Housing Angora Buns ... Anyone had any experience?

[LeiiMaa]

I'm picking up my lil 8 week old English Angora bun in a few days, but I'm still not 100% sure on his permanent housing!

[This is him at 5 weeks]

This is his dad [On the right, just to give an indication of what he'll be like fully grown ..]

All of my other buns have indoor cages with runs attached to them, They mainly only go in their to poop and sleep! But with the angora I know they need special requirements ... I just wondered if anyone has has any experience keeping them?!

I know they can't be kept on wood shavings and that kind of thing because of their fur, And that its highly recommended they they are kept in an enclosure with a wire floor [To avoid any matts and mess]. But everything I've read really relates to outdoor enclosures!

I wanted to keep him in a dog crate and create a second level ... But what would you recommend I did with the flooring? Create a wire based or use something else? What would you recommend as the flooring in a dog crate? I'm really paranoid because of how fluffy they get [Especially their feet!] So the last thing I want is for him to slip on his own fur and hurt himself!

At the moment he's been kept on hay bedding in his base

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[happybun]

sorry, i really don't know. someone will be along soon.
but i'm worried about a wire floor. that sounds unpleasant. i've used carpet tiles in the past but my bunnies aren't angoras.

 

[LeiiMaa]

sorry, i really don't know. someone will be along soon.
but i'm worried about a wire floor. that sounds unpleasant. i've used carpet tiles in the past but my bunnies aren't angoras.

"Cage & Bedding For the Angora rabbit the floor of the hutch or cage must be wire. The cage would have a wire base with a wire lid fixed to the base. There should be a tray under the wire floor to catch the urine and droppings. The reason for this is that the Angora rabbit can become very dirty and the fur will become matted if it is kept in an ordinary hutch. As their feet have excess hair on them they do not feel the wire floor. All rabbits must have an adequate exercise area, whether it is an outside run or an enclosed area in the house. An earthenware food bowl and a drinking bottle will also be required to feed and water the rabbit."

Thats taken from PetPlanet.co.uk, But most other websites I've read say exactly the same thing, due to the amount of fur on their feet they apparently don't feel it, But he's only a baby bun so I'm not 100% convinced a wire floor would be good for him, at least yet anyway! :?

 

[parsnipbun]

Unless you are taking this bun on for show or breeding (which as you are on this forum I am kind of suspecting you aren't - though there are some showers on here) I would start to get into a regime of clipping as soon as possible.

The only people I know who have angoras have taken them on from rescues where they have been dumped for being too high maintenance. They all clip them regularly to make the rabbit more comfortable and the whole bedding thing much much easier.

Angora rabbits have huge problems with all the things a rabbit should naturally be allowed to do/want - such as hay bedding, grass, running around , pooing and peeing, etc etc etc

They can have simply dreadful mats that tear at their skin and cause real damage unless scrupulously combed and preferably clipped and are classic fly strike victims.

To be honest I personally feel that whoever 'invented'/bred angoras originally was being plain cruel to the poor rabbits - they come in to rescue as some of the worst cases if they are lucky enough to survive.

If you are lucky enough to have enough time and energy to devote to constantly grooming etc then please do adopt an angora - they are in desperate need - but I would recommend you clipped them

 

[nessar]

Housing buns on wire floor is universally recognised as bad practice and bad for the welfare of the animal.

I assume you are going to litter train him anyway and get him neutered so he keeps to it, so he wont be weeing all over the place anyway, so shouldnt need any special flooring. For the litter tray I'd use Smartbedz or Yesterday's News, they are pellets when dry and I found they were more absorbant and more likely to keep their shape when wet than normal wood pellets.

I'd get a big, easily accessible (big holes) hay rack and keep hay in a massive dog bowl as well, to help keep it from matting into his fur.

Can I just ask, if you are only thinking about all this now, have you really researched the realities of keeping Angora buns? I dont have one myself, because I know that I could not handle it. They need so much time devoted to them every day. Personally I'd keep them clipped, many people do with long-haired buns, its much more comfortable for the rabbit that way, they are cooler and dont matt as much and you dont have to stress them with the constant grooming and getting out knots. After all the rabbit's wellbeing is much more important than looks. I have a fluffy lionhead that has a fluffy 'skirt' around her bum that gets tangled, I've had that area clipped so I'm not having to groom her all the time, as she doesnt like it.

 

[LeiiMaa]

Unless you are taking this bun on for show or breeding (which as you are on this forum I am kind of suspecting you aren't - though there are some showers on here) I would start to get into a regime of clipping as soon as possible.

The only people I know who have angoras have taken them on from rescues where they have been dumped for being too high maintenance. They all clip them regularly to make the rabbit more comfortable and the whole bedding thing much much easier.

Angora rabbits have huge problems with all the things a rabbit should naturally be allowed to do/want - such as hay bedding, grass, running around , pooing and peeing, etc etc etc

They can have simply dreadful mats that tear at their skin and cause real damage unless scrupulously combed and preferably clipped and are classic fly strike victims.

To be honest I personally feel that whoever 'invented'/bred angoras originally was being plain cruel to the poor rabbits - they come in to rescue as some of the worst cases if they are lucky enough to survive.

If you are lucky enough to have enough time and energy to devote to constantly grooming etc then please do adopt an angora - they are in desperate need - but I would recommend you clipped them

I'm fully aware of the amount of time an Angora takes up with Grooming, Clipping, and I'm fully aware of the health related problems that they can have. I don't intend on breeding him and he's definitely not going to be used as a show bun.

I have a spinning wheel and intend on spinning his fur after each clipping - So he will defiantly not suffer from having excess/un-managable hair as I also agree that this can be cruel for the buns.

And nessar yes I have thought about this previously. I only wanted peoples opinions on what they'd do for a young bun. I don't agree with wire floorings which is why I've asked the question as 90% of what I've looked into online recommends wire flooring. Non of my other buns are kept in dog crates [Which is what I intend for this lil guy] but my other buns won't go anywhere near my kitchen, which has a vinyl/lino type flooring, so I just wanted peoples opinions on what they put in their dog crates, especially for long haired buns.

 

[parsnipbun]

I would put him on what seems most comfortable for him then - a non slip vinyl perhaps? (easy to keep clean but not slippery and not cutting into his paws) . We have non slip vinyl throughout the house and all the buns are happy with it.

A seperate hay tray or hay box and the type of litter that cannot get stuck in his fur.

When he is a few months old and neutered perhaps you could adopt an angora female from a rescue to keep him company? That way you have helped a poor bun from rescue as well and also have double the wool!

Angoras really do have little chance of rehoming due to the commitment so someone like you would be ideal!! But its great that this little chap will have a good home as well.

PS I suspect the wire cage stuff comes from showers and breeders some of whom tend to keep animals in ways that promote spotless looks and ease of cleaning for the human, rather than comfort for the animal. (Note I did say 'some')

 

[nessar]

Well, like I said, I'd order Smartbedz or Yesterdays News for his litter tray, but for flooring it doesnt need to be anything special, I'd say non-slip lino with fluffy bath matts to lie on.

I think your main issue is going to be with hay.

 

[LeiiMaa]

I would put him on what seems most comfortable for him then - a non slip vinyl perhaps? (easy to keep clean but not slippery and not cutting into his paws) A seperate hay tray or hay box and the type of litter that cannot get stuck in his fur.

When he is a few months old and neutered perhaps you could adopt an angora female from a rescue to keep him company? That way you have helped a poor bun from rescue as well and also have double the wool!

Angoras really do have little chance of rehoming due to the commitment so someone like you would be ideal!! But its great that this little chap will have a good home as well.

I did look around my local rescues but non seemed to have Angoras, I love rabbits, and I love spinning so it's kinda two birds with one stone! And I know I can give him a better quality of life then what he'd get from being a show bun [Or so I imagine!] But I will defiantly look into getting him an angora a wife in the future

My female lionlop hates other rabbits and prefers her own/human company so I highly doubt he'll bond with her! [The rescue centre I got her from tried several times in the past to no avail ] but I also have to trim her fluffy skirt around her bum for the same reason as the lil angora! When I first got her she was full of matts but she uses a wood pellet based litter which I'm assuming won't be good for my angora!

I do have an area set up for him at the moment, its a dog crate with a big hay box, and a fleece flooring but I can see it gathering his hair a lot! :lol: I'll have a look into non slip vinyl though, thanks

 

[LeiiMaa]

Well, like I said, I'd order Smartbedz or Yesterdays News for his litter tray, but for flooring it doesnt need to be anything special, I'd say non-slip lino with fluffy bath matts to lie on.

I think your main issue is going to be with hay.

Sorry just seen this post! Looking into Smartbedz/Yesterdays news for his litter tray now. Thanks

 

[nessar]

Sorry just seen this post! Looking into Smartbedz/Yesterdays news for his litter tray now. Thanks

You can get both at www.thehayexperts.co.uk as well as lots of yummy hays

Is your lionlop neutered?

 

[LeiiMaa]

You can get both at www.thehayexperts.co.uk as well as lots of yummy hays

Is your lionlop neutered?

Having a gander on their now

Yeah Monty's neutered, still doesn't like any neutered company, male or female

 

[nessar]

Having a gander on their now

Yeah Monty's neutered, still doesn't like any neutered company, male or female

Oh, thats such a shame, introductions were made on neutral territory yes? It is rare, but some rabbits have had bad experiences with others (I believe it happens more with does used for breeding) or have sustained injuries from them, and so just wont accept a friend anymore. Sometimes people find that they are fine through bars with each other though, so if that is the case with her maybe she would like to have him as a neighbour, as that is some company at least, its so sad when they dont have a friend. At least she is inside, so I bet she gets lots of attention from you.

 

[LeiiMaa]

Oh, thats such a shame, introductions were made on neutral territory yes? It is rare, but some rabbits have had bad experiences with others (I believe it happens more with does used for breeding) or have sustained injuries from them, and so just wont accept a friend anymore. Sometimes people find that they are fine through bars with each other though, so if that is the case with her maybe she would like to have him as a neighbour, as that is some company at least, its so sad when they dont have a friend. At least she is inside, so I bet she gets lots of attention from you.

She's roughly 18 months, All attempts at bonding were made on neutral territory at the rescue centre, The rescue centre worker even said that they put the vac on as a kinda last resort hoping Monty and this other bun would seek each other for comfort but Monty wouldn't have any of it she has free roam of our living room and happily watches my frogs at night for hours on end [Their tank is on a small table next to her cage base], and she happily follows my OH's hamster when its out in his ball:lol:. She has been seen to groom him a few times when someones been handling the hamster but I would never let them run around together! I'd be terrified of something happening to the little ham! I've never tried putting a bun next to her as a neighbour ... Might be worth looking into for her!

 

[DemiS]

For a start unless you're prepared to groom daily you'll need to clip your rabbits fur. I'd get a cage with plenty of ventilation and shady places for when it's hot, and for bedding I'd probably use something absorbent with straw on top, not the chopped up flat pet shop stuff, proper farm straw which has long strands and shouldn't get as tangled up in the rabbits fur (if you're not clipping them). Maybe get or borrow one of the wire 'stages' used in shows and put it in the hutch and see if the rabbit avoids sitting on it, or prefers it, purebred angoras will have a heck of a lot of padding on their feet but I wouldn't give them an entirely wire bottom cage just incase they're not keen. There was an online rabbit supply shop that sold plastic grids to use in the bottom of hutches instead of wire but I can't find the site :?

 

[LeiiMaa]

For a start unless you're prepared to groom daily you'll need to clip your rabbits fur. I'd get a cage with plenty of ventilation and shady places for when it's hot, and for bedding I'd probably use something absorbent with straw on top, not the chopped up flat pet shop stuff, proper farm straw which has long strands and shouldn't get as tangled up in the rabbits fur (if you're not clipping them). Maybe get or borrow one of the wire 'stages' used in shows and put it in the hutch and see if the rabbit avoids sitting on it, or prefers it, purebred angoras will have a heck of a lot of padding on their feet but I wouldn't give them an entirely wire bottom cage just incase they're not keen. There was an online rabbit supply shop that sold plastic grids to use in the bottom of hutches instead of wire but I can't find the site :?

I'm 99.99% sure I'm going to stick with the Dog crate I've already got him, so he'll have plenty of ventilation from that , I eventually plan on giving him free roam of my bun-proofed bedroom. I do plan on keeping him relatively clipped as I'm going to be using his clipped wool for spinning into yarn, but it'd never crossed my mind that theres a huge difference between farm straw and pet shop bought ones - It does make perfect sense! Just something that I'd over looked . I really don't know how I feel about wire cages. It seems so cruel but so many websites I've read say that they don't mind it at all! But I'll defiantly look into trying to get hold of something like a stage and see what he prefers! I think I'm going to have to try a few different things out and see how he reacts on each

 

[Alpha]

My Angora had vet beddin for her to sleep on, wooden base cat litter which didn't stick to her fur and hay in hay racks........she was always kept trimmed round her bottom and tail area as it was easier to keep her clean. We had a massive 5ft x 3ft cage with.an upstairs level for her bed area.. in the day while I was home she just came out free range.......we sometimes used old towels in the base if her cage she loved digging those......

 

[DemiS]

I'm 99.99% sure I'm going to stick with the Dog crate I've already got him, so he'll have plenty of ventilation from that , I eventually plan on giving him free roam of my bun-proofed bedroom. I do plan on keeping him relatively clipped as I'm going to be using his clipped wool for spinning into yarn, but it'd never crossed my mind that theres a huge difference between farm straw and pet shop bought ones - It does make perfect sense! Just something that I'd over looked . I really don't know how I feel about wire cages. It seems so cruel but so many websites I've read say that they don't mind it at all! But I'll defiantly look into trying to get hold of something like a stage and see what he prefers! I think I'm going to have to try a few different things out and see how he reacts on each

Sorry I only read your first post when I replied, I didn't see all the bit about spinning and the dog crate. And yeah there is a huge difference, pet shop hay is usually very finely cut, completely flat, and softer than others but often dusty because it's been cut up, my and my grandma both live behind fields which straw is collected in and once they've collected it all we go around the edges and the telephone poles etc. where the tractors can't reach and bag up any left over and it's much different, not as comfy if the rabbit got poked with it but it wouldn't get matted into the rabbits fur.

I believe for most breeds, wire flooring is unnecessary and I imagine not comfy at all for rabbits, it has a few positives such as keeping the rabbit cleaner and wire doesn't hold bacteria/viruses when disinfected as much as wood does (apparently), but it's more commonly used in America where the people that keep them in wire bottom cages also tend to have large barns of rabbits in 2x2 ft cages so it's more practicality over welfare. However I believe an angora would barely be able to notice a wire floor, they may even prefer sitting on the wire as its cooler and they don't get covered in bedding and poo but I certainly wouldn't have the entire crate with a wire floor

A good test might be using a run lid, looking outside now my run is mainly mesh but has a big bit of solid wood to provide shade for the rabbits, you could put your rabbit on top and providing they don't jump off you could see how they react to the two surfaces? If they quite happily wonder around the mesh without difficulty you could try a bit in their cage, if they stick to the solid bit then I wouldn't bother

 

[Alpha]

I wouldnt recommend straw or hay for bedding it gets stuck in there fur, u can only I believe spin the wool that comes off during combing as when they are clipped the fur is a completey different texture, personally I use to scissor trim mine in the summer and leave her full coat in winter, I think the wire floors would b painful for them, I've only ever seen theses used for when they are show bunnies....

 

[youthnovels]

I have an angora/cashmere rabbit (not actually sure what she is but she feels like cotton wool!), she came to me covered in concrete and was a right state. She doesn't even look bad in this photo compared to what she was ...

If I'm honest, I'd run a mile.

Her fur goes longer than this ... :shock:

and unless you're an expert in clipping, they'll end up looking a right state like this ...

Any bedding, hay or food will get tangled up. I have to admit there's been times where I've not kept on top of it and certain areas have felted so much they've clumped up next to the skin and have been a nightmare to get out.

I'm very lucky that she will sit still, within reason for me to clip her. If she was anything like my normal buns then it would have to be done under GA.

I love her to bits but seriously, the effort it takes isn't worth it.