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Flemish Giant Rabbit
Small Pets · Rabbits

Flemish Giant Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

A very large, docile breed needing serious spaceAdvanced

Lifespan
5-8 years
Weight
13-22 lb
Social needs
Social; keep in neutered bonded pairs
Time
Daily; high feeding, cleaning and space needs
Cost
High
Diet
Unlimited hay, generous greens, measured pellets

Overview

What is this animal?

  • The Flemish Giant is one of the largest domestic rabbit breeds, with adults typically weighing 13 lb or more.
  • They are usually docile and tolerant and are often described as gentle giants.
  • Their size brings large demands for space, food, housing and veterinary cost, plus a shorter lifespan typical of giant breeds.
  • They suit experienced keepers who can genuinely accommodate them.

Temperament

  • Flemish Giants are generally calm, easy-going and affectionate, and often tolerate handling well, though their size and strength mean they must be supported carefully and are not ideal for small children.
  • They are social and benefit from a bonded, neutered companion, ideally another large rabbit.
  • A relaxed giant enjoys gentle, floor-level company and tends to be docile with patient keepers.

A good fit for

  • Experienced keepers with ample space
  • Owners able to fund higher costs
  • Those wanting a docile large rabbit
  • Homes that can keep them cool

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Underestimating space and housing needs
  • Sore hocks from hard or dirty flooring
  • Overheating in warm conditions
  • Keeping such a social rabbit alone

Enclosure

Minimum 140 sq ft of floor, for the pair · 12 x 12 x 4 ft

Cannot be kept alone. The minimum is 2, and the space above is for that group.

  • Standard rabbit cages and hutches are unsuitable.
  • A Flemish Giant pair needs free-roam room access, or a permanently accessible pen of at least 12 x 12 x 4 ft, far beyond the 10 x 6.5 x 3.3 ft minimum set for a pair of average-sized rabbits.
  • The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund asks that a giant can take at least three consecutive hops in any direction, potentially 12 ft, so the pen needs that length both ways, and notes that giants can measure over 4 ft stretched out or standing, so each rabbit must be able to stand fully upright without its ears touching the roof.
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  • Add oversized litter trays, hides and water bowls; extra run time is on top of that space, not part of it.
  • Soft, well-cushioned, non-slip flooring is vital, as their weight makes them prone to sore hocks.
  • Keep them cool and well-ventilated, since large rabbits overheat easily and struggle above about 77°F.

Check your enclosure

Supplies

Setup

  • Housing and secure exercise space
  • Litter trays, bowls, carrier, hides

Ongoing

  • Grass hay by the bale or the largest box available
  • Plain uniform adult rabbit pellets (no seeds, no coloured bits)
  • Mixed leafy greens for daily feeding
  • Heavy ceramic water bowl (tip-proof)
  • Hay rack or hay-filled litter tray
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  • Eggcup or small scale for measuring pellets
  • Untreated willow or apple chews
  • Airtight bin to keep pellets fresh

Safe substrate: Paper-based litter in the tray, topped with hay · Fleece or washable mats on the living floor · Straw for outdoor warmth

Work out the cost

Care routine

Daily

  • Check droppings and appetite
  • Check the rear for soiling and flystrike (twice a day in warm weather)
  • Company and time out
  • Fresh greens and a measured pellet portion
  • Fresh water
  • Spot-clean the enclosure
  • Top up unlimited hay
  • Watch them while they are awake
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Every few days

  • Change the litter trayevery 2 days
  • Check the coat and remove loose furevery 3 days

Weekly

  • Deep-clean and change bedding
  • Hands-on health check
  • Rotate enrichment
  • Weigh-in

Monthly

  • Check supplies and dates

Less often

  • Trim nailsevery 6 weeks

Vet: Annual exam, vaccinations and dental check, every 12 months (every 6 months from 5 years old)

Tools

Is your enclosure big enough?Check your measurements against the recommended sizeWhat will it cost?Setup, monthly and over its whole life, itemisedCan it eat that?Search 65 foods, from everyday to never

Care in depth

Diet

Unlimited hay, generous greens, measured pellets
  • Unlimited grass hay forms the foundation, supplemented with generous daily leafy greens and a measured pellet portion scaled to their body size.
  • They eat more than small rabbits, but hay must still dominate to protect teeth and gut.
  • Provide fresh water in heavy, tip-proof bowls.
  • Avoid overfeeding pellets and sugary treats; obesity in such a large animal strains joints and worsens the risk of sore hocks and gut problems.

Health

Signs of good health, and the common problems
  • Sore hocks (pododermatitis) are a major concern given their body weight, so soft flooring and clean bedding are essential.
  • Giant breeds are also prone to heart problems and have shorter lifespans than small rabbits.
  • Dental and gut-stasis risks apply as in all rabbits.
  • Vaccinate against RHDV2 wherever a vaccine is available, and also against myxomatosis and RHDV1 where those vaccines are licensed (the UK and Europe; there is no myxomatosis vaccine in the US, and it is prohibited in Australia).
  • Neuter for health, and budget for larger drug doses and a rabbit-experienced practice.

Is this urgent?

8 warning signs and how fast to act, 6 of them right away

A rabbit that stops eating is an emergency, not a wait-and-see. Nothing else on this page is as time-critical.

Go now

Not eating, or not producing droppingsCall an exotics vet. Some sources treat 3 to 4 hours as the point to start worrying and 12 hours as an outright emergency; do not wait to find out which camp is right for your rabbit. Gut stasis can become life-threatening within 12 to 24 hours, and every hour of delay makes it harder to reverse.
8 hours
Hunched with the belly pressed to the floorGo now. A rabbit in this posture is in significant pain.
Now
Loud teeth grindingGo now. Distinct from the soft purr of a content rabbit. This is a pain signal.
Now
Hard, bloated abdomenGo now. Do not force-feed and do not massage. Bloat may need decompression rather than gut motility drugs, and the two treatments conflict.
Now
Maggots or fly eggs near the rearGo now. Flystrike. Check the rear twice a day in warm weather, every day, for every rabbit.
Now
Cannot cope with heat: panting, wet nose, lying flat and unresponsiveMove to shade, offer a wrapped cool pack, wet the ears, and go. Rabbits cannot pant effectively to cool themselves; heat risk starts at about 77°F and rises steeply from there.
Now

Today

Head tilt, or eyes flicking side to sideBook today. Outcomes are far better with early treatment.
Today
Weight down 5 percent or more since last week (about 1.8 oz in a 2.2 lb dwarf, about 11 oz in a 13 lb giant)Call today with the weight history. Fur hides body condition completely. The scale sees it first.
Today

Two rabbits are the minimum, and a bonded pair will also tell you when something is wrong: a rabbit sitting apart from its partner is worth a second look.

This is general guidance for a healthy adult, not a diagnosis. An exotics vet who knows your animal always overrides it, and the time to find one is before you need one.

Bedding and substrate

3 safe, 1 with a caveat, 3 to avoid

Rabbits need a clean, dry, non-slip floor plus a separate deep litter tray. The two jobs need two materials.

Safe

Paper-based litter in the tray, topped with hayRabbits eat while they toilet. Hay over paper litter serves both habits.
safe
Fleece or washable mats on the living floorNon-slip, warm, and washable.
safe
Straw for outdoor warmthInsulating, and different from hay: straw is bedding, hay is food. An outdoor rabbit needs both.
safe

With a caveat

Wood pelletsVery absorbent in a tray, uncomfortable underfoot as a floor.
with a caveat

Never

Clumping cat litterSwallowed while grooming and eating, and it clumps internally.
never
Pine and cedar shavingsAromatic oils; airway irritation in a species already prone to respiratory disease.
never
Wire mesh floorsCauses sore hocks. Rabbits have no protective pad on the underside of the foot.
never

Check and clean the rear at least twice a day in warm weather, for every rabbit. A soiled or damp rear is what flystrike needs.

Top resources for more info

Independent creators and organisations we would send a friend to. We have no affiliation with any of them, and nothing here is sponsored. Links checked 2026-10-22.

YouTubers

Lennon The BunnyRabbit care basics, free-roaming, fostering and advocacySincerely, CinnabunLiving with a free-roam house rabbit; care and wellness tipsBobo Ellie BunsDaily life with bonded Holland lops; more company than tutorials

Sites

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Is your enclosure big enough?

These are the smallest sizes that give good conditions, not legal minimums. More room is always better.

Minimum 140 sq ft of floor, for the pair · 12 x 12 x 4 ft

Every figure, and where it comes from

The Flemish Giant is a giant breed, so this is far more than the 10 x 6.5 x 3.3 ft (65 square feet) set for a pair of average-sized rabbits: the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund asks that a giant can take at least three hops in any direction, potentially 12 ft, so the pen is about 12 ft each way. Only the floor area is checked. Height is shown, not checked, because many pens have no roof; a roofed pen needs at least 47 in, and more for the largest giants.

Minimum floor area140 sq ft of continuous, unbroken floor
As dimensions12 x 12 x 4 ft
CompanyCannot be kept alone. The minimum is 2, and the space above is for that group.
The recognised standards do not agree on this one
Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (UK), on giant rabbits: At least 3 consecutive hops in any direction, potentially 12 ft, for rabbits that can measure over 4 ft stretched out or standing. The figure this site uses: three hops in any direction, so about 12 ft each way, and at least 47 in of height so a giant can stand up without its ears touching the top. Checked 2026-10-23.
Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund, RSPCA, PDSA (UK): 10 x 6.5 x 3.3 ft (65 sq ft) for a pair, available at all times. For two average-sized rabbits. RWAF says giants need much larger accommodation. Checked 2026-10-23.
Scottish Government, pet rabbit welfare guidance: Three big hops from one end to the other; a giant rabbit's hop can be 4.5 ft. Guidance, not law. Three hops of that length come to about 13.5 ft, so the largest giants need more than the figure used here. Checked 2026-10-23.
TVT, the German veterinary association for animal welfare: 65 sq ft for two rabbits up to 6.5 lb, plus 20 percent for each extra rabbit, with one side at least 8 ft. Written for rabbits up to 6.5 lb; TVT says heavier rabbits need considerably more space. Checked 2026-10-23.

What it really costs

Setup, monthly, first year and across a whole life, itemised and with the electricity worked out from the actual wattage. Published figures for the same animal disagree by a factor of four, so the calculator shows ranges rather than picking one.

Can a Flemish Giant Rabbit eat that?

Hay first, greens second, everything else barely at all. A rabbit fed mostly pellets and treats is a rabbit with dental disease waiting to happen.

The full list: 65 foods

Never (25)

AlcoholNo safe amount at any body weight on this site.
never
AvocadoPersin, concentrated in the leaves, skin and stone. It damages the heart in birds and in many mammals, rabbits and rodents among them; it has not been studied in reptiles, so treat it as unsafe for them too.
never
BindweedToxic, and it grows through hedges where people forage.
never
Bread and baked goodsRefined starch ferments in the hindgut and causes gas and stasis. No nutritional case for it either.
never
ButtercupProtoanemonin, an irritant toxin. Common in lawns, so check what you pick.
never
CaffeineCoffee, tea and energy drinks. Cardiac and neurological toxicity at tiny doses for an animal this size.
never
ChocolateTheobromine and caffeine. Small mammals and reptiles cannot clear either.
never
DairyAdults are lactose intolerant and the gut flora cannot handle it.
never
Dried fruitSugar concentrated several times over, and it sticks to the teeth. Most commercial small-pet treats are exactly this.
never
FoxgloveCardiac glycosides. Fatal.
never
GarlicSame allium toxicity as onion, and more concentrated by weight.
never
Iceberg lettuceAlmost entirely water with negligible nutrition, and it contains lactucarium, which causes diarrhoea in quantity. It displaces food that would have been useful.
never
Lawn clippingsMown grass ferments quickly in the pile and can cause severe gut upset. Fresh growing grass is fine.
never
LeekAllium family. Same mechanism as onion and garlic.
never
MeatA hindgut fermenter has no way to process animal protein. It disrupts the gut flora the animal depends on.
never
Muesli mixLets a rabbit pick out the sweet, starchy bits and leave the fibre, which is linked to dental disease, gut problems and obesity. Switch to plain nuggets gradually, over two to four weeks.
never
MushroomsNot part of any of these animals' natural diet, and the risk from misidentified varieties is not worth the zero upside.
never
NutsFat and phosphorus loads a herbivore is not built for, and a choking risk.
never
OnionOrganosulphur compounds damage red blood cells. The whole allium family is out.
never
PotatoSolanine in the skin and any green part, plus a starch load the hindgut cannot handle.
never
Raw beansLectins. Also a gas producer in a species that cannot vomit or belch.
never
RhubarbVery high in soluble oxalate, high enough to cause acute kidney injury. The leaves are worse than the stalks.
never
Salty or seasoned human foodSalt, oil and seasoning. Crisps, chips, seasoned leftovers and processed meat are all out.
never
SweetcornThe hulls are indigestible and are a recognised blockage risk in small herbivores.
never
Yogurt dropsSold in every pet shop for rabbits. Dairy plus sugar, and there is no version of this that is appropriate.
never

Rare treats (13)

AppleSugar. The seeds contain a cyanogenic compound and must be removed. A thin slice, once or twice a week. Never the seeds or core.
rare treat
BananaVery high in sugar and starch, and most animals will overeat it given the chance. A slice the width of a fingernail, rarely.
rare treat
BlueberrySugar, but a small portion size makes it easy to control. One or two berries, twice a week.
rare treat
Brussels sproutsHighly gas-forming. Half a sprout, rarely.
rare treat
CarrotSold as the archetypal rabbit food and it is nothing of the kind: carrot is a root vegetable with a high sugar content. The leafy tops, by contrast, are an excellent green. A thin slice as a treat. The tops can be fed freely.
rare treat
CauliflowerOne of the most gas-forming brassicas. A very small piece, occasionally.
rare treat
GrapesVery high in sugar. Halve them, because a whole grape is a choking hazard. One halved grape, rarely.
rare treat
OrangeAcidic and sugary; can irritate the mouth and gut. A tiny segment, rarely if at all.
rare treat
PearSugar. Remove the seeds. A thin slice occasionally.
rare treat
PeasHigh in starch and sugar. The pods and leaves are better than the peas. A few pods occasionally.
rare treat
StrawberrySugar, though lower than most fruit. The leaves are actually the better part. Half a small berry, once or twice a week.
rare treat
TomatoThe ripe flesh is safe in small amounts. The leaves, stems and any green fruit contain tomatine, a glycoalkaloid related to the solanine in potatoes, and must never be offered. A small piece of ripe flesh, occasionally. Never the plant.
rare treat
WatermelonSugar and a very high water content, which together can loosen the gut. Remove the seeds. A small cube in hot weather, rarely.
rare treat

Occasional (17)

BasilSafe and well liked. Rotate rather than relying on it. A few leaves.
occasional
Bok choyGood green, mildly goitrogenic like other brassicas. A leaf or two a few times a week.
occasional
BroccoliNutritious but a notable gas producer. Leaves and stalk are better tolerated than the florets. A small floret or a piece of stalk, twice a week.
occasional
CabbageA brassica. Gas-forming in quantity, and goitrogenic with heavy long-term feeding. A small piece, once or twice a week.
occasional
CelerySafe and well liked. Cut across the stalk so the long fibres cannot catch. A short piece, cut into segments.
occasional
ChardSame oxalate issue as spinach. A small leaf, occasionally.
occasional
CourgetteSafe and mild. Serve raw. A few slices a few times a week.
occasional
CucumberSafe, but it is mostly water with very little in it. Useful for hydration in warm weather, poor as a staple. A few slices.
occasional
DillSafe in rotation. A few fronds.
occasional
Green beansSafe cooked or raw in small amounts. Gas-forming in quantity. One or two, occasionally.
occasional
KaleHigh in calcium and a mild goitrogen. Genuinely nutritious, but not the everyday green it is often sold as. A leaf or two, two or three times a week.
occasional
MintSafe in small amounts; strongly flavoured and not every animal wants it. A leaf or two.
occasional
ParsleyNutritious but relatively high in calcium. Fine in rotation, not as the whole green portion. A few sprigs, a few times a week.
occasional
PumpkinSafe and well tolerated in small amounts. A small cube occasionally.
occasional
RocketPeppery and well tolerated in rotation. A small handful, a few times a week.
occasional
SpinachHigh in oxalates, which bind calcium and contribute to bladder sludge and stones in animals prone to them. A single small leaf, no more than once or twice a week.
occasional
WatercressNutritious, strongly flavoured, high in calcium. A small handful occasionally.
occasional

Everyday foods (10)

Bell pepperOne of the best everyday vegetables here: high in vitamin C, low in sugar, no oxalate problem. Remove the seeds and stalk. A few strips daily.
everyday food
Bramble leavesBlackberry leaves are excellent forage and rabbits take them readily. A few leaves daily.
everyday food
Carrot topsThe leaves are a proper green and much better food than the root. A handful as part of the daily greens.
everyday food
CorianderWell tolerated, aromatic, and most animals take it readily. Part of a daily mixed handful.
everyday food
Dandelion leavesOne of the best greens available, and free. Pick well away from roadsides and anywhere that may have been sprayed. A generous handful daily.
everyday food
GrassFresh growing grass is excellent, picked or grazed, from ground that has not been sprayed. As much as they will graze. Never mown clippings.
everyday food
Grass hayShould be about 85 percent of what this animal eats, available at all times. It is what wears the teeth down and what keeps the gut moving. Unlimited, always.
everyday food
PelletsA uniform pelleted nugget, not a muesli mix. Muesli lets a rabbit pick out the sweet bits and leave the fibre, which is how dental disease starts. A measured daily ration, never free-fed: no more than about 0.9 oz (an eggcup) per 2.2 lb of body weight, and less if weight creeps up. Weigh it for a large breed.
everyday food
PlantainA common lawn weed and one of the better forage plants. A handful daily.
everyday food
Romaine lettuceDark leafy lettuce with real nutritional content and a good water balance. A generous handful daily as part of a mixed selection.
everyday food

That plant or food is not on our list. Do not offer it: a rabbit cannot vomit, so anything that goes in has to go all the way through. Check with an exotics vet.

A rabbit that has not eaten for 8 hours needs a vet, whatever the reason. Diet changes are the most common trigger for that, which is why new foods go in one at a time.