I recently added a new pet / investment to our household. You might be wondering what kind of animal would be given the name Harry Buns. He’s an Angora rabbit. Because he’s an adoption and a young rabbit of about 6 months, I can only guess at his breed. He appears to be at least part English Angora. Time will tell. If he’s purebred, by the time he’s a year old he could look like a cotton ball with a nose and ears.
Many of you have probably never seen an Angora rabbit, and Buns is the first I’ve actually seen and handled in person. There is a very specific reason for that. While they are very charming rabbits, Angoras are seldom raised for the pet trade. They’re high maintenance. Because of their long hair, they require very specific and vigilant care. Whether kept inside or outside, they are not the kind of animal that can be given several days of food and water then be ignored until it’s convenient. All rabbits can have digestive issues because of their grooming habits. They clean themselves the same way cats do. However, they can’t cough up hairballs. The condition is known as wool block and it’s particularly deadly for Angoras. Because of their grooming and extremely clean housing needs they are seldom suitable pets for children or the casual owner.
What possesses a person to want such a pet? In my case it’s a love of fiber, luxury fibers in particular such as cashmere, alpaca and angora. Have you ever owned a knit item that was particularly soft and fuzzy? Chances are it contained Angora fiber, which is harvested from rabbits. Don’t worry. The rabbits aren’t hurt. Depending on breed, they are either plucked when they blow their coats, or shorn like mini sheep.
Most hard-core fiber lovers (knitters, crocheters, weavers…) fantasize about owning their own fiber producing livestock. Some will make it a reality, others will decide its more work than they want. Perhaps because I’m a crazy project person, I guess I’m not happy until I’ve experienced the full spectrum of all the processes required to produce a completed item. Learning to spin is on my wish list of acquired skills, and since I have a spinning wheel made by my dad, I owe it to him to learn. Buns is my motivation to get started. (Sheep, goats and alpacas just aren’t possible at my current address.) Since he’s my only rabbit at the moment, it will be awhile before I have a significant amount of hair to work with. Hopefully, by the time I’ve accumulated a pound or two, I’ll be proficient enough at spinning to do his beautiful white hair justice.
The Project Queen
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