Bunny Budget

[Rachel]

Hey guys! I am currently a junior in college and trying to raise a bunny on a budget.  I have a great internship and can fully support a rabbit regardless, but I was just wondering if anyone had any money saving secrets or advice on how to give my rabbit a good life while also saving money.  Thanks (:

[Shadow13]

Buying food,hay,etc in bigger bags or bulk it’s always cheaper when you buy stuff in bigger bags. Using fleece or mats instead of bedding like carefresh. You could stop feeding pellets completely and just feed hay and veggies (of corse you need more hay and veggies). Aspen wood shavings are cheap for your litter box instead of cat litter or bedding. Or horse stall pellets or wood stove pellets are also cheap for your litter box.

[ThorBunny]

Hi!

Yes a great money saver for bunnies is using compressed wood stove pellets for litter. You can buy them in 40lb bags for about $5-7 at harware stores (usually only in the winter) and at farm supply stores, camping supply stores (year round). Near me, I have found them at our local agway The wood stove pellets are not only cheap but my favorite litter for controlling smell and wetness.

Also, luckily rabbits don’t know when toys are expensive or not, often cardboard and recycling ends up being my rabbits favorite toy, while expensive things sit untouched.

Buying hay online in bulk also saves tons of money as was said above! I’ve found pellets are pretty cheap, I end up spending most money on veggies for weekly costs

[Rachel]

Thank you!!!

[Rachel]

Thanks!!

[vanessa]

Buying bale hay is probably the cheapest, $17 per bale ot Timothy, but it can be messy to store. I like the $6 wood stove pellets for beding. In summer when sood stove pellets aren’t available, feed stores always cary equine bedding pellets – for about the same price. Mark of an area in your yard (if you have one), to keep critters out, and grow dandelion, plantain, chickweed, wild strawberries, or even sow mixed pasture seed. Weeds are cheap, healthy, veggies! Toys don’t have to be store bought – cardboard boxes and telephone boks and old towels/dishrags are fantastic toys. Put aside a little bit of money every month – to save up for the inevitable vet bill. Try to save at least $500 a year for vet bills. That way you aren’t suprised and stuck – when bunny gets sick. Read up about bunny health and first aid. Learn to clip yorur bunnies nails yourself, keep probiotics, critical care, simethicone, and other bunny basics on hand. Learn how to recognize and treat gas/stasis yourself – I swear if I took Lancelot to the vet everytime he stopped eating – I’d be broke. Some things you need to go to the vet for – and I’m not advocating not taking your bunny – I spend a good 1200-1500 a year on Lancelot’vet bills. Excluding his first aid kit for home treatment. It can add up. Litter boxes – large plastic storage containers are cheap, and spacious.

[Starla]

Going to feed stores and buying hay is always the best thing! Also for other rabbit needs go to chewy.com (the things that are sold on binky bunny are not sold on chewy.com, so go to chewy for the things that aren’t sold on binky bunny). The oxbow pellets are the cheapest through chewy.com (well at least where I live)

[Bianca]

I often get free veg from local supermarkets and groceries and even farmers markets. Anything they can’t sell to people they have to throw out. So lots of places keep the scraps in boxes until the end of the day in case anyone wants them. Saves wasting it. Not all the scraps are rabbit safe but it’s easy enough to sort that out. Can’t complain with free veg!

I own horses so I get hay cheap in bulk, and at the moment mostly as large rounds. So I just fill an old feed/pellet bag with hay and take it home as needed. Works out cheap for rabbit keeping, if I pretend I’m not spending heaps on horses! I would definitely recommend buying hay by the bale though, rather than the small amounts so pet stores sell. It’s fresher and cheaper.

I’ve seen lots of cheap toys aimed at cats that are bunny safe. Tunnels, cardboard toys, etc. I buy those on special sometimes. And cardboard boxes from home are great.

Definitely learn how to trim nails yourself. It isn’t too hard. And as someone else suggested, have a first aid kit handy and know how to use everything in it. Stock up on what you need for a first aid kit when it’s on special.

Oh. And find yourself a local bunny savvy vet before you need one in an emergency! Have their number stuck to your fridge, saved on your phone, etc. The sooner you can sort out emergencies, the cheaper they will sometimes be. And if you have more than one local rabbit savvy vet you can compare prices.

[Starla]

Also for first aid, I started a forum on it! I put stars next the products you can get at the dollar tree which is obviously a huge money saver!!!! This is the link to that post: https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/160548/Default.aspx
Make sure if your rabbit isn’t eating for more than 12 hours (or 24 hours but 12 hours is the better range to go for) that you seek medical attention. Some vets let you call for help without charging you. Sometimes it’s gas that causes rabbits not to eat so after 6 hours without eating I would try some infant gas drops (in my forum link above) and some force feeding (critical care, canned pumpkin, or whatever is rabbit safe, im sure you will lots on here) then after the 12 hours I would recommend a vet visit. My vet actually gave me a bag of fluids to give to my rabbit under the skin when she wasnt eating, but vets don’t give it to just anyone. But if they offer it and you have training, defiantly get the bag of fluids for at home (it will save money since they charge for administering the sub q fluids or whatever under the skin injections are called). the bag of fluids with extra needles costed my around $20-25. If youre short on money, I know some vets accept care credit (which adds to your bills but if you dont have money up front, maybe you should get care credit just in case). Also, major wounds or injuries you can’t treat yoursel unless youre a vet!

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