Rabbits have become popular pets for homeowners. Like dogs and cats, you need to allot a certain budget for rabbit care cost. We guess the first question to pop in your head is, “How much do rabbits cost?”. Lucky for you, we’ve made a list of everything you’ll need to plan out your bufdget before getting a new pet!
This article will help you plan out all costs of rabbit care. You will also learn the supplies and tools you need to prepare before buying your new rabbit.
Let’s start!
How much do rabbits cost?
You can own a rabbit in 3 simple ways:
- Homing a stray rabbit
- Adopting a rabbit from a shelter
- Buying a rabbit from a breeder or pet store
These three vary in cost, and your choice would depend on your preferred breed and budget.
Owning a rabbit for free
To own a rabbit for free, you can either adopt a stray rabbit or find a breeder rehoming a rabbit with no fee.
As they say, one should never abandon a domesticated animal like a rabbit in the wild. These animals should have a safe and clean shelter, so why leave them alone? You might find rescuing the rabbit and inviting it to your home may be the best option.
The thing is, while most loose domestic rabbits need your care, several stray rabbits do not like being touched or held. Your local rabbit shelter can help you out.
Another option to get a rabbit for free is when a breeder’s rabbit accidentally gets pregnant, and the breeder needs to find another owner for the litter. Although free, this option is not recommended. Most breeders who do this do not follow the guidelines on rabbit breeding and nutrition. If this is the case, you might end up with an unhealthy rabbit.
Visiting a rabbit rescue shelter ($5 to $20)
Your local animal shelter likely has rabbits up for adoption. Most of these rabbits are from owners who can not shoulder the rabbit care cost or simply can not provide for them anymore.
Head out to any nearby pet shelter to know more information. You’ll probably find a bunny that matches you.
Buying from a breeder or pet store ($40 to $70)
The price of rabbits in stores can go as low as $5, with the range being $40 to $70. In pet stores, the average cost of a rabbit is $55.35, with a median price of $40.
Rabbit Cost Per Breed
The price can go as high as $910 and as low as $0.00, depending on the breed! Check this table from the survey conducted by RabbitPros for rabbit price comparison:
Breed | Average Cost | Median Cost | Max Cost |
American Fuzzy Lop | $175 | $175 | $200 |
American Rabbit | $30 | $30 | $50 |
Chinchilla | $25 | $25 | $25 |
Dwarf Hotot | $55 | $40 | $125 |
English Angora | $120.83 | $107.50 | $300 |
English Lop | $60 | $60 | $60 |
Florida White | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Harlequin | $57.5 | $57.5 | $80 |
Holland Lop | $102.49 | $65 | $910 |
Jersey Woolly | $37.5 | $35 | $50 |
Lionhead | $42 | $30 | $180 |
Mini Lop | $59.78 | $50 | $390 |
Netherland Dwarf | $50.92 | $50.00 | $75.00 |
New Zealand | $28.00 | $30.00 | $30.00 |
Thrianta | $250 | $250 | $250 |
Rabbit supplies cost
Now that we’ve answered your question, “how much do rabbits cost,” let’s discuss how much the total rabbit care cost would be if you decide to own a bunny.
First things first, you should list everything you need – rabbit cage, food, supplies, and health care. From there, you can deduce which items you should put on top of your buying checklist.
Cage
Rabbit cages in the market range from $50 to $200. That’s quite expensive, right?
The good news is you can make your own rabbit cage! The total cost you should expect to spend in building a hutch for your rabbit is around $50 to $100 – that’s about $100 off your spending if you buy a cage from the market.
Building a rabbit cage requires simple materials like storage grids and wood. These materials are easy to find in stores. We suggest watching how-to videos so you can build the best cage for your best buddy.
Supplies | Cost |
DIY Rabbit Cage | $50 to $100 |
Commercial Rabbit Cages | $50 to $200 |
Grooming supplies
Rabbits need regular grooming to maintain soft and clean fur. The supplies you need are pretty basic. These include nail trimmers, rinse shampoos, grooming stone, brushes, flea comb, razors, and other tools listed below.
Ideally, you should groom your rabbit every 3 to 7 days. Grooming your rabbit regularly means a fuss-free and happy bunny!
Supplies | Average Cost |
Dematting razor | $9 and above |
Bunny nail trimmer | $5 to $10 |
Bunny nail clipper | $6.5 |
Slicker brush | $6.95 |
Undercoat rake | $6.95 |
Wood handled grooming brush | $7.95 |
Steel needle grooming comb | $7.95 |
Grooming scissors | $8.95 |
Styptic powder | $10 and above |
Seam ripper | $5 |
Pumice grooming stone | $4 to $5 |
Rabbit stain remover | $18 and above |
LED Nail clipper | $18 and above |
Grooming sleeve | $9 and above |
Rabbit Feeding Cost
A rabbit owner must allot $40 to $90 for rabbit feeding every month. If your rabbit is a huge breed, you might need to bump your budget a bit since they consume more food. A saving tip we recommend is to buy food in bulk from local farms. This way, you can cut high costs and allot the expense for other things your rabbit might need.
Hay
Hay comprises most of your rabbit’s daily food intake. They need access to hay 24/7 because this is a rabbit’s favorite food! Because of this, hay would account for most of your food expenses.
Rabbit Size | Cost Per Month |
Small breed | $30 to $60 |
Medium breed | $60 to $70 |
Large breed | $70 to $130 |
Vegetables
Store-bought vegetables are more expensive than vegetables grown by local farmers. We suggest you buy in bulk from local farmers to save bucks.
Rabbit Size | Cost Per Month |
Small breed | $30 to $40 |
Medium breed | $100 to $180 |
Large breed | $100 to $200 |
Vegetables from local suppliers can cost you as low as $15 per month!
Commercial Rabbit Pellets or Nuggets
Commercial rabbit pellets, also called nuggets, are healthful food to include in your rabbit’s diet. Nuggets support your rabbit’s immune system and healthy lifestyle. These delights are good for rabbits who are very picky when it comes to food.
On Amazon, the average price of a 5-pound pack of rabbit food is $30.
Healthcare Cost
Rabbits are small and delicate mammals that need to get checked periodically. These animals require annual checkups, just like dogs and cats. Not only are these vet appointments for medical concerns, but vets also check your rabbit’s dental health and vaccination status.
The average cost range of a rabbit checkup is $25 to $55. It may seem a bit pricey, but remember, prevention is always better than cure! Rabbits need to get checked and vaccinated to prevent health issues. Health evaluations also detect illnesses as early as possible.
Checkups and vaccinations are always cheaper than neglect. So, always pay attention to your rabbit’s healthcare and dental needs.
Spaying or Neutering
Spaying is having a female rabbit fixed. On the other hand, neutering is having a male rabbit fixed. These two surgical procedures will prevent accidental pregnancy for a rabbit. Another health benefit spaying provides a doe is less risk for ovarian, breast, and uterine cancer. Neutered rabbits are also less prone to testicular cancer.
If you want to have your rabbit spayed or neutered, be prepared to spend an average of $273.97. Spaying or neutering your rabbit can cost you as low as $75 to $600.
Rabbit Insurance
Like humans, rabbits can get insured too! The price for rabbit insurance starts at $10 per month and varies depending on the type. Typically, rabbit insurance covers accidents, health examinations, x-rays, hospitalization, and lab fees. Rabbit insurance is helpful to prevent you from overspending on an expensive vet bill.
Is owning a rabbit cheap?
Like owning any other pet, owning a rabbit is not cheap. Having a new pet rabbit means spending at least $500 each year! Most of the cost of rabbit care is from health checkups and supplies.
Other than that, because rabbits are extremely active pets, you might need to spend on furniture repairs. They might get a little skittish and chew on your beloved furniture, and that’s unavoidable.
Conclusion
So, how much do rabbits cost? Owning a rabbit means spending $500 to $800 on rabbit care cost every year. But remember, the cost of having a rabbit does not stop with just the expenses. As a pet owner, you must also give your pet all the love and care in the world!
