WOOLY WABBIT
Care Sheet
Bunnies
Young bunnies are extremely fragile. Until they reach 3-4 months of age extra care must be given in how you handle them and what you feed them. I have seen several leg injuries that are due to bunny legs getting stuck in a wire floor that is the incorrect size. (See cage paragraph) Give your bunny time to adjust to his new home before showering him with too much love. Remember, this is the first time this bunny has been away from his mother, brothers and sisters. Don’t feed your new bunny anything (No carrots, lettuce, apples etc.) but hay and the pellets I provided to you; slowly begin mixing with the feed you have decided to use. Always make sure you have lots of water and check your water valve on the bottles every day. Bunnies will dehydrate and die in 2-3 days with no water. Watch your bunnies closely monitoring his activity level, food consumption, water consumption, urine and feces. Don’t be alarmed if your new bunny has red or orange colored urine. This is normal and should go away at about 12 weeks old. The change of diet is what most people believe causes this. I have seen bunnies as young as 3 months old breed and it is very dangerous for that to happen. Rabbits should be bred at about 6 months old when they have reached full maturity.
Cage
Rabbits are solitary animals, meaning they usually should have their own cage. Mature rabbits of the same sex will usually fight and of course opposite sex will breed at 3+ months old. The only exception to this rule is same sex bunnies that have been raised together from a young age. The minimum cage space requirements are 2”x2” preferably 3”x3” and 18” high. Cages should be well ventilated as rabbits have sensitive respiratory systems and more importantly angoras need to be kept cool. Cages should have a feeder affixed to the cage, water bottle and a hay rack. Cage bottoms should always be made of wire 1/2”x1”. This allows for the rabbit waste to fall away from the rabbit’s wool and keep your bunny clean. Periodic cage scrubbing with soapy solution will prevent cysts from developing on the rabbits pads. A sliding waste tray should be under the cage. You can sprinkle the waste tray with wood pellets (horse bedding) to reduce odor and make cleaning easier. I use the brand “Equine Fresh”. If you keep your Angora outdoors they MUST be in the shade at all times. They also should be raised high off the ground to avoid predators. I suspend my cages from the ceiling. During the summer they will need a fan and should be sheared down. If temperatures reach 90° your rabbit’s health is in danger. Frozen 2 liter bottles can be used to keep the rabbit cool as well as misting systems. The very best option is to keep your bunny inside. Angoras do much better in the winter. If they are outside in freezing conditions they need to have a tarp covering their cage to block the wind and retain heat.
Feeding
Rabbit pellets are the primary source of food for your Angora. You can buy 50lb bags of feed for as little as $10 and as much as $30. The most important thing to make sure of is that their diet is consistent. I buy feed with 18% protein. Many breeders believe this helps produce a thick healthy coat. It is very important to provide your angora with plenty of fresh hay. Angoras need this in their diet to help process ingested hair which will help in preventing “Wool Block” (see Ailments). Keep your hair dry and clean! Do not allow other animals such as chickens or mice to make contact as this will spread disease to your rabbit (i.e. Coccidiosis). Bunnies younger than 12 weeks old should not be fed anything other than water, pellets and hay. Live vegetation (Carrots, Lettuce, Apples, Grass, etc.) should not be fed to young rabbits. This can cause a bunny to have diarrhea and will quickly dehydrate and die. After twelve weeks of age, very small amounts of treats can be given with close observation. Outdoor greens can be given such as Oak Leaves, Dandelion Leaves and fresh Grass. Use caution when selecting outdoor food sources. Different additives can be mixed with regular food such as Calf Manna, Cheerios and Quaker Oats. Carefully research what you choose to feed your bunnies! A fresh water supply is CRITICAL for the survival of your rabbits. Do not let your water bottles build up with mold. Frequently bleach the bottles and thoroughly rinse them before reusing. Check water valves daily to verify water is flowing properly.
Grooming
English Angoras are very unique rabbits due to their long dense wool coats. Their coats require extensive and regular upkeep. Angoras can re-grow their coat in 3-4 months! Many people don’t realize the time commitment it takes to keep their coat healthy. Weekly brushing and/or blowing of their coat is required to prevent matting of the wool. The best brush to use is called a slicker brush and has fine, flexible metal teeth. Angora wool can be plucked without injuring the rabbit, using a brush will thin the coat which is not desirable for showing your rabbit. Using a professional blower or a 2hp shop vacuum will remove dander and help to clear tangles. If their coat is not regularly groomed the matted hair will begin to pull out of their skin and large bald areas of skin will be exposed. 3-4 times a year the rabbit should have its nails trimmed carefully avoiding cutting the quick which is a pink or dark area within the nail. Rabbits have 5 nails per paw on the front and 4 on the back. Nails can become twisted and eventually will tear off and cause bleeding and potential infection. Rabbits are generally clean animals but at times will need to be bathed. Water can be filled in a tub so that it reaches the rabbit’s belly. Using pet shampoo, wash the area under their tail to remove any physical matter and if the rabbit needs cleaning elsewhere gently wash and rinse and then towel dry. Hair should be trimmed around the genital area to help prevent urine and fecal buildup. Yellow staining on the paws of white rabbits can be cleaned with a baking soda and water paste solution. Angoras can get eye crust buildup and it is important to use a wet cloth to wipe and dry this area to prevent infection
Ailments
Much can be said when it comes to rabbit ailments. In order to keep this concise I will instead cover symptoms to look for which will indicate your rabbit is sick. In general, rabbits are very healthy animals and in most cases indoor rabbits need no prescribed preventive medicine. The most significant issue with Angora is “Wool Block”. Rabbits ingest their own hair and cannot expel it except through the digestive process. The digestive tract can become blocked which will cause the rabbit to stop eating and soon die. It is important to monitor water and food consumption as this is an indicator of health. Another indication of health is its weight and feces composition. The feces should be round and moist not runny or misshapen. You will see them strung together like a pearl necklace. This is normal as the rabbit is passing the hair, however this should not continue long term. You can feed your rabbit fruit that contains bromine such as pineapple and papaya. I routinely feed my angoras Papaya supplements from Wal-Mart and they LOVE IT! You can also use cat hairball removal paste. (Feed using a Popsicle stick – not your finger) You can also mix a concoction of molasses, olive oil, pineapple, papaya, and meat tenderizer feeding with a needleless syringe. If you notice any change in food consumption, weight, or fecal size and consistency there is reason to be concerned and you should quickly find out why. Many rabbit breeders routinely give rabbits 1% Ivomec to prevent mite infestation and worms. A pea size amount of paste can be fed orally and repeated two weeks later. Topcial and injectable applications can also be utilized. Mites can infest your rabbits ears which will look scabby and crusty. You can apply olive oil inside the ears daily and in about two weeks the mites will disappear. Be sure to clean the entire area so they don’t spread elsewhere
Tools
Every Angora rabbit owner should have a kit of items to care for their bunny. A slicker brush for general coat grooming and a mat breaker rake to get under mats and split them. A Nail Trimmer to keep the nails from scratching and getting long. Use a sharp pair of scissors for trimming their coat and cutting mats out. A blower will greatly help in keeping a healthy clean coat. You can buy a new 2hp shop vacuum and put it in reverse. I purchased electric shears that are specifically for animals with a coat similar to angoras. The brand and model is Wahl Arco SE. They are expensive but worth the time they save and virtually eliminates the possibility of cutting your rabbit accidentally. I keep spray on liquid bandage in case a rabbit gets cut. This will disinfect and help in closing the wound. Popsicle sticks are good for general purpose use.
Reference Articles
