COOLING TIPS HOW HOT IS TOO HOT AND HOW TO BEAT THE HEAT? Signs of  may heat stroke may include: Sprawled out,breathing heavy, reluctance to move, salivation, ear reddening, weakness. If you suspect your bunny is suffering from heat stroke - seek emergency vet care immediately!  The best way to deal with heat stroke is try to prevent it from happening in the first place.  Use the Cooling Tips. COOLING TIPS

CHECK WEATHER & SET AC ACCORDINGLY:    If you have air-conditioning, try and keep your house at 75 degrees or below even if you are not there.   This may seem obvious, but many times we leave in the morning and forget about afternoon heat so check the weather and prepare.   Keep blinds closed even if the sun does not hit directly.  The heat coming in from the windows on a hot day can bake a room. Picture: Member Anitastark's bunny "Sable" likes to hang out on the AC vent.
POOR MAN'S AC:  FAN & DAMP SHEET:                   I soak a sheet or pillow case and then....           ...I hang it over pen and place fan nearby.  The air cools off as it blows over the damp sheet.  (I mist  cloth every once in awhile to keep it damp) On really hot days, I take a whole sheet, and when I had a cage instead of a pen, I covered most of the pen leaving spaces open for air to flow through.         An oscillating fan is best, otherwise make sure the bunny can escape direct air if desired, or be sure to place fan so it's not blowing constantly and directly on your bunny.            Jack stretches out near the cool breeze.
FROZEN WATER BOTTLES, JUGS AND COOLER BLOCKS:  Save at least two bottles so you can rotate melted for a new frozen one. NEW TIP ADDED 7/15/08 - Great tip from member, MooBunnay:                                         Freeze gallon milk jugs full of water. They last longer than the smaller bottles for people that may not be able to change them as often as they would like.  (Note: make sure to use the ones that have twist tops, not the fliptops.   Lunch box ice blocks (not the soft cooler packages) seem to retain the cool very well.                 You can also use larger soda bottles filled with water too - I have discovered mine LOVE those even on days that aren't hot)                                             Some bunnies, prefer a more cuddly version, one that doesn't feel so cold and isn't wet.  If that seems to be the case with your bunny,  put a sock on it.   Note, some bunnies will chew up the sock so in that case take the sock off so that they don't digest the material. Boy, bunnies  sure can be difficult!
ICE-CUBES IN WATER: Even if your bunny drinks from a bottle, you can still offer this as some bunnies actually step in it to cool off.  Goofy!
FROZEN TREATS ICE CUBECICLE:    A frozen treat is a good way to keep a bunny hydrated and cool. There are many variations of this: You can freeze water with little fruit bitz inside or just freeze flavored natural juice like apple.  (be sure to dilute it so it doesn't have too much sugar and cause a serious digestive imbalance)   You can even freeze a favorite treat, like a raisin in the middle.  I've filled flavored ice cube with rosemary and mint leaves, and they love it. 7/15/08 NEW TREAT TIP by member: MooBunnay "My bunnies really loved frozen grapes, I cut them in half and kept a sack of them in the freezer" 9/21/09  by member: KokaneaAndKahlua Cut up fruit into little pieces, like Banana, Papaya - whatever your bunny likes, and put them in water in little cups or icecube trays, and freeze them.
CERAMIC TILES: I use 12 x 12 Ceramic Tiles.  I got several of them at Home Depot for about $2 bucks each.  They stay cool even during hot weather.  And if I really want to cool the tiles off, I stick them in the freezer for 5 - 10 minutes.   If the tile is too slippery, then turn it over and use the other side - usually has some sort of traction.
DAMPEN EARS: Bunnies cool off with their ears and it helps them cool off even more when you wet their ears.  Best way is to dampen your hands or a paper towel and wipe over face and ears.
GROOM EXCESS HAIR: It's bad enough to wear a fur coat on a hot day, but it's worse to have an "old" fur coat on top of a fur coat.   This is especially true if a bunny is molting.
IT'S GOING TO BE A BLISTERING HOT DAY!!    NOW What?        If it's going to be one of those record breaking days that melts ice in seconds and you won't be home to manage a damp sheet, and you don't have AC. then it's best to just move your bunny to cooler location.  Like a basement or bathroom......    or even a bathtub blocking an escape with an x-pen.  BE SURE that you haven't used any harsh chemicals in the tub recently, and lay down a towel or blanket, so they don't slip and slide.   Even in the tub, put a litterbox, water, and food.  It's tight, but it's cool.
Dampen greens with fresh water - Keep your bunnies hydrated by offering wet greens.
PORTABLE SWAMP COOLERS:  A good solution to beat the heat in a smaller area as well as offers the benefit of being able to move it around. Swamp coolers, aka: evaporative fans or air coolers can range from $40 - $300 (or even more for industrial versions) To find them online, just search for "Portable Swamp Cooler" or check out the selection Ebay.	EXAMPLE
These Window AC can really come in handy during the hottest days. If you don't want to spend $300 bucks for one, scan the want ads, craigslist.org, and garage sales. We found one in perfect working condition for $50 bucks!  Be sure when you do use  it to test it out first (especially a pre-owned one) to make sure it cools and/or does't make it too cold if the setting is off or you are not paying attention.