Buns afraid of ice?

[mia]

Every time I give me bun ice for cooling off, they seem to be afraid of it. I’ve even wrapped the iced bottled with a towel but they never get next to it. Is this something they have to learn to get used to or, is there a way to get them to get near it?

 

[Dwarf Sparrow]

I’m curious about this issue, too. Merida either hops away when I put the ice bottle near where she has been lounging, or attacks (digs & chews) the towel that the ice bottle is wrapped in.

[bpash89]

Mine was a bit scared of it the first few times (I think because of the popping noise it makes sometimes as the ice starts to melt) but she got used to it. She doesn’t like a towel on hers though because she likes to lick the condensation. I would say just keep putting it out and let them explore it on their own terms.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I gave Olivia an ice bottle wrapped in a sock the other day and she got super mad at it and began pummeling it and then dragged it in the farthest corner and left it there. Bindi pushed it out of the way and ignored it.

[Nelli]

I give our bunnies frozen water bottles in old socks for them to cool down, and usually what happens is that one of them goes and flops next to a bottle, and then the other bun comes and squeezes herself between her sister and the bottle And of course there are more than just one bottle, but no… they have to do it this way, haha.

[BubblesJo]

Chester was scared silly of the frozen bottle. He scratched at it, pushed it to a corner of the cage, etc… but he did figure out it was cold eventually and now lays against it. If I wrap it in a towel he isn’t happy until he unwraps it and lies against the just the bottle!

[mia]

Well, I’ve been doing this for two years and they are still scared. Though not that many times per year since it rarely even gets above 80F; today is the first time I’ve turned on my fan in over 2 years. Is it worth it to keep doing it (I don’t normally keep ice around)? I also put ice cubes in a (water) bowl and they’re scared of that too and just drink from the bottle. It’s the cold and that they don’t like and I immediately get grunts and thumps when I bring the ice. If they don’t go towards the ice, does it mean they aren’t hot?

It’s 90s this weekend and they just ran away from the ice and the fan; I don’t have AC.

[Roberta]

Even if they don’t lay against the ice packs the air around them will be cool. That will help reduce the temperature in the immediate area. Put the ice packs in their area around the perimeters and after they get used to the idea they will hopefully decide that they are a good thing.
Rabbits will always be very aware of anything new and will take time to decide if they like it or not. I know you have been trying for a couple of years but just put them in and leave them there, just pretend they are nothing new and walk away. If you are getting anxious they may be picking up on that.

[Deleted User]

I agree with Roberta. And if you only do it intermittently (for good reason) then they never have to adjust to it. But really you don’t need to be pressed against something for it to have a cooling effect. Putting the frozen bottles in front of the fan will also help spread the cooler air around.

You might also try ceramic tiles; whether or not you choose to cool them in the fridge or freezer before putting them in the cage. I don’t use ice regularly either so it isn’t always on hand around here so I know what that feels like. Tiles might be simpler, they are cheap, easy to store, and even if you aren’t prepared one slipped in immediately while another chills (if necessary) will still be a help. And they may not mind a “different” piece of flooring the way they do the ice bottles.

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