Are You New to Rabbits?
Most of my site discusses Angora-specific care. But, there is some general information about rabbits in general that you will also need to know if you're thinking about getting an Angora.
Perhaps the most important things to know are about reproduction.
-Rabbits are induced ovulators. This means, that the act of mating induces ovulation, so they can get pregnant at any time. They do not go into heat like a cat or dog.
-Rabbits become fertile at a young age. Males (called bucks) can become fertile as young as 8 weeks. Females (called does) can become fertile as young as 12 weeks. You cannot leave an unaltered male with an unaltered female past the age of 12 weeks (and 12 weeks is pushing your luck a bit.)
-Rabbits breed indiscriminately. They don't care if they're related in any way! If you put them together, they'll breed.
-The gestation period for a rabbit is about 28-35 days and they can become pregnant again the day they give birth (called kindling.)
-It can be difficult to determine the sex of a young rabbit. For this reason, you should learn how to check yourself, and recheck frequently to make sure they didn't "change sex." Those of us in rabbits tend to call this "a visit from the sex-change fairy!" Although, I'm pretty sure the proper term is "somebody made a mistake." :)
You also need to know about other things, such as:
-You should never change your rabbit's diet suddenly. This can lead to what is known as "bloat," a condition where gas fills the rabbit's stomach. A rabbit cannot pass this gas on it's own and can die. If you are forced to change feeds suddenly, either because their regular food is not available, or because you just got it and were not given information on what food they were eating, follow the 3 day hay rule. See our article on Food here.
-When in doubt, hay is the cure! Okay, maybe not literally.. but a lot of health issues can be stopped before they become a big problem by pulling all food but hay, and feeding unlimited hay only, until the issue has resolved plus 1 day. After this, you gradually return the normal food to the rabbit. Hay is the most natural and gentle food there is for a rabbit's stomach, which is why this is generally successful. Indications that this may be needed would be any abnormalities in the rabbit's feces (other than cecotropes.) Hay will not fix respiratory problems, etc. This is only helpful in issues that deal with the gut.
-Not all rabbits are sweet and cuddly. In general, English Angoras (EAs) are super friendly, docile, and love to snuggle. This is not necessarily typical for most other rabbits though, and is not necessarily the case for all EAs either. In reality, everyone has a different opinion on what "rabbits are like" and what "rabbits enjoy." This can easily be explained. Rabbits are living creatures. Each rabbit has it's own brain. Since they are living, and have their own brains, they have their own personalities. Since they have their own personalities, they have their own sets of likes and dislikes. I've never understood the debate over what "rabbits like," because they are all so different from one another.
-Rabbits can kick, bite and scratch. I don't know why this comes as a shock to people. It's a living animal.
-Many rabbits will not get along with other rabbits. Kind of like how some people just don't get along with other people.
-If handled improperly, rabbits can break their backs. They have fragile bones and can break them if you aren't holding them correctly and they try to flee. See our guide on Handling Your Rabbit here.
Perhaps the most important things to know are about reproduction.
-Rabbits are induced ovulators. This means, that the act of mating induces ovulation, so they can get pregnant at any time. They do not go into heat like a cat or dog.
-Rabbits become fertile at a young age. Males (called bucks) can become fertile as young as 8 weeks. Females (called does) can become fertile as young as 12 weeks. You cannot leave an unaltered male with an unaltered female past the age of 12 weeks (and 12 weeks is pushing your luck a bit.)
-Rabbits breed indiscriminately. They don't care if they're related in any way! If you put them together, they'll breed.
-The gestation period for a rabbit is about 28-35 days and they can become pregnant again the day they give birth (called kindling.)
-It can be difficult to determine the sex of a young rabbit. For this reason, you should learn how to check yourself, and recheck frequently to make sure they didn't "change sex." Those of us in rabbits tend to call this "a visit from the sex-change fairy!" Although, I'm pretty sure the proper term is "somebody made a mistake." :)
You also need to know about other things, such as:
-You should never change your rabbit's diet suddenly. This can lead to what is known as "bloat," a condition where gas fills the rabbit's stomach. A rabbit cannot pass this gas on it's own and can die. If you are forced to change feeds suddenly, either because their regular food is not available, or because you just got it and were not given information on what food they were eating, follow the 3 day hay rule. See our article on Food here.
-When in doubt, hay is the cure! Okay, maybe not literally.. but a lot of health issues can be stopped before they become a big problem by pulling all food but hay, and feeding unlimited hay only, until the issue has resolved plus 1 day. After this, you gradually return the normal food to the rabbit. Hay is the most natural and gentle food there is for a rabbit's stomach, which is why this is generally successful. Indications that this may be needed would be any abnormalities in the rabbit's feces (other than cecotropes.) Hay will not fix respiratory problems, etc. This is only helpful in issues that deal with the gut.
-Not all rabbits are sweet and cuddly. In general, English Angoras (EAs) are super friendly, docile, and love to snuggle. This is not necessarily typical for most other rabbits though, and is not necessarily the case for all EAs either. In reality, everyone has a different opinion on what "rabbits are like" and what "rabbits enjoy." This can easily be explained. Rabbits are living creatures. Each rabbit has it's own brain. Since they are living, and have their own brains, they have their own personalities. Since they have their own personalities, they have their own sets of likes and dislikes. I've never understood the debate over what "rabbits like," because they are all so different from one another.
-Rabbits can kick, bite and scratch. I don't know why this comes as a shock to people. It's a living animal.
-Many rabbits will not get along with other rabbits. Kind of like how some people just don't get along with other people.
-If handled improperly, rabbits can break their backs. They have fragile bones and can break them if you aren't holding them correctly and they try to flee. See our guide on Handling Your Rabbit here.