Hello!!! On November first of 2022, Johnny and I became proud bunny parents to Melvin and Penelope. They are our beloved mother and son duo and they bring so much joy into our lives. Since adding “bunny mom” to my resume, I couldn’t resist following a ton of fairly local bunny rescue organizations on Facebook. This is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing comes from the obvious – any bunny is cute as can be. The curse? 1) Johnny won’t let me adopt any of them. And 2) It makes me so incredibly sad to see the stories of bunnies that have been dumped by their owners.
I think a lot of people bring bunnies home with the assumption that they require little care as well as little monetary investment. This is the farthest thing from true and I have to admit that I was even a bit shocked after bringing the buns home and that was after doing tons of research. They are so much more than adorable balls of fluff and have a significant amount of daily needs to keep them happy and healthy. On the owner’s part, this means giving them both the time and all of the supplies they need to thrive.
If you are considering adding bunnies to your brood, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about Bunny Math. Bunnies can live for up to ten plus years, which means a decade of never ending Chewy orders and trips to the grocery store. Don’t forget visits to the vet as well! If these numbers seem like something you can’t accommodate, bunnies might not be the best pet for you…
Chewy Orders:
I place an order on Chewy roughly every four to five weeks and every order totals to one hundred dollars give or take (Mostly give unless a promotion is being ran!). My order includes two different kinds of bedding, pellet food, hay, and a few new toys. However, an extra twenty-five dollars can be tacked on whenever new cage cleaner is needed. We go through one bottle every two months. These are not optional purchases whatsoever!! They are one thousand percent necessary for your rabbit’s care and it demands your commitment.
Grocery Store:
But wait! There’s more! Johnny or I go to the grocery store once every week and a half for leafy greens, additional veggies, herbs, and the occasional fruit treat for Melvin and Penelope. On top of that, we get a new box of gloves for when we clean their litter boxes and go through a ton of paper towel to clean said boxes, their hutch, and any accidents. The grand grocery store total for the month is typically around fifty dollars and, once again, are not optional. A well balanced diet for a bun includes these fresh veggies and should never, ever be skimped on. And, of course, cleaning without gloves is just gross lol.
Between both forms of shopping, your bunny’s needs will allot to one hundred and fifty dollars per month. Like I said, they are certainly an investment in time and money and this should not be overlooked when making a decision to bring one home. If you can fully commit to this, then you are in luck! Bunnies are the absolute best and Johnny and I love having these little gremlins more than we can say. Melvin and Penelope helped get me out of a really dark place when we adopted them and, for that, they deserve the world. We fully intend on giving them that!
I think it is so important to go into adopting a pet with full knowledge of what you are getting into. Bunnies might seem like low key pets, but they are far from it. The numbers speak for themselves!
What kind of pet do you have? What kind of pet would you love to have? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
lifewithlilred 