Large breed rabbits?? Help!?

[jespy1]

Does anyone out there have experience keeping indoor large breed rabbits? I am considering getting a large breed rabbit and I am wondering if you can tell me your experience with them vs a small breed? Are there any major differences that I should take into consideration before getting one? What breed do you own? I am hoping to have a rabbit that is sweet, calm, laid back, and less active than the small breeds. 

By large breed I mean any rabbit over 6LBS or so.

[redbunbun]

We have a New Zealand Red boy (4,5kg/10lbs) and a French lop girl (4kg/9lbs and still growing).

Our Frenchie is exactly like you’ve described – chill, calm, relaxed, laid back, waaay less active. She just wants to sleep, eat everything and be pet all the time. But I think that’s more to do with her being a lop than with her being a giant breed. She’s kind of like a puppy. She’ll follow people she just met into the bathroom and sit on their feet so they pet her while they’re on the toilet…

Our NZR, on the other hand, is a really energetic, excitable, and always on the move. He’s a really sweet and nice rabbit, who loves being pet and scratched behind the ears. He’s absolutely never aggressive. But he is less of a “people-pleaser” than our Frenchie. He’s a bit stand-offish to new people, though he does start jumping into their laps within half an hour if he deems them “worthy”. Kind of a one-person rabbit compared to our lop, though. He’s my baby!

 

And as for what you need to consider… well, they are big. They eat more, meaning you need to spend more money on food. Most toys, hutches, play pens, hidey-holes, etc that are designed for rabbits are waaaay too small for them. You’ll need a large cat’s litterbox. You’ll need more litter. You’ll be shopping in the cats’ and dogs’ section for most things, really, since just about everything designed for rabbits will be too small. If you want to have a cage for them to spend any amount of time in, it needs to be waaaay bigger and their play pens need to be taller. Even the largest cage will be way too small for them to even spend the night in. An x-pen is an absolute must, but it has to be quite a tall one or covered on the top. They will jump out of anything, if they want to. They will jump ONTO anything, if they want to – though I suppose some smaller rabbits do this as well. Your kitchen counters and tables are no longer safe!

[jespy1]

They are so cute! I love the pics in your signature. I really want to get a rabbit that has an attitude like your french lop. I dont know how I will ever know for sure though. There are not a lot of rabbit rescues near me, they are all far away. So I am beginning to think I might have to try and find a breeder. How did you get them to be so friendly? We just adopted a rabbit quite a while ago and she is not happy with us so unfortunately we have to take her back to the rescue. She was much happier there, with us she is aggressive and the lady said that is very unlike her. I really wanted it to work out but unfortunately she does not like her new home. I guess some rabbits get used to being with the rescue and the other rabbits? So I am really wanting to try again with a rabbit that is larger breed and more calm and laid back. I hope I can find something :/

Do you have dogs? I have two small dogs who are very friendly and good with other animals. My hope was that a larger breed rabbit would be more laid back and able to get along with them. Because they need so much room I want to have them be a free range bunny while I am at home. When I am not home I have an empty room that will be dedicated to him and only him. Its a 12 ft x 15 ft bedroom so I think that is pretty good size?

[manic_muncher]

Thats a great room for a large rabbit, especially one thats going to be able to be free range a lot of the time. I have 3 rabbits. A bonded pair Bonnie (flemish giant around 17 pounds) and Clyde (Lilac around 8 pounds) and a single Bumpy (holland lop about 4.5 pounds). Bonnie and Clyde are mostly interested in themselves than us, but I can tell you Bonnie is VERY mischievous! She is always looking to get into something. After she does her rounds of looking for things to get into, she will do her dance of giant binkies, which anyone who has seen giant rabbit binkies knows how different they are from the lighter weight rabbits. She also does these binkies when she’s doing something she shouldn’t be doing and gets caught… as she’s running away practically laughing at me scolding her. She’ll hop up in your lap to try to steal what you’re eating… and YES they CAN JUMP… Bonnie jumped out of her 42″ pen at 4 months old. I think she must have stunned herself, because she kinda sat there afterwards and didn’t run around a lot afterwards. Needless-to-say, we covered the top for a few months until she got a lot larger and heavier where she’s too lazy to bother jumping over now.

Overall, I’d say she’s pretty laid back. She does eat like a pig, no eating one pellet at a time here… she goes in for mouthfuls at a time, like shoveling it into her mouth. She also is so lazy that she sometimes doesnt even bother to stand up and eat, just lays there beside the bowl and eats. So definitely a little slower than my holland lop.

I had 3 dogs when I got my first rabbit, Bumpy. Now I’m down to 2 little dogs and everyone gets along fine, though Bumpy has bonded with the dogs, he thinks they are his rabbit friends, either that, or he thinks he’s a dog! Bonnie gets along with my dogs fine, but my dogs are a little intimidated by her size and how nosey she is with them, Bumpy’s smallness doesn’t scare them away.

I ended up getting my rabbits as babies, just fyi, though if I ever choose to get anymore rabbits in the future, I’d look to rescue in the future.

Good luck on your decision and happy searching!

[redbunbun]

They’re my adorable little darlings. <3 If you want to see more of them, I have some pictures and videos on my instagram!  

Both of my rabbits are actually from meat rabbit breeders, and I got them at 8 weeks (Tossu) and 10 weeks (Sukka). They were both born in a separate outdoor “bunny barn”, and didn’t spend the beginning of their lives inside with people. They’re both actually very typical temperaments for their breeds, though Tossu might be slightly more affectionate and friendly than the average NZR I’ve met. Sukka, though – she’s very much like most other French lops I’ve met. The vast majority of them are lazy, greedy cuddlebunnies just like she is. Especially males. Some females are a bit more temperamental and territorial.

I’ve been very careful with socializing them “on their terms” since day one, though. The first few days they were here, I just let them be and only sat on the floor with them reading a book. When they started to get interested in me, I let them sniff me and climb on me without making any contact myself. I kind of continued on that route, slowly progressing towards petting them and going up and picking them up and stuff. To be fair, I think I was a bit more careful than need be – they’ve both been very brave and social from the very beginning, so I think there’s a lot of their own personalities at play here as well, but I do think I’ve done something right with raising them in addition to that. In addition, they’ve both been with me “always”, so they have no leftover trauma from being rescues from questionable homes.

Neither of them have ever been aggressive or hormonal or territorial or anything, never even tried to bite anyone. You can literally climb into Sukka’s cage and she won’t mind at all – and she’s an unspayed, teenage female! But, to this day, they still mostly get to interact with people on their own terms. I don’t let anyone chase them or scare them or ruffle their fur too roughly or anything. We treat them like the potentially jumpy prey animals they are, and as a result they feel extremely comfortable around people. They know they’re safe, so they don’t need to be scared of… anything. Tossu actually runs up to the door when he hears our neighbors banging around in the hallway or when our mail comes. He’s a guard rabbit!

My bunnies have met our family dogs, and didn’t have any issues with them. We didn’t leave them alone or anything, since both our dogs are hunting dogs (well, were – one of them was put down just a few weeks ago, old age ). But the rabbits would’ve been fine. We’ve also taken care of our friends’ cats and kittens, and Tossu and Sukka have been completely fine with those as well. The cats have actually been more scared of our bunnies than the opposite… Tossu was very inquisitive and kept following the cats around and sniffing them, and Sukka just… didn’t care at all. I don’t think she even noticed that the cats was trying to sniff her. She just went about her business.

The room you have definitely sounds awesome, and totally enough for a giant! Our bunnies live in their ~2m^2 “cages” (Sukka has a Great Dane-sized dog crate and Tossu has a covered x-pen) while we’re asleep, and roam around the 25m^2 living room during the day. Our apartment is quite small, heh.

Sorry for the essay… I totally like talking about my bunnies.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Yup – ditto all the above. They’re bigger which means more food, higher jumps, bigger spaces and more powerful than their smaller cousins!

When Zou (14lbs) kicks out at the back it’s a power kick.
Physical equivalent comparison between a small bun and a big bun = trying to control a tantruming 2 yr old or a tantruming teenager !!
I haven’t had to feed her medication yet, but if I ever do I might need 4 hands to control a mega-burrito ! LOL

Very gentle though, never bitten (never crossed her mind) – gets on fine with cat and (rainbow) hunting-breed dog who was taught that this was her new (little) sis and not to take a bite !

[redbunbun]

Medication isn’t an issue for us, at least – Sukka enjoys it. She actually gets excited whenever she sees a syringe! Most Frenchies are the same. They’re so greedy they’ll be excited by the prospect of any food, even if it is meds… Haha! Tossu isn’t quite as easy, but it’s not too hard to trick into taking his meds by hiding them in a banana or slathering a piece of salad with them. Cutting Tossu’s nails is a two-person job (someone needs to hold him while I cut), though, whereas Sukka will just stand still while I lift her paw one at a time and snip away.

[jespy1]

Oh man redbunbun you are really helpful! I actually have found one red new zealand breeder and one french lop breeder. I am having a really hard time deciding what I want!!! If you were to do it again what would you pick?

I am really wanting a bunny that wants to snuggle and be apart of the family. Are both good options?

[redbunbun]

Personally, if I were going to do it “all over again” I’d go with a New Zealand Red. (Actually, if I’m ever getting another rabbit, I definitely want to try a New Zealand White next! ) I love Sukka to death, but Tossu has this kind of spunk to him that I just can’t get enough of. He’s such a joy to be around, his love of life is absolutely infectious. I also really, really like how NZRs look. They’re absolutely gorgeous, probably the prettiest rabbit breed of all of them. In addition, Sukka has had some health issues, and even though those are unrelated to her breed (related to her coloration instead – steer clear of charlies!), I’ve come to the decision that from here on out I’m always going to opt for animals that are more true to the original, natural archetype of that animal – regardless of species, they’re much more likely to be healthy. New Zealand Reds are incredibly robust in that regard.

That being said, Sukka is generally the more beloved of my bunnies. Just about everyone who meets her absolutely falls in love. Tossu is brilliant with me, he absolutely adores me and he’s the sweetest little thing, exactly the kind of bunny you’re saying you want. He can sometimes be standoffish with some people, though. I’d compare him more to a cat – he picks and chooses who he loves, and with the people he loves he’s absolutely the best and most loyal bunny friend you could ever hope for, but he just doesn’t really care about some people at all. He’s never mean or aggressive or anything like that, just not as social if he decides someone isn’t “his kind of person”. I don’t even know how he decides whether he loves someone or not. He just clicks with some people, and not with others! Whenever my best friend comes over, he will chase her around the apartment trying to get her to pet him, and whenever she sits down he hops in her lap and refuses to budge. He’ll nudge her whenever she stops petting him. He does the same to me, and it even gets a bit annoying sometimes… Haha! And then he really just doesn’t care about some people at all. He just acts like they don’t exist.

Sukka, on the other hand, is like a puppy that loves EVERYONE. Absolutely everyone. She really doesn’t seem to make distinctions between people at all; she’ll treat every single person like they’re her favorite thing in the entire universe. She’s got a huge personality and shares it with the entire world. Despite the health issues and stuff, I would not give her up for anything, and I think a French lop might be just the thing you’re looking for.

I think, in your shoes, I’d opt for a male French lop. Females are more prone to hormonal personality quirks and territorial behavior. We got lucky with Sukka in this regard, and she has absolutely zero of that “ladylike grumpiness” going on, but even some Frenchie girls I’ve met have been quite temperamental. Some people like that in a rabbit, but it doesn’t mesh together too well with the kind of rabbit you’re saying you want. Get him neutered at around a year old – Frenchies grow for a long time, and getting them neutered too early may impair their growth. All rabbits have their own personalities, so keep in mind that no one can know for sure or make any guarantees beforehand, but with a male Frenchie that’s properly socialized and treated like a rabbit ought to be, I think you have the biggest chance of getting exactly the bunny you’re looking for.

[jespy1]

Thank you all so much this has been really helpful. I have to agree that I am leaning a bit more towards the RNZ and I think that is because they have males. The french lop breeder does not have any males right now and I would have to wait until the next litter which he is unsure when that will be. I just love the coloring, and I hope that I can make the RNZ loveable. The RNZ I am looking at are 1/4 flemish giant (Which I am super excited about!). I have always wanted a Flemish giant but this is going to be my first rabbit so I think that maybe being a little smaller is good. Especially for my 2 Pomeranians.

Well it looks like I will be picking up the new boy on Sunday! I am pretty excited. Hopefully they are nice! Please let me know any other information that you guys think will be helpful! I am so thankful for all of you and all of your help!

[jespy1]

Thank you all so much this has been really helpful. I have to agree that I am leaning a bit more towards the RNZ and I think that is because they have males. The french lop breeder does not have any males right now and I would have to wait until the next litter which he is unsure when that will be. I just love the coloring, and I hope that I can make the RNZ loveable. The RNZ I am looking at are 1/4 flemish giant (Which I am super excited about!). I have always wanted a Flemish giant but this is going to be my first rabbit so I think that maybe being a little smaller is good. Especially for my 2 Pomeranians.

Well it looks like I will be picking up the new boy on Sunday! I am pretty excited. Hopefully they are nice! Please let me know any other information that you guys think will be helpful! I am so thankful for all of you and all of your help!

[redbunbun]

Sounds exciting! Remember though, it’s better to get the right rabbit and have to wait a while than get the wrong rabbit too quickly. I waited for my Tossu for months, for instance! Make sure to check out where/how the breeder houses his/her animals when picking up your baby, ask to see his parents and make sure everything is alright and their set-up is humane. Lots of inhumane rabbit breeders out there, with meat rabbits especially (which a lot of NZR/NZR-mix breeders are), and you really don’t want to support their business or get a rabbit that’s ill right from the start.

A 1/4 flemmie won’t be a pure NZR, not that it matters much. Flemmies are great personalities too, in general, so that’s very exciting! Only 1/4 flemmie should leave you with a rabbit that has mostly NZR characteristics, though – the relatively distant flemmie parent usually won’t matter too much in the grand scheme of things.

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