Adopting a Bunny

Are you ready for a 10 to 20 year commitment? If so, then a cute, fluffy little bunny might just be for you.

Adopting a rabbit is no different than adopting a human child. The commitment is made for decades with the expectations of being up all night, having nighttime and weekend emergencies; which require expensive emergency room visits and trying to find a baby sitter for your vacations. But let’s be for real here – even regular office visits are far from inexpensive. Rabbits are exotic animals requiring specialty veterinarian care that does not come cheap. There will be all nighters you are up wishing for poops; begging them to eat. You will be covered in Critical Care because syringe feeding is not something bunnies are privvy to.

The nitty gritty.

Adopting a rabbit is a very serious commitment. Before adopting, please consider all aspects of rabbit care. They are not just a cute little fluff ball to be given as a gift for Christmas or Easter. Rabbits are highly intelligent creatures that are medically very sensitive. Rabbits will compensate and never look ill or behave sick until the very end; that is why it is critical to be knowledgable of certain signs and symptoms. It is important to be willing to ask questions and research when an issue arises; taking them to the vet immediately, even if that requires an emergency visit.

Rabbits can easily be injured, scared and become aggressive when not handled properly. With no other way to communicate they often turn to boxing and biting at what they interpret as the aggressor. Being prey animals they stay on guard and have to earn your trust, which can take time. Proper handling is important to keep your rabbit and self safe. Learn signs of fear in bunnies to prevent aggressive behavior before it starts.

Lets talk finances

Rabbits are categorized an exotic species which requires a specialized veterinarian. Always make sure you have a rabbit savvy vet for your bunny; if you do not, it may cost them their life. A regular office visit can start as high as $75-$100 and that is not counting any testing or procedures.

In the event of an emergency, it is of the utmost importance to seek medical care immediately. An ER visit generally starts at around $200 just to walk in the door; testing and procedures can easily bring your total to $1,000 or more. A well taken care of bunny will most likely never see the inside of an ER clinic, but accidents and illnesses do happen; so always plan on emergencies.

Expext to spend $500 on start up cost, which includes an adoption fee, initial vet visit, supplies such as food, x-pen, bowls, bedding, litter boxes, etc.
Yearly check ups should be scheduled and kept to ensure your rabbit is healthy. A visit may be required every 3 to 4 months to trim nails and clean scent glands, if not privvy of doing that yourself; these types of visits are generally much more affordable.

RHDV-2

As of recently, the RHDV-2 has been making its way through the U.S and ravaging wildlife at an extroardinary rate. This has now passed onto the domestic breeds and fortunately enough, a new vaccine has been made available in several states; hopefully this will be available in all 50 states soon enough.

In the state of Georgia, where Gauntt Farm Antics Rabbit Rescue, Inc. resides, a vaccinated rabbit requires a tracking chip to be implanted as well; for record keeping. Most rescues and shelters have their bunnies vaccinated during spay surgery, making the implantation of the chip less stressful. It is a tiny chip inserted into the skin on their back via a small gauge needle. It is the same type of chip used in dogs and cats. Psstt! Having it done during their surgery also saves a little bit of money! Vaccination and chip during a separate visit can cost around $200 depending on where you go; and as of right now, the veterinarians offering such a vaccine are very limited.

Is Adoption still for you?

All of this was not to deterr you from being a bunny’s new furever home; it was simply to make sure you understand the financial aspects of it. Too many calls are made to rescues and shelters because parents could not afford to take their bunny to the vet and now they are sick or as most often the case, dying by the time they arrive at our doorsteps.

Before making a quick decision to gift a rabbit for Easter or your toddler child; consider all the things mentioned in this article. A rabbit is an investment, a life long commitment, a family member to be treated like your own human child; not to be sitting in a tiny cage or discarded outside when one is “done” taking care of them or no longer “interested”.

If you still think that a bunny is the right addition for your family, fill out one of our Adoption Applications. Feel free to message us on facebook or via email for any updates on your application.