So You Want To Get a Rabbit

Over the past two years, there's been an absolute rabbit craze in our house. In that span, my priorities have dramatically changed.

I've always thought rabbits were low maintenance creatures.  They're not.  They are absolutely adorable, cute and lovable but they also require constant attention.  The point of this post (almost 4 years after my last one btw) is not to show off my bunnies (I hope to do that in succeeding ones  :-) );  it is to raise awareness in the Philippines that getting bunnies require major thought.

Rabbits require about 4 hours of playtime (or so I've read).  I actually max at 4 hours on weekends,  but at least an hour during work days.  You can't just ignore them.  Luckily for me, the entire household is involved so my bunnies get attention from different family members throughout the day.

Rabbits have sensitive tummies.  Sadly a lot of my bunnies over the past two years succumbed to soft stool.  It kills in a matter of hours.  What this means is that I actually check the poop several times a day to assess the diet strategy for the upcoming hours.  I don't feed veggies and pellets indiscriminately.  It depends on the poop.

Rabbits see my vet a lot.  I go to Vets in Practice every two months it seems (more frequent when something's wrong).  Between those fees, medication, vitamins and the upcoming spay cost (as soon as my heart is ready for it) it can get pretty pricey.  Speaking of...

Rabbit Hay cost is about P2,000-P3,000 per month for me.  I also have multiple suppliers since I need 100% redundancy.

Lastly, this has also shaped my lifestyle (no overnight trips for example) since I have to make sure my bunnies are not alone.  Even my family's mall habits are impacted (there's always someone left at home).

I say these things not because I feel bad. In fact, I am happily all in.  Rabbits sadly are very cheap to buy in shops. I just don't want people to buy them as gifts or on impulse. There's major commitment involved.   They're such wonderful creatures.  We owe them that.

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