How Much Do New Zealand Rabbits Cost? 2024 Price Update

Before you bring any animal home, you need to factor in everything that goes into owning one. Of course, you need to know how much it costs to get one in the first place, but this is only part of what goes into what you’ll need to spend for a New Zealand Rabbit.

There are tons of monthly costs, one-time costs, and even occasional costs you’ll need to factor in before bringing home a New Zealand Rabbit. In general, you can expect to pay up to $100 for a New Zealand rabbit with monthly costs ranging from $100–$225. It’s a lot to break down, which is exactly why we created this guide to break down everything you need to know.

Bringing Home a New Zealand Rabbit: One-Time Costs

Part of what goes into owning a New Zealand Rabbit is the one-time costs that go into getting one. Of course, you have the cost of the rabbit itself, but you also need to factor in all the initial supplies and medical care they’ll need.

We’ve gone through it all for you here, that way you know exactly what to expect before you bring one home.

Free

New Zealand Rabbits aren’t exactly the rarest pet rabbits out there. If you have a friend or family that’s trying to find a good home for their rabbit, you might be able to bring one home without paying for them. It’s also possible to find someone giving a New Zealand Rabbit away online, but usually, they’ll ask for at least a little money as an adoption fee.

Adoption

It’s usually not hard to find a New Zealand Rabbit for you to adopt without going to a breeder. Usually, these rabbits will be a year or two old and you won’t see much of a savings in the adoption cost.

However, if you choose to adopt a New Zealand Rabbit instead of purchasing one from a breeder, they’ll usually already have shots, and you might not need to worry about neutering/spaying them.

Breeder

If you want a pedigree New Zealand Rabbit, you can expect to spend anywhere between $20 and $100 from a breeder for one. The difference in cost depends on the reputation of the breeder and any services they may or may not provide for you before you bring home the rabbit.

Initial Setup and Supplies

When you’re getting a pet New Zealand Rabbit, the cost of the rabbit is only a small part of what you’ll need to spend to bring them home. You’ll also need to get all the supplies they require, and you’ll have to get them the necessary medical care right away.

With that in mind, you can expect to spend at least $500 for all the supplies, but if you want things that are a bit larger and nicer, it’s easy to spend closer to $650!

 

List of New Zealand Rabbit Care Supplies and Costs

How Much Does a New Zealand Rabbit Cost Per Month?

Once you have your New Zealand Rabbit and all their initial supplies, you’re still not done spending money. Part of owning one of these rabbits is keeping up with everything they need each month, and those costs can vary quite a bit too.

From food to toys there’s a lot to factor in, and we’ll go over everything for you here so that you know exactly what to expect.

Health Care

You’re bringing a New Zealand Rabbit into your care, and part of that means ensuring you’re meeting all their needs. This all starts with their health care, which includes a high-quality diet and any necessary vet bills.

This cost will vary quite a bit, but at the very least you should expect to spend $50 a month, and if your New Zealand Rabbit suffers from chronic health problems, this cost can go up to $155 each month.

Food

While the majority of a New Zealand Rabbit’s diet will consist of fresh hay or grass, this isn’t free. Not only that, but they do need some pellets and you can supplement their diet with the occasional treat.

The exact monthly cost will depend on where you shop and the quality of the food you get them, but you can realistically expect to spend between $30 and $50 each month to feed your New Zealand Rabbit.

Grooming

Compared to many other animals, the grooming costs associated with a pet New Zealand Rabbit are pretty low. Really all you need to put money back for is a new brush every now and again! If your rabbit needs a bit more care you might need to spend closer to $5 a month, but even this is a pretty low-cost expense.

Medications and Vet Visits

Most rabbits will only need an annual wellness checkup, and if you put back $10 a month, you should have more than enough to cover the bill. However, some New Zealand Rabbits need a bit more care through more frequent visits or consistent medications. With these rabbits, you might need to put a little more back each month to cover all their necessary bills and medications.

Pet Insurance

If you’re looking for a way to ensure that unexpected vet bills don’t completely blow through your monthly rabbit budget, pet insurance is a great tool. Instead of having an unknown monthly bill, pet insurance lets you pay a monthly premium so you don’t need to worry about massive vet bills. The exact coverage will vary by plan though, so always check the fine print when signing up for a plan.

Environment Maintenance

Not only do you need to provide your rabbit with high-quality food each month, but you also need to keep up with their bedding and their litter. This isn’t the most expensive thing out there, but it’s far from free.

The exact cost will vary depending on how often you replace both things and the quality of the bedding and litter you use, but a monthly cost between $40 and $50 is common.

Entertainment

You might not think of a New Zealand bunny and think about entertainment costs, but to properly care for them, they really do need some toys for entertainment. You can purchase cheaper toys for about $10 each month, but if you want to really spoil them and change things out more frequently, it’s easy to spend up to $20 each month on toys.

Just keep in mind that New Zealand Rabbits will chew on their toys, so it’s only a matter of time until you need to replace them no matter which toys you go with.

 

Total Monthly Cost of Owning a New Zealand Rabbit

Now that you know a bit more about what goes into caring for a New Zealand Rabbit each month, it makes more sense that it’s going to cost at least $100 per month to care for them. Of course, that’s the minimum you can expect to spend, and if you really want to spoil your New Zealand Rabbit, those costs can balloon up to $225 each month.

Additional Costs to Factor In

While we’ve already highlighted all the typical expenses that can come into play when owning a New Zealand Rabbit, sometimes there are other expenses that can come up that you’ll occasionally need to factor in. For instance, if your New Zealand Rabbit needs an emergency medical procedure or if you need someone to watch them while you’re on vacation you’ll need to spend a bit more.

We recommend having an emergency fund that can cover various expenses, and if you do need a pet sitter, you’ll need to add this amount to your vacation fund!

Owning a New Zealand Rabbit on a Budget

If you’re on a tighter budget, that doesn’t mean you can’t own a New Zealand Rabbit. You can help keep costs under control by purchasing some things in bulk, and you can get many of their initial supplies from marketplace sites like Facebook.

If you can find someone getting rid of extra toys, hutches, or other supplies, you can usually get them for far less compared to purchasing them new. Moreover, if you can find family members to watch them while you’re traveling, you might not need to spend as much, or anything at all, for someone to watch them for you.

Saving Money on New Zealand Rabbit Care

While you might think that you can cut some expenses to save on your New Zealand Rabbit care, often, this results in short-term savings and more long-term expenses. Instead, we recommend focusing on providing them with quality care so you don’t have to worry about higher future expenses.

Moreover, we recommend getting them pet insurance as soon as possible since it costs less to insure a younger and healthier rabbit.

Conclusion

Now that you know a little more about what it costs to get a New Zealand Rabbit, you can make an informed decision about whether getting one is right for you and your family. And if you decide to bring one home, you can rest easy knowing that you have everything you need to properly care for them month after month.

It might seem like a lot of money at first, but when you don’t have to stress out about how you’re going to care for them each month, it’s more than worth it!

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Featured Image Credit: pritsana, Shutterstock