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.