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NEW OWNER - Continental giants x 2

Hello all,
I’m brand new to the forum but great to read lots of posts about the continental giants.
Tomorrow we pick up our brother and sister new additions to the household.
I have finally stopped lining Amazon’s pockets after a rather large spend.
They will be house rabbits and have a massive crate home with lots of toys.
If I may? A question!
I read in this forum that lots of teddies are a good option, will they not chew them ? If you do, will they not be harmful?
Thank you 😁😁
 
Hello

Some Rabbits will chew and ingest soft toys, so they are not really a suitable toy to give, especially unsupervised. The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund is the very best source of information about all aspects of Rabbit care.

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/

Hopefully you will arrange a Vet check and vaccinations for the Rabbits ASAP. I’d advise that you take out Pet Insurance for them too.

Good luck :D
 
Hello and welcome. I would say No to teddies as they could chew and ingest the stuff but a big Yes to lots of Hay. This is very very important for their teeth which constantly grow, and Hay is essential for their digestion. Their diet should comprise 90% Hay. How old are these Rabbits, are they still babies? If so you will need to be ready to separate them in a few weeks' time so they don't breed until the boy can be neutered. These large Rabbits do need plenty of space which I am sure you are aware of?
 
Hello, and welcome to the forum :wave: I agree with the advice on teddies. I’m afraid a crate is not suitable for rabbits, as they do need a lot of space permanently available to them. You could attach puppy pens to the crate to make a big enough area, however, most of us with house rabbits confine them to one rabbit proofed room and don’t use pens or cages. The link IM has given to the rwaf will give advice on housing set up. They advise a minimum of 6ftx2ft hutch with an 8ft x6ft permanently attached run, for average size rabbits. Giants will need much more space.
 
I wouldn't bother with teddies - they will have each other. Sometimes a soft toy is used as a substitute bunny for a single bunny, such as a sudden bereavement.

A crate would be OK as a base - ie. somewhere to keep a litter tray, food, water, etc - but they will definitely need at least a rabbit-proofed room to run around in 24/7. The XL dog crates could have a shelf put across the back to increase floor space slightly, but I'm not sure if this would work for giant rabbits. Don't forget that other items aimed at standard rabbits may not be suitable for giants, eg tunnels. You may be better looking at dog or small child items for an appropriate size, and then making sure it won't get chewed to bits. Underbed storage boxes will be much better as litter / hay trays than eg cat trays.

You are going to need lots of hay for them to eat, so some storage for that would be useful. Bales from a local equine supply store are cheaper than pet store bagged hay, usually better quality and can be stored in a 240 litre wheely bin in a shady spot outside, for instance. Other items that can entertain them for 'free' are boxes to sit in or turned into tunnels; forage like willow branches, bramble leaves, raspberry canes, apple twigs, dandelions, etc. The booklet 'Foraging for Rabbits' by Twigs Way is handy to have.

https://shop.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/product/foraging-for-rabbits-by-twigs-way/

Electrical bits are the main concern for house bunnies - keep wires well out of their way for their safety and your sanity. Skirting boards, doors and furniture may also get 'modified' by bunny teeth.
 
Oops, that posted before I finished,lol, I have the insurance, thanks so much 😁
I have the vets appointment for tomorrow, they are 12 weeks old.
😁
 
I wouldn't bother with teddies - they will have each other. Sometimes a soft toy is used as a substitute bunny for a single bunny, such as a sudden bereavement.

A crate would be OK as a base - ie. somewhere to keep a litter tray, food, water, etc - but they will definitely need at least a rabbit-proofed room to run around in 24/7. The XL dog crates could have a shelf put across the back to increase floor space slightly, but I'm not sure if this would work for giant rabbits. Don't forget that other items aimed at standard rabbits may not be suitable for giants, eg tunnels. You may be better looking at dog or small child items for an appropriate size, and then making sure it won't get chewed to bits. Underbed storage boxes will be much better as litter / hay trays than eg cat trays.

You are going to need lots of hay for them to eat, so some storage for that would be useful. Bales from a local equine supply store are cheaper than pet store bagged hay, usually better quality and can be stored in a 240 litre wheely bin in a shady spot outside, for instance. Other items that can entertain them for 'free' are boxes to sit in or turned into tunnels; forage like willow branches, bramble leaves, raspberry canes, apple twigs, dandelions, etc. The booklet 'Foraging for Rabbits' by Twigs Way is handy to have.

https://shop.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/product/foraging-for-rabbits-by-twigs-way/

Electrical bits are the main concern for house bunnies - keep wires well out of their way for their safety and your sanity. Skirting boards, doors and furniture may also get 'modified' by bunny teeth.

This, and welcome to the forum. We of course also love photos so when you get your pair would love to see pics
 
Hi! I have two conti's too, 9 months and about 18months (he's a rescue so not precisely sure). I would echo the comments about the crate, it really isn't big enough to shut them in for anything other than brief periods, and rabbits are most active when we tend to be in bed so shutting them in overnight is not a good plan - so have a look for some puppy pen panels to build a bigger space for them, or give them a room of their own. Be aware they can really jump, and even more so when they have a step up, so keep boxes away from fences or look at covering the pen, a sheet will do, just to stop them jumping out. They are really full of character and cheek, so much fun. Try and give them fresh woods to chew that will be more appealing than your skirting boards - apple or willow are a good start - because the bought wooden toys are basically the same as your furniture in their eyes, fresh wood is yummier!
And contrary to what a lot of people try to tell us, they do climb and jump and explore EVERYWHERE so try and make sure they have steps and things if needed, or that things out of reach are really out of reach ie tuck chairs under tables otherwise they will be on the table in a flash :lol:
 
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