How much does a rabbit cost?

Miles cost £24.95 exactly. This is probably fairly typical for the price of the actual rabbit, but don't forget that he will need a lot of other equipment to help him settle in properly. Here's a list of essentials and approximate prices:

Cage: Get one that's around 18" (46cm) high, 40" (102cm) long, and 19" (48cm) wide. There are some with downward sloping roofs - avoid these as they drastically reduce the space in the cage and aren't really worth the almost identical price to ones without a sloping roof. Price: £50

Water bottle: Should be a drip feeding one, the bigger the better. Fresh water should always be available, and the water changed and bottle disinfected daily. Even the largest bottle I've found (500ml) was less than £3. Price: £2-3

Food bowl: Unbreakable and easy to clean ones are best. Price: £2-3

Hay: This is the main food source for your rabbit and should always be available. Choose good, fresh, meadow hay, preferably not compacted. Smell it, and if it smells like grass, it's good hay. You don't want it to smell musty or old, as its goodness will have been lost. Price: £4-5 for a large bag (should last about 5-6 weeks).

Straw: Straw makes good bedding if they want it, and they often eat it too. Price: £4-5 for a large bag (should last about 5-6 weeks).

Wood Shavings: An essential for lining the bottom of the cage to make it soft and comfortable. Don't use sawdust, as they can breathe it in and it can cause breathing problems, and don't use wood shavings that have been scented with oils, as these can irritate your rabbit. Price: £3-4 for a medium-sized bag (should last about 4 weeks).

Food Supplement: Burgess Supa Rabbit Excel is the food that Miles was already on, and luckily the food the vet recommended as well! It's a pelletted food rather than a mix, meaning that he can't be selective about what he eats and thereby become nutritionally deficient. Also, pelletted food is very good for wearing down his back teeth, which can become elongated and prevent him from eating properly if they aren't worn down. If your rabbit is on a different food supplement, do NOT, whatever you do, change his food type overnight. A rabbit's digestive system is very delicate and he could actually die due to a sudden dietary change. Instead, mix the new food with the old food in increasing proportions over a period of at least a few weeks, and keep a close eye on his droppings to make sure they aren't runny (a few squashy droppings are normal, and your rabbit will often eat these to be digested again. This is normal, so don't worry). Price: £3-5 for a bag (should last about 4 weeks).

Corner Litter Tray: These useful trays fit into the corner of your rabbit's cage and can be filled with cat litter to encourage your rabbit to only do his business in that one corner. This prevents him from weeing in your house, and makes the cage easier and nicer to clean. Price: £5

Somewhere Dark to Hide: I bought a little cocoon house made of plastic, but other things can also be purchased such as small wooden houses. Always buy something that was actually built for the purpose. Price: anywhere between £5 and £20 depending on what you choose.

Disinfectant: This needs to be one suitable for use in rabbit hutches and cages. Ordinary disinfectant, even if it says it's "mild", can poison your bunny. Use it to disinfect his water bottle daily, his food bowl a few times a week, and his cage whenever you clean it out (should be once a week). Always follow the instructions on the bottle. Price: £1-3

Toys: These need not be expensive, in fact some are free! But it's important whatever your budget to supply your bunny with appropriate toys so he doesn't get bored. Cardboard is great - large boxes can go on their side so he can crawl in and jump on top, and smaller boxes will be chewed up with much enjoyment! Cardboard inner tubes (e.g. from toilet roll or kitchen paper) can be tossed around and chewed up. Other great toys include "treat tumblers". These are either ones you hang up in their cage, balls that are rolled around, or dumb-bells that are tossed about. Either way, your rabbit has to move the toy around to get treats out. Price: £0-5

Treats: Don't buy treats from the pet shop, instead spoil your bunny with some fresh veg - it's much cheaper and will be far better for him. Another advantage of fresh veg is that he won't need a vitamin supplement, he'll get all he needs from the veg. Remove any veg that he hasn't eaten by the end of the day as it can go off quickly. No more than a palmful of fresh veg per day though, or he might get a runny tummy. And no iceberg lettuce! Contrary to popular belief, iceberg lettuce is actually not a suitable rabbit food – Endive, Romaine lettuce, carrot, and a little cabbage or brussels sprout tops are much better. Tip: These green leafy veg can be put in the freezer to keep as long as you need, and defrosted leaf by leaf simply by running them under a warm tap. Price: £2-3 per week

Neutering: This is a must, even if your rabbit is on his own. If you have an un-neutered male bunny, he can become aggressive, destructive, and will probably have a nasty tendency to spray urine all over the place. If you have an un-neutered female bunny, she could become aggressive, and will be at a far greater risk of uterine cancer. Of course, if you have a same-sex pair they could take out their aggression on one another, and if you have an opposite-sex pair, you’ll end up with thousands upon thousands of baby bunnies in no time at all – NOT a good idea! Price: £50-70

Vaccinations: Check with the pet shop whether your bunny has already been vaccinated against myximatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD), two potentially fatal rabbit diseases. If they say he has, request the relevant certification. If he hasn't, wait for two weeks after you get him home (steroid hormones resulting from moving stress can interfere with vaccines) and then book his myximatosis vaccine. A further two weeks later, book his VHD vaccine. The two cannot be given together, and they must be repeated on an annual basis. Price: £30-40 per year