TulsaPets Magazine November 2021

22 TulsaPets • November/December 2021 in clumps, his eyes were filmy with cata- racts, but he clearly enjoyed the socializing. It was straight out of a scene from “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” (myself being the reduced human in the movie) as Beth and her hus- band, Mike, brought forth one bun after an- other, each successively larger than the next. Barry was big enough, but holy moly! Flemish Giants are, well — GIANT! Flemish Giants, and their cousins, Continental Giants, reputedly began in the northern area of Belgium known as Flanders sometime in the 16th century. The hope be- hind producing humongous rabbits was for fur and meat; however, their bone structure (big) and eating habits (tons) didn’t contrib- ute to much of a profit. What DID work was their nature; the breed is well-known as extremely laid back and easy going. Their popularity as pets grew, crossing the pond to America in the 1890s. A Flemish Giant Federation began in 1915 to monitor and encourage the breeding and care of the species. Now, they are often the rabbit of choice for families with small children because of their mellow personalities. For those of you who need more than words to imagine ROUS (Rabbits of Un- usual Size, literary theft credit: “The Prin- cess Bride”), the Guinness Book of World Records gave the title of World’s Biggest Rabbit to Darius, a Continental or Flemish Giant (depending on the source) who lived in central England and weighed in at 49 pounds. When comfortably relaxed in a full stretch, Darius was 51 inches long. Sadly, Darius was bun-napped in April this year and has not been returned — even though he’s past the age to father more kits for an unscrupulous breeder. Granted, his size is exceptional; generally, Giants grow to around 20 pounds, comparable to most ter- rier breeds, as well as a one-year-old toddler. In a “well, duh” aside, the health, growth and weight of a Giant is usually directly related to the breeder and subsequent owner. As in any registered breed, there are those with only cash in mind. A really conscientious breeder will know their does and bucks, maintain balanced diets, restrict breeding cycles and ensure their pairs are given ample caging that is temperate, as Mr. Grace, long and tall Barry’s Granddaughter, “Cute” Snoopy loves Halloween pumpkin.