Most rabbit owners are afraid for their rabbits when it comes to New Year's Eve noise. On the one hand understandable, since the kind of noise and the volume probably occurs only once a year and thus New Year's Eve can make a rabbit already somewhat afraid. However, usually the owners are more fearful than their rabbits.

Nevertheless, you can do a few things so that your rabbit can experience the whole thing a little calmer on New Year's Eve. What measures are, you will learn here with us. As always, we have included our own experience and that of other rabbit owners. If you follow our tips, your rabbit should survive New Year's Eve well and in good health.

Why do rabbits get scared on New Year's Eve?

It is generally the case that rabbits are easily startled by loud noises. This is normal for a flight animal, as the rabbit is, and therefore not unusual. Every rabbit owner knows it, that rabbit scoffs off and seeks shelter because a loud noise has caused it to do so. What is loud for us humans can be extremely loud for a rabbit.

The reason for this is that a rabbit perceives every sound about twice as loud as a human. Thus, the slamming of a car door, which seems harmless to us, can already cause a rabbit to take cover. If one should have grasped this once before eyes, then it is also clear why escape animals react so violently to the most different noises.

We can reassure you, however, that most rabbits can cope excellently with New Year's Eve noise. Most of them will crawl into a corner, but only very rarely will a change in your rabbit's character be noticed afterwards.

Horror stories about rabbits on New Year's Eve

Again and again stories are made public in which it is claimed that a rabbit died of a heart attack on New Year's Eve because of the New Year's fireworks. We know a large number of rabbit owners and are regularly in the major German rabbit forums on the road. There we have read/heard only in absolutely exceptional cases that a rabbit died on New Year's Eve.

In the two cases that we found/experienced, we were not sure whether the rabbit had a previous disease in the first case. In the second case, the rabbit was already nine and a half years old and thus already somewhat older. Before that, this rabbit had bravado and without being skittish, had casually made it through every New Year's Eve.

Rabbit New Year's Eve - outdoor enclosure precautions

In any case, leave your rabbits in their familiar environment. If you are not sure about this, organize the move days before to a room that has the same ambient temperature as the outdoor enclosure. This would be possible for example in a cellar or garage. This way your rabbits can get used to this environment and the noise will only reach them in a muffled way.

In the outdoor enclosure you should ensure that no exploded rockets can fall in. That is, put a sturdy roof over the enclosure so that nothing can fall in. Personally, we reduce the size of our outdoor enclosure and hang it completely with a tent tarp, leaving only the bottom 30 cm free so that the rabbits can still see something. This way we can be relatively sure that no foreign objects get into the enclosure during the night.

If you do not have this option, then you can at least hang a blanket over the rabbit hutch itself, so that in it the sounds arrive a little more muffled.

In addition, you should offer the rabbits many hiding places, which should actually be present in any reasonable outdoor enclosure. What we also recommend is, if you celebrate New Year's Eve at home, that you give your rabbits delicious food in the free run 15 to 20 minutes before the fireworks start. Because a little eating, provides relaxation for many rabbits.

In summary, if a rabbit has retreats in the free run on New Year's Eve, then you don't have to worry. Because remember, if a summer thunderstorm rages over your garden, then it will also be bright and loud in the free run. Don't worry too much, your rabbits are more robust than we humans sometimes think.

Rabbit New Year's Eve - apartment arrangements

If you keep your rabbit in the apartment, then precautions are also to be taken here. Here it has proven that the windows are closed and if available roller shutters down, as well as curtains to close. In addition, you can hang a blanket over the hutch to further muffle the noise. Some rabbit owners turn on the TV or radio on New Year's Eve so that the animals are distracted.

This is one way we also recommend that you offer your pets something tasty to eat, as in the outdoor enclosure, so that they are distracted. Thus prepared, your rabbit should survive New Year's Eve without any problems.

If you have any other tips on the subject of rabbits and New Year's Eve, we would be happy to hear them. You are also welcome to share your experiences with us in the comments.