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General Angora Care
by Angie Kolifrath

Housing:

  Angoras do best in a all wire cage because of their long wool and it needing to be kept clean. The Rabbit cage should be made from galvanized steel wire in 14-16 gauge. Floor wire should be made of 14 gauge wire, with spacings 1/2 x 1 inch. Cages made of chicken wire and wood, or wooden hutches with solid wood floors, do not work well with angoras. The bunny will get stained and dirty, and the hutch will be impossible to keep clean (wool stuck to the wood, etc.) Cage sizes vary on the breed of the angora. Smaller breeds (English and Satin) do well in a cage 30 x 30 inches. Larger breeds (French and Giant) do best in a cage 30 x 36 inches. When in doubt, buy the biggest cage you can afford and find room for. Angoras need to be kept out of extreme heat due to the added warmth of the wool. They do well in cold climates, but suffer in warm climates. They should not have to suffer
through temps above 85 degrees. Heat stroke and heart attack are very likely in hot and humid conditions. Angoras, if kept outside in a hutch or Rabbitry, need to be kept out of the rain, away from bugs (especially flies and fleas) and should have shelter from the heat and extreme cold. Angoras do well inside a house or climate controlled garage, and will enjoy your company. Fans, frozen pop bottles, A/C and clipping the wool short in summer will help to avoid heat problems. Many rabbit supply companies will sell cage kits through online catalogs and will ship via UPS. Such cages are build to last a long time and can be outfitted to be indoor cages or outdoor cages. Cages
purchased from these manufacturers are made from quality wire, and are often cheaper then pet store cages or "designer rabbit cages."

  One word of caution about multi level cages for large breeds: any large breed rabbit can be hurt fatally if it jumps or falls from an upper level of a designer cage. Toes and toenails can get caught in the ramp wire. For a larger rabbit, a large single level cage with plenty of floor space is the best type of caging and much safer.

Food:

  All Angora Rabbits require your special attention to food. They have to maintain a healthy bone structure and muscle build on top of growing good quality wool. All Angoras do best on a top quality rabbit pellet, fed fresh daily. These pellets need to contain an appropriate amount of protein (16 -18%). It also need to contain an amount of fiber that is higher than the protein (18 % and above), plus included vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. Some pellet brands contain beneficial lactobacillus, yucca shingera for ammonia reduction, and papaya for better digestion. Purchasing freshly made pellets is important- always purchase a brand that has a date stamp including the day the food was made. Feed these pellets within 4 months of the day they were made. Most good quality pellets will have lost their nutrional value within that time, and stay away from store brand pellets that claim to stay fresh for 2 years or more. They contain too many added chemicals to make them stay palatable for such a long time.

  Feed requirements depend on age of the bunny, it's breed, and breed weight. Consult the breeder of your bunny for the appropriate amount of pellets to feed. In general, English Angoras require 3/4 cup of pellets, while Giant Angoras generally get 1 1/2 cup of pellets. The bigger the bunny, the more food it requires to stay healthy. Baby rabbits up to the age of 5 months should be "free fed." Offer them
fresh pellets twice a day, and let them eat as much as they want to. At 5 months of age, cut back to one daily ration of fresh pellets. Feed at the same time every day. Remove left over pellets from the day before.

  Consult your breeder at the time of purchase about the best pellet to feed to your bunny, and try to stick with the same brand the bunny grew up on. If it works for the breeder and his/her family of Angoras, it should work well for you and your bunny.

  NEVER switch the brand of pellets from bag to bag, every time you go shopping for fresh food. Switching pellet brands and protein content can greatly upset the rabbit's digestive system. Always mix 5 days worth of old brand pellets with the new brand pellets if you have to switch brand.

  Hay plays an important role in an angora's diet for added roughage. Hay provides something to nibble on, helps with boredom during the day, and helps to prevent wool block during the molting season. Discuss with the breeder of the bunny on how often to feed to feed hay, what type, and how much. I feed a handful of timothy hay every other day. Make sure the hay you are feeding is weed free and has not developed mold or rot.

  Water is one of the important parts of the Angora diet. With all of the dry food to eat, your rabbit will need plenty of fresh cool water to drink in order to properly digest. Angoras do best with a
commercial 32 ounce water bottle attached to the cage. Using a water bottle instead of a crock will help keep the wool dry and clean. Water needs to be changed every day.

   Fresh fruits and vegetables can be given in moderation. These should not make up the majority of the diet, since they do not contain enough protein to sustain an Angora. However, I offer fresh fruits and
vegetables and herbs to my bunnies 1-2 times a week, for the beneficial ingredients found in each item. Bananas, for example, contain potassium. Parsley boosts the immune system and has a lot of calcium. I do not have to add vitamins to the drinking water. Again, consult with the breeder of your bunny, and get a list of vegetables they might feed. If introducing a new fruit or vegetable, try a very small portion of it for a day or two, and monitor the fecal output for signs of diarrhea.

Grooming:

  Grooming greatly depends on the health of your bunny, it's housing, It's bloodlines, and overall quality. All Angora owners should receive a grooming lesson from the person they buy the angora from. At the very least, each angora should receive a good brushing with a cat sized slicker brush once a week, all over it's body, and should have it's toenails clipped every 2-3 weeks. The belly has to be brushed, and the private area has to be kept clean and matt free. Some rabbits need brushing daily to keep the wool matt free. Others need a brushing once a month and look great. It's important to know how to brush properly to separate the coat. Check your bunny daily with your hands to locate areas where the wool might start to tangle. The most important part of grooming is brushing before it turns into a big mat.

  Grooming also includes harvesting the wool from the bunny when it starts to shed/molt. The molting process is how Angoras shed old hair to make room for the new coat growing in. Ignoring this molting process, which all Angora rabbits have inherited, will cause major health problems (such as wool block). It will also cause the old wool to matt up with the new growth, making it almost impossible to groom the bunny and prevent new mats. Ask the breeder of your angora bunny for their preferred method of wool harvesting. Some breeders have bloodlines of bunnies that require clipping off the wool with scissors. Other breeders have bloodlines of bunnies that pluck easy. Plucking is a term for removing the wool by gently pulling it off of the bunny once it is loose.

  As to the common question: "How often will my bunny molt?" Ask the breeder of the bunny. Each bloodline and each breed varies in that aspect. Some bunnies molt every 3 month, while others molt once a year. Only the breeder/owner of the parents will know and can tell you how often your bunny will molt.

  Cage cleaning, and having a proper cage, is also an important part of grooming. If the cage is cleaned at least once a week, and the wire washed down, the bunny will stay much cleaner and will be easier to keep groomed. ALL angoras do require some grooming and brushing. The owner has to be able to make the time and commitment. Otherwise a short haired bunny would be a better choice.

  Last but not least- Angoras do not require an appointment at the Vet or groomer for a good grooming. When the new owner is instructed well by the breeder, an angora bunny should be no problem to groom.

  Angora rabbits should NEVER receive a bath when in full coat. Angora wool is very difficult to dry and should be kept dry at all times. If a bunny is soiled, a spot bath with a baby wipe or a wet wash
cloth can be done. If the mess is too big, remove all of the wool first with scissors, and wash the bunny with a warm washcloth. NEVER bathe an angora bunny in a sink of water!

  Angora bunnies do not require any kind of shots from your Vet. However, in case Vet care is needed, it would be a good idea to have a Vet knowledgeble in rabbit car on hand.

  Parasite control is important to learn when owning an angora. Rabbits can get fleas, worms, ear mites, ring worm, and fur mites from other companion animals, such as your dogs and cats. They can also get parasites from being in an environment where they are common (out in the yard, at a rabbit show, etc.)