We love our little furry friends and wouldn’t want them to freeze, so you may want to put a blanket in their cage in the cooler months. But can rabbits have blankets in their cage? Are blankets really necessary for rabbits? And if they are, which fabrics would work the best?
Rabbits can survive in cool temperatures. They like being too cool rather than too hot, which can be challenging to manage, but this depends on whether they live indoors or outdoors. But blankets can be a great way to make them feel comfortable in their hutch. Getting a cover can be one way to turn their house into a home. Although, it is essential to know what type of blanket to use in their hutch.
Do Rabbits like Blankets?
Rabbits enjoy getting comfortable when they want to sleep. However, if their hutch already has a comfy, soft and flat space to sleep in, it is not necessary. A rabbit’s fur can keep them warm and comfortable, even in cold temperatures.
Are Blankets Necessary?
I wouldn’t say that blankets are necessary. It depends on whether the rabbit has an outdoor or indoor hutch and whether there is a cozy and comfortable space for sleeping. If they are already comfy with their hutch and you notice they are not restless, they may not need a blanket.
Blankets can offer a sense of security and keep your rabbit cozy and warm at night. But your bunny may also use its blanket for scratching, playing, and burrowing for fun.
Another way to use a cover is to throw it over the hutch. This practice can keep the harshest weather away from the rabbit, hide them from predators, and give the rabbits a calm space to rest in privacy.
Can Rabbits Have Blankets in their Cage?
If you want to put a cover in their cage, it shouldn’t be big and heavy because a bunny can get trapped underneath it. If the blanket takes up too much space, it will also be difficult for the bunny to move around the cage freely. When you don’t use the right cover, it can do the opposite of what it intends.
Therefore, it is vital to know what type of blanket to use in the cage.
Are Blankets Safe for Rabbits?
As long as it is the correct type of blanket that doesn’t take up the whole cage space, it can be perfectly safe, especially if they can dig, chew, and claw their bedding without hurting themselves.
If your rabbit chews and swallows harmful material, it can have a detrimental effect on their health, making them very ill in some cases. If their claw gets stuck on the bedding, they risk hurting their paw. Therefore, choosing the best blanket for your hutch is very important.
You can easily find the right cover for your bunny’s hutch. But finding the right blanket depends on the size of the hutch, where you want to put the blanket, and the type of bedding. A little bit of research will assist you in finding the right one for your bunny!
What Type of Blanket is Best?
There are a few options to consider in deciding the best bedding for your rabbit.
Hay
Bunnies can be perfectly happy with no modern form of bedding. Having hay in the hutch could be an excellent place for bunnies to snuggle in and sleep. Hay can keep them warm and comfortable while sleeping. However, as hay is something rabbits love to eat, be prepared to top it up frequently! To absorb any pee or feces of the rabbit, you can place newspaper underneath the layer of hay. But remember to periodically remove the old hay and replace it with a fresh supply.
Another alternative, if you prefer not to use hay, is to try straw pellets. Baled straw might be too sharp and prickly for your rabbit to lie on, but straw pellets are softer and more comfortable. So before you use a fancy blanket, you can try straw pellets first.
This video discusses the different types of hay bedding and setting up your rabbit hutch.
Fleece
A fleece blanket feels soft and plushy. It is gentle on a rabbit’s feet, and it is nice to walk on. It’s advantageous to rabbits that live in outdoor hutches. They can feel warm and cozy in the outside weather.
Fleece is harder to chew, and it will last longer. However, be sure a cover of this caliber undergoes regular washing.
Towel
A towel can be comfortable to sleep on; however, rabbits chew towels quickly, which may lead to frequent replacements. Towels also don’t offer much snuggle warmth in a cooler climate.
Should I wrap my rabbit in the blanket for extra comfort?
Please do not swaddle your bunny in a blanket! Your bunny will feel suffocated and trapped, and bunnies don’t like feeling that way. A rabbit doesn’t need a blanket to warm up. Simply lying on one can make them feel cozy.
Wrapping them up in one can risk trapping them, making them panicked and scared. They will also want to scratch away the blanket or move away from it when they feel uncomfortable.
Should I use a thick blanket to keep my bunny warm?
I would suggest using a thinner blanket for your bunny. If you use a heavy cover, the bunny can accidentally trap themselves underneath and suffocate. A light blanket is suitable enough and will still provide warmth and comfort.
Final Thoughts
The best advice I can give you is this: see how your bunny reacts to the blanket you give. Does your bunny shove it away? Instead of sleeping on it, do they only scratch it? Are they avoiding it? Monitoring how your bunny responds to the cover will help you see if they need it or not.
Some bunnies might be perfectly happy and cozy without one, while others like how it feels. It’s not wrong to want to get your bunny as comfortable as possible. But sometimes, bunny knows best, so be guided by their preferences.
As long as the bedding is comfortable and not toxic, your bunny should be happy and healthy! And if they don’t like the blanket, it is perfectly fine to leave them with no blanket and rely on hay only. It is all up to your bunny.