Home » Rabbits » Rabbit Information » Buying A Rabbit

Cost Of Keeping A Rabbit

Below is an approximate guide to the costs of owning and keeping a rabbit.

Equipment

When buying a rabbit it will be necessary to purchase equipment such as rabbit hutch or indoor cage, water bottle, food dish, woodshavings, hay, food and a litter tray and litter if the rabbit is to be kept as a house rabbit. A rabbit hutch will cost £150-£300 and a indoor cage will cost £50-£80 and the size required will depend on the size and number of rabbits to be kept. If the hutch does not include a run, a separate outside rabbit run can cost £60-£100. Other equipment can cost £20-£40.

Feed

The rabbit will need a grain or pellet diet and hay and combined these can cost approximately £10-£20 per month depending on the size of the rabbit.

In addition a rabbit will need to be fed vegetables and unless growing your own all year round, these will need to be bought and can cost an extra £10-£20 per month.

Woodshavings

Woodshavings will be needed to cover the floor of the hutch or cage and can cost £5-£15 per month depending on the size of cage or hutch.

Litter

If the rabbit is a house rabbit then it will need to be provided with a litter tray and litter. The amount of litter needed will cost approximately £10-£15 a month.

Vets Fees And Insurance

A rabbit needs to be vaccinated annually against VHD and Myxomatosis and these vaccinations can cost around £30-£40.

Insurance to cover vets fees in the event of illness and injury suffered by the rabbit can cost £6-£15 per month.

Spaying/Neutering

Spaying or neutering will be necessary if keeping mixed sexed rabbits together to prevent them from breeding. However, spaying or neutering a rabbit can also benefit health and temperament, so may be considered even if not keeping mixed sexed rabbits together. Spaying or neutering a rabbit can cost £50-£100.

Microchipping

Microchipping a rabbit can cost £15-£20.

Extras

Although the main regular costs of keeping a rabbit are listed above there are always unexpected costs that occur. In addition it is often necessary to purchase health products for minor ailments, replace equipment, etc. All such costs can mount up over a year and add to the cost of owning a rabbit. Therefore it is always best to factor in an additional cost of £100-£150 per annum for extras when working out whether keeping a rabbit can be afforded.

Summary

The table below gives a summary of the costs involved in keeping one rabbit. If keeping more than one rabbit together, as it is recommended to do, then the costs will be double with the exception of the equipment costs as the rabbits will share equipment although these costs will be towards the higher end of the range given as a large hutch would need to be purchased.

Item	One-Off Costs	Annual Costs
Equipment	£150-£340
Spaying/Neutering	£50-£100
Microchipping	£15-£20
Food & Hay		£240-£480
Woodshavings/Litter		£60-£180
Vaccinations		£30-£40
Insurance		£72-£180
Extras		£100-£150
Total	£215-£460	£502-£1,030