Flemish Giants

[finn's mom]

Has anyone ever had a Flemish Giant in their home? Or know much about what they're like as pets? It won't be for at least a year or two, but I have been giving some thought to having one as a pet. At this time, we have two dogs, so I want a rabbit that can "hold it's own." Not that my dogs are aggressive or have high prey drives, but I'd rather not torture them with a hopping stuffy. ;)

Our daughter will be 2 in August, and I'd love for her to grow up with diverse pets in the home. We have fish, dogs and turtles at this time, and she's fascinated with all of them!

[Husky_mom]

FG are sooooo cool!!..
I haven´t owned one.. but I´ve heard they are dog-like pets.. lol.. and not so "jumpy" as the smaller breeds (in the being scared department)..

they can be quite large
http://www.bunnyblab.com/podcasts/FGnDog.jpg
http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/big_bogie(1).jpg
so consider the bigger the bun, the bigger the chewing, the space needed and the pooping.. lol..

I found out that a couple medium bunnies left quite some poops.. at times I thought it required even more hardwork that a dog.. then again I had them in a room so everything was scattered.. lol.. so litter training would be a huuuuuge plus

[finn's mom]

Love the photos! There are a couple at our zoo, they are gorgeous! Clara loves petting them through the fence and they are considerably more docile than "regular" rabbits, for sure! The ones at the zoo are named Hazel and Cesar. ;)

I definitely would want to litter train! No questions asked!

[sasvermont]

I had two bunnies for a few years. They are quite a bit of work. Mine were litter box trained for the most part. As they aged, they became less faithful to the box so I had to confine them more than I had in the past. They chewed like crazy and I lost a few baseboards, sofa skirts, wires, handles to things, floor boards on the porch, rockers on chairs, etc...... and that was after I covered all the cords with expensive covering.....they are fast and quiet.

I loved my bunnies.

I guess if you keep them in a pen outside, it may be less work, for sure, but I kept mine inside and also on a screened in porch in the summers.

They eat and poop lots..... never ending poop machines.....

Most bunnies are smart, sweet, soft, cute, entertaining, delightful but lots of work.

Their pellets are inexpensive but Timothy hay is not cheap.

I know there are some folks here with bunnies, and they love them. I loved mine too, and spent lots of money on vet bills, food etc. as one might expect with a pet. Would I do it again, no. Not for me.

My bunnies were rescue bunnies, so I saved them from having a horrible life....and I feel pretty good about that.

[Karen]

Never had a Flemish Giant, but as others mentioned, they tend to be more placid that some of the smaller breeds. As long as they are well socialized, they can be great pets. When you are ready, definitely check rescue sites, some rabbits are already trained to get along with dogs, etc., and are kid-safe, it varies bunny to bunny!

[finn's mom]

Thanks, both of you! :) Of course I'll post pictures if I ever do decide to get a rabbit. I don't know that I'd have a 100% free roaming rabbit, but I definitely wouldn't have one in a cage all the time, either. Only time will tell!