English Angora Care Information and Supplies List
First off, take everything you know about rabbits and throw it out the window. There are hundreds of “pet rabbit” articles out there, but you need to understand that you don’t have a ‘pet rabbit,’ you have a purebred English Angora! They are exciting, fascinating creatures, and while they may be your pets and they may be rabbits, they are not your typical “pet rabbit.” They have needs and requirements that are very specific to them.
Here are some detailed care articles I have written. They will coincide with the supply list I've written below. Just click on the purple words and they'll take you straight to the articles!
Handling Your Rabbit
Food and Treats
Housing and Exercise
Grooming
Harvesting Wool
Health and Behaviors
Supply List
1 Cage with a WIRE BOTTOM FLOOR. Your cage should have at least 4 square feet of floor space. English Angoras grow long thick wool on the bottom of their feet so they don’t feel the wire. More on this subject later in other articles.
1 Water bottle.
1 Feeder/food crock
Wooden/ other chew toys. I buy the treat-ka-bobs at Tractor Supply for about $5 each. I also buy wiffle balls from Dollar General at $1 for 4 balls. My rabbits love to throw them around.
Hay rack (optional) There’s all sorts of ways you can offer hay – Hayracks, Hay balls, feeder/hayrack combos, even stuffing empty toilet paper rolls with hay works and the rabbits love chewing the cardboard. Hay racks are usually $8-15, depending on the type you buy.
1 Resting Mat (Optional, but always good to have on hand.) My rabbits hate them, but if their feet ever start developing sores, you’ll want the resting mat on hand already. Sore hocks are pretty rare in EAs (English Angoras) because the wool on the bottom of their feet protects and cushions their feet. To prevent sore hocks, trim as little wool as possible on the bottom of the feet and keep them free of mats. You want that wool long and thick.
Food: High quality pellet with 16-18% protein and no artificial colors.
Grass Hay
Grooming tools:
At minimum, you’ll need:
1 Slicker brush
1 steel comb
1 pair of cat nail clippers that work like pliers or scissors(not the kind you have to stick the nails in a hole.)
1 Blower, at least 4hp.
All of these can be purchased at Tractor Supply or Wal-Mart in the ‘Dog/Cat Grooming’ areas for about $5 each. Except for the blower which will cost around $200 which is not carried in most brick and mortar stores. DO NOT waste your time and money on “rabbit grooming kits.” These are for “typical pet rabbits” and remember, you do not have a typical pet rabbit, you have a purebred English Angora.
Optional Supplies:
Cat tunnels. Rabbits love to play in tunnels, and lots of people recommend cardboard tunnels for them to play in. But, cardboard isn’t really very economical because once the rabbit pees in it, it becomes trash. Even if your rabbit never urinates in it, he’s likely to try and dig in it (tearing it up) or chew on it. This is why I use the nylon cat tunnels and cat cubes. These can be purchase at Wal-Mart starting as low as $4 each. The rabbits love them!
Additional toys- Some rabbits like balls, some like toys they can toss... my best advice is to just try out different things and see what they like.
Litter box- Litter boxes are optional. I have rabbits that go to their own cages to potty. I have some that use the litter box. In a single-rabbit home, It is much easier to litter box train a rabbit. If this is something you want to do, buy a rabbit litter pan with the metal grate on top (the metal grate protects your EA’s coat.) Then you’ll need to choose a litter. I use Tractor Supply Co.® Pine Pellet Stall Bedding, 40 lb. It is $5.79 for a 40lb bag and one bag will last you several months with just one rabbit. Even if you don’t use a litter box, these wood pellets are great to use in your droppings pans to control odor.
Grooming Clippers: Once again, you don’t NEED these, but they can be helpful. Cheapy clippers will not work on Angora hair. The ones that will work on Angora wool start at around $175. Then you have to buy a special blade and I believe they cost $30.
Here are some detailed care articles I have written. They will coincide with the supply list I've written below. Just click on the purple words and they'll take you straight to the articles!
Handling Your Rabbit
Food and Treats
Housing and Exercise
Grooming
Harvesting Wool
Health and Behaviors
Supply List
1 Cage with a WIRE BOTTOM FLOOR. Your cage should have at least 4 square feet of floor space. English Angoras grow long thick wool on the bottom of their feet so they don’t feel the wire. More on this subject later in other articles.
1 Water bottle.
1 Feeder/food crock
Wooden/ other chew toys. I buy the treat-ka-bobs at Tractor Supply for about $5 each. I also buy wiffle balls from Dollar General at $1 for 4 balls. My rabbits love to throw them around.
Hay rack (optional) There’s all sorts of ways you can offer hay – Hayracks, Hay balls, feeder/hayrack combos, even stuffing empty toilet paper rolls with hay works and the rabbits love chewing the cardboard. Hay racks are usually $8-15, depending on the type you buy.
1 Resting Mat (Optional, but always good to have on hand.) My rabbits hate them, but if their feet ever start developing sores, you’ll want the resting mat on hand already. Sore hocks are pretty rare in EAs (English Angoras) because the wool on the bottom of their feet protects and cushions their feet. To prevent sore hocks, trim as little wool as possible on the bottom of the feet and keep them free of mats. You want that wool long and thick.
Food: High quality pellet with 16-18% protein and no artificial colors.
Grass Hay
Grooming tools:
At minimum, you’ll need:
1 Slicker brush
1 steel comb
1 pair of cat nail clippers that work like pliers or scissors(not the kind you have to stick the nails in a hole.)
1 Blower, at least 4hp.
All of these can be purchased at Tractor Supply or Wal-Mart in the ‘Dog/Cat Grooming’ areas for about $5 each. Except for the blower which will cost around $200 which is not carried in most brick and mortar stores. DO NOT waste your time and money on “rabbit grooming kits.” These are for “typical pet rabbits” and remember, you do not have a typical pet rabbit, you have a purebred English Angora.
Optional Supplies:
Cat tunnels. Rabbits love to play in tunnels, and lots of people recommend cardboard tunnels for them to play in. But, cardboard isn’t really very economical because once the rabbit pees in it, it becomes trash. Even if your rabbit never urinates in it, he’s likely to try and dig in it (tearing it up) or chew on it. This is why I use the nylon cat tunnels and cat cubes. These can be purchase at Wal-Mart starting as low as $4 each. The rabbits love them!
Additional toys- Some rabbits like balls, some like toys they can toss... my best advice is to just try out different things and see what they like.
Litter box- Litter boxes are optional. I have rabbits that go to their own cages to potty. I have some that use the litter box. In a single-rabbit home, It is much easier to litter box train a rabbit. If this is something you want to do, buy a rabbit litter pan with the metal grate on top (the metal grate protects your EA’s coat.) Then you’ll need to choose a litter. I use Tractor Supply Co.® Pine Pellet Stall Bedding, 40 lb. It is $5.79 for a 40lb bag and one bag will last you several months with just one rabbit. Even if you don’t use a litter box, these wood pellets are great to use in your droppings pans to control odor.
Grooming Clippers: Once again, you don’t NEED these, but they can be helpful. Cheapy clippers will not work on Angora hair. The ones that will work on Angora wool start at around $175. Then you have to buy a special blade and I believe they cost $30.