Flemish Giant Behavior ...

[Julie_in_PA]

Ok ... I'm gonna have some just weaned Flemish Giant Babies in late July / early Aug. ~ I don't know how much the breeder handles the babies ... so let's just assume she doesn't handle them constantly ... so if they're not REAL tame by the time I get them (weaned) ... but then I handle them alot from that age on ... will they still turn out really tame for me ? Or do they have to be handled alot from birth on ?

I have a 4 year old daughter who is gonna want to hold these bunnies ... and the reason I want to get them is for her, but also for me to cuddle. I have fond memories of a bunny I had when I was young that was so tame I could do anything with it ... hold it like a baby, cuddle it, anything. I want that again. How can I do this ?

 

[Haley]

A lot of it does depend on how much the breeder interacts with them as babies. However, I really think with rabbits their personality really determines whether or not they will be cuddle bunnies. You can have bunnies raised together (same breeder, same mom bunny) but they will grow up to have very different personalities.

Can I ask why you decided to get 3 babies? Thats a lot of work- and you dont really know how they will be as adults. I always recommend people try to adopt an adult because you already know their personality. At our rescue, we have over 150 bunnies so we can match what the family needs/wants with the bunnies personalities.

 

[gentle giants]

Flemish Giants are very gentle, calm rabbits. If you work with them daily, I would imagine you will be able to handle them pretty easily when they get older. Don't count on them being quite as "tame" as the bunny you had before, like Haley said a lot does depend on individual personality. Also, some rabbits will be just fine with being picked up and carried around, but most of them will be frightened by it.

There is another thing I always make sure I tell people when they are getting a rabbit in a household where there are small children. If your child isn't steady/strong enough to hold a human infant, don't let him/her pick up a rabbit either. It's very easy to injure a rabbit if they are picked up wrong, and in some cases it can cause fatal injuries. Not to mention if the rabbit gets frightened, your child will wind up with some nasty scratches. Petting the bunnies is fine, and is a great way to teach a child how to be gentle with animals. I have four year old twins, and they are not allowed to handle my rabbits or open cage doors without Mommy in the room.

 

[myheart]

A very good point gentle giants. It broke my heart to read Chevy_Dodge_Mom's post in Rainbow Bridge about the neighbor's child taking Chevy out unsupervisedand accidentally dropping him on his back. I also had a lady tell me once that when her daughter was little she was given a bunny at Easter-time. The daughter "loved" it to death -- she actually held/hugged it too tight and strangled or suffocated it.

I usually don't think of such things myself because I don't have kids. But I always put myself on check when my girlfriend brings her kids over for a visit.

myheart

 

[maisy126]

Haley wrote:

A lot of it does depend on how much the breeder interacts with them as babies. However, I really think with rabbits their personality really determines whether or not they will be cuddle bunnies. You can have bunnies raised together (same breeder, same mom bunny) but they will grow up to have very different personalities.

When I got Batty, I assumed that the breeder did not handle him like at all. I was wrong though but Batty still was leery of me, then he got used to me and still has his quirks lol, silly boy.

Can I ask why you decided to get 3 babies? Thats a lot of work- and you dont really know how they will be as adults. I always recommend people try to adopt an adult because you already know their personality. At our rescue, we have over 150 bunnies so we can match what the family needs/wants with the bunnies personalities.