If not, here's your chance! In this video, you can see an absolutely adorable rabbit first check out the water, and then jump right in. It immediately starts doing the rabbit version of a doggie paddle—I guess that'd be called a bunny paddle? Its nimble ears instantly swivel back against its head, to prevent water from getting in. The fluffy creature then quickly swims across the body of water, and safely makes it to the other side—in what seems like record time! Way to go, little fella!
The video is credited to journalist Chris Clark of Chris Clark Sports, who provided this important caveat when he posted it:
(Disclaimer – this is a wild rabbit, getting rabbits wet can be dangerous or fatal to them. Wet fur can lead to hypothermia or a respiratory infection; hot water or blow-dryers can scald their skin. Water in their ears can lead to ear infections. Damp fur can lead to parasitic infestations. Getting wet is highly stressful to a rabbit.)
The blog Animal Hearted agrees that you should never try to make your pet rabbit swim, as it could harm them. They explain:
Swimming can be dangerous to a pet rabbit, specifically if they are put into a swimming pool; their undercoat soaks up water like a sponge. Have you ever tried swimming with wet clothes on (or been pushed in a pool)?
The feeling would be similar to what a bunny feels as the water is absorbed into their wet fur. It weighs them down, making it both difficult and exhausting for them to swim. Rabbit owners (or parents as we prefer) are better off keeping their pet bunny away from the pool.
Domesticated rabbits also don't easily dry off once they are wet. Remember the feeling of walking into an air-conditioned home after swimming? They have this feeling for a long time after the event is over – another reason for them to avoid swimming pools.
So, please, don't subject your pet rabbit to water!
If you want to see more cool footage of rabbits swimming, check out this incredible clip from PBS Nature, which claims to be the first time swamp rabbits—the largest cottontail on the planet—were filmed swimming. The video explains that the large size of these fluffy rabbits helps them float and also provides the musculature necessary for swimming.
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