Rabbit Rave
English Lop's Rule!
Although it is not certain where they originated, most people agree that the original Angora Rabbits came from Ankara, Turkey in Asia Minor. Thus the name "Angora" comes from their place of origin, Ankara. It is also possible the name came from the Angora cat and Angora goat. These animals have the same type of fur and also come from Ankara.
English Angoras are one of the many individual breeds and one of the four ARBA recognized breeds of Angora and are bred mainly for their wool because it is silky, soft and warm. The English Angora breed is probably the most distinctive since it has long heavy fur that covers it's body so that it is hard to tell the rabbit features like it's ears and face.(It is often mistaken for a small dog. They are the most common angora as pets because of their "puppy dog" or "teddy bear" look.) It's body is rounded and so it literally looks like a ball of fur. The fur on the face is fairly short and if you look closely you will see large, round baby doll eyes. There are fluffy "furnishings"(tuffs) of wool lining the ears. Most English Angoras are very calm. They are bred for good dispotion, mostly to help with grooming.
To show, English Angora's should weigh between 5 - 7 1/2 lbs.
Accepted English Angora varieties: Ruby Eye White, Pointed White, Self, Shaded, Agouti
Toenails must be the same color. Ears can be folded over at tops and the furnishings on the face may cover their eyes.
Prior to 1939, there was one breed of "Angora Wooler". In 1939, ARBA reclassified "Angora Wooler" into English type and French Type. In 1944, ARBA officially seperated Angora into two breeds: English Angora and French Angora. There are now 4 recognized breeds: English, French, Satin and Giant.
There are some special grooming needs that Angora's have that most rabbits don't.
They will need to be brushed or blown regularly (at least once a week) to keep mats from forming in their wool. They are also more suseptible to wool block (a digestion/intestinal problem), and should be given plenty of clean hay in their diet to help prevent this.
Angora's do make a great family pet for owners who are willing to dedicate time to proper grooming.
Angora's will shed about every four months. Wool can be collected by plucking (pulling it out by hand, also the most desireable), brushing or shearing. Currently wool is mainly used by handspinners.
