How much bunnies really cost

[Crazyteenager]

Hey everyone,

I just thought that I’d write down how much it really costs to raise a rabbit as many people genuinely think that rabbits are very cheap.

This is just for one rabbit and if you want a second or a third one then you’ll need to double or triple the monthly bill.

Pets at Home.

1. Timothy hay bale £6 x2 a month £12.
2. Timothy pellets £5 a month (lasts for two months) so £2.50p.
3. Wood shavings £15 lasts a month.
4. Chew toys £10 a month.
5. Petplan (insurance if you are on minimum wage and can’t afford to save too much for a rabbit) £13 a month.

Total = £52.50p a month.

However, if you choose to have feed your rabbits unlimited grass from the garden as a substitute for hay then you can get the monthly bill down to £40.50p a month and if your rabbit is a house rabbit ie no cages or hutches then instead of wood shavings you can get puppy pads. Like, I think a pack of 100 puppy pads costs £14 and that’ll last you a whole month.

Don’t forget that when you insure your rabbit that insurance companies won’t insure it against dental problems which occur when they aren’t fed unlimited hay or grass and don’t have access to chew toys or are fed muesli for example or are fed human food causing them to be overweight and not want to chew they hay etc as they are full and they won’t insure a spay or a neutering or putting your pet to sleep. You will also always have to pay a £55 excess fee on things that they may cover like illnesses or injuries and let’s say your monthly bill was £40.05 and your rabbit had flystrike or conjunctivitis then you would have to pay your vet fees (most likely £48 and then petplan £13 so for that month your rabbit would cost you £101.50p.

I know as I’ve had rabbits for more than 4 years and it never seems to amaze me just how uninformed people are about rabbit care and the actual costs of owning one. I have a few that I luckily can afford but with my girl who has always had illnesses etc due to faulty genes and a rare disease that she was born with, I’ve had her for 5 years and she’s cost me 6.5k in total and her monthly bill because I didn’t insure her as a baby is £125 to raise her as I have to pay for her lifelong meds to. The others have always been healthy although I’ve always put £40 aside per bunny a month but if you get a bunny that’s prone to illness just be careful because if this all looks like a lot to you then just consider having a bunny or whether you should or you shouldn’t xxx

I agree they can be expensive, but I don’t agree with a lot of your list.

1. Timothy hay bale £6 x2 a month £12
Okay.
2. Timothy pellets £5 a month (lasts for two months) so £2.50p
Okay.
3. Wood shavings £15 lasts a month
No, rabbits aren’t meant to have wood shavings I thought as it’s irritating to their airways?
They are meant to have more hay or straw as bedding under newspaper?
4. Chew toys £10 a month
No way would I spend £10 a month on toys!
5. Petplan (insurance if you are on minimum wage and can’t afford to save too much for a rabbit) £13 a month
People insure rabbits?!

Don’t forget vaccinations! And as Pp said no wood shavings. Also hundreds for a home and neutering.

I agree with you, they are difficult and expensive pets to keep.

@Swimminginroses of course people insure rabbits, one illness can cost hundreds or thousands in vets’ bills because they are classed as “exotics”.

I think it's important to factor cost for 2 bunnies. Rabbits are sociable creatures and shouldn't live on their own. It boils my blood that PAH sell them singularly. Although what else can you expect from somewhere that has an 'animal stockroom' 🤦🏼‍♀️

Yes you will need vaccinations which are about £70 each per year or covered for £8 per month on Pets @ Home petplan

Personally I haven't insured my rabbits. I had two four year olds I hadn't insured and now have two baby girls and haven't decided whether or not to insure them but many people do and you need to be on a position to pay vets bills if they are not insured

Also add to your list

• veg - I Spend about £10 a month on veg for them eg a cabbage, spring greens and coriander for three rabbits for one weeks

• treats - £2-5

For hay I use hay box which is about £30 a month for three rabbits

I actually think spending £10 on toys is not wholly unrealistic as they don't last long but I do agree you should get two

of course people insure rabbits, one illness can cost hundreds or thousands in vets’ bills because they are classed as “exotics”
I think you’d have to be catastrophically unlucky to need it tbh.
Rabbits are typically healthy animals, the most common health issues in my experience are dental issues like malocclusion which, asfaik, insurance does not pay out for, VHD and Myxomatosis which you should be vaccinating for and uterine cancer in females which is obliterated by spaying.

@Swimminginroses my rabbit had a stroke, I’ve also had one that had a liver problem and I’ve dealt with e cuniculi. All were rescues who didn’t have the best start in life, so I don’t think I was “catastrophically unlucky”.

Of course my girls were spayed (and boys neutered) and we were always up to date on vaccinations.

All were rescues who didn’t have the best start in life
That may well have contributed though?
I don’t dispute there will of course be rabbits with expensive health issues but in my experience, generally speaking, they are very healthy animals and that, combined with the fact that insurance companies don’t cover the most common issues, I think it’s a bit of a waste of money myself and don’t know anyone who would do it.
Course, there’s nothing ‘wrong’ with insuring.
I just wouldn’t myself and don’t know anyone who would.

Well from my experience insurance was extremely valuable. I’ve also known people who have put animals down because they couldn’t afford treatment, and that breaks my heart.

So I always recommend insurance.

@Swimminginroses

What part of £6 per bale of Timothy hay that lasts a rabbit for x2 weeks before they need a 2nd one ie £12 for the month are you ‘playing’ about? You may be getting the really cheap and bad ones hence why you may be ‘okaying’ at my list.

You wouldn’t spend £10 on chew toys a month? That’s cheap as they live to chew and can dismantle their chew toys that cost £2-3 per chew toy within a few days.

Wood shavings? I think your getting confused with sawdust. I’ve had my rabbit for 6 years and I’ve had more since. Wood shavings have never caused an issue, the vets have only ever advised against saw dust. As for straw I wouldn’t use as bedding as when rabbits are notorious for peeing in it and then eating it which causes all sorts of health issues for them but they can distinguish between food and bed if it’s wood shavings and Timothy hay.

Yes. You can insure rabbits. You should do a lot of research x but I’d only ever insure them if you thought that anything above £55 was expensive and or if you would never be able to just cover the cost of a £700 or even a £300 surgery just like that. Luckily I can do this hence why none of mine are insured plus all of the precaution I take to prevent illness in them anyway and I save £40 (has been more in the past) per bunny per month so that if I ever did have an expensive bill then I could easily afford it. Rabbit vet care isn’t cheap. As you know, hay isn’t enough for rabbits and chew toys are needed to prevent dental issues than no insurance would cover and you’d be paying £300 every 2/3 months to have your rabbits teeth filed down over this. I’m assuming £10 on chew toys no longer seems so expensive to you?

It is cheaper to have outdoor rabbits but due to the extremities of the British weather if you live in the UK or even in countries of very hot weathers then having an outdoor bunny or bunnies (best in pairs unless they don’t like other bunnies) is not recommended at all by many rabbit charities, societies etc due to the extremities of the weathers which can severely cut their lifespans, they are more prone to getting ill and of course they are more likely to have a predator such as a cat or a fox terrify them until they have a heart attack and die or a fox may even get inside and kill your rabbit which is common for outdoor rabbits. Indoor rabbits are a better option, although more expensive and they should be left to have free reign so you should section a part of the house of where they can’t go as you wouldn’t want them to be locked in a hutch or a cage that is under the recommended measurements for 24/7.

@NC4NW123

Hello. Yes. The vaccinations are just part of the cost but you’d have to spend £55 excess fee for that first and now they do both myxomatosis and another vaccine in one so that you don’t have to get the second one done on a separate occasion which costs £84 (depending on your vets as some will do it for £70) but for me that was almost £350 as I had to get them all done. It wasn’t a lot for me but for many people it is a lot and so just be careful xxx

@ginandgingers92

Hey

I’d much rather spend £10 on chew toys per month per rabbit £40 in total than a £300 vet bill to get any of their teeth filed down once every 2/3 months. In the long run £10 is nothing trust me as their teeth are in tip top condition and also insurances won’t cover this. Your right, you should always cater for two rabbits like double the cost but some rabbits hate other rabbits (crazy I know) but when my girl bunny was a baby she wouldn’t play with other rabbit. It’s as though she didn’t even know what they were as I tried many times even with slow introductions and with different friends rabbits but now that’s she’s older she love her rescue brother (rabbit) who btw absolutely hated other rabbits when I first had him as he was viciously attacked by one and so he tried to attack her thinking she may do the same to him but with keeping them separate for a month and then doing slow introductions and him getting used to me, he now loves her and when he’s scared he runs to her for protection lol or me (whoever’s nearest) lol x

@LoveEatYoga

Hello. I kinda do add vegetables to my list but I usually cook with a lol of vegetables in the recipe (not always) and so I save the broccoli stalks, cauliflower stalks and leaves etc for them and they live it plus it does wonders to keep their teeth nice and trim. Always research what vegetables they can and can’t have as I was surprised by some of the ones they can’t have x

@Swimminginroses

Hello

Be careful with that thinking about the health side of rabbits. One rabbit whom I had from P&H when I was a child (never again) 🤦🏼 was my sweet lil pumpkin but she was always ill since she was a baby. Like, she was at the vet 7/8 times a year but her illnesses were mainly genetic and so I couldn’t do much about it. Idk how she’s still alive tbh but she’s 6 years old on long term medication. Then with one, he’s always been super health. The other one, he’s always been super health to but my last one, she was always so healthy but then one day she developed a condition that although I can easily afford, has cost me thousands in caring for her. So, just be careful as sometimes they go from a lifetime of being healthy to sudden illness that will cost you hundreds and then thousands. It’s not about luck.

My rabbit used a litter tray with wood pellets. Why’s the wood shavings used for?

I’ve never been one for insurance because I think it can be kinder to this sort prey animal pet to be put down than have intensive surgery. I don’t think they should be saved at all costs.

@Swimminginroses

You don’t have to insure your rabbits if you don’t want to 🐇 but have you ever thought I’d putting money aside for them like maybe just £20 a month. I do put a lot aside for them but in general you are right. Is bunny owners get the raw end of the deal in regards to what pet insurance will and won’t cover. 🤦🏼. I remember them saying ‘we don’t cover for spaying or neutering, we don’t cover for vaccinations or putting your pet to sleep’ I felt like saying ‘what do you cover for then? Before I cancelled and self-insured x

Oh yes litter as well!

Maybe £6 a month

Wood shavings are not great but saw dust is worse I believe

I have always used straw or blankets / towels

£55 excess for vaccinations? An excess would mean you had an insurance policy for that, vaccinations aren’t covered under insurance although many do health care plans. Don’t worry about telling me to be careful both mine are fully neutered and vaccinated 🤣 also completely disagree rabbits are better indoors. Outdoors is their natural habitat and allows them to exhibit natural behaviours. Including shedding and growing winter coats. To help with the weather. The ONLY issue with bunnies outdoors is making sure they have enough space which is also fox proof.

What part of £6 per bale of Timothy hay that lasts a rabbit for x2 weeks before they need a 2nd one ie £12 for the month are you ‘playing’ about? You may be getting the really cheap and bad ones hence why you may be ‘okaying’ at my list
I’m not following here.
I don’t have an issue with the Timothy hay at all, I said ‘okay’ as in yes, fine, they need hay.

It’s only the wood shavings (and sawdust) I disagree with and the insurance and the toys.

chew toys are needed to prevent dental issues than no insurance would cover and you’d be paying £300 every 2/3 months to have your rabbits teeth filed down over this
Chew toys won’t help issues like malocclusion which is very, very common in the trendy lop breeds and the Netherlands (also very trendy right now).
I have never spent much on chew toys.

You don’t have to insure your rabbits if you don’t want to 🐇 but have you ever thought I’d putting money aside for them like maybe just £20 a month. I do put a lot aside for them but in general you are right
Oh I don’t have rabbits anymore.
I have thought about getting a pair but I have a dog now, she is friendly but I do worry that she might really frighten them, I’ll probably get another dog rather than more rabbits.

I agree that people should do their research before getting any pet, but I encourage people to go to reliable sources rather than random people views like the OPs on things like inside/outside and bedding.

rabbitwelfare.co.uk

I've kept rabbits for years, I've never bought chew toys - I do give them logs, sticks, fruit tree branches to chew.

I also buy good quality hay and straw (for bedding) from a local farm at a fraction of the cost of Timothy products.

I litter train my bunnies so buy wood pellet litter but subsequently save money on bedding as hutches don't need cleaning as frequently.

@NC4NW123

I may have made a mistake with the excess fee for vaccinations. I know that the excess fee covers for illness and injury. Never used saw dust but wood shavings isn’t too bad depending on the rabbit. I mean my vets told me to use it which I always have done because when my first one (I say first but I mean first in years 😂 as I had many before but then a few years ago of owning any pets at all) had straw or hay as bedding she was peeing and then eating it which was causing her all sorts of health problems and I’ve witnessed this in another bunny of mine which is why I just stick to saw dust as bedding and hay as food. Nobody has to spend £10 on chew toys, it’s what I and many other people I know do. I know that dental problems are very common in the lip breeds due to the size of their head being squished I believe (it’s to do with their skull and teeth structure) which is why I’ve always usually gone for non-lop breeds (I could afford two if they had this problem but without them I can happily afford 4/5 without pushing it) I also don’t go for purebreeds. I’m unsure if my rescue lionhead boy is purebreed as he looks like it but his nose isn’t squished (he has a long nose) 😂 and do it does come down to breeds, sometimes rescuing a rabbit as well and as for outdoor vs indoor. That could apply to many animals. I don’t really know people who have their bunnies outdoor but each to their own. I mean if you could get this list cheaper for me then Gaby would be great.