Angora Rabbits, Cages, & Fiber Arts

Environment: Angora Rabbits can be housed indoors or out, even in winter. When housed outdoors, care should be given to protect the rabbits from predators, both four and two legged and be placed in shade during summer (like on a screened in porch).  It is mandatory that rabbits should be kept cool in hot temperatures. Anything over 90 degrees can be fatal to a rabbit.  Direct sunlight on your rabbit during warm summer days is to be avoided. Heat stroke will cause seizures causing brain & nerve damage and will kill your bunny very quickly.  In the summer be sure your rabbit is in shade all the time.  On hot days we recommend you use air conditioners, misters, and use a plastic bottle of frozen water placed in the cage for bunny to lay on to cool off; Then remove bottle when thawed, refill & freeze again (or better yet have 2 bottles of frozen water and swap out thawed one for frozen one). We also recommend giving your rabbit a hair cut, to prevent over heating in summer.  In the winter your rabbit's hutch should provide protection from drafts and wetness and kept dry and out of the wind. 

Rabbit cages: Each French, German and Giant angora needs his or her own cage at least 30"wide x 36"long x 18" high. If you have room we recommend 30"W x 48"L x 20"H; it is important that your bunny can hop around, stretch out fully while standing on his hind legs and get plenty of exercise... Be sure your cage is no deeper than 30" -anything deeper is way longer than your arm's reach and you wont be able to reach in and pick up your bunny safely.

We prefer a wire bottom for your cage made of galvanized welded 1/2 x 1 wire which offers good support to bunnies feet (to avoid sore-raw hocks) and also allows room for their droppings to fall through; this promotes good hygiene and is easy to keep clean.  We don’t recommend the use of solid bottom cages because they allow the rabbit to come into direct contact with their feces and urine that can cause a buildup of Urine produced ammonia and germs to cause illness like respiratory distress, poopy butts (that can lead to fly strike and maggots) and other unhealthy conditions for your bunny. 

♥WARNING: Do not place your bunny outdoors in an exercise pen if you are not there to supervise the entire time; Rabbits are escape artists; they can dig out and get lost fast. Stray dogs or birds of prey and other wildlife will make a quick meal of your bunny.

Many rabbit owners prefer their bunnies cage be kept inside the home to spend time interacting with themselves and their other supervised pets.  Angora rabbits can be trained to use a litter box, which makes them an ideal house pet. You must take care to bunny-proof any rooms your rabbit will be allowed loose in. Rabbits love to chew cords - so any electrical, phone, or computer wires must be concealed or protected. A rabbit should also be watched when allowed free run of the house so they don’t try and chew furniture, baseboards, or walls.  We recommend containment of rabbit to one room and be sure you watch your bunny carefully when you let him out of his cage.  Both chewing and digging are normal rabbit behaviors; we find that rather than discouraging it, it is best to work at redirecting these behaviors towards acceptable chew toys and digging spots.  A rabbit’s teeth continuously grow, and thus they need fresh hay and safe untreated wood to keep them smooth and able to properly chew their food, and prevent dental abscesses.

GROOMING YOUR ANGORA RABBIT:  Young German, Giant and French Angora Rabbits should be brushed once a week. Failure to keep bunnies wool mat free and regularly clipped down will result in a potential health risk to the bunny called wool-block (potentially fatal, see article). We recommend a small metal slicker like the kind used on dogs or cats. A metal comb is handy for getting out small mats as well. Difficult mats should be removed with a scissors to avoid stressing the bunny. I also place a bath towel on my lap and put the bunny on that. The towel will catch any stray wool and keep you from getting scratched. A grooming stand with a no slip top is also a way to go for grooming. Be very careful to use one hand to cover bunny's eyes and face when brushing so you don't get the slicker brush in his eye. PLEASE NOTE: When brushing or combing be sure to hold fur tightly at the skin line with your other hand so as not to irritate bunny’s skin or cause pain.

Grooming takes getting used to for you and your bunny so try it for 5-10 min a day till you both get the hang of it. Once most German and French Angora reach about a year or year and a half old they no longer need much brushing at all since they will then have their adult coats complete with guard hairs. The German angora’s adult coat should not mat the way a young rabbits coats can. With my adult Germans, Giants and French I usually don't do any grooming except to blow out their coats out with a specially designed electric blower every 3 months just before I am going to harvest their wool for spinning. I do however maintain their manicures every month.

♥Bunnies nails should be clipped every 3-4 weeks. Be careful to only clip the part without the blood vein (known as the quick); If you accidentally cut the quick use some septic powder (sold for dogs) to stop the bleeding.

♥We do not advocate "plucking" as a means of harvesting the long wool. ♥

We recommend you use very sharp scissors about 3" long blades to clip away the wool. It is my humble opinion that most folks do not know how or when to pluck; therefore they cause damage to rabbit’s hair follicles, skin and lower rabbit’s immunity by the stress and pain caused by this cruelty.

Even when a trained person properly plucks there is scientific proof that damage to wool production in the lifespan of the rabbit is a result. Plucked rabbits wool density is diminished due to the irreparable damage to the hair follicles in the epidermis.

♥
You will notice in our photo on the right, that the young Giants don’t have their furnishings yet, (furnishings are the bushy wool on ears and cheeks) some will grow lots of wool furnishings, some will just get tattled ears like the white doe in this group shot with her young. Others will have an abundance of furnishings.

Furnishings need to be brushed out regularly with a small gentle slicker brush to prevent painful mats from taking hold.♥

♥how to lift your bunny: ♥ Pick up your rabbit by the scruff of the neck with one hand & use the other hand to support his bottom. Rear end support is very important, (as without it he may kick out & break his neck or back.) To carry your bunny place his head under your arm facing your back, using your other arm to support his bottom. Long sleeve shirts are recommended to keep his nails from scratching your arms (which could lead to you suddenly dropping and injuring your bunny).

·  PLEASE DISCOURAGE SMALL CHILDREN FROM CARRYING BUNNIES...

AN IMPROPERLY CARRIED RABBIT COULD RESULT IN HIM BREAKING HIS NECK or BACK, PARALYZING HIMSELF, OR DEATH BY BEING DROPPED TO THE GROUND.

·  Small children should be closely supervised, by an adult, who may seat child & rabbit on the floor.

·  Please be aware that a rabbit should never be picked up by its wool or ears.

♥CAUTION: SUPERVISE YOUR RABBIT IF IT IS LET LOOSE IN A ROOM. ♥ Be sure he does not chew on electrical cords, poisonous house plants, Fiberglass fabrics or other dangerous items.

Fly Strike: Prevention is the best medicine when it comes to fly strike.  We want to share with you some tips on fly strike prevention to keep your bunny healthy. flies that lay maggot eggs under bunnies skin just love moist dark dirty cages and butts. A regular routine of disinfecting cages and trimmed fur around the butt is a plus in prevention.  I use a bucket of warm water and a scrub brush (after scraping with paint scraper) on the cage floor and urine guards.... in the bucket I use Clorox bleach and some ivory soap. When done I take my propane torch and go over entire cage (heat from flame is a good bacteria killer and wool un-clinger).
I also have a bug zapper in my barn, the backlight electrocution type and I use the plastic jars you put meat and water in and the bugs fly in and can’t fly out. These stink but keep flies out of your barn and away from bunnies.  You can buy them at a farm supply store.  Your positive preventive action will help you from suffering loss of bunnies to this awful thing. Poop stuck to butts of your bunny or any livestock will attract those killer maggot laying flies. I truly believe a dry clean butt is next to godliness!