
ANGORA CARE
GUIDE
INTRODUCTION
This guide is to help you take care of your
new bunny. These are my opinions and thoughts on these subjects.
Although you may have had a bunny
in the past, you will find Angoras require a little different care than a short
hared bunny. Of course this guide won't answer all your questions, but it will
give you an idea of what you need to do. If you don't find an answer to your
question please email me and I will be glad
to help.
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A LITTLE ABOUT ANGORA RABBITS
Angoras have been bred
selectively for about 300 years. They were thought to have been created by
European monks and nobility. The nervousness and aggression common to many
rabbits has been greatly reduced in Angoras. They make excellent, affectionate
pets. With gentle and frequent handling, they will become the most prized of
your pets.
There are 4 different ARBA
recognized breeds, for show, of angoras - English, French,
Satin, & Giant. There is also one ARBA unrecognized Angora breed - the
German. (ARBA - stands for American Rabbit Breeders Association.)
The English Angora is the smallest of the Angoras. It's
average weight is 6 1/2 lbs. with a rounded, cobby body. It has very pronounced
characteristics, wool
from head to toe! It has heavy tassels on it's ears called furnishings, and when in show coat is
one ball of fluff. They generally make good pets if you have the time to keep
them brushed. Due to the lack of guard hair, their coat is cottony and will matt
easily. |
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The French Angora has an average weight of 9 lbs. It has no face furnishings or tassels as the English
does. It is longer in body and produces much more wool. It has a greater number
of guard hairs in it's wool which makes it easier to care for. Guard hairs are
in no way
harsh like that of some Llamas. The guard hair is equally as soft as the rest of
the angora coat. It is a straight hair shaft that will not matt as easily as the
crimpy under coat. French make excellent beginner rabbits due to their ease of
care! They require little brushing, and are a good choice for people with a
limited amount of time to groom. |

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Satin Angoras are like the
French, but have extremely shiny wool which resembles colored silk. The Satin sheen is
produced by the color being on the inside of the hair shaft, and the outside
being clear. Kind of like putting a clear coat on a good paint job! Typically
the guard hair has the most sheen due to the hair shaft characteristics. Their
average weight is around 8 1/2 pounds, and also make excellent pets. |

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The last ARBA recognized Angora
breed is the Giant Angora. It has an average weight of 10 lbs. It also has
tassels and wool from head to toe. Like the French it has a good amount of guard
hair in it's coat making it easy to care for. It produces on average 13 oz's of
beautiful white wool. By ARBA standards ALL Giants are white. |

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Another Angora that is gaining
popularity is the German Angora. It is not recognized by the ARBA for
showing, but is an important rabbit for hand spinners and crafters. Typically is
white, but over the years they have been out bred to other breeds to produce
colors in the German lines. They are very similar to the Giants, often interchangeable
for showing as Giants. Their weights range from 7 pounds up to 12 or so pounds.
Their coats are also very easy to care for. They have wonderful, gentle
personalities.
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CARE OF THE NEW BUNNY
Young
bunnies should be fed a high quality pellet feed which you can obtain from your
local feed store. It is very important that fresh, clean water is
available at all times. Without water to drink your bunny won't eat. A good horse
quality hay should be given daily. Just a small handful will do nicely.
Never feed a young bunny Lettuce, collards, fresh grass, or anything with a high
water content and low food value. This can cause diarrhea which left untreated
can cause death. If your bunny should develop an upset stomach, treat it with
Pepto-Bismol or similar medicine. Dry oatmeal should also be given freely until
the symptoms are gone.
Reframe from giving lots of
treats to your new bunny. If you have to spoil it, try a raisin or piece of
wheat bread. Any quick changes in it's diet may trigger an upset stomach. When
your bunny gets a little older, you can start with treats like a piece of apple,
carrot, banana, or other goodies. Never over due the treats.
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HOUSING
Angoras should
be housed in all wire cages. The reason for this is cleanliness. You should
always keep your bunnies cage clean and free of wool. This promotes good health.
Don't have any wood near where your bunny can chew. The wood could have toxins
in it used to treat it. Make sure if you have some wood on your cage it is untreated
and covered with wire.
The size of your cage
should be comfortable for your bunny. A good size for an indoor pet that gets to
run outside it's cage some is 24" x 24". An outside hutch can be
24" x 30", or 30" x 36". I don't recommend anything larger
than that, for 2 reasons. 1 - with less room to run, your bunny has less of a
chance of hurting it's self. Bunnies can break their backs very easily. 2 - if
you have to big an area, you may not be able to reach your pet if it is being
stubborn and not wanting to come to you.
Make sure your door
latch is secure. Bunnies will become board and look for things to do. If your
door isn't latched good your pet can run freely in your house or yard. This can
present many dangers, some fatal to your bunny!
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WEATHER CONCERNS
Angoras handle cold weather much
easier than hot. Their wool is 8 times warmer than sheep wool. Imagine having a
winter coat on all summer, and that is the way angoras are. ALWAYS
keep your angora out of the direct sun! Heat stroke will kill an angora quickly.
Signs of heat stress are heavy breathing with mouth open, panting, and slobbering
(wet around the mouth).
In the summer it is best to keep
your Angora clipped back. To make your pet more comfortable, it should be in a
cool, breezy area, or have a fan on it when it is in an outside cage in hot
climates. You may also consider freezing plastic drink bottles with water in
them. The frozen water bottles will last about 2 hours in the heat of the day.
On a 100 degree day, this can be a life saver for many angoras.
In the winter, you should keep
your pet out of direct wind. Make sure it has plenty of water to drink. Crocks
are recommended in winter because they are easy to thaw out when frozen. Check
your bunny several times a day, and provide it with warm water. Warm water will
not freeze up as quickly as cold water.
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WOOL BLOCK
Wool block in Angoras is the same as hair
balls in cats. Bunnies constantly groom themselves, swallowing wool as they do
this. However, unlike cats, bunnies can not exit the hair ball and will die
from wool block. Preventing the wool block is the best thing to do. I have
a very good prevention plan called " nuts
& berries day ".
The signs of wool block are reduced feed
consumption, and then not eating at all. This is one reason you need to monitor
your rabbits eating closely. Another sign is the droppings looking like a string
if pearls. Droppings will be stuck together with strings of wool and hang on the
cage. Droppings will also become smaller in size, as the stomach becomes more
wool blocked.
Should your pet exhibit these signs, clip all
the wool off immediately. This will help with the swallowing of the wool. Take
pelted food away and feed hay, roughage, and herbs. Bananas are helpful, along
with the treatment of cat hair ball remedies. Meat tenderizers that contain
bromelain will also help break down the wool so it can be passed. I use 1 tablespoon
of meat tenderizer mixed with a little honey and a dab of water. Treat the bunny
with this 2 times a day for 3 days. By the 3rd day you should see much
improvement. If your bunny isn't better within 72 hours, seek the advise of your
vet.
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GROOMING
I recommend brushing your bunny once a
week. Just a light going over will due. Make sure you do it's stomach each time.
The more your bunny is turned over, the more tolerant of this it will become,
thus making your grooming time more enjoyable.
The best time to start grooming
your bunny is around 8 weeks. At this age it will need very little grooming, but
it will build trust and good habits between you.
The basic tools you will need are
- a steel comb, a gentle slicker brush,, stainless steel pin brush, a matt
splitter, a pair of small sharp scissors, and animal nail clippers.
As you groom you will develop a
method that works best for you. There isn't a right or wrong way to do this,
just what works for you!

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Revised on 03/22/03
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Signs & Designs - Kim Gay