What does it cost to keep a rabbit?

What a rabbit costs depends on where it will live, how many you keep, and what hay, bedding and vet care cost where you live. Here are the items to plan for, example prices read on 9 October 2026, and a calculator where you enter your own figures.

Short answer

• Rabbits should live with other rabbits. Plan your budget for at least two.
• Norway has no separate regulation on keeping rabbits. The Animal Welfare Act and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority's guidance apply.
• Hay every day and bedding that is changed often are costs that keep coming back.
• Neutering a male rabbit cost NOK 2,109 at Hamar Dyreklinikk and NOK 3,296 at Lier Toppen Dyreklinikk, read on 9 October 2026.
• Adopting a rabbit from Dyrebeskyttelsen Norge Oslo and Akershus costs NOK 800. The rabbit is then ID marked, vaccinated and neutered.

What the rules say

There are no regulations with specific rules for keeping rabbits, says the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet). The Animal Welfare Act applies, and Mattilsynet has guidance on how rabbits should be kept.

As the owner, you must be able to afford enough good food, vet care and someone to look after the rabbits when you are away, according to Mattilsynet. If the rabbit belongs to a child under 16, the parents are responsible.

The budget is easiest to keep track of if you split your costs into three:

Housing and run

No regulation sets exactly how much space a rabbit must have. Mattilsynet says the rabbit must be able to take at least three good hops in a row in one direction. For one or two rabbits, Mattilsynet recommends a floor area of at least 3 x 2 metres.

If the rabbit can't move freely where it lives, it should be able to run freely in a safe place for at least four hours a day.

If the rabbits live outdoors in winter, they need an insulated, heated hutch and a run that is secured against predators. Inside the enclosure they need things like a platform, places to hide and branches.

What this costs depends on whether you build it yourself or buy it ready-made. Enter it as a one-off cost in the calculator further down.

Hay, food and bedding

Your rabbit must have enough good-quality hay every day, says Mattilsynet. Mattilsynet also mentions rabbit pellets and leafy greens. The bedding must be changed often. Wood shavings, wood chips, straw or hay can be used.

Some example prices:

These are examples, not an average. Check shipping, and look at the price when you actually buy.

How quickly a bag of hay or a sack of bedding runs out is something you find out yourself. Write down what you paid and how many days it lasted:

Neutering

Rabbits should be kept in pairs or groups, and Mattilsynet says it is usually necessary to neuter them. Each clinic sets its own price.

All prices were read on 9 October 2026. What the price includes varies, for example pain relief and a body suit the rabbit wears after surgery. Ask the clinic what the price covers before you book.

Mattilsynet also mentions vet visits to check claws and teeth. Lier Toppen Dyreklinikk charges NOK 280 for clipping the claws of a cat or rabbit. If you see that the teeth or claws are too long, contact a vet.

Vaccine against rabbit haemorrhagic disease

Rabbits can be vaccinated against rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD). Mattilsynet recommends the vaccine for these rabbits:

• rabbits kept outdoors in areas where the infection has been found
• rabbits in large rabbit holdings
• rabbits that go to shows or competitions

So the recommendation does not apply to all rabbits. Ask your vet whether the vaccine is relevant for your rabbits, and what it costs. None of the three price lists above gives a price for rabbit vaccination.

If you adopt from Dyrebeskyttelsen Norge Oslo and Akershus, the adoption contract requires the rabbit to be revaccinated against RHD every year, according to a listing from the branch. In that case the vaccine belongs in your budget every year.

Holiday care

Mattilsynet says that as an owner you must also be able to pay for care while you are away. Find out who can look after the rabbits when you travel, and what it costs. A price for a weekend won't fit a long summer holiday. Work it out from the number of days you'll actually be away.

Insurance

Agria offers insurance for rabbits, Agria Kaninforsikring. Ask for a price, and read what it covers, what you pay yourself and what is left out. To learn more, read our guide on what pet insurance covers.

Adopt or buy

At Dyrebeskyttelsen Norge Oslo and Akershus, a rabbit costs NOK 800, whatever its sex and age. All their rabbits are ID marked, vaccinated and neutered. That was the price on the page on 9 October 2026, last changed 12 August 2026.

If you buy a rabbit elsewhere, ask whether it is neutered. If it isn't, add neutering as a separate one-off cost.

Work out your budget

Enter the amounts you have found. A field you leave blank isn't counted in the total. Enter 0 if the item costs nothing.

In the first year you buy housing and furnishings, and you may pay for neutering. In later years you pay for what keeps coming back: hay, food, bedding, holiday care and vet visits. Consider making one budget for the first year and one for a normal year after that.

There are similar budget guides for dogs, cats and horses.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to neuter a rabbit?

The clinic decides. Read on 9 October 2026, it cost NOK 2,109 for a male at Hamar Dyreklinikk, NOK 2,126 at Lillesand Dyreklinikk, and NOK 3,296 for a male and NOK 3,845 for a female at Lier Toppen Dyreklinikk. Ask what the price includes.

Can I keep just one rabbit?

Mattilsynet says rabbits have basic social needs and should be kept in pairs or groups.

Does my rabbit need to be vaccinated?

Mattilsynet recommends the RHD vaccine for rabbits kept outdoors where the infection has been found, in large rabbit holdings, and for rabbits at shows or competitions. Ask your vet whether that applies to your rabbits.

Can rabbits live outdoors in winter?

According to Mattilsynet, they then need an insulated, heated hutch and a run secured against predators.

How much does it cost to adopt a rabbit?

At Dyrebeskyttelsen Norge Oslo and Akershus it costs NOK 800. The rabbit is then ID marked, vaccinated and neutered.