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Costs?

BeccaT

Young Bun
Hi all, I am planning on getting 2 rabbits soon, I was just wondering if anyone could give me a vague idea of the running costs that they incur. I know that sounds really silly, but I am aware of the costs of setting up, housing, etc but wondered what sort of costs there would be monthly/quarterly for bedding, food, etc. I want to make sure I am able to meet the rabbits needs, I dont want to take on rabbits irresponsibly. I know vets costs will be unpredictable (which is fine).
 
I had four and reckoned £80 a month, so two might be upwards of forty. That doesn't take into account damage caused by houserabbits. Do take out insurance for them, unless you can afford to keep a 'vet fund' of several thousand pounds. Rabbits are adorable but they seem to look for ways to injure themselves in expensive ways.:D
 
Hi all, I am planning on getting 2 rabbits soon, I was just wondering if anyone could give me a vague idea of the running costs that they incur. I know that sounds really silly, but I am aware of the costs of setting up, housing, etc but wondered what sort of costs there would be monthly/quarterly for bedding, food, etc. I want to make sure I am able to meet the rabbits needs, I dont want to take on rabbits irresponsibly. I know vets costs will be unpredictable (which is fine).


Welcome to the Forum Becca :wave:

There's a lot of very good info here:

http://www.therabbithouse.com/index.asp


As to 'running costs' - have a look at some of these.

http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/care/rabbit_costs.asp

http://www.petwebsite.co.uk/rabbits/buying-a-rabbit/cost-of-keeping-a-rabbit

http://www.therabbithouse.com/blog/2012/11/08/pdsa-paw-report-2012/


Very difficult to estimate, as health care often features very large in looking after rabbits.

Good luck :D
 
For my two house bunnies their insurance is £25 a month (will be higher soon as having to claim).
Hay is around £ 16 a month.
Treats, forage mixes work out to around £10 a month.

So it's around £51 a month for my two.
It varies sometimes but this is an average. I keep seem costs down by foraging in summer/spring and also buy baking my own rabbit treats.

Eta: forgot the fitch so it's up to around £61 a month on average.

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I would have thought £50~£60 a month for our two, this covers insurance, food, hay, treats and toys, although we have the P@H insurance which is likely to be more expensive on renewal [emoji22]
 
I didn't even think of the Fitch.... one bale lasts us around 2 months (that's with rabbit trays, two large hamster cages and one large gerbil cage)

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Crazy how much the cost varies! I don't really know what I spend on my 3 bunnies though, just that the figures posted here sound high to me.

I probably spend a good bit on bagged hay though - I'm getting a shed so I can store bales properly. 1 big bale would last me months.

Pellets are pretty cheap as I get a big bag and they last a few months.

I use newspaper and hay for bedding/litterpan so that's more or less free.

The rest I can't really add up - they eat bits of the veg we buy for ourselves/other pets, I forage, and treats/toys last awhile so don't need buying every month. I tend to buy a bunch of stuff at once while doing an online shop and then don't need to buy anymore for awhile.

If they're healthy, rabbits tend to be cheap pets as maintenance costs aren't high like they are for cats/dogs (mainly because a carnivore's diet is going to be much more expensive than an herbivore's).
 
Ohhh, never relly worked this one out. I do things very much on the cheap side. I have 3 medium sized bunnies. So on a vet & vaccination free month

Litter (I use huge bags of megazorb, I think they are £7 each? 2 last a month)
Hay bale £6 a month
4 bags of oatigrass £20 a month
winter only : herbs & greens £30 a month

So £40- £70 a month (no insurance). In spring - autumn I forage obsessively which is their main diet & dry lots for winter rations. Mine don't get much in the way of bunny specific toys, treats or furniture.

Remember to factor in any insurance excesses & transport. It costs me a fortune travelling to rabbit savvy vet using trains & taxis

Looking forward to seeing your bunnies. Have you a particular pair in mind?
 
Thank you all. That's really helpful & very much appreciated. My 7 year old spotted yesterday that I was looking at housing & got excited so I explained that until I had made sure we had accounted for costs that nothing would be happening! I haven't found any yet joey&boo as I don't want to fall in love until I know I can give them a good home. There are enough irresponsible pet owners in the world, I don't want to be one of them! So I truly appreciate all your help xx
 
Don't forget the cost of annual vaccinations - around £40 per rabbit for the combined myxo/RHD and extra (same again?) for the RDH2 one.
Neutering is a one-off expense, or go to a rescue where they should already be neutered - which saves you the hassle as well.

Hay is cheaper by the bale at around £5-6 from a horse supplier. Even if you have to buy a bin (eg a 240 litre wheely bin) to put it in, it works out cheaper quite quickly. Litter is also cheaper from a horse supply place - again, if you have storage for a big bag or bale. Often they will deliver as well.
Shop around for pellets - I get mine online in 5kg or 10kg bags and dispense it into airtight plastic storage buckets (from the Range).

Greens - forage (ie pick your own) is excellent for rabbits. Invest in Twigs Way book 'Foraging for rabbits' for about £5 and keep it handy, along with a plastic bag in your pocket when you go anywhere. It can get a bit obsessive when you find some really nice juicy dandelion leaves. You can also use quite a lot of bits from the kitchen - outer leaves of cabbage, stalks from broccoli, bits of apple, carrot, etc. without having to buy especially for the rabbits.

Treats are expensive and really not needed. Mine would rather have a dandelion leaf.

Rabbits can be quite cheap on weekly running costs if you buy in bulk and forage. Costs do tend to go up significantly in winter as they need more bedding and it needs changing more regularly to ensure it is clean and dry. I can go through a bale of hay a week in winter, but it will last a month in summer for the rabbits and guinea pigs. Fresh food also costs more as forage becomes harder to find, although bramble leaves are available all year.
 
Since you don't have your bunnies just yet I would really recommend getting a bonded pair from rescue which works out so much cheaper (reputable rescues will have neutered & vaccinated the buns already & give you a good idea of their temperament ) - most ask for an adoption fee of around £50+ a rabbit whch is a fraction of getting these vital things done yourself & is a whole lot stressful. If you were to get baby bunnies they'd need separating on approaching puberty until they are ready for their ops which means a 2nd lot of temporary accomodation. Of course adopting is also a wonderful gift to rabbit kind.

Foraging could be good fun with your daughter I reckon
 
I have 10 rabbits (plus two guineapigs and a hamster, I mention these as the guineapigs share the hay and veg and the hamster shares the fitch). I do buy everything in bulk and forage a lot also.
Bales of hay £12 a month
Fitch £20 a month
Timothy treat hay £60 a month
Toys £8 a month
Veg £28
Pellets £12

Only two of mine are insured and this is £15 each a month, vaccinations cost me around £55 each a year for Myxi/VHD1 & separate VHD2 jab.

So averaged out over a year it works out at £226 a month not bad for 10 rabbits plus 3 small furries.

£45 would probably happily provide for a pair
 
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I have two medium-sized outdoor rabbits: ongoing costs (vaccinations, feed, toys, bedding etc.) per month are about £30. Mine are NOT insured (I have a savings account instead), I get free newspapers (parents!) and my hay (possibly the most variable part?) is £6.50 per bale from a farm shop, and I use about 1/2 bale each month on average. Also all my forage is free (I don't feed veg except what we're eating already), so the only food I pay out for is hay and pellets.

Good luck :D
 
Cost of vaccinations defo vary. I had one of my buns vaccinated today with the combo vaccine covering myxi and vhd and it was £21. Another vets I rang quoted £40 - the robbing ******* :shock: My buns also got the VHD2 vaccine and that was only £13. Totally depends on your vets.
 
Thank u

Thank u all for all your help & advice. I have found the more research I do that the cost is probably a bit high for me at the moment as work is not steady. I have done a notebook up with all the advice & prices & will definitely look for a bonded pair of rescue bunnies when the time is right. I think the initial outlay is just too high to start for now (gutted) so will have to look at it again in a couple of months (that or swap the children for rabbits instead!). So thank u for helping me to have my eyes open & make a decision that is right for now (even if I'm not happy about it!).
 
Thank u all for all your help & advice. I have found the more research I do that the cost is probably a bit high for me at the moment as work is not steady. I have done a notebook up with all the advice & prices & will definitely look for a bonded pair of rescue bunnies when the time is right. I think the initial outlay is just too high to start for now (gutted) so will have to look at it again in a couple of months (that or swap the children for rabbits instead!). So thank u for helping me to have my eyes open & make a decision that is right for now (even if I'm not happy about it!).

I'm sorry you won't be able to afford your rabbits at the moment. But you've done a great thing researching the costs, I didn't when I got my first rabbit and I dread to think of all the money I spent! I went through several housing types as I didn't know what size accommodation really need, didn't know they need spaying or vaccinating and then adopted a neutered male from a rescue when I finally got her care right. I would say vet bills are definitely the most expensive part so until your income has settled you're being very wise and thoughtful for your future bunnies. I recently spent £360 completely out the blue for Beano and it made me realise how one small ailment could really set you back money wise. Best of luck for getting your bunnies in the future
 
Thank u all for all your help & advice. I have found the more research I do that the cost is probably a bit high for me at the moment as work is not steady. I have done a notebook up with all the advice & prices & will definitely look for a bonded pair of rescue bunnies when the time is right. I think the initial outlay is just too high to start for now (gutted) so will have to look at it again in a couple of months (that or swap the children for rabbits instead!). So thank u for helping me to have my eyes open & make a decision that is right for now (even if I'm not happy about it!).

I think these are possibly the most sensible comments I've ever read on RU! Your time will come, I'm sure, and you'll enjoy your rabbits all the more for being able to fully afford them.
 
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