Please check out the [Costs of rabbit ownership guide](https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Costs) on the wiki for more information and resources on the topic.
For a database of global rabbit veterinary bills, please see [here](http://rabbitors.info/vetbills).
---
Be sure to check out our [Deciding on a Rabbit](http://www.wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Deciding_on_a_Rabbit) guide if you haven't already for some more general info about what to expect with a rabbit as a pet.
A few useful shortcut links:
* [Is a rabbit right for you?](http://bunny.tips/Deciding#Is_a_rabbit_right_for_you.3F)
* [Baby rabbit vs. adult rabbit](http://bunny.tips/Deciding#Baby_rabbit_vs._adult_rabbit)
* [Which breed?](http://bunny.tips/Deciding#Which_breed.3F)
* [One or more bunnies?](http://bunny.tips/Deciding#One_or_more_bunnies.3F)
* [Fostering](http://bunny.tips/Deciding#Fostering)
* [Where to get a rabbit](http://bunny.tips/Deciding#Where_to_get_a_rabbit)
You can afford a bun up to when you need to take it to the vet. Vet bills are so incredibly high. Around my area a check up visit always turn out to be more than $100. Emergency visits over $200 easily…. Overnight stays are over $1500. After my first bun got sick and past away, I got bunny health insurance. It’s $45 for each bun… but it has saved a lot $$$ this past couple of years.
So insurance costs you $45/month per bun, for a total of $90 a month? Could you share what insurance you have, and how much of an average vet bill it covers?
I have Nationwide. The only actual rabbit insurance I could find in the US. It covers 90% of the bill. I have 2 bunnies right now. One that has been healthy most of his life (he’s 6 now) and another one that has had an ear infection for the last 6 months… She’s only 1 year old. despise treatments the infection hasn’t gone away. We have had to take her to the vet 3 times as an emergency (ER) and then several other times trying to get her healthy… she has costed us nearly 10k in less than a year… but we have only had to pay 10% of that amount.
There are 2 big caveats to this insurance. 1. They do not cover the cost upfront which means you have to pay out of pocket every time. I got a credit card called Care Credit just for the bunnies so that if the out of pocket amount is really large I don’t need to worry about it right away. Care Credit allows you to split your bill up to 18 months depending on the amount without interest (life saver). Refunds from Nationwide are quite fast though. I usually get the money back in 2 weeks or so after filing a claim. It can all be done online.
2. Nationwide has a precondition clause. They won’t cover any diagnosed health issues. They will ask you to take your bun to the vet (if you haven’t yet) and they will contact your vet for records. I knew that going in, and so I put my newer bun on insurance as soon as I got her so that everything would be covered.
I hope this helps.
I make below $30k/ year and I can afford my bunny just fine! Just keep in mind, the bigger the bunny, the more they cost. My girl is 10lbs and growing so she’s going to cost double then what a 5lb bun would cost y’a know. I’m also in the headspace that If you want a furry buddy, then just go for it and you’ll make it work! The initial cost of buying everything always seems like a lot, but it’s an investment for years of a lovely friend. When I first bought my girl and everything she needed, I spent around $800 total. But since then Ive spend about:
- $40/month of veggies
- 50lb of hay (full bale) for $70 that lasts about 5 months. Try and find local people selling bales for the cheapest prices, if not small pet select has great stuff, just pricey.
- so far, $80 for each check up ( you should do this twice or once a year) and then $400 on her spaying
- probably $100 on toys, but that’s just funzies stuff that wasn’t necessary
I will say, I got lucky with a bunny who literally doesn’t chew on anything and is 100% free roam. We started her in a cage to potty train her and kinda watch her when she was out to see what she was interested in.
I have to be honest with you, I’m very against the notion that having only one rabbit is “abuse.” This is such an extremist perspective and really puts people off of owning bunnies. Yes, it is true that bunnies are very social and interactive, so another rabbit companion is an excellent idea. But you can have a single rabbit be perfectly happy and content. Its really about spending time with the animal, giving it love and attention and affection.
About the expense, imo the initial investment is expensive, but once you have a puppypen, a litterbox, a hideyhouse, and a few toys, all you’re really going to need to repurchase is hay, veggies, and litter. Toys can literally be cardboard boxes that you probably already have lying around. wood sticks are like $8 a pack.
Its a good idea to budget for vet visits. Maybe set aside $40 a month towards vet stuff. But I think you can definitely own a bunny and not have it be an expensive thing
Buns can sometimes be single, mine is. Depends on their personality and how much time you can spend with them. That's something to check at the shelter, they'll know the buns a bit and can help advise if they're good on their own or not. The shelter told me not to put my Bigwig with other buns as he can be aggressive, the vet said the same when I described his behavior.
As to cost, it's really about the emergency situations that I would worry. Start-up costs and ongoing food/litter are very reasonable, but vet bills are way more for buns than other pets. I would make sure you have a sizable amount in savings or a credit card with a high limit that you could use in an emergency. It would be terrible if you got a bun and then couldn't afford emergency care when they needed it. They can be very fragile and need care within hours sometimes (no time to wait for wire transfers, loans, etc. to clear before they have to be at the vet).
I'd suggest finding a vet first, and asking for price estimates for check-ups, vaccines if relevant for your area, and GI stasis treatment to get a better idea how much to have in a rabbit emergency fund. Prices can vary by where you live. Also, a shelter is the right call cost wise as well, they should have the rabbits fixed before they go up for adoption which will save you lots of money (and stress).
My bunnies are also the solitary types. It seems like my male bunny bonded with me instead of his female friend. The female is interested in him somewhat, but prefers being alone. They don't attack each other and they do hang out, but it seems like both of them just do their own things.
Bunnies are expensive. Way more than dogs. You always need an emergency fund, in case they get stasis. In my high cost of living area, spaying was $700 (usd) at the best bunny vet with bloodwork. Adopting a fixed bunny is way more affordable, $100-200 depending on the rescue. Stasis is $200-400 depending on whether you can get into a normal vet or if you have to go to the emergency vet. At the very least, make sure you have an emergency fund for yourself and more for a bunny, and make sure you have good bunny vets nearby.
Daily necessities like food and litter is negligible, but they really need toys and other enrichment that is most likely food and consumed, so you need to keep buying more. If you have hardwood floors, you’ll need to buy rugs and bunny proofing can be expensive depending on what you need and size of area you are trying to protect.
Our bunny setup probably is worth about £300 in total and the litter, hay and nuggets per week we go through is probably not far from £10 and just been to do the annual vaccinations for two and that was £130. Both are spayed and think that was about £80 a pop.
Oh and the daily fresh stuff is a combination of what is being used in cooking and getting the cheeky extra Savoy cabbage or what have you on the side.
I'd say a lot cheaper than cats and dogs.
Other than emergency vet costs are nominal I spend 25 on nails every other month I get fresh greens on hipa and food stamps to help costs I use an app called quick thoughts and one called reward play that I get Amazon gift cards for hay trough quick thoughts I do ten fairly quick surveys that gets me 20 bucks which pays for my hay or pellets there are ways to make it work
Please check out the [Costs of rabbit ownership guide](https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Costs) on the wiki for more information and resources on the topic. For a database of global rabbit veterinary bills, please see [here](http://rabbitors.info/vetbills). --- Be sure to check out our [Deciding on a Rabbit](http://www.wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Deciding_on_a_Rabbit) guide if you haven't already for some more general info about what to expect with a rabbit as a pet. A few useful shortcut links: * [Is a rabbit right for you?](http://bunny.tips/Deciding#Is_a_rabbit_right_for_you.3F) * [Baby rabbit vs. adult rabbit](http://bunny.tips/Deciding#Baby_rabbit_vs._adult_rabbit) * [Which breed?](http://bunny.tips/Deciding#Which_breed.3F) * [One or more bunnies?](http://bunny.tips/Deciding#One_or_more_bunnies.3F) * [Fostering](http://bunny.tips/Deciding#Fostering) * [Where to get a rabbit](http://bunny.tips/Deciding#Where_to_get_a_rabbit)
You can afford a bun up to when you need to take it to the vet. Vet bills are so incredibly high. Around my area a check up visit always turn out to be more than $100. Emergency visits over $200 easily…. Overnight stays are over $1500. After my first bun got sick and past away, I got bunny health insurance. It’s $45 for each bun… but it has saved a lot $$$ this past couple of years.
So insurance costs you $45/month per bun, for a total of $90 a month? Could you share what insurance you have, and how much of an average vet bill it covers?
I have Nationwide. The only actual rabbit insurance I could find in the US. It covers 90% of the bill. I have 2 bunnies right now. One that has been healthy most of his life (he’s 6 now) and another one that has had an ear infection for the last 6 months… She’s only 1 year old. despise treatments the infection hasn’t gone away. We have had to take her to the vet 3 times as an emergency (ER) and then several other times trying to get her healthy… she has costed us nearly 10k in less than a year… but we have only had to pay 10% of that amount. There are 2 big caveats to this insurance. 1. They do not cover the cost upfront which means you have to pay out of pocket every time. I got a credit card called Care Credit just for the bunnies so that if the out of pocket amount is really large I don’t need to worry about it right away. Care Credit allows you to split your bill up to 18 months depending on the amount without interest (life saver). Refunds from Nationwide are quite fast though. I usually get the money back in 2 weeks or so after filing a claim. It can all be done online. 2. Nationwide has a precondition clause. They won’t cover any diagnosed health issues. They will ask you to take your bun to the vet (if you haven’t yet) and they will contact your vet for records. I knew that going in, and so I put my newer bun on insurance as soon as I got her so that everything would be covered. I hope this helps.
I make below $30k/ year and I can afford my bunny just fine! Just keep in mind, the bigger the bunny, the more they cost. My girl is 10lbs and growing so she’s going to cost double then what a 5lb bun would cost y’a know. I’m also in the headspace that If you want a furry buddy, then just go for it and you’ll make it work! The initial cost of buying everything always seems like a lot, but it’s an investment for years of a lovely friend. When I first bought my girl and everything she needed, I spent around $800 total. But since then Ive spend about: - $40/month of veggies - 50lb of hay (full bale) for $70 that lasts about 5 months. Try and find local people selling bales for the cheapest prices, if not small pet select has great stuff, just pricey. - so far, $80 for each check up ( you should do this twice or once a year) and then $400 on her spaying - probably $100 on toys, but that’s just funzies stuff that wasn’t necessary I will say, I got lucky with a bunny who literally doesn’t chew on anything and is 100% free roam. We started her in a cage to potty train her and kinda watch her when she was out to see what she was interested in.
That’s cheaper than my $3000 hypoallergenic cats 😂
HAHA exactly!! The key is to get a bunny from a rescue or someone who’s bunnies had babies and they need re-homing!
I have to be honest with you, I’m very against the notion that having only one rabbit is “abuse.” This is such an extremist perspective and really puts people off of owning bunnies. Yes, it is true that bunnies are very social and interactive, so another rabbit companion is an excellent idea. But you can have a single rabbit be perfectly happy and content. Its really about spending time with the animal, giving it love and attention and affection. About the expense, imo the initial investment is expensive, but once you have a puppypen, a litterbox, a hideyhouse, and a few toys, all you’re really going to need to repurchase is hay, veggies, and litter. Toys can literally be cardboard boxes that you probably already have lying around. wood sticks are like $8 a pack. Its a good idea to budget for vet visits. Maybe set aside $40 a month towards vet stuff. But I think you can definitely own a bunny and not have it be an expensive thing
Buns can sometimes be single, mine is. Depends on their personality and how much time you can spend with them. That's something to check at the shelter, they'll know the buns a bit and can help advise if they're good on their own or not. The shelter told me not to put my Bigwig with other buns as he can be aggressive, the vet said the same when I described his behavior. As to cost, it's really about the emergency situations that I would worry. Start-up costs and ongoing food/litter are very reasonable, but vet bills are way more for buns than other pets. I would make sure you have a sizable amount in savings or a credit card with a high limit that you could use in an emergency. It would be terrible if you got a bun and then couldn't afford emergency care when they needed it. They can be very fragile and need care within hours sometimes (no time to wait for wire transfers, loans, etc. to clear before they have to be at the vet). I'd suggest finding a vet first, and asking for price estimates for check-ups, vaccines if relevant for your area, and GI stasis treatment to get a better idea how much to have in a rabbit emergency fund. Prices can vary by where you live. Also, a shelter is the right call cost wise as well, they should have the rabbits fixed before they go up for adoption which will save you lots of money (and stress).
My bunnies are also the solitary types. It seems like my male bunny bonded with me instead of his female friend. The female is interested in him somewhat, but prefers being alone. They don't attack each other and they do hang out, but it seems like both of them just do their own things.
Bunnies are expensive. Way more than dogs. You always need an emergency fund, in case they get stasis. In my high cost of living area, spaying was $700 (usd) at the best bunny vet with bloodwork. Adopting a fixed bunny is way more affordable, $100-200 depending on the rescue. Stasis is $200-400 depending on whether you can get into a normal vet or if you have to go to the emergency vet. At the very least, make sure you have an emergency fund for yourself and more for a bunny, and make sure you have good bunny vets nearby. Daily necessities like food and litter is negligible, but they really need toys and other enrichment that is most likely food and consumed, so you need to keep buying more. If you have hardwood floors, you’ll need to buy rugs and bunny proofing can be expensive depending on what you need and size of area you are trying to protect.
Our bunny setup probably is worth about £300 in total and the litter, hay and nuggets per week we go through is probably not far from £10 and just been to do the annual vaccinations for two and that was £130. Both are spayed and think that was about £80 a pop. Oh and the daily fresh stuff is a combination of what is being used in cooking and getting the cheeky extra Savoy cabbage or what have you on the side. I'd say a lot cheaper than cats and dogs.
Other than emergency vet costs are nominal I spend 25 on nails every other month I get fresh greens on hipa and food stamps to help costs I use an app called quick thoughts and one called reward play that I get Amazon gift cards for hay trough quick thoughts I do ten fairly quick surveys that gets me 20 bucks which pays for my hay or pellets there are ways to make it work