#rabbit setup

[spindle-and-nima]

I built nico and nano their first big kid enclosure!

Nico looking for escape routes is exactly why this has a ceiling.

[lina-and-delano]

as promised, here is the bunnies’ set up!!

this pen is in my bedroom but i let them free roam my room and the living room of my house for most of the day. i’m so happy to say that the bonding process has been going very well, and they only have a few skirmishes here and there.

dela has definitely changed and is practically a new rabbit since i got her. she is much more open and curious, and she’s played, done binkies, and flopped a lot. lina is still getting used to her, but she has always been a sweet girl.

if you have any tips or suggestions for me, please let me know!

lina (3 1/2 months) is currently eating green leaf lettuce and parsley, with freeze dried bananas for treats, along with pellets and timothy&orchard grass hay. dela (6-10 weeks) is eating the same pellets and hay.

[spindle-and-nima]

Can I ask how much money you spend on your beasts weekly/monthly? I've been looking into becoming a bunny owner but all the cost estimates online seem to be for holding them in a tiny cage and feeding them pellets and hay with little to no enrichment, so that's not exactly realistic

Hmm every week I spend approximately 20 bucks on greens so thats about 80 a month. I bulk buy hay so I don't need a refill except every 2 months which is 60 bucks. Litter i also bulk buy pelleted paper which is about 20lbs of litter a month but thats 26 bucks and it usually lasts more than a month. Feed bags i bulk buy 25lbs at a time and split them into airtight comtainers so thats every 3 months so around 30 bucks there. And let's say about 20 a month for treats and enrichment. More if they destroy something

Monthly cost is thus about 130-160 bucks id say.

Start up cost is the most expensive. My pen was around 200 bucks but its very very sturdy and there are certainly cheaper pen options that run 50 bucks or so if you opt to build yourself. Theres also the hides, which i use wood castle hides each about 20 bucks. The bowls and water dishes vary ofc I go for dog ones bc those are often cheaper. Enrichment can be expensive since I only really trust oxbow but I also make stuff myself. I have a rug under my setup but when litter training i used carpeted EVA foam puzzle mats for fast spot cleaning (just pop the soiled square out and replace with a clean one and wash the soiled one snd air dry.) And that is 25 bucks a pack on Amazon and I bought 2 or 3. Litter boxes just go for an clean stainless steel cat litter box and put pelleted paper in there with hay. My litter box was 30 bucks.

I always encourage keeping grooming tools on hand. Styptic powder, nail clippers, combs (like a fur buster or literally just a deshedding comb. I dont use slicker brushes to de-shed) and keep baby gas drops on hand along with papaya enzyme tablets by oxbow (good for blockages from fur.) As well as critical care.

Lastly bunnies shoukd come in pairs unless they are of unique situation and temperament (we do have some shelter buns that will annihilate anyone in their space so must ne solo. But rule of thumb is 2 buns) so account for that.

All in all proper setup and maintenance will prevent the most expensive thing: vet bills.

Rabbits are considered exotics and you have to find a specialized vet. A spay tends to be 300 bucks and a neuter 150. Basic checkups run about 80 bucks. If yoir rabbit has to be hospitalized overnight for an emergency expect 1000+. This is at least in my own area but know that vet visits are costly so there should be some savings in case something happens because rabbits are fragile.

I am by no means discouraging you, please reach out any time via DMs if you have some more questions on the details but im just being upfront about costs here relative to what I am used to.

[lina-and-delano]

hey, lina here!!

would anyone be interested in seeing my setup?? i live in my owner’s room and i love it so much. we’re easing into free roaming the whole house, but for now i stay in my owner’s bedroom. i have so many toys and things to do!!