[kirk]

Originally Posted by Tracy G

Gently harvested during the natural molting process, the Angora rabbit is never harmed in giving us its wonderful fiber." This is the same information I received while visiting a yarn store in California in September—the proprietress reassured us that the yarn was handspun from wool that's naturally shed when the rabbits are brushed.

Does anyone have any additional perspectives (for or against) to help me decide if it's okay to purchase items made with Angora? Thanks.

"Gently harvested"? Well, it's not quite as simple as that. I've seen similar rhetoric used to describe "gentle sheared wool".

First, FYI, my creds:
I'm a certified educator and fosterer with the House Rabbit Society. The House Rabbit Society is an international nonprofit organization that rescues rabbits and educates the public on rabbit care and behavior. I've taught workshops and delivered lectures on many aspects of rabbit care.

So here's the scoop on Angora rabbits and their wool.

All domesticated rabbits are descended from the European wild rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus). Many people incorrectly believe that they are the same as cottontails which are native to the United States. Cottontails are from the genus sylvilagus; cottontails and domestic rabbits are actually very different physically, behaviorally and socially. Domestic rabbits and cottontails can't even successfully reproduce offspring together

This is relevant because European wild rabbits do not grow long fur like angora rabbits; the long angora fur is the result of humans tinkering with genetics so that they could have longer, softer fur to make into yarn. The result is an entirely dependent animal who cannot care for his own fur as nature intended. You would not believe what happens to an angora rabbit's fur if he is left to care for it without human assistance. We keep our rescued angoras' fur clipped very short so that they can better care for it themselves; but they still require lots of human assistance.

This brings me to the first problem with angora wool: there is an awful lot of human tinkering with breed lines involved in creating angoras for wool production. My personal experience has been that it's not at all uncommon for angoras to have terrible genetic weaknesses due to "breeding programs" designed to make good wool production. Some things I and other volunteers have seen in angoras have included fur so dense that the skin can't breathe and major tooth problems; we currently have an angora girl who has very few teeth. The ones she does have are just awful; they're crooked and they lack enamel so they just crumble as soon as they come in. Needless to say she has a great deal of difficulty eating thanks to the breeding programs humans designed so that they could exploit her and her fellow angoras.

As far as breeding goes, the bottom line is that these are “production animals” just like sheep or egg-laying chickens.

Another problem with angora wool is that there are many practices which are not in the best interest of the rabbit. What’s in the interest of humans is often at odds with what is in the best interest of the animal. In these cases, the rabbit’s interests almost always lose.

It’s not in the best interest of the rabbit to keep his fur long. This is due to several factors:

1. Long fur creates an increased risk for hairballs and GI tract impactions.

Rabbits are incredibly fastidious. They groom even more than a cat. As they groom they ingest some of their loose fur. Unlike cats and dogs, rabbits lack the ability to vomit. Rabbits also have an extremely small pyloric valve (the exit from the stomach). These conditions make hairballs a particularly deadly problem for rabbits. As you might imagine, longer wool and more of it create much higher risks for hairballs and impactions.

2. Matting of the fur can be uncomfortable, painful and unsanitary.

Needless to say, angora fur mats very quickly. Even daily brushing may not be enough to prevent all mats. Urine and feces can easily become trapped and present health risks.

3. Thermoregulation concerns.

A rabbit with long fur may have much more difficulty with thermoregulation in warmer weather. Remember that rabbits are extremely susceptible to heat stroke when the temperature reaches 80 degrees fahrenheit.

4. Eye and vision problems.

Long fur hanging over the eyes of certain angora breeds (such as English angoras) can create irritation. It can also trap foreign materials which can irritate the eye. Long fur over the eyes also limits the rabbit’s vision. Rabbits have unique eyes which allow an impressive field of vision; they can see nearly 360 degrees and have a field of vision above their head!

5. Overly dense wool.

Some angoras are bred with overly dense wool. This makes more wool for the humans but it means that the angora’s skin can’t breathe. This can create a host of health problems.

The wool used for spinning is generally long, full strands because short, clipped pieces of wool don’t hold together well. This pretty much rules out keeping an angora for wool and keeping his fur clipped short.

We routinely give our rescued angora rabbits haircuts. We keep their fur at about 1/2 inch at all times. This means weekly clipping with scissors (blunt-tipped, of course). We don’t adopt angoras out unless the adopter is willing and able to keep the angora rabbit’s fur clipped short at all times.

A wonderful thing I’ve noticed is that many angora rabbits seem absolutely thrilled and happy after their first haircut! I’ve actually seen freshly clipped angoras jump around doing happy bunny dances (known as “binkies”). They seem to be glad to be rid of the burden of all that fur

We also require that all rabbits adopted from us be kept indoors. The outdoors is full of many potential risks and dangers for a prey species like a rabbit.

Unfortunately many angora rabbits kept for wool are kept outdoors because the cold weather encourages more dense fur growth. Again, this is exploiting the rabbit for human purposes rather than doing what is in the best interest of the rabbit.

Rabbits are sentient creatures and not tools or props for exploitation (keeping long fur for human benefit or because we think they’re pretty or cute with long fur). It is in the best interest of rabbits to be kept safely indoors and, in the case of angoras, for their fur to be kept short. Most angora breeders and spinners practices do not align with these guidelines. In addition, the rabbits in these cases are being used and exploited for their fur just as sheep are exploited for their wool. The use of angora or sheep wool is absolutely unnecessary and is not ethically defensible.

Another consideration is that people breeding angoras for the “pet rabbit” market are doing the same thing that dog breeders, cat breeders or breeders of other species are doing: they’re adding to the overpopulation problem. Most rabbit breeders support the “pet rabbit” market by supplying the public with their “less than perfect” rabbits while keeping the show-worthy ones.

Supporting any rabbit breeding industry supports the overpopulation problem.

Most people are unaware that rabbits are the third-most abandoned animal at shelters across the United States. Rabbit overpopulation is a huge problem. Our regional shelter is constantly full with rabbits who were abandoned at animal control, humane society shelters and the like. We do our best to save the lives of these rabbits who would otherwise be killed at shelters but there is never enough time, space and money to save them all. For every one rabbit we adopt into a good home there are usually many, many more sitting on death-row.

In my mind all rabbits are valuable regardless of breed, color, shape, size, breed purity, etc.. They are all wonderful and they all deserve a chance to live free of exploitation. Supporting angora wool production supports an industry based on exploitation.

Lastly, because angora rabbits are the same genus and species as all domestic rabbits, they are subject to the same kinds of end uses as any other rabbit. In other words, an angora rabbit may eventually end up as rabbit meat (either for human or nonhuman consumption). Whether or not this happens is, of course, at the discretion of the breeder but it is a very real possibility since an angora rabbit is the same genus and species as a Flemish Giant, Dutch, Netherland Dwarf, etc..

As an aside, you might be interested to know that the regulation of the rabbit meat industry is strictly voluntary. We all know what kinds of horrors exist in the regulated meat industries; just imagine what goes on in a voluntary regulation industry.