5 Things you should know before getting Angora Rabbits.

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My husband likes to tease that once I get an idea in my head I dive right into it without doing much research first. I would love to argue that he’s wrong, but that wasn’t the case when I first learned about Angora Rabbits. I dove and right into the deep end.

I have raised all kinds of creatures in my lifetime. I thought to myself how much harder could Angoras be. I was especially excited about them being the perfect dual-purpose pet. They could provide me with a product I love (fluffy fiber to spin and sell) and they were sweet and snuggly for both me and the kids.

So not long after being introduced I suddenly owned three of them! The first few weeks were definitely a little rough. Had I done my research, I might have started out a bit slower.

So before you dive like I did let’s go over 5 things you definitely should look at before adding Angora Rabbits to your home.

• There are different breeds of angora. Which one is right for you?

• What to feed your angora to keep them happy and healthy.

• How to house your angora.

• What to do with all that fluff.

• Training….yes training your rabbit!

I was first introduced to angora rabbits a few years ago when I organized a local fiber festival. I have been into fiber arts since I was 11 and had just learned how to process fiber on my own. At the time I was buying raw fleece from a producer to process. Then I saw him. A little fluff ball cuddled up in one of our vendor’s laps happy as could be while she spun his fiber. She let me play with him and we talked for some time. That’s when the idea that Angoras might be the perfect fiber animal to add to my farm, hit me. I got a little information from her that day and a few weeks later had three little fluff balls wildly running around my house. I am very lucky my hubby puts up with me!

Here is what I wish I knew first:

Number 1. There are different kinds of Angora breeds.

You might be thinking, “Well yeah, there are different types of dogs too. Why does that matter?” Angora Rabbits are bred to produce fiber and they are bread differently which means they may require different diets, housing, and grooming will vary significantly based on breed. So it’s important to find a breed that will fit you and the time you have to offer it.

I have English Angora rabbits. They are smaller than German Angoras and bigger than French. They molt every three to four months making grooming easy and spinning right from my rabbit a fun way to bond. Because they naturally shed, they also have a tendency for their hair to matt so they need to be brushed several times a week to avoid matting and wool block. (We will discuss what that is later).

German angoras are the largest of the angora breeds. They can produce up to two pounds of wool per sheer. They do not shed naturally like an English Angora. Therefore, their hair must be cut routinely in order to keep them healthy and cool and you won’t have a natural shed to base your steering dates on.

French Angoras are among the smaller breeds. Similar to English in their grooming needs They require a very low sugar diet to remain healthy and tend to molt or shed a bit more often.

There are many other breeds. These three are the most common. You can learn more about them and others from the care guides at the end of this post.

Number 2. What to feed your Angora to keep them happy and healthy.

Remember that wool block thing I mentioned earlier. Rabbits don’t have the same gag reflex a cat does. When a rabbit ingests its fur after grooming it can’t cough it back up. This means it has to travel through the body to be expelled or it can turn into a dangerous and deadly problem. This means your bunny’s digestive system must be running at optimal health. Diet is so so so important.

You’ll want a good nutritional rabbit pellet. I give each of my bunnies half a cup a day. No more! Why? While pellets are full of good nutrients, too many can lead to an overweight bunny as they will gladly munch away all day. An overweight bunny is more prone to health risks and discomfort. So half a cup!

Next, your bunny will need hay and lots of it. Hay is very important to your bunny’s digestive health. they need a pile about the same size as themselves each day. Remember to use grass hay, not alfalfa hay. Alfalfa is too rich in sugars for our fluffy friends. Timothy’s grass hay can be found at any pet store, grocery store, or rural supply store.

Your bunny will also appreciate a few fresh goodies each day. Favorites include leafy greens, carrots, pumpkin, apple, and even banana.

Last, you’ll need a support supplement to help prevent wool block. I use papaya pellets. Every Saturday my bunnies receive three pellets each.

Number 3. How to house your bunny.

Many Angora owners only have one or two bunnies and they can happily house inside the house just like any other pet. They are very trainable too. Litter training is a must if you choose to keep your bunny inside. People who own a few may choose to house them outside or in a barn or bunny hut of some kind. My Rabbits get to enjoy both. You will figure out what is best for you after a little trial and error, but here are the basic needs for bunny housing if outside.

First shelter from all the elements! Sun, rain, wind, and snow. Angora wool is one of the most insulated of all fibers, which is why it is so highly sought after. It can be a problem for a little bunny with no shelter though. They need to be able to get out of the sun to prevent overheating on warm days and they need to be able to stay dry or risk freezing under all that wet fur. Side note: grooming is much easier when they have a good shelter as well. I find chicken coops are great outdoor enclosures for rabbits. Some people will keep them in wire cadges but if you choose to do this here are a few warnings. Your bunny needs exercise and stimulation to remain healthy and happy. If you have a small cage or enclosure be sure you let them out to play and exercise for a period each day. Otherwise, you will end up with an aggressive bunny you won’t be able to handle or groom well. If using a wire cage make sure they have something soft over part of the wire to give their feet a break. They can get sores from being on the wire all day and it is extremely uncomfortable for them.

I have never been a fan of the wire cages so my bunnies are housed in a covered dog run, with several hutches to choose from for shelter, a bit of sand to dig in, lots of hay to free feed on all day, lots of water, and new toys we rotate around to keep them stimulated. I was told at first I couldn’t keep them in the same space or they would fight. My bunnies were already bonded, so I tried the commune housing and so far it has worked great.

Number 4. What to do with all the fluff.

I know so many Angora owners that don’t use the fiber. People don’t just raise Angoras for the fiber, they make amazing pets. They are affectionate, smart, and so cute. If you don’t want to deal with the fluff then don’t but keep up a strict grooming routine to keep your bunny healthy. We will go over grooming in detail in another post.

If you would like to do something with the fluff but your not sure where to start I may have a few ideas. Because Angora wool is so soft and insulated, it is highly sought after. I know many people open small shops online and sell fiber per ounce. On average most sellers make anywhere from $4.00 to $8.00 per ounce. That can add up quickly. If you don’t want to hassle with managing an online store, post ads on craigslist or your local markets online. You can also look for fiber groups or guilds in your area. Or best yet……Take a drop spindle or spinning wheel class from me! That’s right you can learn to spin it yourself and make beautiful things for yourself and your loved ones. The possibilities are endless.

Number 5. What? I can train my rabbit.

This is the big one, you guys. Had I known rabbits could be trained like dogs, my life would have been so much easier those first few weeks. My house may not have been so messy as well. We are gonna go deep into training your rabbit in a future post but here are the basics.

Training goal number 1 is litter training. This is very easy if you start young but it can work for older rabbits too just be patient. Fill a litter box or trey with hay or shredded paper and fill a wall feeder with hay right above it or next to it so they can reach the hay from the box. rabbits naturally poop where they eat. they will learn to use the box over time. Should they go on the floor clean it up and add the pellets to the trey. After a few days, you will notice them using the box on purpose.

Cord chewing! Agh, we went through so many cords before I finally made headway with this behavior. Bunnies have teeth that never stop growing, so they constantly need to be wearing them down. This means lots of chewing on things you don’t want them chewing on. Start by Bunny proofing any area your rabbit will be in. Cords up high or taped down, Guards on furniture, that type of thing. Next, make sure they have items they are allowed to chew on readily available. Last, master the snap. Yup snap your fingers loudly (this mimics the foot stop rabbits do when they are irritated) direct your rabbit away from the bad chewing to a good chewing object. After a few repetitions, they will begin to leave cords and furniture alone.

Coming when called. This one is easy and comes in handy if you are planning to let your bunny play outside. Treats, treats, treats! Find a treat your bunny loves and gets excited about. Once you have it start saying bunnies name and then giving him or her the treat. repeat this often. then start calling the bunny from a distance away and reward them with the treat each time. It won’t take long for the little smarties to recognize that you calling their name means you have a treat for them. After some practice, it will become second nature to come when you call and you will no longer need treats.

So there is a basic overview of caring for an Angora rabbit. Do you need more information? Here are a few guides I used to master caring for my bunnies. Take a peek and see if they will help you too.

Good luck with your future fur balls. Check back for posts on Training, Grooming, and more. Or sign up for our newsletter below. Your information is only used for newsletter purposes. It is never released and always protected.