Getting Ready for a Rabbit?

Image lifted from boredpanda.com, if you own this photo please send me a message so I can properly credit you!

So adorable, isn't it? Now that Easter is coming, many kids will ask for a pet rabbit, and many adults will indulge.

But, a rabbit is not a "starter" pet or a "cheap" pet to keep, as a lot of pet shops would tell you. They are a big responsibility, just like a dog or a cat. As a responsible pet-owner, it is YOUR JOB to know more about them before getting one!


I am by no means a bunny expert. But, I've had my fair share of handling rabbits and have studied about them enough for me to be able to share my knowledge.

For this post, we are going to look at some Bunny Supplies Essentials! ^^

 I'm going to do this by showing you my Amazon cart so you will also have an idea of how much it actually takes to start caring for a rabbit. Be forewarned, it is not cheap!

Note that all prices are in JPY as it's where I currently live in. (price conversion in Php are done via xe.com)

*Please note that this is not in the order of importance.

 

Without the cage, the bill has reached JPY 16,447. (7,368.16PHP)

Non-essentials in the list above would be the raisins (which I would use as a treat and for training), the carry case and the bottle I'll attach to the carry case (for taking your rabbit home and to the vet!), the hidey house, the scratching mat, the wooden chew, the fleece and the rabbit pet sheet (instead of using bedding I will use this).

Without those you will still need: 6385 JPY (2,860.99PHP).

Essentials:

CAGE/enclosure

1. Rabbit food pellet
2. Hay

3. Water/food dish
 

Optional but recommended:

4.  Litter tray. Starting training from the get-go is the best!
5. Wood chews. Rabbit teeth are growing constantly, without anything to chew on, their teeth will become too long and pose health problems.
6. Fleece. If you are getting a wire-bottom cage, your rabbit needs a place to rest their feet, if you are getting a plastic bottom base, you rabbit needs the traction so they can move comfortably. Either way, getting fleece for your rabbit is a good idea. ^^

Now moving on to the cage. Many people misunderstand that rabbits only need a small space to live a comfortable life. This is just not true.

Many store-bought cages are unfit for a rabbit, no matter what the "experts" at the shop say. 

 

This diagram shows the ＭＩＮＩＭＵＭ space required for a rabbit.

You can easily see how a Google search for rabbit cages will yield misinformed results.

 

I've left some cages unmarked because I don't know the exact size. On the otherhand, a lot of the cages in the result has a bunny for reference and by that I can say that it is NOT a good size.

I marked hutches as "not recommended" as it is safer for rabbits to be indoors than out.

For a list of acceptable store-bought rabbit cages, please go here:

http://www.therabbithouse.com/indoor/rabbitcages.asp

From Amazon, the biggest rabbit cage available in Japan is the Ferplast Casita 120. I would prefer not to go less than 150cm in length, but this is the best one we have here. I am buying this cage for my rabbit. But NOTE that my rabbit will be outside of the cage 100% of the time when I'm able to supervise it.

The cage is an expensive 19,000JPY (8,538.59PHP)! This is why a NIC cage is the best option, really. If and when I find NIC cubes in Japan, I will immediately switch!

 

XL dog crates are also good rabbit cages!  But even an XXL crate will only be 0.75sqm, which is below the recommended minimum space. You can, however, make a second level on a crate to make additional space. ^^ On Amazon, this crate is 7,900JPY (3,549.76PHP).

MY total bill: 35,447 JPY =15,931.74PHP

So as you can see, getting a rabbit is not cheap.  This cost does not even include the cost of the rabbit itself. If you are getting (and you should be) from a reputable breeder, a rabbit isn't that cheap either!

Rabbits in pet stores in the USA would cost around $20. In the Philippines, you can get one for as cheap as Php50. Yes, $1. In Japan it's more like Jpy20,000. Moreover petshop rabbits are more often than not too young to be sold! Any bunny under 8 weeks old should not be taken away from its mother. Getting from a reputable breeder would make the price range a little more steep. In the USA, you would get it at around $75 or more (for pet types), in the Philippines for more than a few thousand pesos, and in Japan for at least Jpy40,000.

Moreover, a rabbit is a long-term commitment. Their lifespan can extend to up to 7-12 years. So unless, you are ready to care for another life for that long, please consider another pet instead. ^^

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((I have previously written a similar post here. But there are a couple of changes I've made and my knowledge about rabbits has grown since then.))