Rabbits are popular pets, especially with children. They are cute and like to be petted. It’s good to know, however, that there is a wide range of rabbit breeds. There are even giant breeds, which require slightly different care than dwarf breeds. We asked the breeder Nikola Čapková about how to take care of the giant breeds and what to keep in mind before getting a giant rabbit.
Which breeds fall into the giant category?
Among the most popular are the Belgian Giant, the French Ram, the German Checkered Giant, and the Moravian Blue. These rabbits weigh over 5 kg, so they are no dwarves.
Is the care of giant breeds any different? If so, how?
The care differs especially in the area of feeding. A giant rabbit needs a larger home, with some of the breeds having huge ears, which means that the height of the rabbit’s shelter will also be needed to be taken into account. When it comes to food, these rabbits eat a lot.
What does a giant rabbit need?
Giant rabbits need, above all, enough space. Putting them into a meter-by-meter cage is certainly not possible. Therefore, many people choose a rabbit hutch, but if the rabbit is a pet and not a breeding animal, a pen or paddock is worth considering. For lop-eared rabbits, I would focus on suitable bedding – some of them have long ears that can easily get dirty.
What should we prepare for before we get a giant rabbit?
Be sure to think about the financial and time aspects. Rabbits of giant breeds need enough bedding, feed, and we should also consider the time needed to clean their large pens. Next, we need to ask ourselves whether we can handle such a large animal, whether we have a place for it at home. If we answer these questions with a ‘Yes’, then all we need to do is to choose between a rabbit with lop ears or erect ears.
Do rabbits of the giant breeds require more time for physical activity?
The large breeds are rather calm in nature. For example, the rabbit hop discipline is out of the question with these breeds, since their bodies are too heavy and their bones and joints would suffer. Although they know how to have fun, they prefer toys or cuddling. Of course, they can be taught simple commands like spinning or standing on their hind legs. Rabbits are happy to do so in exchange for a good treat.
How different is the amount of feed that giant rabbits need?
From my own experience, it is about twice what small rabbits need (in my case, I am comparing a French Ram with a small Tan Rabbit). Of course, there is a big difference whether we feed with cheap fattening dry food or a quality brand. The feed ratio may vary slightly between different brands.
Are rabbits of giant breeds suitable for apartments?
Yes, definitely! People often get the larger breeds for their apartments. These pets are a little less demanding than a dog but similar in size. They are calmer in nature, so you don’t need to worry about chasing them all around the apartment. Another plus is their calm and even temperament, which makes them the ideal pets.
What should future owners prepare for them?
Above all, lots of love and a lot of hand for cuddling. Other than that, prepare enough space and a decent supply of feed, especially hay, which forms the dietary basis of all rabbits. They like grinding their teeth on it.
Food is one of the most basic needs of dogs as well as humans. How to make sure your dog has enough necessary nutrients? And if you opt for dry food, what options are there? And what to consider when choosing?
Most of us care about the contents of the packages with dry food but have you ever thought about the packaging itself? Do you know what is used for the packaging of dry food, how different are individual materials and what innovations can you find on...
You can recognize a Burmese cat mainly because of its silky fur and beautiful, deep gloss with typical signs of a colour that is not present in any other breed. Besides its glossy fur, this breed has also a great nature which makes these cats great...
Dachshunds, from smooth-haired, wire-haired and short-haired to long-haired, are popular companions and not only in the Czech Republic but in the world as well. And they are great companions! Even though they are quite stubborn.
Cats may bite from many reasons and if you would like to make this undesirable behaviour stop, it is important to understand why they do it. The fundamental thing is to eliminate the cause but we can also help with other things.
Do you like baking and you have noone to bake for? You probably haven’t thought about your dog companion. However, you might also make some tasty and healthy goodies at home for it as well. I’ll tell you how.
Only a few per cent of loss of water may cause serious problems for your dog. However, we often don’t pay attention to its drinking and underestimate its importance. When there is a risk of dehydration, do you know how to avoid it or recognize it?
Dry food with larger proportion of meat might not only have positive effects on dogs’ organisms, when processed well, it will also make happy even the pickiest gourmets that usually don’t like dry food. Thanks to a holistic approach, you’ll keep the...
The days are getting warmer and our dogs and cat starts to shed. This has a negative impact on your household with all the hair. Have you found a way to reduce the contamination with hair at least a bit and speed up the process of shedding?...
Do you also barely resist the temptation to cuddle a dog, no matter if yours or someone else’s? It’s no surprise, a new study shows that such contact with a dog is like a drug for human brain.
There are plenty of reasons why we get flat-faced dogs. For their specific appearance, great nature, loyal love to their owner... And maybe also for their need of constant attention that makes us feel well. The flat-faced dogs are simply cute....
Brown rats, mice and hamsters as well as other rodents are quite small pets and sometimes, we don’t even think about dealing with them being overweight. However, if we like our pets and we want them to be well and stay with us as long as possible,...
