic, which can quickly escalate to death.
Additionally, a chilled rabbit is a stressed rabbit. Stress weakens the rabbit’s immune system and makes the rabbit more susceptible to pneumonia, snuffles, and other illnesses and diseases.
If your domestic rabbit gets soaked in a rainstorm, then you may gently and patiently dry it with towels, a hair dryer and a soft brush. Most importantly, always remember that rabbits are happiest when they are dry!