Grooming Angora Rabbits
Angora Rabbits are bred for the production of their wool and need regular grooming to keep their coats, as well as the rabbits in good condition. Every four months Angora rabbits shed their full coat and need to have all their hair removed by clipping it or by systematically combing it all out.
At least once a week, a well maintained Angora rabbit should be groomed to remove tangles, loose hair and have air blown into the coat to fluff it up and remove excess dander.
Remove Tangles
Begin grooming by locating and removing all large tangles. Tangles can become thick mats of hair. Mats may cause discomfort for rabbits and reduce the quantity and quality of wool that is harvested. Tangles and mats should be gently teased apart with fingers or comb so the rabbit is not injured. If mats become very tight or large, they may be carefully cut off.
Just as we humans loose hair and find it in our brushes each time we groom ourselves, rabbits also have loose hair that must be combed out. Because Angoras are bred to naturally shed on a regular basis, older hairs that are ready to fall out, should be combed to remove them to make a place for new hair to grow in.
If not removed, these loose hairs in the coat may cause mats to occur. Additionally, rabbits, like cats, are constant self groomers and often ingest loose hairs during their frequent licking, causing intestinal blockages that can be fatal. A pet comb and small wire pet slicker brush work well to groom the Angora.
Systematically begin deeply combing all parts of the rabbit, small sections at a time. Begin by grasping a small handful of wool with one hand hand. With the comb or slicker brush in the other hand, brush free just a few fibers at a time, advancing very slowly through the handful of fur. Comb the hair straight outward from the skin, permitting excess hair to catch on the comb. The combings (hair removed during grooming) can be stored in a plastic bag until needed for spinning into yarn or for sale. The wire pet brush does not go deeply into the coat and is used to touch up the outer hairs. It generally does not result in much hair being removed.
Use a Blower
When combing and brushing are completed, a blower is used to forcefully blow air into the coat to fluff out the fur and remove dander. Removing the dander makes the rabbit comfortable and provides a cleaner product when the wool is harvested. If done regurally, there will be few tangles and grooming can begin with blowing and then light combing with a slicker brush.
Special high speed rabbit groomer's blowers are available that use room temperature air at a very high speed to separate the fibers of the coat and to clean the skin and coat, without pulling out fur, but a vacuum cleaner with a reverse air flow function works well for blowing the coat. A hairdryer on the cool setting may be used if one doesn't have a blower. It doesn't have the force of a blower, but is still useful and will fluff up the coat nicely. You may also use a shop vac set on reverse, or a canister vac. However, don't use the shop vac indoors at a show, because it is so noisy.
Before turning on the blower, hold the rabbit firmly but gently and cover the eyes with your hand. This technique helps the rabbit feel less frightened when the noise and blowing start. The blower will separate the hair all the way to the skin, locating webbed areas deep under the wool, fluffing the fur out and blowing out the dander.
Blowing the coat out should be done in a small room to contain the dander and ease in cleaning the house, or done out of doors. The blower forces very fine dander out of the coat, and over time, this will begin to look like chalky powder on the surfaces of the room in which you use the blower. The more frequently you blow out a rabbit's coat, the cleaner the rabbit will remain, and the less dander it producess. If inhaling dander causes irritation, be sure and wear a dust mask.
Blow the fur systematically from one section to the next on the rabbit's body making sure every part of the body is blown out. Begin a session with the blower by laying the rabbit belly side up in your lap. The rabbit can be held steady the rabbit by holding its ears between the knees and its feet toward you. Then use the blower on the rabbit's belly and breast. Then put the rabbit on a grooming table or flat surface and blow out the coat on the back and sides.
As you blow out the coat, watch for areas which appear to be webbing, and concentrate on them, using the blower to force out any clumping of fibers. When finished, the rabbit will appear larger and have a smooth flowing appearance to the hair. Using the blower regularly prevents webbing and mats.
A well cared for Angora rabbit is a well groomed rabbit, with no mats, all excess loose hair removed, and the wool blown out to fluff the coat and remove dander.
When finished blowing out the coat, use a slicker brush, which is a small short wire brush generally used for cat grooming, on the paws, ears and face as necessary. Use the slicker brush sparingly on the back. Use the slicker only on the tips of the wool, and try to pull out as little fur as possible while brushing. The idea is to prevent mats before they have a chance to form.
A well cared for Angora rabbit is a well groomed rabbit, with no mats, all excess loose hair removed, and the wool blown out to fluff the coat and remove dander.
Clip Toenails
Clip toenails twice a month as needed. Special rabbit and small animal clippers are available, but the large human toenail clippers work also. A rabbit with long sabers for toenails looks uncared for, no matter how pretty the coat. There is also greater danger of a rabbit snagging a long toenail and yanking out a nail or toe if the nails are untrimmed. A mother rabbit with long, sharp nails may accidentally injure her kits when she jumps into the nestbox.
Harvesting the Wool
About every four months all loose hair will come out when the rabbit combed. Some people prefer to clip all hair rather than comb it out, but a metal dog comb used to systematically comb the rabbit will remove all loose hair easily.
Begin at one place and hold surrounding hair out of the way. As described in the combing process, systematically comb all parts of the rabbit, small sections at a time, grasping a small handful of wool with one hand hand, comb in the other hand, brushing out a few fibers at a time. As the comb fills then pull it out of the comb and put it into a container in all the same direction. Work in this way all over the rabbits body, combing gently and carefully so the rabbit is not hurt by pulling too hard.
SHOWING ANGORA RABBITS
Many people show their angoras in rabbit shows and the condition of the wool is considered highly important and the care of the coat is vital for the rabbit to look its best for a winning rabbit.
How to Win
Use the grooming blower daily. NO excuses! Don't make excuses that you are just too busy. If you want to have a winning rabbit the secret is in grooming with the blower. Daily blowing out is the best thing for your rabbits' coats. When necessary, finish by lightly going over the ends of the fur with the flicker bursh. If a daily habit of bowing out the fur is happening, very little brushing is needed.
If you're rabbit is not winning, don't spend lots of money buying rabbits from the winners of Best in Show at a big rabbit show, just try taking better care of the rabbits you have. Its true that the winners have the genetics for great wool density, because without that, there wouldn't be anything to groom. Beyond that, anyone can accomplish what the winners do, if they are willing to make the commitment. The secret is daily grooming using the blower.
