Fuzzy Bunny Hugs

The hat pattern is Chunky Dean Street from Craftsy.

The scarf wasn’t made from a written pattern.

Spring has arrived here in South Texas, so it might seem like a strange time of year to write about this topic. After almost 5 years, and a few storage containers full of Angora wool, I came to the conclusion this past Fall, I needed to find an easy(ish) way to start using it. Especially since I’ve been involved with some larger projects (an Airsteam TT reno) which have limited my ability to practice fiber blending and spinning.

After a late summer/early fall trip with the trailer up to South Dakota and Iowa, Angus and Lola needed to be sheared when we got home in late October. We had chilly weather following us about while we traveled. It was in the bunnies’ best interest to let them grow out until we returned. While I was shearing, and topping off my storage containers, I began to wonder if it was possible to add the Angora to a project while I was knitting. There is a yarn stash lurking in my studio which needs to be busted. Clearing space, learning something new, and having a finished project at the end offered more than one bonus. It certainly wasn’t going to hurt anything to try it. Especially since I ended up with a second harvest 3 months later, courtesy of the colder weather we had this past winter. The season of the short-haired bunny is now here, but there will be at least a few more harvests in my future. Even though Angora wool is best suited to cold weather wear, putting a dent in what I already have will be a year-round endeavor.

My first attempt was this headband, which of course I made for myself. (Had to make sure my plan would work, and I already have an Alpaca scarf in the same color.) The yarn is a natural colored Alpaca DK with a bit of sparkle. Lola, whose adult coat is pale palomino, was a good match. The fiber came directly from the storage container while I knit. Besides all the brushing/blow-outs they receive while growing out, my rabbits also get brushed while I shear. My containers are filled with tidy, organized locks. No mats or debris allowed. I’m a continental knitter and generally pretty speedy. Taking the time to separate and wrap very small amounts of Angora around the yarn did slow me down. But I found it less frustrating than my previous attempts at blending and spinning. Here, I was using just enough to add extra softness and the famous Angora halo. The stitch definition and sparkle aren’t compromised.

The hat and scarf, pictured at the top of this post, were my next projects. I made them for a friend who lives in one of the great lake states. I knew she likes bright pink. There was a small amount of variegated bulky baby Alpaca lurking in a drawer. The magenta skeins I had were a bit dark to be a perfect match. Tying both together seemed like a good opportunity to try Angora dying with materials I already had in the house. (The hat and scarf made my friend very happy. Even though I sent it to her in early Feb. she’s still had plenty of opportunities to wear them.)

The protein fibers (animal wools) are usually dyed with an acid mordant. Since I clean my rabbit cages with it, there is always a large jug of white vinegar. I used two types of food coloring as the dye stuff, gel and liquid. These first choices were based mostly on the fact I was dying very small amounts of wool. Plus, I already had it. (Leftover from our younger daughter’s high school baking days.)

Commercial dyes, especially some types preferred by fiber artists and professionals, generally have very specific technical requirements. They also need dedicated equipment and sometimes must be worked with outside. Dying outside wasn’t going to happen when it was cold and rainy/icy. Though to be honest I won’t do it when every tree in the neighborhood is pollinating, or it’s 100° with 90% humidity. Kitchen dying just suits my environmental circumstances better. It’s also well suited for a fiber which isn’t likely to register on a scale. Angora is far lighter than a feather. The small amounts I wanted to dye wouldn’t even make my digital scale blink. Most dyes require weight, not volume, to determine amount of water, dye and mordant for the dye bath.

Lola's wool with a skein of  bulky aplaca in Magneta.

(Cloudborn from Craftsy.)

For my first foray into Angora dying, I wasn’t very concerned with dye lot consistency, since the yarn for the hat band was variegated. When in the process of learning new things, take the pressure off yourself and toss perfection out the window. Just make notes about your varying results, in case you want to successfully repeat something you found pleasing. Unless you accidentally felt your fiber, there is no reason to discard something if the finished product isn’t exactly what you expected. Put it back in your stash and use it in another project. A felted fabric isn’t the end of the world either. When working with an expensive fiber like Angora, you don’t throw away mistakes. Save the “fur” fabric to trim hats, collars, sleeve cuffs, etc.

Yes, all the opaque fiber has air trapped in it.

And it's bone dry in those air bubbles.

Avoiding felting starts before the fiber gets in the dye bath. Even if my Angora wool didn’t need to be combed/washed first, I learned dying is still a two-step process. You will need to wet it in hot water before dying. The properties which make Angora desirable require patience when you decide to dye it. Even when working with small quantities, I didn’t find any shortcuts. It took time to break the locks up over the water, and it took more time to poke air bubbles out of the fibers. I used an old serving fork to hold the locks under the water and a small spoon to remove the bubbles. You’ll know when you finally have all the air out. The fibers will almost disappear in the water, and they’ll sink. A pre-soak in hot water means better dye penetration. Until you attempt to wet it, you won’t really appreciate how much air those fine fibers trap between them. A lock of Angora wool which isn’t separated and thoroughly wet will only dye on the outside. The fibers inside the lock will be barely colored, if at all. Aggressive stirring while the wool is in hot water should be avoided. I used my 9” x 13” glass baking dish for the soaking process. It’s shallow enough that I could easily keep the water hot on the low burner setting. It also didn’t take long for the heat to come back up if I needed to top off the water level. By the way, use filtered water for soaking, dying and rinsing. You won’t want chlorine and other contaminants in your dye projects.

When it was finally wet, the same fork was used to scoop the wool out of the baking dish into the dye bath. Also in a heat-proof glass dish and kept hot while I was working. Now, I’m going to be honest and admit my first Angora dying attempts haven’t been very technical. I didn’t really measure anything. I put in coloring until I was satisfied with the intensity. A couple of tablespoons of vinegar seemed like plenty. If you get an occasional whiff of it, then there is enough. How long you need to leave the fiber in the dye bath will depend on your dye stuff. I found the gel food coloring needed more time and was least likely to dye true. My rose-pink gel tended to produce more orange/coral tones. The liquid neon pink, when in a dye bath by itself, stayed pink. Start by leaving the wool in the dye for at least 10 minutes. Remove a small amount and rinse it. Like the results? Then your batch is ready. Otherwise, retest periodically until you get what you want.

Angus' wool dyed in shades of blue and purple.

I suspect the purple came from gel food coloring which is supposed to be royal blue.

Save that stuff for frosting, unless you want to be surprised by the results.

The dark blue in the lower left corner is acid dyed.

It was easier to use than I thought it would be, and my current go-to. 

When it came to the shades of blue I dyed for the current project I’m knitting, I tried some craft store liquid dye, food coloring and a powdered acid dye. At first, I was concerned about possible results for the acid dye because of the small quantities of fiber being dyed. But it was the one which impressed me the most. I tried ¼ tsp. in about 3-4 cups of water. The color stayed true and intense, even after being rinsed. If you’re going to purchase dye, buy the powdered stuff. Otherwise, you’re just buying colored water. (A high-priced liquid dye is a very concentrated product. The adage “You get what you pay for”, is very much true here.)

What I learned from my preliminary dying experiences will hopefully help with some of my future spinning endeavors. Time and continued practice will tell. In the grand scheme of things, how my Angora wool gets into finished projects probably doesn’t matter. It’s a special fiber which doesn’t deserve to sit around in storage containers. And until you actually use and enjoy it, you’ll sometimes question your sanity in choosing to care for such high-maintenance creatures. Yes, I love my bunnies. They have sweet, silly personalities, and my daily interactions with them bring me joy. But they were bred for a specific purpose, fiber production, and more than earn their keep . Making something with their wool finally brings me full circle. There is another reason to value what they produce, too. Angus is now 8 years old. He’s showing his age a bit. Earlier this year, he developed a little cold. It scared me that he could have snuffles, and I may not have him much longer. Such episodes always make me wonder what I’ll do with his wool after he’s gone. Of course, I’ll continue to use it. Though there may be some tears at first. Even when my storage containers are finally empty, Angus and Lola will continue to have a presence in this world. Their wool is their legacy. With a bit of care from the recipients, the fuzzy bunny hugs I make with it will give warmth and pleasure well beyond the bunnies’ lifetimes, and possibly even mine. Which is quite a feat for a humble rabbit.

The Project Queen

Angus hanging out in the Airstream while we were at San Angelo State Park.

Lola in a box. She's now 3 years old. You can see another photo of her in a box at three months.

Just look for the "Crazy Bunny Lady" post.

Bunny Trouble

Lola with a mouthful of cardboard, hay and hair.

Well, maybe it’s not trouble, exactly, but owning rabbits as pets (especially long-haired breeds) comes with its own set of challenges.

Angus developed weepy eyes which forced me to keep the hair short on his face. The weeping seems to have slowed down recently, but I still think his age has earned him the right to stay retired from fiber production. Buns suffered calcium sludge twice. Each time he’s had it, I needed to try removing and re-adding things to his diet to locate a cause. I had a suspicion the higher protein pellets needed by the EAs didn’t quite agree with him. He now has a separate bag of pellets, though I came to the conclusion his main problem was lack of water. It isn’t that he isn’t given enough. He was supposedly feral for a while. It’s possible he got into the habit of not drinking much, because water wasn’t always easy to find. To get enough water into him, I resorted to wetting his greens every time I feed him. By and large, Benjamin is a very healthy bunny. Probably helps that the only long hair he has is around his face. He’s a sassy little bugger, though, quite fond of grunting at me whenever I put my hand in his cage. He also stomps his back feet, for no apparent reason. A habit which completely freaks out Alexa, our Cattle Dog. Some of the other dogs recently decided if the Queen Bee finds the noise so disturbing, then they need to worry about it too.

Now, we come to Lola. I noticed a while back she was putting on a bit more weight than she should have been. Even though I don’t feed anyone things they’re not supposed to eat. I couldn’t quite decide if it was a doe trait, or if it was particular to her. There were some other things that seemed to be improving with time as she got a bit older. I finally got her to make regular use of her litter box, and she stopped banging her hay bin against her cage.

Recently, I needed to place her in the playpen with Angus for a little bit. Despite sterilization surgery, instinct kicked in, and I now have a doe who thinks she’s having babies. She resumed banging the hay bin about, at all hours of the day, and then popping off the litter box grate so she could dig there. She also got sassy with me, especially when I wanted her out of the cage for cleaning. (Which is a daily chore here.) Of course, she didn’t want me undoing her handy-work and removing all the hay she was stuffing around the perimeter of her cage. After more than a week of this craziness, I came to the conclusion it was necessary to give her something to nest in, until she decides she isn’t pregnant. Otherwise, it’s possible to needlessly prolong this behavior. No shortage of cardboard boxes around here, so I took the flaps off a box that was big enough for her to root around in. It was my hope I would just remove her mess when she was finished with it. No such luck. Despite the extra pieces of card board I gave her, and all the hay she has at her disposal, she ripped out at least half of the box bottom.

In the midst of the baby drama, shearing time has rolled around again. I got Angus finished in a couple of days. However, Lola tends to take me a bit longer, since she’s bigger and the hair is even thicker. The other evening, I pushed myself to trim the hula skirt off her booty. Which left her legs and tummy to finish. It was getting late enough, and my hands hurt. I decided to finish the next day. Hands hurt enough yesterday it seemed a good idea to take a break. This morning, while feeding everyone, I discovered clumps of hair in Lola’s nest. This is typical behavior of a nesting doe, and it was in the back of my mind she might pull hair to complete this project. So now the remainder of her haircut will wait too, until she abandons the nest.

Despite the fact she’s making a royal mess and not eating much right now, it has been interesting to see instinct in action. It’s also a good reminder of how powerful, and tricky, this survival tool really is. Still, I’m glad I started buying bales of hay from a farm/ranch supply store for a very reasonable price. I got the current bale around Easter weekend. Half of it has been used to this point. Every time I give Lola hay right now, she’s stuffing it in her nest area. Occasionally, she’s nibbling on some of it, but I’m going to end up throwing most of it around my blackberries. Needless to say, the very rare “play date” she had with Angus will never be repeated, with him, or the other boy bunnies.

The Project Queen

Caring for a Senior EA Rabbit

Though it should be something you do throughout your pet’s lifetime, making the best decisions for them as they reach senior status, starts becoming more complicated. It can be hard to find a balance between what we want, and what’s best for them. In our household, the oldest of our dogs will be nine, and one of the rabbits seven, next spring. Alexa, with a possible lifespan of 12 yrs. or more, is technically middle age. However, Angus, the EA buck, is a senior. The average lifespan for Angora rabbits is 6-8 yrs., but some short-haired breeds can live to be 10 or a bit more.

Whether kept as livestock or pets, the Angora breeds require excellent husbandry to be healthy fiber producers. Though one of the smallest breeds, English Angoras are probably more labor intensive because they are covered with long hair everywhere. I’m not going into detail about what cecotropes are, in this post. (An important element of rabbit digestion. Please research if you want a bunny.) Seeing cecotropes generally means a rabbit is consuming more nutrition than they need. However, if you’re suddenly finding these specialized droppings with no change in diet, it could mean something else is going on. Even my youngest rabbit, the EA doe, occasionally leaves cecotropes when her hair gets long and increases in volume. It’s just one reason booties need to be kept trimmed and grooming must be very thorough. When I start finding cecotropes in cages, I look for signs of hair ingestion, keep the hay plentiful (always), and step up my grooming. Sometimes, the problem doesn’t completely go away, making me wonder how much all that hair interferes with body functions, just by getting in the way. Because I do shear my rabbits and their hair is short half to three quarters of a year, I have noticed fluctuations in weight when their hair grows out. When it’s short for a while, my bunnies usually put on some weight. Growing out all that hair takes a lot of energy. A bunny as light as dandelion fluff may be experiencing some malnutrition, and though an increase in food seems to make sense, it won’t help much if they aren’t consuming their cecotropes.

It was partly because of finding more cecotropes than usual that I considered retiring Angus from fiber production last year. The fact that he chewed on himself when I tried to let him grow out, influenced the decision as well. Beautiful as he is in full EA glory, it’s been almost a year since I’ve allowed him to grow out completely. His last haircut was two months ago.  Because we’ve had warmer than usual temps this fall, I’m observing him closely. As long as he leaves his coat alone, I’ll wait until the middle of December to harvest the usable fiber. Right now, he’s sporting a modified hair cut on his back feet and legs, because he’s been knocking about and ignoring his litter box lately. His tummy will get trimmed up too. Not using the box is mostly something Angus does when his hair gets longer. I think he knows the dirty hair will be trimmed. When his hair is short, he very rarely relocates the “furniture”, so it looks very much like a form of communication.  (It’s my opinion that calling someone a “dumb bunny” is an insult to bunnies.) He has been mostly on the thin side ever since I’ve had him, too. Keeping his hair shorter most of the time means weight isn’t fluctuating as much, and he stays more active. Since Angus is already used to having his face trimmed up, it helps with another issue which popped up recently.

He has developed an occasionally weepy left eye. Sometimes the right gets a bit crusty too. Because he got a clean bill of health from the good doctor a couple of months ago, and he eats with gusto, I’m pretty certain its age related. (Yes, eyes get checked frequently for irritants and everyone has good teeth.) According to an article from the University of Miami, rabbits can experience bone loss as they age. If some of that loss occurs in the skull, it may cause the ducts that drain tears to the nasal cavities to compress. No cure for that, if it is the problem. The best I can do for Angus to minimize skin irritation is keep the hair short on his face. It just makes it easier to keep things dry, and less crusty.

Speaking of bones, bunnies are fragile throughout their lifetimes. Be extra gentle when they get older.

A retired fiber bunny doesn’t necessarily mean less work for me. Other than the long hair on ears and tail, I don’t have to do much brushing for a couple of weeks after a haircut. But the shearing is done twice as much, with haircuts occurring every month to month and a half. (Instead of quarterly.) I think Angus is enjoying his mostly retired status.  He’s always been the most affectionate of my bunnies, and with his hair kept shorter, he stays engaged. For special treats, he often acts as silly as Lola. I’m not the fastest spinner right now, and I can’t accuse him of being stingy with his soft, fluffy goodness. Since I enjoy his company, it’s not much of a hardship to help him enjoy his golden years. Hopefully, it will allow me to spend an extra year or two with him.

The Project Queen

Ramblin’ Rabbits

Benjamin playing in the tent.

I was listening to music while supervising. The soundtrack wasn’t planned.

My Kindle was shuffling songs on my list and Pat Benatar popped up.

My apologies for not posting more frequently here. We’ve been busy with our Airstream and “The Stellar Land Yacht” blog. (As well as the daily living stuff that keeps intruding on our projects.) We also just returned from a five week trip with said Airstream, which is the reason for this post.

Because we are a special kind of crazy, our five dogs have traveled with us twice now. And my four rabbits came with us on the second trip courtesy of our new tow vehicle, Bumble, the Abominable Snow Van. (Details about him coming up soon on our other blog.)

Most sane people are probably wondering why someone would travel for more than a month with nine animals. And it is a valid question whose answer wouldn’t suit everyone. The biggest reason we took the most recent trip was our younger daughter’s graduation on May 7, from the University of South Dakota. Which is over 1000 miles north of us. She also wanted us to help her move to another apartment at the end of the month. (She has no immediate plans to return to Texas.) Calculate the cost of boarding/hiring a pet sitter for more than a month, or trying to find someone who is familiar with the care of high-maintenance rabbits, then tell me, who’s crazy? (Yes, we are, for having so many pets in the first place.)

Traveling long distance with rabbits does present a special set of challenges, even more so than those who travel with dogs or cats will encounter. For their continued good health, it’s essential to keep a rabbit’s very specific needs in mind when planning a trip which includes them. Generally, rabbits aren’t good travelers. Lots of motion, and roads in poor condition, can be very disruptive to their delicate digestive systems. If you need to travel more than 4 hours in a day to reach a destination, reconsider bringing a pet rabbit. (Unless you’re relocating and have no choice.) My husband, as a disabled veteran, doesn’t care to spend a full day on the road any longer, so his needs and those of my rabbits actually mesh pretty well.

Unless your rabbit already lives in a small cage, finding the appropriate traveling habitat is going to be your first order of business. I knew from the beginning most of our forays with the travel trailer would be at least a few weeks long. The cages I have here at home are far too large for traveling. But travel cages would have to large enough for each rabbit to stretch out and relax. They were going to spend a significant amount of time in them when not at home. A traveling cage is called a carrier, and my best advice is to find the show rabbit carriers with wire bottoms and a drop pan. It doesn’t matter if your rabbit is short or long-haired. Do both yourself and the rabbit a favor and keep them out of their messes while traveling. (A litter box may take up too much room to be included). A cage with a drop pan also allowed me to clean cages quickly. I lined each drop pan with 2 potty pads and just replaced what was dirty. I could also separate the cage from the pan, with the rabbit still in it. I purchased single-compartment Angora show cages. They are 16”x24”x16”, which is the largest carrier I could find. They are stackable, another handy feature if you need more than one. Mine were purchased from BunnyRabbit.com. since they offer the option of having them shipped flat. Of course, that does mean you have to assemble, but compare the cost of having a completed cage shipped vs. flat. (In case you haven’t noticed, shipping carriers like UPS and FedEx determine costs by volume just as much as weight. You’re getting charged according to the amount of space your package takes in their vehicles. That’s why customer service breaks out a tape measure whenever you bring a package to their stores.)

Besides making sure there are no changes to diet, and keeping everyone on their schedules, the other thing you must consider is a means to provide safe exercise. Just as it is for any animal (including people), rabbits need the opportunity to play. Physical movement is crucial to keeping the digestive track moving, too. Any rabbit could die of wool-block if they ingest enough loose hair, though it is a much bigger problem for Angoras. Daily exercise is a big help in prevention, and one of the first treatments recommended to resolve it. It’s also crucial in making sure your rabbit eats when you’re away from home. While you’re in motion, they will not feel like eating much. Providing exercise opportunities while stopped will help them regain their appetites. When necessary, I let them out in the trailer, one at a time, to stretch their legs while I cleaned cages. Otherwise, when we were at a location for several days, we set up a large tent, which included a floor. They could hang out there and enjoy their play time (the rabbit romper room). But here’s the kicker. You have to pay close attention to temperatures and the weather. If it starts getting over 80 degrees, they will have difficulty with over-heating. A tent isn’t the most secure shelter during severe storms either. (Though ours held up amazingly well, even during a hail storm.) Depending on circumstances, the long-eared weirdoes either moved to the van or the trailer when necessary, including at night. Regardless of their location, their playtime was always supervised. I didn’t want anyone chewing thru the tent, and it’s always best to clean up messes immediately.

Grooming is another chore that can’t be neglected, especially if you travel with Angoras, like I did. I received a free, zippered tote bag with my cages which came in handy for packing my grooming tools. Angus and Lola were sheared before we left, but their hair grew out more than an inch before we got home. For at least 2 weeks after we arrived up North, the weather turned chilly, especially at night. Colder temps don’t usually bother rabbits since they’re well insulated, and if they have plenty to eat and drink. But it started warming up, and of course, getting down-right hot while we were on our way back home. I had to complete at least 75% of the Angora haircuts before we got too far South. Otherwise, traveling was going to get more stressful for them. Buns and Benjamin needed to be kept clean and tidy as well.

For the most part, everyone did fine during their adventure from home. Lola and Benjamin handled it the best. Lola is amazingly hardy for an English Angora rabbit, but she’s still young at 1 ½ years. Benjamin is mostly short-haired and usually trouble-free at home. Angus and Buns are more fragile. Angus is getting older at 6 years. Buns is 3, but he’s a mixed breed. I suspect English Angora and perhaps a short-haired dwarf, but I’ll never really know for sure. His ancestry might have something to do with his general constitution, or it’s just the way he is. Even though his hair isn’t as extreme as the EAs, I usually have to be more careful with him. He doesn’t tolerate changes to his diet very well. But I do know having the opportunity to get out of their cages made a big difference to the well-being of all while away from home. They had a grand time playing in the tent, and it was entertaining to watch them.

The tent will definitely be included if the rabbits travel again. Another item will probably be one litter box provided for playtime. Hopefully, it will help minimize messes on the tent floor. It takes some time to make sure everything is clean before the tent is packed up. Leak-proof water bottles are also a must. I wasn’t able to purchase them before we left. Typical water bottles are not travel friendly, especially on rough roads. Most of the time I resorted to keeping just a small amount of water in them, and a sharp eye on anyone running out. Four cups of water in the bottom of a cage is a royal pain in the behind. Otherwise, the cages held up well, and can certainly be used again. Their only downside is the lid on top. It offers plenty of access to the interior of the cage. The flaw presents itself when the cages are stacked. To reach a rabbit lower in the stack, cages on top have to be moved. If the rabbits needed to come into the trailer for AC, the cages were stacked 4 high to keep things from getting too cozy. Which meant shuffling 3 cages to reach the bottom for feeding and cleaning. I’m not yet sure what the solution will be.

There is no doubt traveling with 9 animals is a lot of work. However, it does come with a silver lining or two. If you’re going to be away from home for awhile, having your pets with you can provide some peace of mind. After all, no one is going to care for them the same way you do. Walking dogs and shuffling rabbit cages is also an effective way to lose some weight. Who knew?

Don’t be afraid to include your pets in your adventures. Just take the time to research your options and the necessary practicalities, especially if traveling out of your home state. That saying about prevention vs. cure is especially true here. It’s up to us to make sure everyone enjoys the journey and comes home safely.

This 2-room tent was the rabbit romper room.

It suffered a little bit of wear, but then it was used for at least 3 weeks of our trip.

It was exposed to plenty of wind, rain and hail. 

Some of the heavy rain did create small puddles in a corner of two.

Even so, it was not only additional living space, but a place to put the camp chairs

when the weather got nasty. 

The Project Queen

This post is inspired by a comment my husband made. He thinks my EA doe, Lola Rapunzel, looks like the Were Rabbit. She climbs the sides of the cage when it's feeding time or just wants attention. I tried for a month to get a better photo of her doing this. Unfortunately, it was like trying to photograph a sasquatch.

If you stand in front of her with a camera, she just sits and stares at you, wondering why she hasn't been fed yet.

I don't know. There might be a slight resemblance...

What do you think?

This pic was taken 2 days ago, during a grooming session. Lola is now 10 months old. I didn't think it would be possible, but her hair is even thicker and longer than my other EA, Angus. Though they are both pedigreed purebreds, it's definite proof that the "utility" chosen by a breeder makes a difference in characteristics. Angus was bred and raised by a family who focused on fiber production. He molts his coat 4 times a year, which is just enough time for it to reach 3-4 inches staple length. Though she sheds some, Lola doesn't blow her coat quarterly. She has a show rabbit pedigree. Since I kept her hair short during the summer, I don't yet know the maximum staple length of her hair.

Lola with her ears up. The long hair hanging over her face is from her ears. She does have all the face furnishings typical of the English Angora breed, but I had to trim her "bangs" and lower the cheek furnishings to minimize the amount of hair getting in her eyes. Too much irritation can cause eye infections, and since Lola's white nose disqualifies her from showing, it's no hardship to trim up her face a bit. 

She's still stinkin' cute.

The Project Queen

Crazy Bunny Lady

There are those individuals who have an affinity for felines, and though I like the kitties, my weakness is for extra-furry rabbits. (With one exception. More about Benjamin in a moment.)

I now have 4 rabbits, the most recent purchased about a month ago. Her name is Lola Rapunzel. She’s an English Angora, like Angus, and is 3 months old. The above photo was taken two weeks ago. Since then her coat has grown out considerably. I need to measure it, but I’m guessing it’s at least 4 inches long. I started brushing Lola within a week of bringing her home. She gets brushed 2 times a week right now. (Baby coats are extra fine. They can’t be neglected.) I’ve been agonizing over whether I should shear her soon since she seems to be getting a bit warm, but her voracious appetite hasn’t waned. Right now, I’m in the process of finishing a shearing of Angus and will need to let my hands recover for a few days. Since she’s still a little too young and susceptible to chilling, Lola’s first haircut will be a trim of her tummy and the inside of her back legs. Hopefully, that will help cool her down a bit for now.  At the end of May I will probably do a full body shear. While Lola hasn’t been terrible, she’s a bit squirrelly on the grooming table. In two more months, she’ll almost be an adult and should have a more zen attitude.

This is what Lola looks like now. As her hair has grown, she's gone from redhead

to strawberry blond.

Her color is Vienna Marked Tort.

Besides the grooming, Angora kits are high maintenance in other ways. Lola is actually the second rabbit kit to join our household, but she and Benjamin are miles apart in their juvenile needs. (Benjamin is about a year old now, an adult bunny.) Of all my rabbits, it seems like I’m always feeding Lola. It takes a lot of nutrition to grow physically while producing a full wool coat at the same time, and Angora rabbits have very particular dietary needs. Then there is the housekeeping. I clean all my bunny cages and litter boxes every day, a necessary chore when rabbits are in the house, and an important part of health management. The adult rabbits do their bodily functions almost as much as Lola does, but they keep their messes confined to one favorite corner in their cages (for the most part). Lola will eventually do the same as she settles into maturity. Right now she uses two litter boxes and messes in the bottom of her cage. I use (2) 2-story Ferret Nation cages because I love the large double doors that open up the entire front. But it’s a set up that requires making your own wire cage bottom to keep a bunny clean. Lola and Benjamin each have one made of PVC trim and ½” square hardware cloth. (Benjamin refused to be litter-trained.)

Is there anything cuter than a bunny in a box?

I will say it’s no hardship to spend any time with Lola. After a day or two, she became comfortable with her new home and has been very engaging ever since. In addition to being quite affectionate, she has the energy of youth. It’s amusing to watch her do binkies and run pell-mell through the cat tunnels in the exercise pen.

Cute as they are though, I must warn against getting a kit as your first-ever rabbit, especially English Angoras since their grooming needs are the most challenging. Rabbits have fragile bones, especially as developing kits. They don’t tolerate rough handling, and their prey animal instinct means they don’t like being picked up & held. Just because they’re vegan doesn’t mean they’re defenseless. They can bite hard enough to draw blood, and will often scratch with their toenails when trying to escape. Just like other animals, rabbits have their own behaviors and forms of communication.  It’s necessary to learn how to communicate, or you will never earn your bunny’s trust and cooperation. Novices should really consider getting an adult bunny, especially if they want something high maintenance, like an Angora. Mature rabbits who have been handled correctly are usually easier to make friends with. Adult rabbits will also be more tolerant while you’re trying to learn the requirements for good bunny husbandry. It goes without saying you will make mistakes, especially while trying to learn how to groom an Angora’s incredible coat. Even adults will not always cooperate when you need to groom their vulnerable undersides. Again, it goes against instinct. Angus, my 5 yr. old EA, often tries to escape when I lay him on his back. He’s bitten me on the thigh a few times to express his displeasure, when he thinks I’ve kept him upside down too long. You won’t want to struggle with a juvenile you’re afraid of injuring.

It's a bit difficult to tell in this photo, but Benjamin does have long hair

on his neck and between his ears.

Otherwise his hair is short, and he's the only one who who enjoys a box of shredded paper

since he doesn't take it with him when he jumps out.

Now, about Benjamin… Last year, it was my intention to make a plea against purchasing “Easter” bunnies only once (no good deed goes unpunished). But I have to make it again because of Benjamin. I made the choice and planned ahead to bring to bring my other bunnies home, but Benjamin was an Easter bunny whose forever home ended up being with me. Unlike Mr. Harry Buns, my shelter bunny who was found while trying to survive on his own, Benjamin’s situation wasn’t dire. Though he was spray painted pink and blue with temporary hair dye. He was given to the young children of my veterinarian. She owns the clinic and works 12 hr. days most of the week. The gift givers failed to consult her before gifting her children with the bunny. Instead of being a delightful, planned addition to their family, he was an unexpected burden. A couple of weeks later, when I brought Angus for his annual, I found myself coming home with another rabbit. Now, I was fore-warned by my older daughter, who works for the good doctor. But at the time I was in the process of looking for another Angora, so I hoped someone else would help out. The sudden addition of Benjamin forced me to purchase another cage much sooner than I had planned, and his refusal to use the litter box presented challenges to keeping him clean. On the upside, he has his own distinct and charming personality. And in my veterinarian’s defense, she didn’t force me to take him, but I was her first choice because I have experience with long-haired rabbits. She gave Angus a free exam and neutered Benjamin without charging me as a way of saying thank you. The moral of the story? If the child isn’t yours, don’t ever give a pet of any kind without consulting parents first.

Being an animal lover, it makes me sad to see society’s general lack of responsibility toward their fellow creatures. Cats and dogs get a lot of press, but many kinds of animals are surrendered or rescued, such as rabbits and horses. (If they don’t die shortly after the holiday, many rabbits end up in shelters.) Three of our five dogs are adoptions, and half of my rabbits were unwanted early in their lives. In honor of the Creator’s resurrection, it is my hope humankind will eventually learn to value the lives of the creatures He gifted us to enrich ours.

The Project Queen

Mr. Harry Buns, my first bunny.

Considering he spent the first 2-3 months of his life trying to survive,

then another 2 months in a shelter, he's tamed considerably.

However, he is the one most likely to bite, especially in his cage.

Part of the biting problem is due to the long hair around his eyes.

He can't always see a hand reaching to pet his head and doesn't like being startled.

Otherwise I think it's because he's extra protective of his safe place,

something he hasn't always possessed.

Angus half way thru shearing might not be the most charming, 

though the hairy hula skirt is rather funny.

Because my hands are giving me problems right now, it can take me more than a week to finish.

Since he's picked up the naughty habit of chewing on his hair when he gets hot,

he's either going to be retired from wool production or reduced to one harvest grown

from late Fall to Spring.

Retirement means I will have to trim his hair down every month to a month and half.

To manage the task I will be purchasing a pair of clippers specially designed for Angora Rabbits.

The base price for just the clippers is about $300.

(The same clippers will be used to shear Lola, too.)

Here’s an update on the clippers. We have an Oster A5 Turbo clipper body purchased several years ago for a Cocker Spaniel we owned. The clippers still work great, so I just purchased a #40 blade after doing some research. It’s the blade recommended most frequently by other rabbit owners who don’t own the German-made Aesculap clippers. Oster recommends the #7 skip-tooth blade for extra fine hair, but more space between the teeth means a greater chance of nicking a rabbit’s extra-tender, stretchy skin. To manage hair removal with a fine-toothed blade like the 40, keep a stiff-bristled cleaning brush in reach. Brush hair from the blades as soon they show signs of not cutting properly. Lube the blade after each cleaning and take it apart after each grooming session. Completely removing the hair from between the plates will help improve their longevity considerably. The original #10 that came with our clippers was used on our Cocker for more than 8 yrs. Some also recommend having extra blades for switching when they get too hot. I’m comfortable with scissors so will switch to those when the blade gets warm. My original scissors were getting too dull and just wouldn’t sharpen any more. I purchased a new pair designed for fine, silky hair and trimming around areas like ears. It’s just a personal preference to use smaller scissors on animals that weigh less than 7 lbs., especially when I’m trimming inside legs and on the tummy.

A Special Easter Message

On the Christian calendar, Easter is as important a holiday as Christmas. Often it is the favorite because it takes place during the spring season, seen as a time of birth (or rebirth) and hope for eons.  Sadly, Easter is just as commercialized as Christmas, with the added element of baby animals for sale. These animals supposedly represent the holiday, but in actuality have nothing to do with it.

I’m sure you noticed the photo of the beautiful white bunny at the beginning of this post. His name is Mr. Harry Buns, and he’s an adopted rabbit, one with a sad back story. He’s lucky he lived long enough to find a loving forever home. Besides being stinkin’ cute, that’s the biggest reason he’s my “Poster Bunny”. I want to implore people not to buy bunnies, chicks, duckling or goslings for Easter. The following links all provide really good reasons why these animals make the worst impulse purchases, especially for children.

The first article is strictly about rabbits. If, after reading it, you still think you’re getting a rabbit, I strongly suggest you open the provided links to the House Rabbit Society chapters. Do both yourself and the new bunny a huge favor and be prepared before Hopper comes home. The House Rabbit Society strongly encourages adoption, but they may mention this in their FAQs. But just in case they don’t, make sure any baby bunny you bring home is more than 10 weeks old. It takes time for rabbits to fully develop their immune systems. Bunnies younger than that will probably die within a matter of days, especially pet store bunnies crowded in a small pen, which probably come from several different litters.

https://shine.yahoo.com/pets/5-reasons-not-to-buy-an-easter-bunny.html;_ylt=A0LEVx.N8EpT8UkAoQJXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzb21taXFkBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDNgRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1ZJUDA1MV8x

http://voices.yahoo.com/3-powerful-reasons-why-shouldnt-buy-live-bunnies-235089.html

http://voices.yahoo.com/reasons-why-shouldnt-buy-pet-rabbit-easter-1270537.html?cat=53

Now, about the fowl. We’ll start with the chicks. While cute and fuzzy, those itty bitty babies need extra special care and accommodations - meaning a big box, heat lamp and the right kind of food dispensers – not to mention the food. To ensure the survival of chicks these things are not optional. Without the heat lamp in particular, chicks die in a day or two. Ducklings and goslings are much hardier, but they still need all the appropriate supplies from day one, including their grown-up house. In fact, you should have the grown up house for all these birds before you bring them home. They all reach maturity in 2 months or less, and they are only cute and fuzzy for a week or two. After that, they molt the baby fuzz to start growing their adult feathers. When that happens, they become down-right ugly. I can guarantee most children won’t find them charming.

Do you know anything about the personalities of these animals as adults? (I do, from experience.) Unless, you make a point of buying sexed chicks (you pay more for hens), you could end up with roosters. Like the “Highlander” movie immortals, there can be only one. Roosters in the same coop will fight to the death. Do your kids need to witness that? Your neighbors will also find them highly annoying, because they crow throughout the day. Get any romantic notions you have about backyard hens out of your head. Sure, fresh eggs are great. But egg production is a function of youth. Hens produce eggs for only a couple of years, but they outlive that function for a few more years. If you want continuous egg production, what do you plan to do with the non-producing hens? In commercial agriculture hens which no longer lay become stewing chickens in the grocery store. Once upon a time, when keeping livestock meant feeding families, thrifty farm wives invented dishes like chicken and dumplings and coq au vin. As for ducks and geese, they are highly territorial, especially geese. Geese in pairs will take over an entire backyard. (Even a single goose will take possession of a large territory.) They are big birds well aware of their size who have no difficulty attacking adults, let alone children. Ducks are a bit mellower, but they bite almost as hard as geese do. Lastly, birds are dirty and poop copious amounts. If anyone in your household has respiratory issues, they will have to be excused from cleaning the fowl accommodations. (Another fact I know from experience. On a visit to a feed store with a large poultry inventory, all the bird dander triggered my asthma in less than 5 minutes.)

Lastly, what are you really teaching your children when you give them a live gift not very likely to survive for long? You will either be causing them unnecessary sadness, or raising individuals who have no regard for our Savior’s creation. Jesus cares about everything on this planet that he placed in our care. He fully expects us to be good, responsible stewards. I firmly believe he sheds tears when we squander and abuse the precious treasures all around us.

I do want to wish all who read this a blessed holiday, and may you have a very special celebration with your loved ones. Buns wants to thank you for caring for God’s creatures with consideration and kindness.