OT-Owning bunnies

[YukiPhnx]

I've been giving a lot of thought to buying some Netherland Dwarf bunnies for myself.

But most of the information I've been able to find are from the UK or US.

Does anybody know how much it would cost me to get a bunny neuteured? And also the costs of the vaccinations?

Also, what would the realistic long terms costs be to raise one? Ie. food, check-ups, treats, etc.

I just want to get a good picture of the costs before I make such a big investment. Thank you!

 

[mommytodarlings]

We have 2 lops and a Flemish Giant. I had the two lops neutered and I think it was around $150 each. No vaccines for them. We adopted our Giant from Rabbit Rescue, she was from a meat farm rescue. She was a baby when we got her and they arranged for her spay at 6 months. I think it was around $100 to adopt her, but that included her spay fee. Rabbit Rescue is a great organization and if you are in the Southern Ontario are I would highly recommend checking out their site, they have lots of bunnies in foster care.

 

[TwinkieBell]

Our Human Society has bunny rabbits all the time and the price to adopt them is $30.00 for everything. Check out the web for a human society near you.

 

[BitsnBearsMom]

All I can say is if you are getting dwarf rabbits be prepared for a 10+ yr commitment. Our dwarf rabbit just turned 10 yrs old and originally I was told they live 6 to 8 yrs. Our guy obviously didn't get the memo.... either that or the dog food he keeps chasing the dog away from to steal and eat has preserved him and I'm stuck with him forever!!

we have a boy and 10 yrs ago it was $80 to have him neutered. He doesn't need any shots - just a check up every now and again or a vet visit if there is anything wrong. Only other costs are the cage (try kijiji) and make sure you get a good one that looks decent - ours is so old it's an eye sore now but he is 10 and I will not get another rabbit so can't see buying a new one! The other thing I recommend is a feeding bin that clips to the side of the cage and a hut for bunny to hid out in and a litter pan - use unscented clay litter and litter train them - makes it much easier for clean up. Our guy doesn't like shavings in his cage - he would push them all out when he was younger so we just stopped using them!

They can be fun if you get one with a good personality - I find our guy is getting grumpy now and tends to get neglected because of that. They are very cute when they are little but as they get bigger/older the kids interest in his has gone and I'm the one that gets stuck cleaning the cage, cleaning his scent glands so said cage doesn't get too smelly, clipping his nails, feeding him.

 

[YukiPhnx]

$150 each? That's not bad. Some people keep telling me a couple hundred, but all they know are dog neuters.

Yes, I'm aware they live to be 10+, which is why I want to make an informed decision before I bring a new family member into my home.

I've looked into Rabbit Rescue actually. I just need to find ones in Waterloo/Kitchener. And I'm going to look into a humane society in the area too.

I've had pets before and definitely know about the responsibility of keeping one. The more I look into this, the more I want my own bunny already!

BitsnBearsMom, do you have any pictures of yours to show us? Also, do you usually let him outside to play? Or do you have a room for him to run around, or an enclosure?

 

[BitsnBearsMom]

Our guy runs around our house - not as often lately as he's been peeing everywhere. He is getting pretty old though. We also let him out in the back yard to wander - he's great at staying close although if you do get one you may want to either get a bunny leash or enclose an area for bunny - he loves being outside in the nice weather. We don't take him out when it's cold as he's an indoor bunny.
Here's a picture of him taken about 4 yrs ago....... Kids named him Hershey b/c when we first got him in the sun he looked brown.... they are original

 

[mommytodarlings]

$150 each? That's not bad. Some people keep telling me a couple hundred, but all they know are dog neuters.

Yes, I'm aware they live to be 10+, which is why I want to make an informed decision before I bring a new family member into my home.

I've looked into Rabbit Rescue actually. I just need to find ones in Waterloo/Kitchener. And I'm going to look into a humane society in the area too.

I've had pets before and definitely know about the responsibility of keeping one. The more I look into this, the more I want my own bunny already!

BitsnBearsMom, do you have any pictures of yours to show us? Also, do you usually let him outside to play? Or do you have a room for him to run around, or an enclosure?

I'm in Cambridge and when I adopted Bella from Rabbit Rescue, I met her foster mom at an exit along the 401 around Woodstock, it was halfway for both of us so it didn't turn out too bad.

I had to call around to find a vet that treated small animals and ended up using Cambridge Vets, there were only 2 here that worked on small animals.

I had a bun when I was younger and he lived to the ripe old age of 13.

We use softwood pellets that TSC sells as horse bedding in our litter boxes. With having the 3 of them, we go through a lot and cat litter isn't recommended in case they do end up eating some.

The kids love them and they each have their time of day that is free run time. Our Great Pyrenees gets along great with them, doesn't care if they hop on him or run around him.

 

[YukiPhnx]

Hi mommytodarlings,

The closest rabbit vet I could find in Waterloo is the Lincoln Village Animal hospital, which is very close to where I live (heck, anywhere in Waterloo or Kitchener is "very close").

The fee of $125 for the bunny adoption seems like a great price!

Where do you usually buy your bunny food? I looked into PetSmart near Fairview Mall and their prices looked very good. Do you buy the timothy hay from stores or from nearby farmers?

I'm buying a cage with a separate pull-out tray under it so I don't have to worry about litter as much. I have some leftover aspen from my hamster, do you think that would be good bedding?

 

[mommytodarlings]

Aspen bedding should be good. My guys all like a little piece of fleece. I bought a cheap fleece blanket and tore it up into smaller pieces. They like to snuggle up with those. Bella has a stuffed animal that she tosses around too.

I feed them Martin's pellets and usually get it at Global Pet Foods or Pet Valu (have one very close to me). I have bought my hay from a farmer for around $8 a bale. Hay is their "staple food" so we go through quite a bit with 3 buns.

They also get Romaine daily and then I add other fruits & veggies. Dh sometimes get jealous of the "salads" I make for the buns, lol.

 

[YukiPhnx]

Haha, our buns eat better than we do!

Hm...Pet Valu, I'll have to see if there's one nearby. But the closest one to me is a Petcetera and I haven't had time to visit it yet.

I don't have to worry about my bun swallowing fleece? I wasn't sure if I should get some fleece for them to cuddle in. My previous hamster just gathered the aspen and made herself a nest.