My husband has watched me for the past week bring in frozen water bottles from the rabbit cage. Well, last night, he brought in 2 can "cozies", (you know those ones you slide over your coke can to keep it cool?) and proceeded to cover the rabbit bottle over the top and the bottom, with these cozies! So far, no frozen water out there, and it is 27 degrees! In His Grace, Sissy

-- sissy sylvester-barth (iblong2Him@ilovejesus.net), November 27, 2001

Answers

what a really neat idea! I wonder if cutting sleeves off old sweatshirts or something like that would work....I have 22 bunny bottles so I'd need a lot of cozies! The water here only freezes like in January and through the worst winter months!

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), November 27, 2001.

Thanks for the idea, Sissy! I've got to try that!

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), November 27, 2001.

Thanks Sissy sounds like an idea I would like to try. It may just work when weather stays around freezing. I think if it goes down any lower and the temperature stays below freezing all day it may not work.

I use two sets of bottles. This way I can exchange bottles a couple times a day. (One set on the cages - the other in the basement thawing out.) It's a lot easier than trying to thaw bottles in the sink.

-- Tom S. (trdsshepard@yahoo.com), November 27, 2001.

Hey Ya'll, would that pipe wrap that they sell at the hardware store work? It is just like those cozies. It is in a piece about 10 or 12 feet long and it's made of heavy styrofoam like stuff. It comes in 2 inch and 3 inch around to insulate plumbing. I betcha that you could slip it over the bottle and whack off what you needed on each one. Might work and be cheaper. You would just have to do something about the exposed ends. Hmmmm I will think on it.

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), November 27, 2001.

Fabulous idea! I have the same system as Tom. I'll be checking into the price of the pipe insulation and I'm pretty sure I've seen the can cozies at the local dollar store. Thanks for passing on this tip!!

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), November 27, 2001.

Umm, ok, I hate to be the harbringer of bad news... this sounds like a good idea but wont work in trully cold weather. think about it- all you are doing its keeping the cold out (or the heat of the original water poured into the bottle in) for a relatively short time. The hotter water originally used, the longer it will keep from freezing. But dont expect a bootie on your water bottle to help "warm it up." A better approach is this: instead of using annoying water bottles, use heavy earthen ware or the like crocks. The rabbits will lick the ice if it does freeze, its easier to chuck the ice out and refill from a jug of warm water, they wont tip over, the nozzel never freezes before the rest of the bottle (or clogs), They dont algea up so bad, they are easier to clean, etc. Dollar store often sell these things for 33 cents or so- look for sales, and for gosh sakes, dont buy them from a petstore (over 4 bucks each!) When one has from 45 to 70 rabbits, one learns easier methods of doing things ;)_

-- Kevin in NC (Vantravlrs@aol.com), November 28, 2001.

Kevin, don't the crocks break when the water freezes in them? (Maybe it doesn't freeze that hard in NC?)

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), November 28, 2001.

You also have to be careful the rabbits don't eat the 'cozy'. If they are able to reach the side against the cage wire... they will probably try to chew it. Just something to watch for. :

-- Toni Rakestraw (dabblmom@aol.com), November 28, 2001.

Plus, if the bottles are like the ones we use, with a ball in the end of the tube, the ball will freeze and no water will come out. I'm about to go the crock method myself. Jan

-- Jan in Co (Janice12@aol.com), November 29, 2001.