I have done what I can to protect the identities of the original owners even though they could probably be brought up on charges of animal abuse. Why this poor fella wasn't taken to the vet or returned sooner is something I'm not likely to ever learn the answer to.

My main concern in writing this article is that future buyers of my English Angora rabbits will not return a bunny to me. I want to make it very clear, that I take my bunnies back, no questions asked. Should you choose to provide me with information, great! It will be very helpful to me. If you have questions, I will always answer them to the best of my ability with the information I am provided.

The bottom line is, please, no matter the situation, don't concern yourself with how I may feel personally. If you need or want to return an English Angora rabbit, contact me. I will not report you. I will not lecture you. I will simply arrange a meet time and day. I will then repossess the bunny. That's it. Promise.

I have a No questions asked return policy on all of my English angora rabbits.

All I care about is that these gorgeous animals are cared for. It is the whole reason I wrote my Angora Rabbit Care article.

Angora rabbits are: A Lot. Of. Work. Angora rabbits are: A Lot. Of. Work.

Most (but not all) of the time when an angora is returned to me, it is in bad shape. I steel myself to accept that I will likely not be happy with the animal that is returned to me. That I will have an incredible amount of work on my hands to restore the bunny to good health. However, I also remind myself to be thankful that the person/s returning the angora was honest enough with themselves to admit that they took on more than they can handle.

In my nearly two decades of exclusive English Angora raising, I thought I'd seen it all. The return of this rabbit has shown me that I was very wrong. To quote my husband, "They tortured it."

This Ruby Eyed White (REW) buck was purchased from me on December 4, 2021. I was contacted on December 8th after the Junior buck was taken as a teenagers pet. I didn't hear from them again until a little over a year later on January 25, 2022.

December 8, 2021:

"Hello. I understand completely that purchasing this rabbit from you does not automatically obligate you to answer our questions about him for life. So if you need to make a clean separation at any point, please do say so. Nonetheless we do have a few questions if you’re willing.

We weren’t sure if the fresh foods guidance on your website was just for adults or kits too. He has unrestrained access to pellets (we did end up having local supplier for the New Country Organics pellets) hay and water. We’ve tried offering him some apples and made the cardboard tubes filled with hay and he hasn’t shown much interest. In fact, he hasn’t shown much interest in any of the chew toys we got him (pumice stone, applewood sticks, rabbit chew toys from the pet store), preferring to eat a genuinely shocking amount of hay instead. He digs a bit, but no chewing behavior to be seen so far.

We are having some struggles keeping his fur totally clean. The brushing in general is going well and kind of fun at this point, so we don’t see any problems with mats or tangles. But any time he’s not on the wire bottom cage (say on the platforms in his cage to give him a break from the wires or the enclosed space on laminate flooring we’ve set up to give him space to run around) he nearly always ends up with at least a little urine and poop on his feet and belly. Cleaning out the solid pellets isn’t a problem, but sometimes they get smooshed into his fur a bit and while we can dry the urine on his fur with a tool that doesn’t feel “clean” exactly. Most advice seem reluctant to recommend any kind of water-based bathing, but haven’t found a great way to handle this situation otherwise. He also has a very small amount of crust under his nose (something I would consider totally normal for most animals, but noticed he didn’t have when I picked him up from you). Someone suggested kitten wipes as a solution for this kind of cleaning—any thoughts on that? Alternate suggestions?

He has been an absolute delight so far and seems to be acclimating to our household nicely overall. All advice appreciated very much.

Take care and thanks again."

I responded on December 9, 2021:

"Hi [redacted],

Your bunny is still very young & is likely interested in other things right now than the chew toys. When he wants/needs to chew on something he will. Having easily accessible chew treats will hopefully reduce the likelihood of him chewing something you'd rather he didn't. High sugar treats like apples should only be provided sparingly. Too much sugar can cause diarrhea.

When not on wire, a angora that is not litter box trained will hop through their own urine & feces. The only ways to avoid this are to constantly watch him & clean up his messes right after he makes them so he cannot walk through, get him litter box trained, or avoid allowing him on anything that doesn't have some sort bottom that drains. Rather than a solid platform, you can try woven grass mats. They will allow urine to pass through. Pellets however will remain. Once soiled or eaten (bunnies will often chew the mats as well), the mat can be composted or thrown out.

You do not want to bathe him. Soaking up the wet wool with a paper towel or cloth & further drying the wool with a hair dryer on low heat or grooming blower is your safest option.

Crust around the nose could be from many different things. Rabbits are very sensitive to fragrances, cleaning products, lotions, etc. If you need to clean his nose, use a soft wet cloth or paper towel. Less is more. Wipes for cats have the potential to contain ingredients that while safe for cats, may not be safe for rabbits. If the crust around the nostrils seems bad or he starts to sneeze excessively or produce a lot of snot, you may want to take him to the vet. Based on what you told me, I'm inclined to think it's environmental though rather than viral/bacterial.
I'm glad you are all enjoying him. Did your [redacted] pick out a name for him yet?

Jen :o)"

On January 25, 2023 I received the following email:

"Hello. About a year ago we purchased an angora bunny from you. Most of the year has gone fairly well but over the last few months the bunny has developed some strange habits that have made it, from our perspective, impossible to keep him clean and healthy. We love him very much but want to do what’s best for him, and so we are definitely considering your kind offer to take him back if that’s what’s best for him. But I thought I should start by just telling you what we’re seeing first and get your thoughts on the situation. He seems to often behave in ways that all sources agree Angora rabbits should not behave.

•  We give him a thorough brushing twice a day as you recommended, but there are some areas (such as the bottom of his feet or in his crotch) where brushing doesn’t make sense or the brush doesn’t fit and we’re not sure how to clean those area without washing.
• The above is made much worse by his habit of actively spreading any material in his cage (hay, food, poop) around and then collecting it underneath himself to sit on on the flat area of his cage. His underside is kind of always pretty gross these days and we don’t know what to do. 
• He ignores chew toys and pumice blocks. He has one tooth that has grown exceptionally long, but we’re not sure how to help. This does not seem to prevent him from eating and drinking but it also feels like it can’t be comfortable.
  
• He seems to intentionally splash water onto his face, especially around his eyes. We’ve tried many different types of water bottles and positionings to prevent this with no luck. We trim the wet fur around his eyes but then he just does it again and you can only trim it so short. He looks rather ghoulish as a result frankly.

 
We’ve also attempted to find professional grooming services for him without luck. From your experience, do you have any suggestions about what we could do to improve his situation from here? Does your offer to take him back still stand? He’s quite large (much larger than any pictured on your site) and produces a tremendous amount of fur.

Thanks very much for your time."

The behavior described was unlike anything I had ever heard of in all of my years of breeding, grooming, housing, and rescuing English Angora rabbits. I answered as best I could with the information provided.

"Hi [redacted],
 
For brushing his hind feet, use a comb. You can start with a slicker, but you'll need to carefully use a comb to catch deeper mats. Be careful not to catch his toes. You can then finish with the slicker to catch any loose hairs that are too fine for the comb. If the mats are too deep &/or big, try breaking up the mats into smaller bits. You can use small blunt nose scissors. Aim the scissors away from his flesh so you don't accidentally nick him.

For maintaining his genital area, I recommend scissors. If he is not fixed, you will need to locate his testicles first & move them out of the way. Also be weary of his penis. They will sometime poke them out during grooming. Don't cut too close to the skin & use blunt nosed short scissors. Never wash an angora rabbit.

From your description, it sounds like he is not on wire & therefore is getting very dirty. I recommend a wire bottom. You can use resting pads that attach to the bottom so that he is comfortable. Any hay should be in a rack on the outside of his cage. The only time it's realistic to have him on bedding & have hay in his home is when his coat has been pulled.

The long tooth can become a problem if he doesn't go to the vet to have it clipped. Usually, with enough to chew, their teeth stay trimmed. Sometimes though their teeth will over grow. In this situation a visit to the vet is necessary. The vet will trim the tooth to a more proper length.
Have you tried apple sticks & branches for him to chew? Most rabbits love them. If the chew toys you provided are of no interest to him, you'll need to continue to search for something that he does like to chew.
 
The situation with his eyes sounds more like weepy eye then him getting his eyes wet from his water. This is especially so if you are using a water bottle. For weeping eyes, a trip to the vet is needed to see if he has any eye drainage issues or possible infection. Sometimes it's as simple as debris in the eyes.

Your exotic vet may be able to recommend appropriate groomers in your area &/or may even do a sanitary cut for you like they often do for aging cats to prevent urinary tract infections.

If you feel that you can no longer care for him, then yes I will take him back free of charge.

Jen"

About three weeks later on February 16, 2023 I was contacted again:

"Thanks so much for your response. I’ve been delaying getting back to you to give my [redacted] a bit of time to think and sort out the situation. [redacted] decided that if you’re willing to take him back, [redacted] would like to bring him back to you. We just don’t have any resources around here—we talked many local vets and none of them are willing to work with an angora nor have any recommendations. The one we’d heard about has left that office and they have no plans to replace him. The nearest vet or groomer we can find is over two hours away near [redacted] and we clearly aren’t able to give him the care that he needs on our own.

We do genuinely believe he’s a bit of a special case, for whatever that’s worth.  We’ve tried basically every kind of chew toy we can find that’s labeled as being for rabbits including apple sticks, pumice stones, pine cones, ropes balls, and wood toys. His cage has a large area of solid flooring (about 2’x2’) and a larger grated area (about 2’x3’) with a puppy pad underneath on the same side as his food, hay and water. He seems to intentionally wait to poop and pee on the solid side and then hide the pellets underneath himself (the puppy pad goes basically unused). The hay is indeed outside the cage, and he will grab some in his mouth and carry it over to the solid side repeatedly. I was also skeptical of the water bottle situation, but we’ve both watched him go over to the bottle and bump he head on it over and over again.

Is there a time in the upcoming week or two where it would be good for us to meet up? I can make almost anything work as needed.

Thanks again for your kindness."

On February 18, 2023 I was back in possession of the buck. At this point he is about 14 months old.

The rest of this article shows my progress over the course of a month as I worked tirelessly to rehabilitate this bunny. For those who rescue angoras, I hope this will be helpful to you. For those of you who have never owned an angora rabbit, I hope this will be helpful to you as well.

Let this be a reminder of what happens when these animals are not properly cared for. The condition of this rabbit occurred in only one year!

Possession of the rabbit in the slide show above was shocking and horrifying. From the emails, I was informed that he was being groomed regularly. At a glance it was obvious that this animal had not been groomed in a very long time. A year if not longer. Angora rabbits coats will mat, but not the moment you stop grooming them. To end up in this condition, the coat was never properly groomed nor was it ever removed the multiple times the coat was shed. Instead all of this fiber built up into a stiff shell around an emaciated body.

The teen cuddled him in their arms and sobbed when they gave him up. I informed the teen that I had been doing this a very long time, that English Angora rabbits are all I know. I informed the teen that I would provide photos at which point the teen brightened but then started to cry again as I finished with, "if he lives." I see no reason to pussyfoot around the hard reality of life and responsibility. However, the parent clearly didn't do their part either.

So far, the previous owners have not contacted me to see how their beloved pet is doing or if he even survived.

The buck smelled so bad I was convinced that under his disgusting coat was a huge festering and rotting mass of decay. I held little hope that he would survive whatever the heck happened to him.

Immediately upon returning home, I got out my grooming supplies and set to work. You can see my progress in the slideshow above.

For some areas of his coat, I had to use hoof trimming shears to cut through the many layers of hard encrusted feces to uncover his sore ridden flesh beneath.

The fur around his face was stiff, filthy, heavily matted and yellow thanks to his eyes continuously weeping. I trimmed away all of his facial hair.

I almost cut off his tail. Working around his groin area was incredibly difficult. This was by far the worst area on his body and that's saying a lot. It wasn't until later that evening or maybe the next morning that I realized that I didn't find his penis.

There were many long and thick sections of feces that I had to cut off. Mere seconds before taking the hoof trimming shears to yet another encrusted part of his body, I paused. I thought to myself, wait a sec. where the heck is his tail? I started to feel all over him. I even thought that maybe his tail was gone. Then it finally dawned, the thing I was about to cut off was his tail! That was a very difficult task. Removing hard layers of feces from his skinny tail without actually snipping the tail. I had to ask my husband to hold him so I could use both hands to work this area (and his groin) free. Once uncovered, the skin on his tail was one ulcerated sore that was bleeding a little.

As I painstakingly removed his coat over a period of several hours, he started to lick at himself. His overgrown teeth kept clacking. I stopped my coat removal process and clipped his teeth to a more normal length. I then resumed removing his coat.

His coat was so stiff and dense that not even a quarter into the process my brand new grooming sheers were dull. When I got the first section off I held it up to my husband when I saw him walk by. He looked over at me and said, "It died?" He thought that quarter section of the bunnies coat was the actual bunny.

His coat on his entire body was densely matted to the skin. There was not any section anywhere that was not matted. I have never in my life seen a angora matted this badly.

His groin area was massively swollen with what I believed at the time to be a raging infection of his urinary tract, genitals or both. He had festering sores all over his body. Around one back leg, the teen said they applied some gauze for his wound. The gauze was soaked in foul smelling feces. During removal it was clear that at that time the bunny had diarrhea.

The bunny couldn't stand properly or move his back legs to kick. I figured it was due to the extensive matting. His legs and even his head were matted to his body, reducing his mobility. Once his coat was removed, he fell over. At this point I've concluded that his leg muscles have atrophied and he will start to regain use of his limbs within a day or two.

I was wrong.

I brought him into our home and set him up near our wood stove. By this point his condition seemed very poor. We expected him to die. He didn't. This fella had a very strong will to live.

Day Two.

I'm shocked in the morning when I get up to see that he is still alive. He's not standing on his own. He doesn't appear to have moved from his side all night. A bed sore has resulted on his hip. I clean him up with a nice warm bath.

Note: I do not recommend bathing angora rabbits. This is an extreme case where the life of the rabbit is on the line. His coat has been removed. An angora that has been bathed can easily catch a chill and die. This is why it is critical to provide proper coat maintenance. If a particular area of your angora tends to be dirty, I find it best to trim away the wool from that area. If it is simply hay, grooming will catch the hay bits as will your fingers. For soiled wool, cut it out with blunt nose scissors as needed.

I towel dried him, then used a blower on him to dry the little amount of wool he still has.

At this point his groin has been washed thoroughly with soap and water and rinsed just as thoroughly. I made up a paste using lavender essential oil, raw honey, and sulfa powder. This was applied generously to his genitals. Pictured is before applying the paste so that I can record his progress or regression each day.

Sovereign Silver has been added to his drinking water as a holistic antibiotic. At this point I don't want to risk him ingesting a stronger antibiotic because it can upset his gut micro flora. This can cause diarrhea and death. With how stressed his body is, I'm trying for a more gentle approach.

His groin area is incredibly swollen. Presumably with infection. It took a lot of effort to push through the swollen flesh and locate his red puffy penis. From what I can tell, he has both a urinary and possible reproductive infection that is very bad and very well might kill him.

His groin is by far the worst area of his body regarding skin sores. This is due to the massive amounts of urine and feces that was on his flesh for months.

He is still not able to stand and is dragging his body around. I have to tend to him very often throughout the entire day. I ordered a baby changing mattress pad to put on the bottom of his cage in hope of reducing the odds of him developing additional bed sores or making the one he has worse.

He is already amusing me in his enthusiasm at being touched by me. He licks constantly. I can only imagine just how good it must feel to him having his actual skin being touched, cleaned, massaged, and caressed.

He eats out of my hand and is a bit of a cuddler already.

I haven't been contacted by the previous owners on this day either. Perhaps they are giving things time before checking in on the pet they said they loved so much.

Day Three.

After his soak and during my administrations around his groin and crotch area, I realized that the huge puffed area wasn't a mass of infection. Instead, it was a massive mix of fur, fecal matter and urine that was purifying. His bath soaks helped to loosen this mass, enabling me to remove it. The loose skin by his crotch stretched out to create a kangaroo style pouch where all of this collected. Once all of this was removed, I did my usual Vetericyn wash. This was followed by a paste I made using Neomed Sulfur powder and WholeNest honey lavender ointment to help fight infection.

Day Four.

It was a beautiful and warm February day. I decided to get him outside for a few hours where he could lay on a thick bed of hay and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. The photos in the slide show were taken in the early evening right before I brought him inside for the usual cleansing and healing ablutions. Because these photos are prior to bathing and treatment, you can clearly see the infection in his penile area. He is also ready to pop out a few healthy looking pellets. You can see this as well in the photos.

Day Five.

As expected, healing has greatly improved now that the impacted mass has been removed. He spent a good deal of time under the infrared lamp. He really seems to love it. He also loves to rest his head in my hand and doze. The baby mattress works wonders at helping to keep him comfortable while he heals. I put puppy pads in layers over the mattress. I then secure the pads so that they don't slide around. His appetite is excellent. He eats plenty of pellets, hay, and treats. He has such a strong will to live.

I also discovered his behavior of hitting his head on the water bottle. This was pretty simple to understand after observation. Because he cannot move two of his legs properly, he tends to move in unbalanced lunges. He is not intentionally hitting the water bottle with his head. He is working to position himself to drink. Once he is comfortable, he drinks. He does not hit his head into the water bottle needlessly.

Day six.

His many scabs continue to shrink with healthy pink skin in their place. Inflammation also continues to go down. I am having a hard time with this, seeing how much suffering he has been through and how far he still has to go.

Day seven.

Even with the baby mattress and continuing with gently manipulations and handling, he prefers to lay on one side. This has created a huge bed sore at his hip bone. On top of that his penile area seems to have worsened. More warm Epsom bath soaks are needed. I cannot stress enough that an angora rabbit shouldn't be bathed - ever! This is a very extreme situation. A very abnormal situation. Plus, he has very little hair. Even so, he must be gently towel dried and then dried completely with a hair dryer on it's lowest setting. He then rests with a heat generating infrared lamp to ensure he isn't chilled.

By the way, infrared devices are great for humans, cats, dogs, horses, etc. I have several different types for different issues and situations. The main thing I don't like about the lights is that they are very bad for the eyes. Please keep this in mind should you choose to use one.

Day eight.

While not out of the woods yet, the improvements in his swelling continue, albeit very slowly. The redness of his penile area have greatly reduced. This is such a relief.

He doesn't enjoy the baths, but they make a huge difference. They also help to get him clean. The water color is thanks to a combination of the sulfur, his own urine, and the Epsom salt. He gets dirty easily because he cannot sit or stand properly. He spends most of his time lying on his side. He usually drags himself around. I go through a lot of small puppy pee pads to keep him clean. I choose the smaller sized pads so that I'm not wasting larger pads. When using larger pads, when he soils only one area, I end up having to toss out a mostly clean pad. Most of the mess that gets him dirty occurs overnight while I am sleeping because I'm not constantly checking to see if his pads need to be changed.

Note: I tried cat sized diapers, but no matter what I did, he would drag them off overnight. Plus, the way the tail hole is situated, a lot of his pellet poop would still make it out of the diaper and he'd still get soiled from a combination of dragging himself through and laying on his poop pellets.

Day nine.

His testicles are practically back to normal. Almost no scabs are left. The final battle seems to be the swelling in his penile shaft and his bed sores. If the bed sores can't be healed at home, he may need surgery because it can travel to the bone.

Day ten.

This bed sore has been the most difficult to treat. It is shrinking though. I use Silverquine Hydrogel, a colloidal silver based ointment after he is done with his Epsom salt soak. Remember, do NOT bathe your angora rabbit! This is a very unique situation. A healthy angora with their coat should never, ever be bathed.

Day eleven.

His testicles look great! His penile shaft is still swollen. The bedsore is challenging. I am continuing with a very gentle oral antibiotic after his bath. Once dry he gets Vetericyn wound spray and Silverquine colloidal silver ointment when I'm finished.

Day twelve.

I'm feeling a lot more optimistic today regarding his recovery. He managed to stand (with my assistance) for about twenty to thirty minutes without falling over! He was happily eating for most of this time. Normally he will only stand for about a minute before tipping over. Once he's off his feet, he cannot get back on them, no matter how hard he tries. He does sometimes manage a okay upper body lift, but mostly he lays flat. Frankly, it's pretty horrible. He has the bed sore to show which side he tends to lay on most.

Day thirteen.

He has spinal and nerve damage plus muscle atrophy in his hind and front legs on his right side. This is why he cannot stand. Without knowing exactly what happened, there are two likely possibilities for his spinal and nerve damage. One is he was dropped or mishandled. Two is he became frightened and caused his own injury (it can happen). The muscle atrophy is due to the mats that connected his legs and head to his body, further restricting his movements. All of this is why he ended up in the worst condition I've ever seen a rabbit in.

Two weeks.

He got to snooze on a thick bed of hay in the sun for a few hours today. I was hoping it might perk him up. Instead he perked up after his bathing and medicating routine. He really loves his infrared light! Sweet Mr. Snuggles that he is.

Two and a half weeks.

The bedsore continues to shrink very slowly. His genital area continues to heal very slowly. I am still giving him the daily routine of Epsom salt bath soaks, oral antibiotic, wound spray, and colloidal silver ointment.

Three weeks.

The constant Epson salt bathes and need to dry him, are making him bald and pink. His appetite remains strong. I have been continuing to help him to stand. He loves being held, tickled, and cuddled. In so many ways he acts more like one of my cats that one of my bunnies. He tends to get his PJ's off, so I make sure he always has a heat source. He zens out under the infrared lamp. Total house rabbit. Christened, Mr. Snuggles (not his original name).

One month.

Mr. Snuggles is fully healed from everything other than his bedsores and his inability to stand or sit normally. I give him a two times daily does of over the counter rabbit antibiotic that he loves like a treat. It's a very gentle product that I have found very safe and useful over the many years I've been caring for angora bunnies.

Unlike the majority of my rescues, he will not be going to a new home.

The previous owners have yet to inquire about his outcome.

January 25, 2025:

I am no longer selling my English Angora rabbits to anyone. I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt. I never policed any purchase. Personally, if you were going to spend what I was charging and make the drive to pick the bunny up, I trusted you would also be responsible. An angora didn't have to be a pet. They are fiber animals. As long as the bunny was properly cared for, I was a okay. Taking back bunnies in poor condition became expected. I was never happy about the condition of the bunnies I took back, but none were ever like this. Mr. Snuggles was the first tortured rabbit I had to rehabilitate.

I'm done. I suppose I may change my mind at some point. But it seems unlikely. Please don't ask me for a bunny. I am not responding to those types of inquires.

If you are curious, the previous owners have never contacted me since returning him to me on that fateful day.

Before you start building your rabbits home, you'll need to scope out your property. You want to put your rabbits housing where it will be in the shade for the entire day. If you don't have shade, you will need to build a sturdy, permanent, shaded canopy similar to a car port. Make sure the roof has the proper pitch for water run off and that the roof is of sufficient size to block the sun for the entire day. The larger the shaded area, the cooler the area will be which is critical in the summer. Even in winter direct sunlight can overheat a rabbit wearing a full coat. A rabbit should never be housed in a way that they cannot find relief from the sun. For added protection, pick the side that the wind most often blows from and build a wall there. If you already have adequate natural shade, you will need still need to consider the wind. Make sure the back wall of your rabbits home faces the wind. The back wall of your rabbits home should not have any openings. Do not ever place the open areas of your rabbits home against the wind.

Here is the frame of a basic angora rabbit hutch. The back wall has a sheet of solid plywood. The minimum size for your back wall should be no less than 27x44x69". The hutch is off of the ground considerably to work with my height so that I don't have to stoop to get inside the cage to clean it or access the rabbit. An appropriate height also enables me to see inside the hutch at a glace which means I can quickly see how each rabbit is doing. Most of the time they hop over to the door to say hello or they are zonked out sleeping on their sides.

The second photo on the right gives you a good view of the high point of the roof. This gives the rabbit plenty of space to stand up fully on his or her hind legs to stretch and look around. If your rabbit cannot extend their body fully and completely in all directions, their home is too small.

As always our barn cats (these are all cats that we have adopted and had spayed/neutered) love to be involved in all of our activities. Pictured is George, Mickadoo, and Marshmallow Pants. 🐱

In the first photo to the left you can see the front of the hutch which is the side with the wire. The back is the plywood. The sides have nothing on them as yet. You can also see the slant at the top for the roof. I am an imposing 5'2" tall. John builds my rabbit hutches 62" off of the ground. Plan the height of your hutch based on the individual who will be spending the most time with the rabbit.

The second photo to the right shows the back of the hutch (size minimum 62x44x69"). You can see the bottom of the plywood is a bit weathered. This is because it was being stored in the hay barn. This was from extra barn siding (that is what this type of plywood is called). When possible, John will utilize leftovers from other building projects to build me my bunny homes. New lumber is only purchased when necessary.

The barn cats in the first photo are Mickadoo, Marshmallow Pants, and Black Nose Sun. 🐱

Rabbits love to chew. Using fence staples, hammer 1x1" or smaller metal fencing to the wood so that it covers any and all exposed wood. This is especially important if you are using any sort of treated wood. 🐰

The first picture on the left shows the shorter side wall (size minimum 28x27"). This is the side the nest box (or hidey hole if applicable) will go on. The second picture on the right shows where John cut the hole. He uses marker to draw out the spot and size. He then uses a 3/8 drill bit in the corners. Then he inserts a jigsaw to complete the cut. The size of the hole is 5x5".

The roofing will be extended far enough so that the eve fully covers the nest box from the elements. Any run off will drip beyond the nest box and onto the ground, not on the nest box.

This particular hutch was built with a more narrow roof due to the amount of salvageable supplies on hand. My preference is to have a generous eve on all sides of the hutch. A larger roof will help to keep the hay dry, protect the hutch in general which in turn increases it's lifespan. More importantly, a larger roof, provides extra shade and protection from the elements. Even though I keep all my hutches shaded, there is nothing wrong with a little extra protection.

The roof and door (17x13") are now installed. First plywood is put down then tin roofing. You can use whatever roofing you prefer. Before we moved here, we always used roofing shingles. Once we starting to work with tin, we found we love it. It is light, easy to use, and doesn't catch on fire. We also like the way it looks. The only downside to tin, is the sharp edges. For the door, John cuts out an opening big enough for me to fit my torso in. This gives me full access to the inside of the hutch. The door used is simply a cut section of wire pantry shelving you can buy at any home improvement store. One of the nice things about using the wire shelving is the wide wire spacing and overall strength. I attach my hay racks to the outside of the doors. The wide bar spacing means it is very easy for the rabbit to access the hay to eat it. The pantry shelving we have enables John to build larger doors, but the bar spacing is tighter, so it's not as easy for the rabbit to access hay. The wire closet shelving that we have is smaller but with wider spaced bars. When John uses this shelving I end up with a smaller door that I cannot fit my body through but the rabbits have a much easier time accessing the hay in their racks this way. The wire shelving door is then secured on one side to the cage wire using three large zip ties as hinges. While this isn't exactly pretty, it works very well and is a very easy set up. If you want something more attractive, you can frame out the front to have a more traditional door with wood sides and a cage wire center.

When the nest box is not in use, a piece of plywood is screwed to the inside of the side wall to block off the hole. If you choose to build a hidey hole, you can leave it open.

Because the wire is very sharp where it is cut, I attach plastic guards to the side. I get these whenever I go to a rabbit show. I find that rabbit shows have the best selection and prices for a wide variety of cage supplies. Note: The front of the cage is built using 1x1" fencing. The bottom wire is built using 1/4x1/2" fencing. You can also use 1/4x1/4" fencing for the bottom. It is even more gentle on a rabbits feet, while still keeping them dry and clean, but the pellets from a rabbit with a very healthy digestive system, will sometimes be too large to pass through the 1/4" holes.

When the hutch is ready for the rabbit, resting mats are installed to protect the rabbits feet. Keeping a wire bottom insures the hutch stays clean and dry. An angora rabbit can and will get dirty very quickly if kept in inappropriate housing. If you are very concerned about sore hocks, there are a few things to consider.

The number one cause of sore hocks isn't wire floors (if the hole spacing is correct), it is instead due to unsanitary living conditions. By keeping your rabbits home clean you have greatly eliminated the risk of sore hocks.

Here are a few options while maintaining a wire floor:

Use resting mats in the summer. There are many options here. You can get plastic ones that secure to the bottom of the cage. I stock up on them when I go to a rabbit show. Like the wire guards, I tend to get the best prices and variety at a rabbit show. You can also order them online and should be able to find them at your local farm supply store. If your rabbit likes to pull up the resting mat, you can attach it with zip ties, smooth wire and even twist ties if long enough. If using zip ties, the rabbit is likely to chew it off. When the mat becomes damaged and rough, it is time to replace it. It should be removed and cleaned with hot soapy water once a week.

Woven grass mats are a more Eco friendly option, if you'd like to avoid plastics. Woven grass mats do double duty. They not only provide a comfortable place for your rabbit to rest, but they also provide your rabbit with something to chew and eat. Like the plastic resting mats, you can secure these to the bottom of the cage with either the zip tie or wire method or go a bit more Eco friendly and use natural twine or cotton rope. As with most everything, it is highly likely your rabbit will chew the rope or twine. Woven grass mats need to be discarded if they become soiled. Unlike plastic resting mats, you can toss a dirty woven grass mat into your compost pile. If you decide to purchase woven grass mats, keep in mind that they come in a variety of sizes.

Use hay bedding over the wire floor in the winter. This will mean that you must clean your rabbit every single day to remove hay and feces from the rabbits coat. Usually within a week the hay will need to be removed, the hutch brushed out and new hay installed. A great thing about this method is that rabbits tend to consume a lot more hay with this method. This results in much healthier droppings. The rabbits pelleted droppings will be large, loose (not strung together) and round. This is a sign of a very healthy digestive system.

You can also provide a digging platform. They tend to be very sturdy and built with wood and rope that is safe for a rabbit to chew and hang out on. They are a wonderful option to help keep  your rabbit mentally stimulated while also providing a place for your rabbit to rest.

A wire cage bottom helps to keep the bedding dry, which cuts down on ammonia which is much healthier for your rabbits respiratory system. If having a hutch stuffed with hay isn't realistic for you, if possible, try to utilize this method for a week or two after you have sheared or gently hand pulled your bunnies coat. When the coat has been removed, you have very little maintenance during this period. If you left long wool on the ears and face, you will still need to groom those areas. If you removed the wool there as well, a once daily checkup to insure all is well is likely all the grooming attention your rabbit will need.

These are two examples of some of the door latch options you have. The latch pictured first on the left is very strong, but can be difficult to grasp. The door latch pictured second on the right is a lot easier to grasp but not as strong. I have never had problems with either type of latch and currently use each type. Like the wire guards and resting mats, I pick up a handful of these when I go to a rabbit show. These spring latches are another option you may wish to consider if you like to order mainly from amazon. You can also opt for much more attractive (also typically more expensive) barrel latches, locking sliding bolt latches, &/or hasps that would work all well should you choose to build a door with a wood frame.

Pictured is a little bit of Bunny Town in the summer. Each hutch is a little different. John built them over a period of more than a decade, so different ideas and slight material changes are to be expected. To the front right you can see a rabbit tractor. If you are not ready to build your own, you can use pens instead. Rabbit tractors are a great way to enable your rabbit healthy quality time on fresh grasses. They are able to enjoy tasty tidbits that they forage for while also being protected from ground and air predators. A inner shelter gives them a safe place to hide or hang out. Roofing on top of the run helps keep the sun off of them as well as being calming. An open sky overhead can be very stressful to a prey animal. As you can see in this photo, I keep the rabbit tractor in the shade just like I do their housing. Bunnies love rabbit tractors. Pull up a lawn chair and let them entertain you as they dart about, do binkies, dig, sprawl out and for whatever reason will even do a bunny pile up - in the summer! Ugh. But it's their choice. They have plenty of room to bounce about. To use a rabbit tractor properly, you need to keep it moving. The housing section has wheels. It is lifted from the front to be wheeled to a new location to give the rabbits fresh forage. This concept is exactly the same for our chick tractors. We got the idea from Joel Salatin.

This is a very big rabbit duplex that was originally created to hold junior rabbits from multiple litters before they reached sexual maturity. One side held junior does, the other held junior bucks. Like the hutches, the roof is on a slant, but unlike the hutches, the roof lifts up and away from the base for easier access. The reason this method was decided on verses traditional doors was due to the large size of the duplex. There was no way I would be able to reach all areas of the inside of each side if I had to do it through a door. Having the entire roof lift up gave me access to all sides with a tad bit of difficulty reaching the very front. This is also lower to the ground compared to the hutches. If it was higher, I would have required a ladder to be able to reach inside.

The rabbits love hoping about and playing in this duplex. As with the hutches, they are given resting mats, but no hay to rest on because junior wool is a lot more work than adult wool. If I'm using the duplex to hold an adult rabbit, I use whatever type of bedding I feel is suitable at the time. This can include hay.

If you are considering building this type of structure for your rabbits, here are a few problems with this design that you will want to improve upon. The good thing about this duplex is the size. The more room you provide your angora rabbit, the happier he or she will be. If you want, you can even build this as a single unit. You can't go too big, but you most certainly can go too small when it comes to building your rabbits home.

Due to my short stature, the back of this duplex is a bit low. Lower than John and I like, but the front is plenty high to make up for it. The height off of the ground is more than suitable. Having the tin roof lift up and away from the body is awkward and heavy even without a plywood support. The wind can catch the roof and potentially damage it. The method utilized to keep each sides roof open is to attach a handle at the lower side corner and lift up. A section of rebar is then inserted into a hole that has been drilled into each corner of the frame base and each corner roof frame. Being a duplex, this means there are four total supports. Each duplex roof lifts independently of the other. Both sides do not have to be raised at the same time. If a rabbit panics, it can easily jump out of the back half due to the low walls when the roof is lifted. When the roof is closed, it must be latched to prevent the wind from catching it and lifting it up. When this happens there is a strong possibility of flipping the entire duplex. This happened once about 6 years after building it. Thankfully it was empty at the time. We had 60 mph wind gusts at the time. The roof hadn't been latched which of course was an accident. It took two people to get the duplex to rights. Thankfully, it wasn't damaged. There was a lot of wind damage all over the farm that day. Including downed trees.

My thoughts are that a future duplex should be built with access doors at the front and sides. The roof would be fixed, not made to lift. It would be built to house one or two rabbits per side. Note: if you choose to house two rabbits (or more) together, they should either be a mother and her kits or neutered/spayed rabbits. These changes would make each side more accessible while allowing to raise the inner height which would provide more ceiling space towards the rear.

If you don't want to build a hutch or duplex and don't want your rabbits in your home, you can always build a rabbit house. The size needed will depend on how many rabbits you plan to care for and what your goals are. There are a lot of options in this regard. You can go pretty simple with a prefab shed or go all out with a bunny palace. Your rabbit house can also function as your Spinning Shed or She Shed or Man Cave. You can create a visually appealing structure in which you can sit and work on your fiber arts while also enjoying the company of your angora rabbits. If breeding for show is your main objective, you may wish for the most efficient utilitarian set up possible for maximum efficiency. Or perhaps you want a little of both worlds, you enjoy breeding for show but also have a love of fiber; your rabbit house should be built to suit your needs and the needs of your rabbits.

As with hutches, you still need to pick an appropriate area for your rabbit house. Consider the direction the wind blows in from and pick a well shaded area. I personally am not a fan of rabbit houses in the summer as they require air conditioning. Should the air conditioner fail or the power go out, you could come home to dead angora rabbits. While this has never happened to me, I know breeders who had incredible show lines loose all their bunnies in one fatal swoop thanks to the electricity going out. A rabbit house is a wonderful winter option, but in the summer, I like to keep my angora rabbits outside where they have plenty of fresh air and can naturally acclimate to the changes in the weather.

If you want your angora rabbits to live in a colony, you will need to ensure that you bury fencing so that predators cannot dig under the fencing and so your burrowing bunnies cannot dig themselves out. If you don't want to bury your fencing, another option is to lay fencing on the ground inside the colony pen. You will need to secure the ground fencing to the side fencing so that nothing can squeeze in or out. A 2x4 or similar lumber frame on the outside of the colony pen adds stability while also giving both the side and bottom fencing something to secure to. You can also use wire cage clips to attach the bottom to the sides. You will need wire clip pliers to attach the cage clips to the fencing. The top of the pen will need to be enclosed to protect from both ground and aerial predators. You can use an open roof by putting up additional fencing, or build a roof. You can also do a combination of both. Your pen needs to be suitably sized for the amount of rabbits you wish it to hold.

There are a lot of problems that can crop up when housing your angora rabbits in a colony. While this is the dirtiest option for their long coats, rabbits enjoy this lifestyle the most. Should you choose this lifestyle, you must groom your rabbits daily. No exceptions. If you do not have the time, this is likely not the best option for you. The one workaround is that you can keep your angora rabbits sheared. You will need to do this more often then you would when utilizing their coats for spinning and other fiber crafts. Most people choose this option if they are not interested in saving their angora's wool.

If your goal in raising colony rabbits is to let them breed naturally, you will more than likely find your does have a much shorter lifespan. Even though a doe can refuse to breed, in most cases she will still allow herself to be over bred. A better option is to keep your bucks and your does separate for the health and well being of your rabbits. Note: you cannot house bucks together when they are sexually mature. Your bucks will need to be kept solitary. Most does can live together, but do not be surprised if they fight. Sexually intact female rabbits can and will fight. Not always, but it does happen.

The safest way to have a angora rabbit colony is to have every single rabbit in the colony fixed (spayed &/or neutered). Be sure to spend plenty of time with your colony rabbits. Creating a nice place for yourself to sit and read or perhaps groom them while in their colony pen is a wonderful way to enjoy them while also monitoring them.

Please see my Angora Rabbit Care article for more details on caring for your rabbit. This article is suitable for any rabbit lifestyle.

Fixed angora rabbits that are properly cared for and housed are very happy rabbits that are likely to live a very long life.

Important consideration when keeping rabbits outdoors in any type of set up:

There is a virus called Rabbit hemorrhagic disease Serotype 2 or RHDV2. It was first detected in North America on Delta and on Vancouver Island, Canada in feral rabbits -  February 2018. It has an 80% kill rate.

Unfortunately RHDV2 is easily spread in many ways. Such as through direct contact with infected rabbits, exposure to infected bodily fluids, food, water, dead carriers, and other infected material, including your own shoes, or even freshly grown garden goods, hay, etc. Scavengers and birds are also suspected to play a role in transmission of the virus. 

Symptoms may include the following:

Sudden death &/or blood staining around the nose, caused by internal bleeding, fever, anorexia, respiratory/nervous signs.

At the time of my post, there is a vaccine, but it is difficult to get in all states in the USA. In my state of West Virginia, I spoke to my veterinarian. She explained to me that she cannot get the vaccine. Some states, such as California seem to be a little easier in obtaining the vaccine. The vaccine is available in the USA under an emergency authorization by the USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics.

Update April 4, 2024:
At this time, the RHDV2 vaccine is available in 45 states. It still doesn't have full FDA approval. Vaccine side effects include mild swelling at the injection site, mild fever, and lethargy for a few days.

If you are concerned about RHDV2 I strongly recommend contacting your veterinarian or state agricultural agency.

RHDV2 does not impact human health.

Angora sweaters & other angora garments, when properly cared for, can bring you years of comfortable luxury & beauty.  People often have the mistaken impression that caring for wool sweaters are tricky & difficult, which is not so. To simplify things, we have compiled a collection of Angora wool sweater care tips to help you easily get maximum wear out of your beautiful clothing.

Caring for your Angora garments:

• Clean angora only when it gets soiled.
• Cleaning angora too much can break down the sweater.
• Dry cleaning angora is the best way to care for it, but you can also hand wash it with cold water.
• Avoid sunlight & bleach, as they can damage the material. Never tumble-dry or wring out an angora sweater, because it will stretch & pull the fibers.
• Add salt to the water to prevent colors from running when washing angora.
• Place an angora sweater in the freezer for 20 minutes to restore fluffiness.

Washing instructions for your Angora garments:

1.  Fill a sink or bathtub with barely warm water.
2. Add approx. 1 tbsp. of clear natural liquid soap. Do not use any soap that has dyes or perfumes.
   
3. Swirl the water around to mix the soap into the water & make it a little sudsy.
4. Place the Angora sweater into the water. Push down on the sweater & gently squeeze, use the same action as if you were kneading dough. Continue to do this all over the entire sweater. Do not twist or pull on the sweater.
5. Let the water out of the sink or bathtub and refill with clean water, press down & gently squeeze the sweater.
6. Let the water out of the sink or tub.
7. Press down on the sweater to remove some of the excess water. Do not twist or wring the sweater.
8. Lay the sweater flat to dry on a clean, dry, white towel. Do not press on the sweater with the towel because you will flatten the fluffy finish of the sweater. Change the towel often & flip the sweater over while it is drying. When flipping or handling only handle the towel & use the towel to flip the sweater to avoid stretching the sweater out of shape. Do not allow an Angora sweater to dry in the sun.

Nothing contained in articles &/or content is or should be considered, or used as a substitute for, veterinary medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Wool mites in angora rabbits look like dandruff.  They are a small parasite that borrows under the rabbit's skin.  They can cause hair loss & extreme itching.  Not to mention, your once beautiful bunny wool will mat close to the skin & have tons of little white specks in it; not the sort of fiber you want to use for spinning! 

If your angora bunny already has wool mites, you can treat with Revolution (also known as Stronghold), 1% Ivomec, or 1% Agri-mectin (Agri-mectin generic ivermectin is typically a little cheaper than Ivermectin) using the chart above.  Repeat after two weeks.  After the second treatment, treat once a month just like you would for treating your cat or dog for fleas.  If you decide to use Ivermectin injection rather than Revolution, I recommend using it as a spot-on treatment just like you do Revolution.  Please keep in mind that using the injection types on rabbits is considered off-label use.

If your angora rabbit doesn't show signs of fur mites, I recommend treating once a month for preventative measures. 

Bonus: These medications treat more than wool mites. They are also effective in treating ear mites & some intestinal worms.

Revolution is usually the most expensive treatment method. It is also reported to be the safest. I prefer to use Revolution/Stronghold for my angora bunnies. However, I have also used Ivomec, Agri-mectin, & Cydectin moxidectin successfully. 

You can get Revolution with a veterinary prescription or you can order it online as Stronghold.

I know some folks have reported success using food grade Diatomaceous Earth (aka DE).  Unfortunately, while I find DE useful as a dewormer, I have never found DE to be helpful for mites.  If you decide to try DE first, keep in mind that it will be in your rabbits wool. If you have a blower, you can probably blow most of it out. You will need to wear a dust mask. You do not want to breath in DE. If you don't have a blower, you can try to comb it out.

I recommend reading my Angora Rabbit Care article for in-depth details on how to properly care for your fluffy bunny.

For in-depth details on how to properly care for your angora rabbit, carefully read (& re-read) my Angora Rabbit Care article.

What exactly constitutes as abuse in the rabbit world? Well, that would depend in part on the breed of rabbit you are raising. There are rather obvious forms of abuse such as inadequate housing, unclean conditions, cages that are too small where the animal cannot move about naturally, lack of human interaction, etc. When it comes to angora rabbits, there is much more work involved. Oftentimes folks do not understand just how much work these beautiful animals are.

For those of you who know me, you know that I have a no questions asked return policy on all of the bunnies I've sold (I no longer sell my angora bunnies). I will take back any bunny you no longer want free of charge. You don't have to explain anything to me, I just want my bunnies to have happy lives. If you ever find you cannot care for, or simply do not want to care for your bunny anymore, please contact me.

For how to care for your angora rabbit view my in-depth post on Angora Rabbit Care. I discuss which foods are safe, water bottles, food bowls, feeding, nail clipping, health problems, grooming, housing & more.

I am messaged daily asking if I have any English Angora bunnies for sale. The short answer is, "No." I did at one time have bunnies for sale. After over two decades of raising them, I have decided to retire from them. I do however, still run my Eco farm full time.