Shallow Graves

As anyone that was in Adelaide the other day would not, it got very very hot. Stupid hot. Burn your skin, melt your icecream, turn you to gloop hot.

The biggest problem with the heat for us these days are the rabbits. The poor little buggers can’t regulate their body temperatures and so need lots of help to get through the days of extreme heat. Bottles of frozen water for them to cuddle up to, plenty to drink, shade and on the really bad days, trips inside to the wonder that is air conditioning.

We have 3 rabbits presently, Specs, the fertile male who is isolated from the other 2, Ginger, the non-fertile male and Pepper the fertile female. We’ve learnt to keep them apart!

Due to his location, Specs had a trip inside to the air conditioner as he has very limited access to shade. Pepper and Ginger we thought would be ok. With enough water and ice, their hutch is under the cubby house (and has it’s own roof and 2 levels and areas well out of the sun).

Sadly Ginger didn’t make it. 

I went out late in the day to check that they had what they needed to find the little guy collapsed against the door of the cage. Now a hot rabbit doesn’t look all that different from a dead one as they spread themselves out to try and cool themselves down. The big difference is in the blinking. Dead rabbits don’t blink. So I hoped as I opened the door to see him flinch (in all honesty I expected it). When he didn’t, i knew things were grim. 

Of course that left the two unenviable tasks of telling the little pink thing and burying the bunny. 

With one adult and several babies having already been sent on their way in our yard, I always worry that I’m not quite sure where the last ones were buried. There’s a collection of shallow graves out there and I really don’t want to be adding anymore!