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Taken from newsletter of summer 2003

Livin' Large: The joy of big bunnies

I was fascinated with larger bunnies, mainly the Flemish Giant, and was eager to have one as a pet. I had heard that they have great personalities and make terrific family pets, so I set out to find a Flemish Giant to add to my growing bunny family. When I
picked up my new baby bunny and took him to his new home, he was 5 weeks old and already larger than my fullygrown mini Rex.

I have to admit that Tyesin, appropriately named, gets a lot of attention. Tyesin is the most curious, lovable, huggable bunny that I own. He is currently 15 months old, weighs approximately 22 pounds and about 2 feet long fully stretched out. He has become a bit of a ham and loves attention.

Most people are positively curious about him and want to know what possesses me
to own a bunny that size. I find that many people are intimidated by the rabbit's size
and therefore assume that the rabbit is aggressive. Tyesin has never bit me or even
nipped me, which is a frequent occurrence with my other buns. Tyesin is very docile.
I have to admit that he is terribly clumsy, but I think that his clumsiness has a lot to do
with his age. He is just like a puppy trying to grow into his large feet and ears. Tyesin
is not as "busy" as my other bunnies, he has a very laid-back personality and will put
himself away after his exercise time to have a bunny nap.

Most people assume that large bunnies are harder to look after. However, Tyesin
is no more difficult to care for than my other bunnies. He does, however, need a
larger cage, more space to run and a larger litter box.

His personality makes it easy for me to love Tyesin and to provide a loving home
for him. Tyesin loves to be wrapped up, held like a baby and will fall asleep in my
arms. When I hold him in my arms, his big brown doe eyes and chubby paws
overwhelm me. Tyesin sleeps like a dog, on his side, which is completely adorable.
When he wants to say "hello" he will nudge me with his big bunny nose. When he does a binky I can hear it downstairs.

Tyesin loves his girlfriend, Sadie, and she has become his "love slave". Their relationship is unique because she is so small and he is so large. But he loves her unconditionally and cuddles up to her when they sleep.

I think that if people become educated about larger bunnies they will realize that
large bunnies really are a treasure. Large rabbits love to be cuddled, doted over, and
they have great personalities. I hope that the next time you pass a larger bunny you
stop, bend down, and give him a hug. He may just melt your heart as Tyesin - and
now my newly adopted New Zealand White - have. They really are the best-kept
secret of the rabbit world.

Rachelle Hudson

My three bunnies, Tommy (New Zealand White), Boomer (French Lop) and Puppy (Flemish Giant) weigh in at 12, 14 and over 20 pounds respectively: a whopping total of over 46 pounds.

When I was volunteering at the Toronto Humane Society about seven years ago, I fell in love with Tommy, a large plain-looking fellow with pink eyes. He would stretch out in his cube with his nose pressed against one end and his feet touching the other. I had a feeling that he might not make it out of the shelter so I added a note to his paperwork that I would take him if he didn't find a home. Sure enough one day I got the call - and Tommy became the first of my little family of big buns.

I "acquired" Boomer in the hopes that he would be a companion for Tommy, but the big white guy would have nothing to do with the big black French guy (with the weird ears!!). I had a feeling it would be a tough sell, as Tommy was pretty bonded with me by that point and I'm sure he thought of me as his mate.

I decided that Boomer - being the social little fellow that he was (as well as being
French!) - needed to expand his social circle. When I heard that there was a Flemish Giant at the shelter, I couldn't resist... off I went to bring the big "P" home.
B & P became friends almost immediately, with a little help from Emma the dog acting as referee and making sure her little "bro" wouldn't be hurt. I find with two dogs (we expanded there too!) I worry less that the buns might get stepped on or otherwise unintentionally harmed just because of their sheer size.

If you are thinking about getting a big bun (or two... or three!) you might want to
consider a few things. A bigger bun makes more pee, so you need a good deal on cheap litter. There are no cages on the market for large buns but you can get an extra-large dog crate, build a custom cage or better still, use a spare room or walk-in closet. Big bunnies are strong and can give a pretty powerful kick if they feel so inclined: but once they're convinced that you're the boss and you're stronger they will usually give in. They can stretch, reach, jump, hop etc. higher, longer, further, etc. than the smaller guys, so "bunny proofing" takes on a whole new meaning. Lastly, there's nothing like cuddling a big soft fuzzy bunny: you might want to do some working out and get in shape for the big guy first though!!

Angela Doyle