Rabbits are not a particularly cheap pet; this gives an estimate of how much a rabbit will cost you upfront and on an ongoing basis...
As with any pet, there can be considerable costs involved with a rabbit so it's a good idea to know what you are likely to pay upfront and on an ongoing basis before deciding on a rabbit as a pet.
Initial costs
| The rabbit | £10 - £50 | Depends on where you get your rabbit from, often cheaper to adopt |
| Housing (outdoors) | ||
| Hutch | £150 - £250 | Depends on size and quality of hutch |
| Exercise run | c. £50 - £100 | |
| Housing (indoors) | ||
| Cage | £50 - £130 | Depends on size, cheapest option is a dog crate |
| Litter tray | c. £10 | A lidded cat litter tray is best |
| Water bowl or bottle | c. £3 | |
| Food bowl | c. £3 | |
| Carrier | £20 - £30 | A strong cardboard box with airholes can be used instead |
| Consumables | £20 - £30 | For an initial stock of bedding, hay and dry food |
| Healthcare | ||
| Vet’s consultation fee | £20 - £30 | |
| Vaccinations | c. £40 | VHD and myxomatosis |
| Neutering (male rabbit) | £50 - £60 | |
| Spaying (female rabbit) | £90 - £120 |
Ongoing costs
| Booster vaccinations | c. £50 per year | Twice yearly for myxomatosis, once yearly for VHD, or once yearly with combined vaccine |
| Consumables | c. £30 per month | For one average sized rabbit, bedding, hay, dry food and vegetables |
Most pet insurance companies now cover rabbits for an average cost of £10 per month and this can be very useful if your rabbit develops a serious health problem or suffers an injury. Veterinary fees for rabbits can be as high as for a cat or dog.
Many vets now also recommend a worming treatment, Panacur, as a preventative against the potentially fatal disease of E. Cuniculi. Panacur can be bought from petshops and costs around £10 per application. It must be given for 28 days and during this time the rabbit is still potentially shedding E.C spores so must be kept seperate from other rabbits.
