Sunday, January 24, 2010

How much money does it cost to keep a rabbit?

I am thinking about getting a pet rabbit but i need to know how much it will cost me to look after one. i wanna know how much money it will cost for looking after it for one week. it will be about 6 months old when i get it. and one more thing how big do they get oh and finally what is their average life expectancy???How much money does it cost to keep a rabbit?
Please reconsider having a bunny for a pet if cost is your main concern. Don't be fooled into thinking that because rabbits don't require shots that they are cheap to own. If you keep it in a cage and only feed it pellets, yes, it will live a short life, guaranteed. And while they don't require vaccinations, the reality is when they do require medical attention, they need it quickly and it doesn't come cheap. My bunny stopped eating for 6 hours yesterday and because I was home, noticed this and rushed it to the vet where it was diagnosed with GI stasis which can kill a rabbit within 12 hours. Oh, and the vet bill came to $700. Yes, vet care isn't cheap for ';exotic'; pets which requires skilled vet care. Hopefully the meds do their job and I'll be able to pick up my rabbit today. You need to make sure you have a vet who knows how to treat rabbits or they can kill it treating it the way they would other pets. I blame myself for my rabbit getting sick as lately I've not given it much time for exercise and as a result am now thinking to dedicate a larger play space for it. They need that exercise to stay healthy.





Rabbits need good housing, not those cheapy pet store kind with grills that they stand on. You can make your own with NIC cubes. They need space to live and space to play so make sure you have the room. Rabbits require quality timothy hay twice a day in their litter boxes and elsewhere in their living quarters, timothy pellets (read up on how much), safe fresh veggies (not bags of carrots as someone said!), bedding and your time. You need to litter box train it, have space where it can exercise safely, buy willow balls, grass mats, brush it, keep it's nails trimmed, and love it. If it's under a year you'll want to give it alfalfa pellets, and stop when they turn a year and start giving them timothy pellets.





I don't keep track of what I spend on my rabbit but this is what I use:





Green Pet Aspen Supreme Pellets Pet %26amp; Bird All Natural Litter/Bedding $9 Petco


Oat, Wheat and Barley blended hay $15 bunnybunch.org (they ship)


Kaytee Timothy Complete Rabbit Food $11


Fresh veggies: romaine, parsley, cilantro daily.


(get a list of safe veggies from the House Rabbit Society)


Steady supply of willow balls, mats and apple twigs for chewing to grind down teeth





Size will depend on what kind of rabbit you get.


Average life expectancy depends on how you care for it, could live up to 12 years.





As for a litter box, use a large cat litter tray, if they grow much bigger, you can switch to using a clear storage container with the footprint of a large cat litter box but with higher walls to prevent accidents. If getting a female rabbit, you'd definitely want to put a grid inside on top of 2 inches of bedding to prevent digging so to prevent a mess on your floor. Those NIC cubes, two attached to size with cable ties with the excess cut off, work well for this purpose. On top of the grid, or bedding you would then cover it with 2-3 inches of hay. There's also the cost of ceramic bowls heavy enough so they don't get tipped, water bottle, and safe bunny toys. You can make your own rabbit house but also have a place for your bun to play that's safe.





Here's some useful links:





http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=h鈥?/a>





http://princessblackie.homestead.com/





http://www.rabbit.org/





Update: my bun is fine, the final tab was less than the estimate, just over $600. In another 2 weeks she's schedule for x-rays to check her teeth, to see if they are hurting her and interferring with eating. X-rays cost between $100-$150, not including anesthesia. I'm just trying to share the reality of owning a pet, whether it's a rabbit, cat, or dog.





Are you willing to commit yourself for 6-12 years and provide a forever home for a bunny? I'd encourage you to volunteer at a bunny rescue first if you have any doubts as to whether a rabbit is the right pet for you or if the cost of ownership is more than you're prepared for in this economy.How much money does it cost to keep a rabbit?
Rabbits are pretty cheap to look after in comparison to other animals. The only recurring costs you can expect to face are for their food, bedding (shavings), and any treats or toys you want to buy for them. Depending on how much food you buy at one time, looking after a rabbit for one week can cost from nothing to around $20.00. You can buy large amounts of rabbit food (pellets) at most pet supply or feed stores and not have to restock for months, depending on how many rabbits you have and how much you feed them. Shavings also vary in size, and its probably smarter to buy them in bulk, too, at a feed store, because it will save you money and time in the long run.





Depending on what breed you have, it could get to anywhere between 2-15+ lbs.. Here is a link to the American Rabbit Breeders Association, which lists all the different kinds of bunnies: http://www.arba.net/Breeds.htm


While it's more than likely yours will be a crossbreed, this might help you get an idea of how large your bunny might get. =]





As for age, it again depends on the breed, but generally, most rabbits live 5-10 years, although some have lived well beyond that age.





Good luck with your rabbit, and I hope you enjoy many years with your new furry friend! ^_^





EDIT:


Er, I'm not a moron, thanks. There are different schools of thought on how to keep your rabbits, and as a former member of 4-H who showed rabbits for nine years (all of whom are still alive and healthy), the information I've given is what I've found to be true from my experience. I'm assuming the asker of the question is looking for possible costs from all perspectives, and this is one of them.





As an aside, man, does this bring me back to the days when I went to rabbit shows. People who own rabbits can be very opinionated. To each his own, though, I suppose. =]
oh wow!


the first three people are morons.








Even for the smallest breeds of rabbit, your cage needs to be at least 2' x 3'-- this costs at least $60 in a pet store, you can save money by building your own.





For food you need


timothy hay-- $15 for a large bale of Kaytee's (this should last you a few months)


fresh greens-- $5/ week


pellets-- I get a bag that lasts about 2 mo. for $10. Some brands cost way more.


Corn is HORRIBLE for rabbits-- they can't digest it properly and it is way to high in calories, carbs, and sugar.





You need litter, either Carefresh or Yesterdays News. A large bale of Carefresh is about $30, depending on where you buy it. This should last several weeks, depending on the size of your litter box and how frequently you clean it.





Vet bills are higher than for other animals because bunnies are considered ';exotics.';





Toys cost about $3-$10 each.





It really depends on what kind of rabbit you get how big it will be-- a Holland or Mini lop or any breed of dwarf will weigh no more than 5 lbs and therefor be about a foot in length. Rexes and Flemish Giants even more so get to be very large--- the size of a small dog or large cat!





Life expectancy is generally 5-10 years, but some well cared for rabbits live to be 20!





here are some good websites on rabbit care:


http://www.rabbit.org


http://www.mybunny.org


http://bio.miami.edu/hare
It costs a lot at first-but after that, its just maintenance:





Cage- Depending on the size of your rabbit- 25-60 dollars


Food-I buy a bag for about 15 dollars(Nutriphase)


Hay- Mines about 5 dollars a bag (Peters)


Toys- If any-you can use free toilet paper rolls(that you would throw away), they cannot tell the difference!


Enclosure- I would suggest this so that your bunny can run about and play


Water Bottle/Water- Water bottles are like 6 dollars and water is however much you pay for sink water


Time- about 15-20 minutes a day of brushing, or talking/playing


Vet Bills- Depends on the vet, but make sure he is rabbit savvy!


Other- A brush, soap, chew toys, treats range from 2 to 10 dollars, but those are extras! There is also a great non-stink product out there called biodor!





Litter(optional)- Litter Box-$10, Carefresh(do not use wood shavings)-10-20 dollars








Please research bunnies before buying, they have all different personalities, just like people!!!





Oh-average life expectancy- hmmmm for healthy ones about 9-12 years.
ok:





rabbit costs:(petstore)$40, (swap meet)$15


rabbit food: $15.99 (biggest bag of food)


cage: (small)$30, (big)$45 to $50





if you feed them things other than nornal rabbit food(corn,etc), they will be about a pillow's size and have huge saggy doublechins. if you feed them normal rabbit food and maybe a bit of carrot snacks they will probably be an average of a little over 14 inches.they live up to be 7 years old.
rabbits are probably the cheapest pets the don't need shots all u need is a cage. get a rabbit starter kit. it you live in the U.S. go to petco or petsmart they are about 50 bucks for it it comes with the cage, food(pellets and hay). water bottle, wood chew(sometimes) treats and bedding. i have two and i just buy bedding and food once a month its about 40 bucks. really cheap... well its depends on the kind of rabbit you have different breeds have different sizes. some get as big as cats maybe bigger and some stay the size or young puppies mines i had since the end of last year maybe like 5 or 6 months were about the size of a baby puppy and now they are barely bigger i have two mini rex bunnies they live to maybe 6-10 yrs not really sure tho
yeh how crap is this!


i sold my baby rabbits to the pet shop for $5 each they wouldnt give me anymore


they then sold em for $30!





by the way-ur first answer was wrong, corn is very bad for rabbits they cant digest it and will poo it out whole or it'll get stuck, also that big baggy double chin is called a dewlap and every female bunny has one


i dont intend on being rude but my bunny died slowly after getting corn stuck in her bowel and so im very straight forward when it comes to their dietary needs

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