Big Bunnies: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Winston's Mom here. So lately I've seen a lot of people on rabbit groups searching for giant breed rabbits. Can't say I blame them. Giants are super cute and it's easy to see a youtube video of a Flemish or Continental Giant hopping around someone's house and fall in love. They look so cute playing with their family and sitting on the furniture just a sweet and calm as can be and even I go "Awwww I want one!" whenever I see a video.

For real, guys, what's not to love??

HOWEVER! Big rabbits are not like owning a little dwarf bunny, and while I love my large breed bunny, I don't recommend them for first time bunny parents. So I thought I would revive the rabbit blog and write about the pros and cons of big bunnies.

First I think I need to clarify what is a large or giant breed. I was watching a news story yesterday about an undercover reporter who kept bringing animals on flights as "emotional support animals" and when he brought a rabbit he said "Of course, Leo is a Lionhead rabbit, so he's bigger than most rabbits." and I laughed out loud because a Lionhead is usually about four pounds. That's not a big rabbit at all. Large breeds are generally between 10 to 14 pounds (give or take) and Giants are 15 plus. Continentals and Flemish Giants can grow to be 20-25 pounds. Winston right now is currently just over 10 pounds, and he's a year old now, so he might gain a pound or two, but he's mostly done growing. Winston is a large breed rabbit. A Giant would be about five to ten pounds heavier. So picture a bunny twice his size. 

Cicero- Four pound Lionhead vs. Winston- Ten pound Super Lop!

THE GOOD:

So! Let's start with the good....

In my experience larger breed rabbits tend to be calmer and less skittish than smaller bunnies. This also, of course, has to do with how much they are trained and handled and how much you socialize them. Any bunny that you stick in a hutch and never pay attention to, or raise in a stressful environment, will be skittish and afraid of people. And any bunny that is stressed is likely to be aggressive, especially if you don't get them spayed or neutered. But for the most part, my larger breed bunny doesn't run and hide from people and gets scared less often. He'll occasionally thump his feet, and if I don't address him, then he'll run and hide under the table, but he's usually very calm and not as easily scared of things compared to smaller breeds I've had. Remember, all bunnies are pray animals, so they are typically easily startled. Always keep that in mind when handling them.

"Yes I'm sleeping on my Mommy. Don't you dare move!"

Speaking of handling, since my larger breed rabbit is so calm, he's generally pretty chill. English Lops have a reputation for being lazy, and he definitely is. Winston likes to sit on the sofa and cuddle, and will lay right next to you no problem. This is great around kids because he will approach them and lay with them and let them pet him. My Lionhead typically would run and while he was a sweet little boy, he did not sit still for petting as long as Winston will, and never demanded cuddles like Winston. Smaller breeds tend to be more hyper and active, which is great fun to watch, but a lot of people are looking for a "bunny to cuddle" and if you have a hyper little Netherland Dwarf, you aren't as likely to get that quality cuddle time that you envisioned when you pictured getting a rabbit.

Bunny proofing is also a bit easier as they don't fit behind or under as many things. Winston cannot fit under my sofa and he can't fit behind the TV stand. this makes it easier to keep him out of places with lots of cords, and means he can't hide under the furniture. Always a plus.

THE BAD: 

So that's the good... now the bad... and why I don't recommend them for first time bunny parents.

While they are calm and sweet, they are much harder to handle. Rabbits in general dislike being picked up, and I've had two that just adamantly hated it: My Lionhead Cicero, and my English Lop. The difference is, while the Lionhead may not like it and may kick and squirm, he was much easier to control than Winston, and other people have a chance at picking him up if they need to. Winston's calm demeanor can also trick people into thinking he's going to be easy to handle, but once he decides he doesn't want to do something, GOOD LUCK.

I will never forget the first time my sister met Winston. We were all in the kitchen and I could see my rabbit was getting nervous being around so many people, even though he was taking treats from people and accepting pets from everyone, so I said I was going to take him upstairs to his pen and my sister, thinking she was helping, leaned down to scoop him up for me. Before I could stop her she had picked him up and he freaked out and the next thing I knew he was over her shoulder and on her back. We both grew up with bunnies, and my sister knew very well how to pick him up and did nothing wrong, but with him being a big rabbit, he's harder to handle (and this was when he was still young and probably about only six or seven pounds!) and it can be dangerous if you aren't careful. He generally lets me carry him and is good for me, but I know how to hold him and to never try the "one-armed carry" and to never try carrying him with him balanced on my chest or anything like that. 

This is a big reason why people with small children should think twice before getting a larger or giant rabbit, unless the kid very clearly knows not to pick the rabbit up. Rabbits, even large rabbits, are very fragile, and if dropped or if they are struggling to get away, they can very easily break their spins. I know it's cute to see your kid carrying a bunny around, but unless they are older and know what they are doing, you shouldn't really let your small kids pick up the rabbit. Both my nieces know very well not to pick Winston up, and he's great with them, but they are just visiting, and aren't expected to take care of him. So if you have planning on getting a bunny and you have kids, make sure you set very clear "rabbit rules" to avoid injuring the bunny.

Winston and his "cousins". He wouldn't lay down next to them if he didn't want to!

This isn't just a problem for picking up and handling, but also an issue when it comes to things like cutting nails and giving medicine. Back in December I got extremely frustrated when the vet prescribed oral medication and Winston was having NONE of it. Everyone I talked to said "Oh just wrap him up in a towel!" or "Hold him this way!" and I tried, believe me, but it just didn't work by myself. I've given plenty of other rabbits and small animals oral medication before, but for Winston, I finally resorted to putting it on dried fruit, which he not only ate, but would lick the bowl or plate to get the rest of the medicine. When I talked to his normal vet she made me feel better by telling me that she seriously doubted I would ever be able to get a syringe in his mouth by myself, and my method was just fine. She even had to call in extra people to help hold him while she checked his teeth! If you have a big bunny, handling is not as easy as it is with a smaller rabbit.

Also, most things designed for rabbits are just too small for a large or giant breed rabbit. Winston has very few things that are actually designed for rabbits because of this. You have to get a little creative when shopping.

Speaking of shopping, larger rabbits are also more expensive to own. Think about it, most rabbits are under five pounds. So you will be buying DOUBLE the food, and DOUBLE the bedding. I don't even want to think about how much I spend feeding my rabbit a month, but he typically goes through 10 to 15 pounds of hay in two weeks, and about 3 to 4 cups of fresh greens a day. That's a LOT of greens and hay. Imagine if he was a Giant breed that was twice his size. I think Continental and Flemish Giants are cute too, but don't get one unless you can afford all that food and have the space! 

Speaking of space, rabbit cages are typically too small for a regular breed. If you get a larger breed you need a lot more floor space and a lot more "out of pen" time. Winston has a 4X4 exercise pen, and typically gets 6-8 hours of free roam downstairs with me a day so he can exercise. And that is EVERY day. Leaving him in his pen would be cruel, and trying to shove him into a smaller space is definitely not acceptable. A Giant breed, you almost have to have an entire room dedicated to them. Eventually, if I get a bigger house, Winston will have a room of his own. That's my goal. But you definitely can't just get one of those bunnies and keep them in a hutch or cage all day. Of course, you shouldn't do that with any rabbit, but especially not a big bunny! 

You also have to keep in mind that they can jump up twice as high, but are bigger. For example, my big bunny does not do as well on stairs as my smaller breeds, so I have to block them with a gate to keep him off them to keep him safe. Again, bunnies have fragile spines, falling down the stairs could seriously hurt him.

THE UGLY

Not only do these bunnies eat like crazy, but they poop a lot too. Cleaning is not a "once a week" thing. It's a daily thing. You have to have a large litter box and you have to clean it daily or it will smell and be unhealthy. While it is easier to rabbit-proof, they can also chew on more things if you don't provide them with enough stimulation and enough things to chew on. Any bunny can be destructive, but big bunnies can chew through things ridiculously fast. Also you will see twice as much hay everywhere and twice as much fur. Unless you want your house covered in it, you have to vacuum and dust weekly, and sweep daily. These are the facts of bunny life. Especially with big bunnies. 

This is the amount of fur after ONE WEEK that I got out from under the loveseat. And that was just that one little area! This is why I am forever sweeping and vacuuming my house!

"Me? Make a mess? NEVER!"

In Conclusion...

Big bunnies are great. They are sweet and I love my English Lop. But don't be fooled by all the cute pictures and videos. You absolutely need to know what you are getting into and you have to be prepared to deal with the challenges of larger breed rabbit. Too often people get bunnies without realizing how much work they are, and then they are looking for a new home for their rabbit. All bunnies deserve a good home, with people that they can trust and love. Don't impulse buy your rabbit, and make sure you not only research how to take care of your bunny, but research the different types of rabbits out there and know what you are getting into. 

Thanks for reading and have a "Hoppy Spring!"