Those with Giants, advice please.

Hi all

We lost our very brave little bunny Ellie 10 days ago, she went in for a dental, came through the other side but deteriorated after recovery She would only have been 4 next week and we miss her soo much, she's been through a fair bit in her little life and she was such a sweetie.

My question is about a new bun for Bandit. He's doing ok, but obviously missing Ellie. The boarding place that we use has contacts at their local rescue and has told me of a 2 year old Giant that is looking for a home, she arrived on Sunday. Now Bandit is a :evil: ...he's a BARC bunny, say no more :lol: The bond with him and Ellie took me literally months so the thought of another bond makes me feel sick but I know it has to be done. My boarding friend thinks he'd definitely bond easiest with a giant because of their calm nature but I know nothing about them. I've always secretly wanted one to be fair, but was more than happy with the two I had..but now it's come to this I'm just after advice really.

Bandit is only a medium sized bunny, they live in our kitchen, free range 24/7. I'm worried about tripping over a big bunny, but I'm assured they don't charge around like smaller buns and sleep a lot of the time. Bandit's a greedy little chap so how does that work out food wise...he's VERY food orientated, that's where the fights would break out, he always chased and tried to nip Ellie whenever he knew there was a chance of anything to eat..but is every bond different? Is this always going to be the case? I just need reassurance really..my head is a shed, I miss my little girl so much but want to do whatever is best for Bandit now. Are giant bonds really easier? How much room do they need? Oh my word and the moults??! I think we're going to meet her on Saturday so I'd really like to be prepared just in case we do all fall in love with her and want to bring her back there and then!!

Any help or advice would be gratefully received. Thankyou x

I don't have any advice, but wanted to say how sorry I am that you lost Ellie x

Zoobec said:

I don't have any advice, but wanted to say how sorry I am that you lost Ellie x

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Thankyou xxx

Hi LainiT, I'm very sorry you lost Ellie.

Do you know what breed of giant this potential rescue is?

I have a continental giant who I would bond any day of the week. I truly believe he would get on with any bunny! I only know of a few RU conti owners, I think they're all male buns and are all spoken so highly of because of their gentle nature I am not sure if the girls are the same personality wise, but I'd assume so.

It is worth trying. Giants tend to make their minds up quickly so you would soon know whether it would work. Not all of them are nice though, although many are sweet and easy to bond. It will depend on their individual temperaments being compatible.

I have bonded giants that were inseparable after half an hour but I also have a pair who have to be kept away from other rabbits due to referred agression problems despite being together for years. I had one giant who was easy to bond on two occasions and then fought ferociously with his third bride before going into a loving trio. Some rabbits just take a dislike to each other. So get the rescue to try them together before adopting the giant.

Sorry for your loss. I think it will depend entirely on the breed and her individual personality, my giant girl was a bit of a diva who definitely wasn't calmer than my medium bun and raced around more than him. They do need an awful lot of space too, if you think how much space a small dog would need to run round then that's about right!
They do tend to be more affectionate though, so Im sure you'll get lots of cuddles if you do go ahead

Room wise...the kitchen floor space is roughly 9x11ft is this ok for a giant? I'm guessing it's just a wait and see scenario with the bond. Breed wise I have no idea, I've seen a pic she's not massive apparently, she's a lop, butterfly markings. She's had her vet check today. Got cream for her eye but they'll talk to me about ins and outs on Sat. It's scary stuff

That's fine as a living area but doubt she'll be able to get a full bunny 500 going in there, my girl had 15 ft by 15 ft but had full run of the garden everyday so she could get a real run around. Can they have access to the rest of the house when you're home?

Yeah they could but Bandit is proving to be a bit of a chewer, so it would take a lot of work to get the house bunny proofed for him. He's being allowed time in the front room (supervised) at the moment to take his mind off things but he keeps having a nibble at bits and bobs, he leaves everything but his boxes alone in the kitchen so whether it would settle down. I'll see how big and energetic the bun is on Sat maybe and take it from there.