Jeez, Who Said Bunny-Keeping Was Cheap?!

[Bad Habit]

Today I was out shopping and bought Lily some new stuff.  Haven’t even had her a month and she’s already as spoiled as the dog!

She got…

Romaine Lettuce Hearts
Bok Choy
Dandelion Greens
Green/Red Leaf Lettuce
Cucumber
Carrots
Alfalfa Sprouts
Raspberries
Blackberries
A Pear
A bale of alfalfa hay
A hay bin
A new litter box
A unit of those box thingies to make a playpen/cage for her(probably play pen for now, I won’t be able to get the rest of the stuff for a cage til after Christmas)
A bag of litter
A carrot toy

And probably some other stuff I’m forgetting.

Don’t think that I’m complaining, cuz I’m not…  I was just surprised with how much stuff ended up being hers on this recent shopping trip.  The fridge is packed full of her veggies(a good thing, meant I had to clean out some of the crap that was in there), and as soon as I’m done being lazy, I’ll be cleaning out her cage and setting up a playpen for her.  I just can’t wait for summer to come, when I can feed her fresh grass, and when the farmer’s market is going on.  I always got tons of free veg from the market when I had my guineas and my lizard, one of the perks of being a vendor.  Plus they’ll save the cuttings from the beets and carrots for me.  Stupid winter.

[Sam and Lady's Human]

Wow that is alot! I’ve never heard they were inexpensive hah.

Just a couple things though, since she’s young, introduce the different veggies slowly, one at a time, and I’d go real easy on the fruit, I’ve actually never heard of giving berrys and pears to bunnys

ETA : I know the fruit is safe, its just not one of the more “popular” ones people talk about I guess. You should take some pics!

[Monkeybun]

Cheap? Rabbits? lol. They have been more expensive than any other pet I have ever had

[Bad Habit]

She had a strawberry once, I was eating them on cereal and she was practically drooling watching me. And with me being the way I am, I fell like a ton of bricks for her hang dog “I’m starving!!” expression. She’s already had romaine lettuce, carrots, cucumbers and sprouts(plus other stuff that didn’t go over as well), when I was trying to be a good bunny mum but didn’t know she was too young. She’ll probably get to try a new thing every other day or so, to make sure nothing upsets her tummy. I’ll let you know what she thinks of the raspberries and blackberries, and the pear.

And I did forget some stuff on the list! She also got an area rug for under her pen, a salt lick thingie that the pet store people said she’d die without, and some cage liners to go under her area rug to keep everything from getting too gross and smelly.

I should have known better than to think the rabbit would be cheaper to feed than the dog. I spend about 20$ every three months on dog kibbles, and about 50c a day on his “dinner” (meat, rice and carrots). I spent more than that on the rabbit’s veg today, and I’m hoping it’ll last about 2 weeks!

[FrankieFlash]

I hear ya on the cost thing. About half my savings account went to Bunjamin. His veggies are pretty cheap where I live $5 dollars worth last a little over a week sometimes 2. But everything else is expensive. Mostly litter for me. But I keep having to modify his play area cuz he’s a naughty bun (like most ) and thats getting pretty expensive. But I can’t imagine my life without him

Oh I also have found for general vet stuff, Rabbits do come out cheaper (for me at least) than dogs. so yay!

[Monkeybun]

lol figures the pet store would talk you into a salt lick They don’t usually need them, mine never have. They get enough salt from their regular diet.

[Tipsy Bunny]

my goodness where did you go to a farmers market! Thats a lot of yummies!! After a while you start to learn to make toys and such from things around the house. I have! Like the toys that my bird doesnt play with anymore because she ripped all the paper off, I just clean them and give them to Tipsy, paper grocery bags serve as good tunnels when you cut the bottoms out, not only are toilet paper rolls good for stuffing hay but you can also cut them into pieces and make a ball! And the trees on my walks around the neighborhood have nice fruit on them and so I pick off some yummy fruit to give to Tipsy when I get home (as treats of course). My parents just got their front yard updated and are adding a garden box so they will be putting some rabbit safe vegies out there too. If you have room in your backyard, you could start a rabbit savvy garden!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Cheap? Rabbits? lol. They have been more expensive than any other pet I have ever had

Hahahah totally the bunnies are my most expensive children, the only one who would beat them is my parents dog and that’s just that her vet care is pretty crazy.

I try to not include the veggies/fruit in my tally as I eat those too, but yikes are veggies and fruit ever getting expensive!! I planted some parsley in the spring and have been working at it diigently. I have plucked and fed…umn like two handfuls since than. So it’s saved me…like .58c hehe

[Roberta]

My tribe are eating me out of house and home at the moment, the babies are gobbling it up as well as Mums milk and Mum is eating three times as much. A bag of hay a week is now 2 bags a box of pellets only lasts the week not the fortnight and vegie’s Good Grief I don’t even get a look in on those, the tribe get the lot. Thankfully being the Payroll Officer and OHS Co-ordinator for an extremely large wholesale nursery I am getting first dibs on the over grown seedling trays of herbs headed for the composting bins. Fresh Basil, fennel and Parsley in abundance and once I’ve plucked all the lush green leaves I plant whats left and leave it to fill out (but the battle with the snails slugs and cabbage moths here in Summer is abominable, little to no green grass due to the heat so they eat anything else that is about) Thankfully I have lots of healthy strawberry plants at the moment too. Someone mentioned cucumber, can bunnies have cucumber ? I have been overly cautious with greens as there are on conflicting lists. One said geraniums were OK but I didn’t want to risk it. Pepper is off to be desexed at the end of January once the babies are weaned and rehomed, Piglet was done a few days before she had the litter. (Wish I’d done it sooner !!!!! – ) If I don’t get them all rehomed quickly I will be having vet bills out of my ears for multiple bunny desexing etc. Plus Piglet is an Angora cross and is going to need a professional grooming.

[tobyluv]

Having just ordered a variety of bags of hay online today, I can definitely say that keeping rabbits is not cheap. I grow a few of their veggies, but have to buy most of them, so that gets pretty expensive too.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Cheap? Rabbits? lol. They have been more expensive than any other pet I have ever had

Ditto that! I spend more on health care and food for my rabbits than I do for any of my other animals and that includes my horse!!!

[SugarbearNPepper]

Ditto to that LittlePuffyTail! Health care on Pepper…Good Lord! $500 right before Christmas….

[Elrohwen]

I find rabbits extremely expensive – depending on the grocery store I spend at least $7-15 per week just on veggies for them, plus a $60 box of hay twice a year and some pellets. A whole shelf of my fridge is devoted to bunny food every week.

[Monkeybun]

Ha yeah, my veggie crisper is for the bunnies food only… can’t fit any of my fruit and veggies in it lol.

[Elrohwen]

Haha, MB. I actually fill both of our crisper drawers with our own veggies and the bunnies get the shelf right above it.

[melbunny]

Posted By Monkeybun on 12/13/2011 02:30 PM
Cheap? Rabbits? lol. They have been more expensive than any other pet I have ever had

 

Ditto, Ditto that. My crew have cost me more money than all my dogs combined. That includes my goldie that has epilepsy and thyroid issues. The girl’s even have their own fridge. I spend about $20-$30 a week in veggies and food for them. 

[Stickerbunny]

Haha yeah my fridges bottom shelf is full of bunny food : ) we went shopping and the lady bagging our groceries thought we were kidding when we said it was all for our rabbits.

[melbunny]

 I’ve gotten stopped and asked what’s all the parsley before. ^o^ I’m like “my bunnies”.  Some people are curious to know more and some just give me looks. 

[LoveChaCha]

When I use self check out at my job, my coworkers will ask if the vegetables are for the ‘baby.’

Yeeeeeeeep, sure is

[longhairmike]

every sunday we’ve been buying a HUGE box of greens and bringing them to the scottsdale shelter where they have about 90 buns currently.

16 bunches dandelion greens
4-6 bunches romaine
4-6 bunches of kale

all this runs only about $25 from Mekong Market in Mesa, but its awesome walking in there to see 50 bunnies suddenly stand up on their hind legs to greet you. its like “yippie!! stuff my face time!!”…

[Monkeybun]

Oh reminds me, need to go buyt he OHS buns some Christmas noms.

[longhairmike]

some people designate beer money for the weekend,, i prefer bun money for every sunday (totally trying to avoid making this sound like a bangles parody)…

[avarismom1]

mine LOVE berries. we grow our own blackberries and strawberries and my boss has tons of blueberries – and OMG the rabbits go nuts for them! Also if I freeze blueberries and give them a couple on a hot day they LOVE them.

Mine are pretty cheap – bit only because I work at a restaurant and get all their greens and veggies for free!

[Stickerbunny]

mike, I bet it feels great to see so many happy bunny faces when you walk in when I get my car I think I will start volunteering at our shelter that keeps buns, the poor guys get no socialization because they are so short staffed and don’t understand rabbits at all

avaris, you’re so lucky lol I have to go 40 miles away to get bunny greens and it’s not that cheap! But they’re worth it.

[bunnyfriend]

Ah tell me about it, I’ve spent at least $3,000 on my rabbits. And I just started having rabbits in March, of course that has majorly to due with vet bills. Spays aren’t cheap and neither are X-rays. Mine also get spoiled with BB and pet store purchases Oh and Wilbur won’t eat nothing less than Oxbow hay. Picky little princess. But, that doesn’t even come close to what my horse costs.

[avarismom1]

stickerbunny -(and anyone else!!) if you have a restaurant near you or a friends who works at one – ask them! All of the outer layers of lettuce – and the bottoms – still with a lot of green on them – not just white stalk. Also if a bin goes the tiniest bit rusty or limp I get he whole thing! I also take cucumber ends, and pepper tops. We make out own stock from scratch – but when we don’t need stock I get all the carrot and celery ends too! All free!

It certainly helps that I am one of the 2 chefs – and make sure no one throws anything away – but most chefs are loathe to throw anything away and would be pretty happy to know that it is going to use!

Also I will add that my buying half of amazon this Christmas has resulted in some fun bunny playhouse making!

[LittlePuffyTail]

some people designate beer money for the weekend,, i prefer bun money for every sunday (totally trying to avoid making this sound like a bangles parody)…

It’s REALLY too bad there are not more guys like you!

[Huckleberry]

Posted By LoveChaCha on 12/19/2011 09:30 PM
When I use self check out at my job, my coworkers will ask if the vegetables are for the ‘baby.’

Yeeeeeeeep, sure is

I rarely buy veggies at my work anymore because they are awful looking, but, I used to have a coworker that would set aside the best looking collard greens for me. He knew I was picky about them. He had a bunny stash in the back room and would bring them out for me when I would get off work. 

Now I shop at an Asian food mrkt for her veggies. I love supporting the little business and its a neat little trip each time I go!

I too have set aside the bottom drawer for Huckles. She likes to get her own veggies so, sometimes, I will leave the drawer open just a bit too long and she will sneak an extra leaf of collards or a sprig of parsley 

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