Thinking About Getting A Rabbit

[RabbitLover7891]

Hello everyone! This is my first time on this forum. I’ve recently decided to see if I could adopt a Flemish giant from a rescue. They have 6 rabbits all siblings and under 1 year and a half old. Before I move forward with anything, I was wondering if males or females were more affectionate. I know that rabbits aren’t generally cuddly pets and that they are all individuals, but I was just wondering in general. I’m excited to be on this forum.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Hermelin]

I would say it depends on personalities of the bunnies. All bunnies I have owned are couch potatoes that love cuddles. Never knew my bunnies personalities until I got them, was more like a random buy or adoption.

General I would say bucks are a lot more cuddlier than does, but that’s because I have owned most bucks. I have one doe now, but she’s a true cuddly bun but she’s my first ever owned doe.

Best would be that you meet them and see if one of the bunnies seem to catch your attention.

 

[zuppa]

Hi, welcome aboard

In my experience it is very individual some males are very sweet and cuddly and some don't like to be touched at all, same with females. I have both males and females who love to be petted

 

[RabbitLover7891]

I do have my eye on a doe they have. Her name is Ariel in she was the only one from the litter who is brown. I also was wondering about the proper cage sizes for Flemish giants. I can’t make my own and they will be living inside.

 

[Hermelin]

I do have my eye on a doe they have. Her name is Ariel in she was the only one from the litter who is brown. I also was wondering about the proper cage sizes for Flemish giants. I can’t make my own and they will be living inside.

Put up a run for your flemish giant, optimal would be a room or free roaming. Flemish giant are big and need a lot of space to be happy. So no cage will fit them.

You wouldn’t put a cat in a cage, bunnies are playful and extremely curious pets

 

[RabbitLover7891]

I was going to get a dog crate with a pen attached. What’s a run?

 

[zuppa]

There's a thread with ideas for housing Blue eyes starts a new one each year here's from the last year check it out https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threads/2019-cages-add-your-photo.93422/

 

[RabbitLover7891]

Here’s the link to the pen and crate I was thinking of. https://www.amazon.com/MidWest-Fold...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl And this https://www.amazon.com/MidWest-Fold...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

How does it look?

 

[Darice]

Hello everyone! This is my first time on this forum. I’ve recently decided to see if I could adopt a Flemish giant from a rescue. They have 6 rabbits all siblings and under 1 year and a half old. Before I move forward with anything, I was wondering if males or females were more affectionate. I know that rabbits aren’t generally cuddly pets and that they are all individuals, but I was just wondering in general. I’m excited to be on this forum.

Thank you in advance!

I have a buck of my own and he is the cuddliest thing ever, he is also very calm. I cant say I would know about a doe though.

 

[Hermelin]

Here’s the link to the pen and crate I was thinking of. https://www.amazon.com/MidWest-Fold...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl And this https://www.amazon.com/MidWest-Fold...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

How does it look?

A run it’s a pen, if you put the run towards a wall you will get a larger space. But the crate will have to be the largest dog crate you can find.

A picture from a news side in my language of a flemish giant .

Hope your bunny won’t be escaping, I know my holland lop would easily jump over a run like that while my french lop would often move the run, if it’s not anchor to a wall. She knows how to open some doors even though they are closed, the quirks of having a large bunny.

Will your bunny get time outside the cage? and how big will the run be ^^

Myself have a 15 sqm run/pen but that’s outdoor while the cages it’s 3 sq m for my french lop and holland lop they are outdoor bunnies. The run it’s not enough space for my french lop to play in, so I often make sure she gets the chance to run loose in the yard instead.

Just asking because larger breeds need a lot more space than smaller breeds to play around on. For example my netherland dwarf would have no problem playing in the 15 sq m run while my french lop it’s just a few jumps and she’s on the other side. She’s half the size of a flemish giant at 13 pounds.

Myself when I get a flemish giant it will free roaming instead of having a cage. So I’m waiting until I can provide it with that instead.

 

[RabbitLover7891]

A run it’s a pen, if you put the run towards a wall you will get a larger space. But the crate will have to be the largest dog crate you can find.

A picture from a news side in my language of a flemish giant View attachment 45066.

Hope your bunny won’t be escaping, I know my holland lop would easily jump over a run like that while my french lop would often move the run, if it’s not anchor to a wall. She knows how to open some doors even though they are closed, the quirks of having a large bunny.

Will your bunny get time outside the cage? and how big will the run be ^^

Myself have a 15 sqm run/pen but that’s outdoor while the cages it’s 3 sq m for my french lop and holland lop they are outdoor bunnies. The run it’s not enough space for my french lop to play in, so I often make sure she gets the chance to run loose in the yard instead.

Just asking because larger breeds need a lot more space than smaller breeds to play around on. For example my netherland dwarf would have no problem playing in the 15 sq m run while my french lop it’s just a few jumps and she’s on the other side. She’s half the size of a flemish giant at 13 pounds.

Myself when I get a flemish giant it will free roaming instead of having a cage. So I’m waiting until I can provide it with that instead.

If I get the rabbit, I would definitely be giving her out of cage time daily. Several hours. I don’t know how big the pen I linked was, but I read some reviews and people said that their Flemish giant rabbits were housed in the crates. I was also thinking of getting a Polish rabbit, but I was hopping to rescue. The Polish rabbit was being rehomed due to him going to college, was 4 years old, was a male, and had won 2nd and 1st place in a show. I was hoping that combining the pen with the dog crate would provide a big enough space. The crate would be where her necessities were and the pen would be filled with toys and space for her to run.

 

[Blue eyes]

The link shows a 30" crate but I don't know if that is the default for the link. You'd need to get the largest as Hermelin suggested (the 48"). You could even consider getting two exercise pens. I'll attach a photo that shows a pen that makes use of a wall to demonstrate what Hermelin mentioned about creating that larger space. By making using of a wall (or better yet, a corner with 2 walls) the pen can create a larger space then if it was just looped around the crate opening.


@Hermelin , that photo of the rabbit hanging on the pen is a riot!!!

 

[Julie&Bunnies]

Agree that the largest dog crate - the metal kind - would be best. You can get them gently used at a much better price but disinfect them carefully with white vinegar first and then hot soapy water. You will also need to purchase the floor grid so that the cage will be easier to clean. Otherwise you will be cleaning all the time unless you have them litter trained and use a corner litter box. You can find the floor grids online. Be sure to buy the one that corresponds to the crate.

 

[RabbitLover7891]

Do you think I need the pen and the crate, or would the one or the other work just fine? Also the rabbit I am interested in weighs around 9 pounds at 9 months. I’ve heard they are supposed to weigh more. Should I be worried?

 

[Hermelin]

Do you think I need the pen and the crate, or would the one or the other work just fine? Also the rabbit I am interested in weighs around 9 pounds at 9 months. I’ve heard they are supposed to weigh more. Should I be worried?

Larger breeds are fully grown at 2 years, they will later on fill out after 1 year. Your bunny it’s still small for a pure breed flemish giant, so they will grow a bit more. At least more than 9 pounds.

If you are just going with one then you should go with a pen and ignore the crate

 

[RabbitLover7891]

I will be getting the biggest pen that is possible. I’m going to order the pen first and if it doesn’t look big enough I’ll order the crate. I just want to make sure that my new rabbit will have the best life possible.

 

[GeorgieBunny]

Well Iam a new bunny owner but I have a male and he loves to cuddle, but only on his terms. If he isn’t in the mood for cuddling he will run off and explore, but when he is in the mood to cuddle, he won’t let go

 

[Diane R]

Please adopt 2 of the siblings, a male and a female ideally. As they are from a rescue I assume they are all neutered.

 

[Augustus&HazelGrace]

In my experience when I had a bunch of rabbits. I found that males were sweeter. I only ever had one issue out of one male. The females that I had would be moody and had more cage aggression than males. I never had one issue of cage aggression out of the males. But I always tell people that though I have had this experience all rabbits are different. I would see if you can visit each one and see who you feel a stronger connection with.
@Diane R Adopting babies together is not recommended because baby bonds do not count and as they get older they may end up not bonding and then they have to keep two rabbits separate for 10+ years. It is better for OP to adopt one rabbit make sure it is spayed and or neutered. Then in the future do bunny dates with an adult spayed and or neutered rabbit and let the rabbit decide who they want to bond with. If they decide they want a bonded pair.

 

[Diane R]

In my experience when I had a bunch of rabbits. I found that males were sweeter. I only ever had one issue out of one male. The females that I had would be moody and had more cage aggression than males. I never had one issue of cage aggression out of the males. But I always tell people that though I have had this experience all rabbits are different. I would see if you can visit each one and see who you feel a stronger connection with.
@Diane R Adopting babies together is not recommended because baby bonds do not count and as they get older they may end up not bonding and then they have to keep two rabbits separate for 10+ years. It is better for OP to adopt one rabbit make sure it is spayed and or neutered. Then in the future do bunny dates with an adult spayed and or neutered rabbit and let the rabbit decide who they want to bond with. If they decide they want a bonded pair.

It's fine to adopt babies together but you must not separate them at all. Take them all to the vet together. And have males neutered as soon as testicles descend and females spayed at 16 weeks. In this scenario it is very unlikely the bond will be broken. Of course, the best, easiest and cheapest thing to do is to adopt a neutered bonded pair from a rescue!