How Much Do Lionhead Rabbits Cost? 2023 Price Update
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Lionhead Rabbits are adorable creatures with a mane of hair around their neck. These bunnies are quite sweet and make great family pets, especially when kids are in the home. Unfortunately, these rabbits are a bit fragile and need proper care to ensure they live their best lives. This includes proper nutrition, medical care, housing, and other necessities. Getting a Lionhead Rabbit can cost you up to $200 based on the source and monthly costs of caring for one can range from $90–$450.
Let’s take a deep dive into the prices associated with having a Lionhead Rabbit. This will help you determine whether bringing one of these adorable rabbits into your home is right for you and your family.
Bringing Home a New Lionhead Rabbit: One-Time Costs
Out in nature, Lionhead Rabbits don’t live alone. Instead, they survive in groups. For people who want to bring one of these pets into their home, it’s suggested that you purchase at least 2 so your rabbit has a companion and isn’t lonely. This may increase your one-time costs but it is best for your new pet. Let’s take a look at potential one-time costs you may incur when bringing a Lionhead Rabbit into your home and how those costs change according to where you find one.
Free
It’s not unheard of to find Lionhead Rabbits for free. Rabbits are known for reproducing. This often leaves pet owners with more rabbits than they feel like they can handle. You may have a friend in this situation. If not, there are social media and rabbit rehoming groups where you can connect with people in your area that are wanting to rehome their rabbits with a family that has the means to care for them properly.
Adoption
- $95–$200
Adoption is a great way to bring a pet into your home. Not only does going this route help the association that is handling the care of pets in need of a home, but it gives rabbits a second chance at a great life. When adopting, you’ll find each agency has a different pricing setup. You may find those in your local area are lower than the costs we mention here but on average you can expect to pay $95–$200. Many offer special pricing cuts for those who are willing to bring two Lionhead Rabbits into their home due to the social needs of the animals. You should also remember when adopting to ask the animal group you’re working with whether vaccinations, health checkup, spaying, and neutering is part of the fee.
Breeder
- $25–$125
Purchasing a Lionhead Rabbit from a breeder can range anywhere from $25–$125. Yes, this is a wide pricing range and is often determined by the area in which you live. You’ll also find that purchasing from a breeder doesn’t usually include spaying and neutering of the rabbits like adoption often does. If you choose to work with a breeder, please ensure the breeder is reputable and cares for their animals to the best of their ability.
Initial Setup and Supplies
- $375–$825
Once you’ve paid the initial purchase price for a Lionhead Rabbit (hopefully two of them so your new pet doesn’t get lonely), it’s time to purchase all the necessities needed to provide them with a safe, healthy, and happy life. These necessities can vary greatly depending on your situation. If your rabbit or rabbits are already spayed or neutered, your costs will drop significantly. Costs can also change due to the living situation you plan on using for rabbits. Let’s take a look at a few of these costs so you can better understand what to expect when it comes to initial setup and supplies.
List of Lionhead Rabbit Care Supplies and Costs
| Housing or Enclosure | $100–$200 |
| Spay/Neuter | $75–$250 |
| Microchip | $25–$50 |
| Vaccinations | $75–$100 |
| Carrier | $20–$30 |
| Food and Water Bowls | $5–$15 |
| Litter Box | $10–$25 |
| Hay | $10–$30 |
| Bedding (paper-based) | $10–$20 |
| Food Pellets | $8–$20 |
| Toys | $5–$15 |
| Blankets (for the bottom of the house or enclosure) | $10–$20 |
| Brush | $5–$20 |
| Nail Clippers | $5–$10 |
How Much Does a Lionhead Rabbit Cost Per Month?
- $55–$350 per month
In a normal situation where you’re only purchasing food and hay for your Lionhead Rabbit, you can expect monthly costs to be around $55. However, like with any animal, unexpected issues can occur. You may need to replace your rabbit’s house, bedding, or toys which will cost a bit. There is also the possibility of unplanned vet visits when illnesses or injuries occur. When this happens, your monthly costs can reach $350 a month or more.
Health Care
- $55–$350 per month
Health care for your Lionhead Rabbit includes more than veterinarian visits. You want to provide them with the best high-quality rabbit food to keep them healthy. You’ll also need to keep your rabbit properly groomed and be prepared for unexpected vet visits that may pop up. Let’s break these costs down so you can better understand what you should expect.
Food
- $20–$60 per month
Rabbits need more than their pellets to be happy and healthy. 25 grams of pellets to every kilogram of your rabbit’s weight is the normal recommendation. From there, your rabbit will also need a bundle of hay each day and rabbit-friendly leafy green veggies. All these requirements are factored into the $20 – $60 per month costs we used here.
Grooming
- Free–$100 per month
It’s possible to do the majority of your Lionhead Rabbit’s grooming at home. The fur around your bunny’s neck should be brushed daily. It can get tangled easily. When it comes to the fur on the rest of your rabbit’s fur, weekly brushings are sufficient. Nail clipping, ear cleaning, and gland cleaning are also necessary for your rabbit. If you don’t feel comfortable doing all this yourself, groomers are available. You’ll find that, according to the area where you live, groomers can run between $65–$100 per visit.
Medications and Vet Visits
- $25–$150 + per month
A single visit to the veterinarian can vary wildly in price according to what your rabbit’s needs are. Vaccinations, treatments, antibiotics, and other medications are often needed when taking your rabbit to the vet. In worst-case scenarios, you may even find that your rabbit needs surgeries or other costly forms of treatment. When things like this happen, having pet insurance is a great way of avoiding medical bills that can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Pet Insurance
- $10–$35 per month
When pet insurance is mentioned, most people instantly think about cats and dogs. However, other pets, including rabbits, can be covered by certain pet insurance companies. Look for those with exotic pet coverage. Nationwide offers this service. Once you find a provider, you’ll discover that pricing varies according to the type of animal you have, its age, and the area in which you live.
Environment Maintenance
- $30–$75 per month
One of the best ways to keep your rabbit healthy is to ensure their home or enclosure is cleaned regularly. For this, you will need litter for the litter box, paper-based bedding, and cleaners that are rabbit-friendly. Litter and bedding will need to be purchased regularly but according to the cleaner you use and the size of the container you may not need to refresh your supply each month.
| Litter | $5 – $20/month |
| Paper-based bedding | $20 -$30/month |
| Pet-safe cleaning products | $10 – $20/month |
Entertainment
- $5–$25 per month
Lionhead Rabbits need exercise to stay healthy. This includes having room to run around and toys that allow them to play. Rabbit toys can start as low as $5 which is quite affordable. You’ll also find that rabbits aren’t overly destructive (other than their chewing). Thanks to this fact, you can choose durable toys that will last a while. If you truly want your rabbit to have lots of fun, toy box subscriptions for your rabbit are possible. Many of these boxes cost around $25 and supply your rabbit with new toys to enjoy each month.
Total Monthly Cost of Owning a Lionhead Rabbit
- $90–$450 + per month
It’s difficult to determine the exact cost per month of owning a Lionhead Rabbit. Other than food and necessities such as litter and bedding, there could be months when you don’t need to purchase any extras. Then again, there could be months when your rabbit needs to visit the veterinarian, requires a new home, or needs to see the groomer. When these extras pop up, you can expect to spend a few extra bucks to keep your rabbit in the best shape possible.
Additional Costs to Factor In
Like with any pet, Lionhead Rabbits come with additional costs that you must factor in from time to time. This can include pet sitters, boarding, furniture repair, replacement or cleaning costs, and annual vet visits to ensure your rabbit is healthy.
While it’s easy to take a dog or cat along for vacation, this isn’t always the case when it comes to a rabbit. When you need to go away for a few days or longer, hiring a pet sitter or finding boarding is necessary. You may also find that a chewy rabbit can leave certain items in your home needing to be replaced, cleaned, or repaired. This is all par for the course when it comes to having a pet.
Owning a Lionhead Rabbit on a Budget
You may feel that the costs associated with owning a Lionhead Rabbit seem a bit much for your budget. That’s not always the case, however. Luckily, there are several things you can do to reduce monthly costs and make it easier to have one of these furry critters as part of your family.
- Buy necessities like food and hay in bulk to reduce pricing.
- Try adoption before buying from a breeder.
- Learn grooming techniques for your rabbit so you can do them yourself.
- Use thrift stores and second-hand shops for your supplies.
- Build your own rabbit enclosure or house.
- Make your rabbit’s toys yourself.
Saving Money on Lionhead Rabbit Care
The most expensive part of owning any pet is medical care to keep them healthy. Luckily, there are a few options out there to help with these costs. Speak with your veterinarian about whether they offer payment plan options. This is a great way to keep your rabbit’s care at an affordable monthly price. You can also ask about CareCredit so you can apply and see if you’re approved. If neither of these options works out for you, pet insurance could become your best friend if your rabbit needs to make visits to the veterinarian often.
Conclusion
Lionhead Rabbits are certainly cute, fun critters to bring into your home. Like with any pet, however, there are certain costs each month that you simply cannot avoid. We estimated the average cost of caring for these rabbits at $90–$450 + per month. While this amount may seem scary, it does cover the basics and several extras that may not actually pop up every month. Our goal is to ensure you’re ready when it comes to your Lionhead Rabbit and any costs you may incur.
Featured Image Credit: Diana Macias, Shutterstock
