Rabbit essentials on a student budget

Rabbits are genuinely underestimated — they're complex, social animals with real needs. Hay should make up around 80% of their diet, they need proper space to move and stretch, and mental enrichment matters more than most people realise. Getting the basics right from the start has a huge impact on their health and behaviour, so it's worth being deliberate even when funds are tight. You've got a Harlequin — lovely breed, curious and active — so I want to make sure you have what actually matters. Are you keeping them indoors or outdoors, and what do you currently have versus what are you trying to sort out?

Okay, good that you're thinking about this now. Bare minimum for a healthy indoor rabbit comes down to five things: somewhere safe to live, hay in constant supply, a water source, a litter tray, and something to chew. That's genuinely it to start. What's your housing situation — do you have any kind of pen or cage yet, or is that still needed too?

Perfect — a large dog crate works well, good thinking. For hay, which is genuinely the most important thing you'll buy, I'd go with Rosewood Naturals Timothy Hay. It's widely available on Amazon UK, usually around £6–8 for a good-sized bag, and the quality is consistently solid — dust-extracted, which matters for rabbit respiratory health. Timothy hay is the gold standard for adult rabbits: right fibre content, keeps their gut moving and their teeth worn down naturally. Buy the biggest bag your budget allows because you'll go through it faster than you expect. For water, a heavy ceramic bowl is actually better than a bottle — easier for rabbits to drink from naturally and cheaper to replace if it breaks. A simple cat litter tray with paper-based litter like Carefresh or own-brand paper pellets underneath a layer of hay works perfectly as a toilet and costs very little to maintain.

You can keep pellets minimal — a small daily portion is useful for making sure she gets consistent nutrients, but it's hay that does the real work. If budget is tight right now, a small bag of Supreme Science Selective pellets lasts a while because the portions are small (an egg cup per day for an adult rabbit). Don't bulk buy pellets the way people do with dog food — fresh is better and she doesn't need much. Hay is where your money should go first, always.

Mostly DIY. Cardboard boxes with holes cut in them, empty loo rolls stuffed with hay, paper bags she can shred — Harlequins are bright and will go for all of it. The one thing worth buying eventually is a willow ball or a simple chew toy, which you can get for under £3 on Amazon. But honestly, a toilet roll stuffed with hay is as good as most bought toys. Focus your budget on hay first, litter second, and let the enrichment be cardboard for now.