The Daily Entries That Prove the Giant Is Well
Ask the sitter to log, morning and evening, whether hay was topped up and actually eaten, water refreshed, and the measured pellet and greens feeds given. Droppings deserve a line of their own for a rabbit: a large, healthy output is normal for a Flemish Giant, so the sitter should note volume and consistency against the normal you described before leaving, and flag a sharp drop the same day rather than at your return. Litter state follows naturally — a Giant produces a lot, and a tray left too long becomes a hygiene and sore-hock problem. Each entry takes a minute and, dated honestly, builds the evidence that gut, appetite, and routine stayed on track in your absence.
Movement, Feet, and Behaviour Observations
Have the sitter record exercise plainly: whether the Giant used its pen or room time, moved willingly, and settled normally afterwards. For a rabbit of this frame, note any reluctance to rise, stiffness after rest, or favouring of a leg, with the time seen. Feet need a scheduled glance — the log should show a hock check on agreed days, recording redness, fur loss, or soreness on the underside of the hind feet, since weight-bearing makes this breed's feet a standing concern. Behaviour notes round it out: hiding more than usual, teeth grinding while hunched, or unusual aggression at feeding are all changes the sitter should write down when they happen, not summarise later.
Handling and Safety Notes Attached to the Log
The log is only safe if the instructions travel with it, so the front page should restate the Giant's handling rules: lift with full support under chest and hindquarters, never by ears or scruff, expect powerful kicks, and use the large carrier kept in its named place for any vet trip. Note flooring cautions — keep the rabbit on rugs or mats over slippery surfaces — and the exercise boundaries in the home. Emergency contacts, your vet, and the out-of-hours clinic belong on that same front page, with your written authority for the sitter to approve urgent transport and treatment. A sitter who finds all of this in one document does not have to phone you before acting sensibly.
Recording Exercise, Weather, and Visitors
Round the Giant's sitter log out with context entries: hot days and what cooling was offered, any visitors or dogs in the house, and building work or loud events nearby, each dated briefly. Large rabbits feel heat and disruption plainly, and an appetite dip that puzzled the sitter often explains itself beside a note about a thunderstorm or a heatwave afternoon. Exercise notes should include the surface used, since a session on a slippery hall floor is a fall risk for a heavy rabbit and the log is where a limp noticed afterwards gets its context. Context is what separates a diary from evidence.
How the Sitter Should Flag Problems and Hand Back
Agree the escalation rule before you leave: no droppings, no eating, laboured breathing, or a rabbit unable to rise means a vet call immediately, with a message to you in parallel — not a note saved for the log's end. Smaller changes, such as eating less hay for one check, get logged and messaged the same day. On your return, the sitter hands over the complete log and talks through any flagged entries while the detail is fresh, and you file it with the health record so the episode becomes part of the Giant's history. Passing the routine, contacts, and daily log to the sitter through KinsLe with Care Pass keeps that temporary handover clear, complete, and easy to close when you are home.