Costs of rabbit ownership: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 13:42, 12 February 2013

Initial Costs

Initial costs of owning a rabbit should include the following:

Adoption or purchasing costs
Housing costs
Food costs (hay, pellets, and vegetables)
Accessories (i.e. food bowls, water bowl/bottle, hidey-holes, toys, etc.)
Spaying and neutering (if the bun is not already spayed or neutered)

According to SaveABunny.org initial set-up costs typically range from $75-125; they also provide a shopping list for getting started. See Getting Started for a full listing of the things you will need to set up for your new companion.

Adoption or Purchasing Costs

If you purchased your new rabbit, costs can range from $5 to $20+ depending on the store and breeder. The cost of adopting your new companion will vary from rescue group to rescue group. Typically, a rabbit from a shelter or humane society will be around $25. Adopting from a private rescue center can typically cost $50+. Adopting provides benefits ranging from an included spay or neuter, free microchipping, and a free veterinarian checkup within a certain amount of days within adoption. Some places may even give you some starter supplies, so all in all, adopting is quite a bargain. Additionally, you will be saving a life!

If you would like to adopt a rabbit, check out Adoption Listings.

Housing Costs

Main article: Housing

The cost of housing will vary depending on whether you decide to use a store bought cage, build a NIC cube cage, use an exercise pen, or have a free range pet. Free range is the least expensive option with most store bought cages and hutches being the most expensive option. Around average...

Exercise pen - $30+
NIC cube cage - $40+
Commercial cage - $100+
Hutch - $200+

Costs go up depending on complexity and size of enclosure.

You may find cheaper deals if you try to obtain used housing on Craigslist and similar locations.

Food Costs

See the food section below for more details.

Accessories

Rabbits will need a couple of essential accessories in their housing enclosure. See our Enclosure Setup section of Housing for more details.

Litter box - $4 for a basic medium sized cat pan. Expect to spend for more nicer options such as a screen or a cover.
Water bowl or bottle - $6
Heavy duty ceramic bowls for food - $6
Soft surface to lie on (e.g. towel, carpet scrap, blanket)- $4
Hidey house - $0+. A cardboard box with a hole cut out is sufficient.

Some optional accessories include the following:

Hay rack - $0+ depending on DIY work. See Hay for more details.

Next, you will need to buy some essential bunny-proofing material. Expect to spend at least $15/100 feet of cord protection.

Lastly, you will need to buy grooming tools if you do not wish to take your rabbit to a groomer or veterinarian regularly. Some essentials:

Nail clippers - $6
Hair brush - $4
Hair comb - $4

Spaying and Neutering

Main article: Spaying and Neutering

If you obtained your rabbit unaltered, expect to spend anywhere from $50-$200+ to get your rabbit fixed. See Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinics to find some of your cheaper options to fix your rabbit.

Ongoing Costs

SaveABunny.org estimates that ongoing costs to be $20+ a month.

Food

Main article: Diet

Your ongoing food costs will include hay, pellets, and vegetables. How often you buy hay and pellets will depend on the quantity you buy. This will also impact how much you spend on hay. Buying from a pet store is more expensive and will need to be done more often due to the small quantities of hay that can be purchased. It is cheapest to buy hay from a feed store, but this also requires that you have the space to store up to 50+ pounds of hay at a given time. Depending on the region, a bale of timothy hay can cost $7-30. A small bag of hay from a pet store will be around $8 for 64oz. If you buy in bulk online from select merchants, you can get a better deal on commercial brands of hay for around $1/pound. See Hay for more information.

Pellets, although not an essential part of a rabbit's diet, are also commonly fed as a supplement. Pellets insure that a rabbit will obtain all the vitamins and minerals that a hay and water diet may not. Again, cost will vary based on the quantity and frequency that buy pellets as well as the brand. Oxbow is the most expensive brand but is well known for its quality. A 5 pound bag that will last a single rabbit around 3-4 months will typically cost around $10.

Vegetables should be bought weekly, and cost will vary based on seasonal sales and the types of vegetables you buy. An Asian market, if available nearby, will typically have the cheapest vegetables. You can find vegetables from 33 cents/pound, and one shopping trip will last a single bun around two weeks. Remember to leave room in the refrigerator for them!

Litter

Main article: Litter Training

Depending on your choice in litter and how many rabbits you have, monthly costs can range. In order of a general lowest cost to highest:

Wood pellets - $8 for 30 liters
Wood shavings - $6 for 20 liters
Carefresh - $8 for 12.5 liters

Note that you can get much better prices if you buy in bulk. Feed stores will generally have the cheapest option of wood pellets where they sell horse bedding. Home improvement stores may also sell wood pellets for stoves. Be sure that no accelerants have been added.

Generally, one rabbit will go through about 13 liters of litter in a month.

Toys

Main article: Toys

Although many pet stores (both retail and online) carry toys marketed for bunnies, toys can be made cheaply and often at no cost from items around your house. Bunny toys may include any of the following items:

Toilet paper rolls
Paper towel rolls
Cardboard boxes

The above are typically free when found around your house. Other toys can range in cost depending on source.

Find more options at our main Toys article.

Veterinarian Visits

Main article: How to Choose a Rabbit Veterinarian

Many times, your typical veterinarian costs will be for a yearly check up. The cost of this depends on the vet clinic you choose to go. A typical regular vet checkup should be around $40-60 with extra costs if your rabbit needs medication or other services.

If you live in the outside of the US, you will typically need to also get yearly vaccinations for your rabbit for VHD and/or myxomatosis.

In some cases, your rabbit may become sick and unexpectedly need to see an emergency veterinarian. This will be more expensive than a regular vet. Costs for the exam alone will usually start from $80. Any services and medication given will increase the visit cost. Typically, expect to spend anywhere from $100-150 for an emergency vet visit.

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 Your ongoing food costs will include [[hay]], [[pellets]], and [[vegetables]].  How often you buy hay and pellets will depend on the quantity you buy.  This will also impact how much you spend on hay.  Buying from a pet store is more expensive and will need to be done more often due to the small quantities of hay that can be purchased.  It is cheapest to buy hay from a feed store, but this also requires that you have the space to store up to 50+ pounds of hay at a given time. Depending on the region, a bale of timothy hay can cost $7-30. A small bag of hay from a pet store will be around $8 for 64oz. If you buy in bulk online from select merchants, you can get a better deal on commercial brands of hay for around $1/pound. See [[Hay]] for more information.
-[[Pellets]], although not an essential part of a rabbit's diet, are also commonly feed as a supplement. Pellets insure that a rabbit will obtain all the vitamins and minerals that a hay and water diet may not. Again, cost will vary based on the quantity and frequency that buy pellets as well as the brand. Oxbow is the most expensive brand but is well known for its quality. A 5 pound bag that will last a single rabbit around 3-4 months will typically cost around $10.
+[[Pellets]], although not an essential part of a rabbit's diet, are also commonly fed as a supplement. Pellets insure that a rabbit will obtain all the vitamins and minerals that a hay and water diet may not. Again, cost will vary based on the quantity and frequency that buy pellets as well as the brand. Oxbow is the most expensive brand but is well known for its quality. A 5 pound bag that will last a single rabbit around 3-4 months will typically cost around $10.
 Vegetables should be bought weekly, and cost will vary based on seasonal sales and the types of vegetables you buy. An Asian market, if available nearby, will typically have the cheapest vegetables. You can find vegetables from 33 cents/pound, and one shopping trip will last a single bun around two weeks. Remember to leave room in the refrigerator for them!