• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Adopting a Bun

One thing I find quite puzzling is the cost of adopting a bun from certain Rabbit Rescues. I understand that to care for these buns until they are re-homed, must cost a great deal of money and I also understand that requesting a "donation" will hopefully stop unsuitable prospective owners. However, I just can't get my head around how Rescues can "pursuade" people to adopt a bun instead of buying one from a pet shop, when in some cases it's going to cost someone double the cost of buying a rabbit in a pet shop.

I have adopted 8 buns from several different Rabbit Rescue's. I have always donated between £25 & £30 per bun and on a couple of occasions I also donated a sack of carrots too.

It's not me that you have to convince with regards to making a donation, I just don't understand how you can pursuade a prospective new owner that they should adopt a rabbit from a rescue, when it's going to cost them double the amount of buying one from a pet store. I don't have kids, but I would imagine that they are quite expensive to raise, so I can see parents preferring to buy a rabbit rather than adopt one.

These are just my thoughts, and just something I've puzzled over for a while, they are not meant to cause offence to anyone.

Carol x
 
hmmm ive been wondering on that one too.... i bought Alvin as a baby not quite from a petshop but not from a proper breeder either..... he only cost me £10, no one has checked up on me to see if im a good bun mom by a home visit... i know the rescue people do an amazing job but i personnally wouldnt take on an animal i cant provide a decent life so the home check thing is very daunting thought if id ever adopt a pal for alvin, and ive seen some donations are as high as £60.......
 
Really its cheaper if you think about it. You can get a neutered/spayed, vaccinated rabbit for a donation as low as £35. My girl will have cost the rescue around £100 in vets bills alone over the course of 10 months. I suppose people who are not aware of neutering and vaccinating will not take this into account though. Oh and donnamt - I was so scared about my home visit, but the woman came in, had a stroke of Bailey, saw the new cage and just chatted about rabbits with me for a few minutes. She had gone in less than a half hour :) Some rescues don't even homecheck.
 
Paying anything less than £50 for a rescue bun is a bargain if they have been vaccinated for both Myxi and VHD and neutered :)
 
Paying anything less than £50 for a rescue bun is a bargain if they have been vaccinated for both Myxi and VHD and neutered :)


Ditto :)

Buying a Bun from a Petshop may cost £20 but then add to that neutering (£60-£80) Myxo Vaccination (£20ish) and VHD Vaccination (£15ish) you are def getting a bargin by obtaining your Rabbit from a Rescue for a £50 donation

Janex
 
Last edited:
I once asked how much a rabbit was in the norwegian rescue, and found out it was only half the price of getting a male rabbit neutered (+add neutering females are usually twice the price of neutering males) Its also cheaper than in some pet stores, (the price there varies) but a bit more expensive than the recomended price for baby bunnies from NKF.

I'd say its good that they cost some money at least. Giving away free animals could result in people seeing it as a "throwaway-object" as with the norwegian kittens. Some buy kittens then they throw them out when they are full grown or they're going away on vacation (or occasionally it only fits when they ARE on vacation) and gets a new one next year since they are free (and not to mention; there's FAR too many of them:( )

So I wouldn't mind spending a good deal of money for a healthy rabbit, than getting one for free from a backyard breeder. (I did get Zakura for free by my friend though, but figured the equipment, not to mention the neutering, made her far more expensive than the other two).:roll:
 
I understand what everybody is saying, but how are prospective bunny owners going to know this? What they are going to see is that a bunny in a pet shop is cheaper and sadly they don't realise that they will have to pay extra for innoculations etc.

Carol x
 
I understand what everybody is saying, but how are prospective bunny owners going to know this? What they are going to see is that a bunny in a pet shop is cheaper and sadly they don't realise that they will have to pay extra for innoculations etc.

Carol x
Exactly... pet shops/ irresponsible breeders are just in this to make money so it's not in their interests to tell the prospective owners the true cost of owning a pet bunny :cry: yes some will have leaflets to hand but it is an extremely small minority that will state the cold, hard financial facts.
 
Last edited:
I donated £60.00 for my rescue bunny, even though he was already netured when he arrived there so they only had to pay for injections. However i saw it more as a donation to there charity to help them, rather than me paying for joey (he is worth every penny). I would of given more if i had it and i'm hoping to send the a cheque at christmas.
 
If people can't afford to pay the £40 (£75 for 2) donation to us, I would see that as a good deterrant for people who are not going to be able to pay vets bills.
 
I understand what everybody is saying, but how are prospective bunny owners going to know this? What they are going to see is that a bunny in a pet shop is cheaper and sadly they don't realise that they will have to pay extra for innoculations etc.

Carol x

Some don't understand unfortunately and actually think that because you are a rescue you are just desperate to get a bunny homed and they can't understand why they should pay anything!!:shock: :shock: they actually see it as doing you a favour instead of giving a bunny a good home.

Others will donate other the odds and that outweighs those who won't, but we talk to them in great length about neutering and vaccinating and the costs of owning a bunny, of course you always know that there are those that will go to a pet shop after they have spoken with us and buy two bunnies and then guess what................6months down the line they are ringing up because they have babies that they don't want and can we take them:evil: :evil: it's really frustrating.

And that's not to mention the breeders that just want to make quick money
 
I think a rescue rabbit is certainly cheaper than "buying" a rabbit! Barley was from a pet shop (before I knew any better) his costs were more or less as follows:

Cost - £25
Neuteruting - £90
Myxi Vac - £25
VHD Vac - £25

Total = £165 !!!

Dolly (from a rescue)

Donation - £40 (spayed)

I don't have the cheapest vets around but certainly getting Dolly was the "cheaper" of the 2 rabbits! I know where I'd go to get any future rabbits - not because it's cheaper though - (just realised that was starting to sound all wrong!) I actually feel bad that that was all I donated!

Hannah
 
I got a bargain in my bunny from the RSPCA - £15 is al they ask and they neuter, vaccinate and micro chip them. I donated more than this and regularly go and drops some hay, veg and toys into them.

Earlier this week I went to the local farm to buy some bunny food and there was a lady with her daughter buying a baby bun, I suggested she go and get one from the RSPCA for the above reasons but she said she had not thought of ther but she had paid now (£15 also) and was getting it. I can only try.:?

There are a couple of people in work who are thinking of getting buns and I have strongly recommended they go to RSPCA when they are ready.
 
As much as it pains me to say this until it is made illegal for Pet Shops to sell animals I think those involved in Rabbit Welfare have to 'work with' the retailers to try to educate people at the point of sale.

Many people never think of there being such a thing as a Rabbit Rescue, although they appear to realise that Dog/Cat Rescues exist. Hence the profile of Rabbits as Pets needs to be raised and *some* people's perception of them as a cheap, low maintainance Pet changed.

The RWA do Rabbit Awareness days at some branches of P@H. Whilst my first reaction to this was 'What, 'sleeping with the enemy', I now realise that as things stand its the only way to access those who would not have a clue as to what caring for Rabbits really involves.

Some Rescues also do Rabbit Awareness Days in shopping malls or at local Fairs etc. Raising the publics awareness of Rabbit Care and Rabbit Rescue is a multi faceted task and needs active involvement from all those wanting to improve the care given to Pet Rabbits and to raise the public's awareness of Rabbit Rescues.

Janex
 
I agree with lots of comments made on here, but I still see the problem of families choosing the initial cheaper option and buying a bun from a pet shop. None of the buns I got from the rescues were innoculated. One of them was speyed however. I did get them all innoculated immediately though.

As people have said, it's educating prospective owners with regards to the difference between buying a bun from a pet shop, and adopting a bun from a rescue, which is the real problem. I know that things are being done to educate everyone, but unfortunately, it probably isn't reaching far enough. Again, I am not wanting to cause offence with my comments.

Carol x
 
I agree that on the face of it that adopting a bun can seem more costly than buying from a pet shop. When anyone I know says they are thinking of getting a bun, I always ask them to consider a rescue one, due to the fact that the bun will be neutered and vaccinated and you can be sure of what you are getting.

I would rather have a bunny that was already neutered as it takes away the stress and worry of getting it done myself, ie. rescues usually have competent bunny vets and vaccinate properly. Also the bunnies undergo health checks so the rescue can advise if the bunny has any possible dental problems or issues that you feel you can or cannot take on.

Baby bunnies are so appealing and people fall for this, but sadly so many people don't see beyond this and don't think out what will be needed to keep the bunny healthy and happy for the future.

I wish more could be done.
 
I donated £50 for Jet, cost of speying and one vaccination and a bit extra- so with the other vaccination she'll have cost £66.50. Charlie cost £50 to neuter plus £33 for his vaccinations, I was talking to my auntie about this last night and if you adopt a bun who is about 6-8 months old or more then you have the added bonus of knowing what there health is like, particularly teeth etc.
 
Back
Top