Written By : M Samy

Angora Rabbit as a pet, everything you need to know

What’s an Angora Rabbit ?

Angora Rabbit as a pet ? yeah of course , they are the most adopted rabbit’s breed .

I will tell you all about how to choose one and how to take care of it, what you will need as products and what it will cost you to have an angora bunny in your home.

Angora rabbit in the past

Angora rabbits appeared in Europe several centuries ago and have conquered the world, on the one hand, for farmers interested in breeding angora rabbits for the production of wool, harvested and used in the craft of luxury textiles or the show table, or only as pets and to please children. 

But this breed of rabbit has also conquered the hearts of pet lovers, and the Angora rabbit has entered the homes of millions of people around the world as a pet especially here in the USA .

Docile and especially children love its plush look, it is really cute, and if you intend to adopt an Angora rabbit, read on and you will know everything about this breed

Characteristics of the angora rabbit

how to choose and care of an Angora Rabbit

It is easy to recognize an Angora rabbit thanks to its long fur, it must be said that its wool is the main factor that has allowed this breed to conquer the world, a wool of very good quality, but the Angora rabbit has other characteristics that differentiate it from other breeds of rabbits, here they are 

The Angora rabbit is a rather small breed of rabbit, they never exceed 2 kg, a cute rabbit with pretty eyes and whose hair can reach the length of their ears, about 7 cm.

The Angora rabbit is very sociable, calm, affectionate and gets along very well with other pets, adopting an Angora rabbit is very recommended when you have children because it is a very playful rabbit breed. 

Of a fearful and fragile nature, and in order to tame it, children must learn not to rush your Angora rabbit if you do not want it to become fearful, and once accustomed to family members, it will lower its guard and become an adorable pet that will make everyone happy.

What is the life expectancy of an Angora rabbit?

Angora rabbits have a good life expectancy, they can live for more than 10 years if they are kept in good hygienic conditions:

  • Put them in a cage with enough space and don’t shut its door
  • Install them in a quiet corner of the house
  • Give them healthy food and good fresh water.  
  • Get them out of their cage for at least one hour a day to get some exercise and you can buy them toys specially designed to keep your Angora rabbit in good shape…etc..

    By the way , don’t worry , bunnies don’t smell bad , so you can play with them and pick them up , you have just to know how to keep rabbits clean .

    By the way , don’t worry , bunnies don’t smell bad , so you can play with them and pick them up , you have just to know how to keep rabbits clean ..

Why should we adopt an Angora rabbit instead of another breed?

Contrary to a Hamster for example which has a very short life expectancy, the Angora rabbit will not risk causing grief to your children because as I said before, they live up to 10 years, or even a little more. 

This is not the only advantage that this breed of rabbits has, here are other reasons that will push you to choose the Angora rabbit as a family pet:

  • The Angora rabbit tolerates the presence of other pets… 
  • It’s a very affectionate and calm rabbit who loves children.
  • An Angora rabbit is cheap to buy, maintain and care for.
  • They are rarely ill because they are resistant to disease and infection provided they are given a healthy lifestyle and regular brushing.

Are Angora Rabbits Child friendly pets ?

An Angora rabbit will require regular grooming and as with all other rabbits, you should not rely on your children to take care of him. These rabbits should always be treated with great care, and your children should be taught how to carry them without hurting them ; which may cause your rabbit to lash out and give your child a few scratches! So never leave your children alone with your rabbits.

An angora rabbit should not live alone, it is highly recommended that you buy at least two rabbits as they are very social pets and can develop destructive behavior due to loneliness or boredom.

Your children will love having rabbits but it is up to the adults to take care of them, these pets love to have lots of space and letting them loose in your apartment after you have taught them to use their litterboxes would be the best way to keep them happy, and if you put them in their enclosure they should always be able to come out when they want to, basically their enclosure should always be open unless necessary.

Which variety of Angora rabbits to choose?

If you plan to adopt an Angora rabbit or to breed one, you should know that there are several varieties of  rabbits and Angora rabbits recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association, there is the dwarf Angora rabbit that I mentioned earlier, but also other Angora species, here are the best known:

1.The English Angora rabbit

English Angora

This variety of Angora rabbits is recognizable by the hair that covers the forehead, a kind of fringe and also for its two ears that do not fall off.

See also  What do pet rabbits like to chew on ?

An English Angora is the smallest of its species, it can weigh up to 7.5 lbs. only when it becomes an adult after 6 months. 

Ideal for the Show table , difficult to maintain its coat, it produces up to 1 lb of wool, one pound of fiber per year.

If your children cannot take care of it and brush and clean it every day, you’d better choose another breed of rabbits because the volume of its fur is very large compared to its entire body and therefore requires daily brushing. 

2.The French Angora Rabbit

French Angora Rabbit

Their weight can reach 9.5 lbs, this breed of Angora rabbit is very popular with wool producers for the length and quality of their fiber, 1 lb of wool per year, whose colors are very intense, this breed of rabbit also shades naturally.

This variety of angora rabbit is recommended when adopting a rabbit for the first time. 

3.The Giant Angora rabbit 

Giant Angora rabbit 

As its name indicates, in terms of size, this breed is the largest of the Angora rabbits, their weight exceeds 10 pounds when they become adults. 

The giant angora rabbit can produce up to 2 lbs of fiber per year, it does not molt naturally, if you adopt one, you will have to shear it manually.

4.The Satin Angora Rabbit

Satin Angora Rabbit

Known for its very shiny coat, the Satin Angora is a rabbit resulting from a cross between two breeds, its wool is dense, but this breed produces only half a pound of wool per year for a weight that can reach 10 pounds.

Its hairs are short compared to other varieties, but its fibres are of a color much prized by spinners.

If you want to adopt him as a pet, you should know that he is the easiest to maintain among his fellow Angora breeders.

5.The German Angora Rabbit

The German Angora Rabbit

If you are interested in the production of Angora wool, it is this variety that you will need, do not confuse them with the giant Angora rabbits because of their large size, nor with the English Angora whose faces also resemble each other.

They can weigh up to 12 pounds and produce up to 4 pounds of wool each year.

Their hair is denser and longer than that of other Angora rabbits. 

How do I feed my Angora Bunny?

Satin Angora Rabbit

An Angora rabbit needs three essential things for its well being, a healthy and complete diet, exercise and daily brushing. 

If you’ve decided to adopt an Angora rabbit, it’s time to find out how to feed it.

Your Angora rabbit feeds just like all rabbit’s needs : fodder, vegetables, fruit and vegetables, pellets,some Treats and good fresh water.

If it’s just a pet, you will stick to the recommendations that will follow, and if you want to breed for the production of wool, you will have to increase the amount of protein you give to your rabbit.

In order to provide for your Angora rabbit, you will provide him with hay, pellets, treats and water.

Angora Bunnies need Fresh hay

angora rabbits food needs

Hay must be omnipresent in the cage of your Angora rabbit, put it in a tube so that it doesn’t get tied up or tangled in its hair and not only because giving hay to an Angora rabbit will ensure a good fur without clumps.

The hay, rich in fibre, will also prevent your Angora rabbit from intestinal problems. 

Fresh vegetables for your adopted rabbit 

Fresh vegetables cut into pieces are essential for your Angora rabbit; you can also add fruit but only once every two days or twice a week to prevent him from getting too fat and suffering from obesity.

Good quality pellets for your Angora rabbit 

Pellets can make up 20% of your Angora rabbit’s food until it reaches adulthood, about 6 months, and then you will reduce the amount of pellets around 50 grams / day  in order to stabilize its weight and favor more vegetables and hay.

Angoras need extra protein to support a constant wool production. 18 % protein pellets, you can feed your rabbit with pellets and hay up to 4-6 months.

A fresh and good quality water

As for all other rabbits, your new pet must always have fresh water available, there are very efficient water bowls on the market, consisting of a bottle outside the cage and a nozzle that supplies your rabbit as the water level in the cage decreases.

Treats in moderation for your bunny

Give treats to your Angora rabbit only when it is close to adulthood, 5 to 6 months after its birth because before this age, they are very fragile to sudden changes in menu and diet. 

The treats are recommended only once a week, opt instead for natural treats, sweet fruits such as apples or bananas but only a few pieces.

You can set a day of the week to give him treats, such as when you take him out of his cage for the complete cage cleaning.

How to prepare the house to welcome your Angora rabbit 

Once you have chosen your Angora rabbit, and before you go to buy or adopt it in a shelter, you will have to, as I said before, make an appointment with the veterinarian who will examine it and give you at the same time some practical advice about its diet and how to take care of it.

You must also choose and prepare the place where your Angora Rabbit will live, here are some tips to choose the best cage for your Angora Rabbit and the best place in your home to install it.  

How to choose an enclosure for an Angora rabbit?

est angora rabbit cage

More about this Amazing Cage 

Since your rabbit may spend most of its day in its enclosure , it must be chosen carefully. Here are the elements you should take into consideration when you buy a cage for your Angora rabbit:

1. The dimensions of the cage of an Angora rabbit

Although they look small when you buy them, after a few weeks of age, Angora rabbits can exceed 8 pounds when they reach adulthood, after about 6 months.

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You must therefore choose a very spacious cage, in order to allow your rabbit to move freely inside its cage and to burn excess calories and stay healthier, this will depend on a few criteria of course, here they are:

  • The more space you have, the more spacious the cage you can buy. 
  • A spacious cage will cost you a little more money.
  • A large cage will take longer to clean.

2.The different elements of the cage of an Angora rabbit

angora rabbit feeder made in wood
best angora rabbit feeder

More about this Cheap , Beautiful and useful Angora rabbit feeder

Apart from the dimensions which must be increased, the cage of an Angora rabbit is similar to that of all other breeds of big rabbits.

Preferably a floor with a wooden base for your Angoras’ enclosure

Install in the corner opposite to the corner of the watering and feeding trough or bowl, which should preferably be fixed, I said that opposite to the kitchen corner, you should install a toilet corner for your angora rabbit, with an absorbent material so that the urine of your rabbit does not answer in the whole cage and take the risk of soiling its fur and contaminating its food. 

3.If your rabbit is going to live in semi-freedom

If you are going to set up a place of a few square meters where your rabbit can roam freely and far from predators, you can buy a medium size cage, because he will take refuge there just at night and you will install his bowl and watering place.

This solution could be seasonal, if your rabbit lives outside the house, because in the winter month you will have to bring the cage in and create a space for your angora rabbit inside the house.

Where to put your angora rabbits’ enclosure ?

the best area to place the rabbit cage in the house

Like all rabbits, an Angora needs a quiet place, a corner of the house where family members don’t go often.

The ideal temperatures for an angora rabbit are between ( 50 and 86 °F ) or between ( 10 and 30 °C ).

Do not place your rabbit’s cage in a draughty area. 

Do not place your angora rabbit next to a source of heat or cold. 

Angora rabbits hate being wet, so choose a fixed watering trough that it cannot overturn and especially ask your children never to water it with water or any other substance.

The life in semi-liberty remains the best choice for your angora rabbit, it allows him to have a regular exercise and to let off steam, you can install a cabin for him, with a litter and a little hay, carpets and a water point that you renew daily. 

How to take care of an Angora Rabbit ?

As you have probably noticed, an Angora rabbit is like a stuffed toy; a dense fur with long hair. 

To prevent this fur from getting dirty or getting in knots and especially to avoid making your rabbit sick, you must absolutely take care of its fur.

If you do not do it and you let your Angora take care of its own fur, it will scratch its fur with its hind legs which will scatter the hairs all over the cage even on its food. 

On top of that, your rabbit will lick himself and try to brush himself. 

These two behaviors will make him swallow his own hair, this hair will agglomerate in his stomach and cause his loss sooner or later.

So you should brush your Angora rabbit every two days or at most three days for and if you can brush your rabbit daily it’s even better and this for different reasons, here are some of them:

Avoid that his hair gets knotted and intertwined, and when you encounter a knot of hair, take scissors and cut the knot delicately without hurting the animal.

Brushing your angora rabbit daily will also help to aerate its skin and prevent it from developing diseases. 

Brushing your rabbit will also allow you to have a good time with him while doing him good by removing dead hairs and thus allowing your rabbit to keep a soft and silky coat. 

Maintaining the fur of your Angora rabbit every day will take just a little bit of time, you can brush your rabbit in just a few minutes but this daily action is mandatory and must be done thoroughly.

How to brush an angora rabbit?

how to brush properly an angora rabbit

For the brushing  of your rabbit, you will need these tools:

  • Two brushes with a single comb to untangle any knots, you will need two different sizes but both with specific metal bristles for grooming pets : the small brush will be used for the corners and the larger one for the rest of the fur. 
  • Scissors to cut the knots of hair that you couldn’t untangle.
  • A rabbit nail/nail clipper for rabbits, like the one made for cats for example.

The first steps in brushing an angora rabbit

Put your rabbit on your knees and start to pass your hand in the direction of the hair, from the head to the tail, first do it on the top of the back and then gradually go down on both sides. 

Once your rabbit has trusted you, you will be able to take him gently by the skin of the neck and make him go back on his back, hold him well and thus brush his lower abdomen, and the legs, do this without the brushes and this the first time, just use your hand so that he doesn’t scratch you. 

After a few brushing sessions, you can start to use the comb and chisel to cut the clumps of hair and stubborn knots that you can’t untangle.

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Let me recommande you this rabbit nail/nail clipper  , you could use it for your cat  and doggy too

You are going to start brushing your angora rabbit without a brush, just by using your hand, which you are going to delicately pass over its fur and get rid of the hairs that cling to it. 

When you brush your rabbit, you can talk or sing to reassure him and make him not only concentrate on what you’re doing to him, but also on what you’re doing to him.

See also  Common Rabbit Diseases and Their Symptoms

The rabbit loves to brush, especially the Angora breed, but at the beginning, you have to gain its confidence.

Take the opportunity to inspect your rabbit skin.

take the opportunity to inspect the skin of your angora rabbit and to remove the hairs in order to ventilate it, you only have to do this operation in a place where it passes a draught.

When you brush your rabbit, run your fingers through its fur and collect any twigs of hay or pieces of pellets that may be encrusted  in  to ensure a clean coat and prevent bad bacteria from developing.

Use the brush and scissors when brushing.

how to use the brush whith an angora rabbit

You will be able to use the brushes once your rabbit has trusted you and you will notice that he feels good when you brush him and he will look as if he wants to sleep in your hands. 

When you come across a knot while brushing your angora rabbit, try to untangle it delicately, without pulling too much on the hair because the skin of the rabbit is very sensitive and if you can’t manage it, take the scissors and cut the knot delicately.

What to do when an Angora rabbit loses its fur

Be aware that most Angora rabbits moult naturally once every three months, and apart from the German Angora, which you have to shear yourself every time its hair reaches 2 Inches in length, the other Angora breeds will start moulting naturally and if you have adopted one, you will have to help it get rid of the dead hairs.

How do you recognize a molting Angora rabbit?

angora rabbit moulting

Once every 90 days or so, your angora rabbit will moult, you will notice tufts of hair hanging on the bars of its cage, or your rabbit will drag them behind it. 

What to do when your rabbit is moulting?

Don’t panic, it’s completely natural, you’ll have to help your angora rabbit to get rid of its dead hair, do this over two days to avoid stressing your rabbit.

Take your rabbit delicately on your knees and run your fingers through its hair, make your fingers tighten just a little and bring your hand back towards you. 

Put the hair you collect in a container and start again until you notice that your rabbit starts to get a little agitated.

He invites you to stop, don’t worry, you’re not hurting him but you can continue his brushing the next day to pick up the rest of the hairs.

During this moulting period, you must make sure that no clumps of hair remain in the cage, to prevent your rabbit from swallowing it by mistake and causing digestive problems.

Watch your angora rabbit during its moulting period:

When your rabbit is moulting, there’s a great risk that it will eat its own hair by mistake, unlike a cat who will regurgitate it, a rabbit can’t do that. 

If you notice during this period that your rabbit has lost its appetite and has suddenly stopped eating and seeing, know that it is a sign that he has eaten hair and that it has blocked his digestive system.

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You must take him immediately to a veterinary clinic for treatment.

What are the common diseases of an angora rabbit?

How to recognize a sick Angora rabbit ?

Here are the signs that your rabbit is sick:

  • He’ll tend to stay in the corner of his cage. 
  • You’ll notice tears in her eyes
  • If your rabbit coughs or sneezes 
  • When your rabbit’s hair stands up or loses its shine
  • If your rabbit suddenly stops eating or drinking water
  • Small dry droppings or a rabbit that stops peeing
  • A swollen, hard belly when you run your hand over it.

If you notice any of these symptoms, it could be diarrhea, Coryza, ear scabies, intestinal obstruction, …etc and you should take your rabbit to the vet as soon as possible.

How much does it cost to raise an Angora rabbit ?

You can get your angora rabbit for free in a shelter, if not you can buy your rabbit and the prices vary according to the breed and age of the rabbit, but they are between 50$ and 250$, they can also cost much more than that.

It is also necessary to count some 200$ for the cage, the feeder  …etc and between 20$ and 30$ per month and for each rabbit for the food …etc.

Some additional costs are to be considered if you want to buy toys for him or if he gets sick …etc…

Your Angora rabbit can also be a source of income, as an ounce of Angora wool can be worth $10, rabbit manure is sold on the internet for $20 to $25 a pound. 

You can also breed Angora rabbits by respecting the rules of course and sell the small and baby Angora rabbits too. 

Final Thoughts

I have two puppies Peachies and Piko and their mother keisha, and I am sincerely thinking of adopting a couple of angora rabbits, they are cute, easy to raise and maintain and can also provide me with manure for my flowers, what more could I ask for ?

Listen to your heart and take this rabbit home, give it love and it will give it back to you. 

Leave me a comment if you have any questions 

Thank you for reading 

M Samy pet blogger and author at famillypet

About Author

Hey! Samy here , Welcome to my Blog I'm an animal lover, especially pets and Really concerned about their well being ; I've been around and caring for all my life and Now ; a full-time Pet blogger at your service . My motto here at Famillypet is: "Pets First" ... Read More

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