The Angora rabbit is famous for its fine, soft wool.
Angora rabbits are usually bred for their long, soft wool, but they make great pets as well. Their origins are uncertain, but the generally accepted theory is that French sailors brought the rabbits back to Europe from Ankara (then known as Angora), Turkey, because they wanted to create the same beautiful shawls that the native women wore.
The American Rabbit Breeders Association recognizes four different Angora rabbit breeds: French, English, Satin, and Giant. The English breed is distinguished by fur on its face and ears. The Satin version has finer and softer hair than the other breeds, and the Giant Angora is the biggest breed, weighing at least nine and a half pounds.
The English Angora rabbit is the breed most popular for shows due to its unique facial furnishings. The French Angora rabbit is a dream for hand-spinners. And the Satin Angora rabbits are a cross between a Satin and French Angora rabbit. The giant Angora as we mentioned above can weigh almost ten pounds! They were bred with Flemish Giants to create this special breed and are super cute.
It's important to do your research when looking at all these breeds of Angora rabbits.
Angora rabbits are particularly susceptible to wool block, a potentially-lethal blockage of the digestive tract. During grooming sessions they may ingest some of their wool and their digestive system is not able to pass that foreign matter.
The Angora wool industry has been a target of criticism by animal rights activists, who claim that the rabbits are scared and injured in the process of harvesting the wool. According to PETA, 90 percent of Angora wool comes from China, where there are no regulations about how the rabbits must be treated.
If you own an Angora rabbit as a pet, their wool must be sheared two to three times a year to keep them healthy, but as long as they are sheared properly, the rabbits shouldn't experience any pain.
And Angora rabbits need to be groomed daily as it has more wool than guard hairs.
Some wonderful resources include any Angora rabbit breeders and the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA).
Our staff fave? The English Angora rabbit is known to be a wonderful pet rabbit! It is also the smallest of the Angora breeds and the face furnishings may cover the eyes which is unique to this breed.
Remember though that every Angora breed needs to be groomed daily! That smooth silky texture is why the Angora breed is so popular. Wool production is low maintenance and shearing occurs every three to four months throughout the year.
No wonder the Angora breed was a popular choice among French royalty. Harvesting Angora is an activity that hand-spinners have enjoyed since the 1700s.
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In-Story image: Flickr/vjmarisphotos
