Open the Carrier at Floor Level for the Flemish Giant
A Flemish Giant should never be hauled out of a carrier and carried across a new house on arrival. Set the carrier inside her pen, open the door, and let her walk out onto matting in her own time, even if that takes an hour of sitting half in and half out. Her first survey will be slow and deliberate, chin-rubbing the pen edges and testing the litter tray, and her sheer size means every new surface must prove it will not slide under her. Keep dogs behind a solid barrier for these first days, because a bark at close range can send a heavy rabbit bolting into a corner her body barely fits.
Reinforce the Flemish Giant's Pen for Real Weight
A Flemish Giant's pen needs fencing that will not bow when she leans on it, a floor of interlocking mats or low-pile carpet over boards, and a litter tray with a low entry she can step into without jumping. Provide a hay feeder at head height beside the tray, a very heavy water bowl or two, and a resting board where her hocks press on a dry, cushioned surface rather than wire or damp bedding. Give her room to take several unhurried hops and to lie fully stretched with hind legs out, the posture that tells you the space is genuinely big enough. Check that gates, ramps and any raised platform are rated for her adult weight before she discovers the weak point herself.
Feed the Flemish Giant Steadily and Protect Her Joints
A Flemish Giant grows fast and eats accordingly, but her first week at home should still run on the hay and pellets she arrived with, in generous and constant supply. Unlimited grass hay keeps her gut moving and her teeth working, while sudden rich feeds risk the digestive upset that hits a large rabbit hard. Place food and water so she never has to leap, twist or squeeze to reach them, and keep her exercise on grippy ground to protect hips and hocks. Arrange a rabbit-savvy veterinary check early in her settling period, and seek advice urgently if this Flemish Giant stops eating, leaves droppings scattered as tiny dry pellets or none at all, or sits shifting her weight off a sore-looking hind foot.
Skip the Lifting and Socialise With the Flemish Giant on the Floor
Flemish Giants earn their gentle reputation on the ground, where they can lean against a seated person and accept forehead strokes without restraint. Invite that contact by sitting inside her pen with a book and a few pellets, letting her investigate pockets and shoelaces at her pace. If she must be moved for a health check, support her chest and hindquarters with both arms and keep her close and low, with a second person opening doors, because a struggling Giant is more than one armful. Teach visitors the floor rule on day one, since a single bad lift can make a large rabbit wary of every approach that follows.
Extend the Flemish Giant's Territory Only When the Base Works
A Flemish Giant who eats constantly, rests stretched out and uses her tray reliably is ready for supervised access to a hallway or rabbit-proofed room with mats laid over shiny floors. Extend in short sessions and return her before she tires, because heavy rabbits overheat and exhaust sooner than small breeds in warm rooms. Log her appetite, movement and resting spots daily, noting any reluctance to hop that could be an early joint or foot problem. Keeping that log current in KinsLe Family Sharing means this Flemish Giant's size-specific needs stay clear to everyone who opens her pen.