Any homeless Angoras in S.F. Bay Area?

[DogCatMom]

I've visited two rabbit rescues in the East Bay who said they had Angoras. One had an Angora who was bonded to a large lionhead; when I asked to see the other "Angoras" (on the phone, this rescue had said they had seven in residence), I was told they were all eating, and that they had to eat then because the woman who had shown up "had brought all their food." I feel odd continuing to develop a relationship with a rescue which seems not to have food on the premises, and haven't returned.

The other rescue, the local contact of a large national group, showed me a sweet little white rabbit who seems to be an Angora mix of some kind, or maybe a mix of another long-haired breed. In any case, her coat was wispy and thin. I asked whether she was rebuilding her coat after a seasonal cut-down, maybe...? The volunteer was horrified and said, "We never touch her with anything other than a comb and brush!" I could have run a Resco fine comb through her coat backwards without any resistance; there was simply no coat on her.

I've been following the northern California shelters and rabbit-focused rescue groups online for a month. No one has had an Angora of any breed (even the Sacramento SPCA never showed Angora photos; now they have only six rabbit photos). The closest Angoras that Petfinder could show me, both in early August and last Friday (August 30), were in Salem, Oregon, and Chino, California--each approx. 10 hours away.

Does anyone know of Angoras in northern California looking for a home? I have plenty of grooming experience with long-haired dogs and cats (3 years in grooming shops plus volunteer grooming at two humane societies, plus my own lifelong cats and 15 years of Bernese Mtn. Dogs). I have all the grooming toys/tools anyone could ever need.

But I've been unable to find a rescue/rehome Angora rabbit. I'm used to getting my pets from the humane society (cats), directly rescuing off the street (cats), from friends (cats), and from breed-specific rescue (dogs), so going to a breeder feels very...odd.

Should I just get over it and look to breeders for this particular kind of rabbit?

New to the forum; not sure whether asking this question in Rescue is OK. Will drive up to 6 hours one way to pick up an Angora in need (my same driving distance as for cats and dogs).

Thank you!

 

[Bonsai]

You could see if breeders have any older does/bucks they're looking to rehome. That'd... Sorta be rescuing? Lol. I dunno. I've went to breeders for 2 of my buns and they were fantastic. I think rescues and breeders alike are wonderful sources of our furry friends. I would go to a rescue but my local ones are VERY picky. By very picky, I mean it is nearly impossible for anyone to adopt from them unless they have no other pets at all, which I don't think is right but moving on!

I'd keep looking in rescues since you feel comfortable with rescues the most. Call around, check for humane societies in bordering counties. Petfinder is so unreliable... May I also suggest going on Facebook and finding local societies that take in rabbits/are rabbit-only rescues. Sometimes, those cats/rabbits/dogs don't make it onto Petfinder - they're advertised on FB, though! Just a thought.

You could also call your local animal control. Rabbits are sometimes taken there. Why, I have no clue.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Angoras are more rare in rescues and that is a good thing.
You could try contacting rescues and telling them you are looking for an angora. They might have a waiting list and if they hear of one, they will contact you.
Keep looking at shelters and rescues. Many have facebook pages and might post on there if there are rabbit in need that they don't have yet or are not yet up for adoption.
Craigslist can be an option, but it can be hit and miss. You might find an angora who needs a home but is not in a rescue. You can usually search these sites so you don't have to look through tons of ads.

If you are patient, you probably will find one. It too me some 6 months to find an angora and the rescue was 12 hours away (transport just happened to work out).

Breeders do tend to be picky about where their rabbits go, or at least the good ones are. Most do require you do meet them and even learn some angora grooming. The prices to reflect the care needed and can help deter people who are not serious. They tend to have seen angoras who are not well cared for and want to avoid their rabbits ending up like that.

 

[missyscove]

Hi and welcome to RO!
I know the bunny bunch rescue I adopted my Cricket from has a pair of angoras on their website (although Cricket stayed up for a few months so no promises they actually still have them), but they're in southern California.

What sparked your interest in angoras?

 

[kaosu]

I rescued my angora from Craigslist but we did not expect an angora...and he was a rescue...saved from a family who was going to throw him out to the coyotes cuz the kids never delt with him, the lady I got him rescued him from that situation not knowing his breed, posted him on CL as free larger rabbit and cage. I picked him up for a b-day present to my self and oh boy was he in bad shape...we shaved 2 lbs of old wool off of him that was a solid mass..poor guy and he was under weight. He is fat and happy and groomed now and we have had him for about 6-7 months.

Good luck on your search they are lovely sweet amazing bunnies but they need ALLOT of attention and time.

 

[DogCatMom]

Hi and welcome to RO!
I know the bunny bunch rescue I adopted my Cricket from has a pair of angoras on their website (although Cricket stayed up for a few months so no promises they actually still have them), but they're in southern California.

What sparked your interest in angoras?

I'm a spinner, but what cinched my desire to bring a bunny home is that while looking into what they eat, I found out that they like blackberry canes and leaves, as well as rose prunings as part of their diet; and also the weeds/native plants groundsel, plantago lanceolata, dandelions, and dark green leafy veg's. I grow the dark green leafy veg's for DH and me to eat, and the other plants grow without much help from me. All gardening is non-chemical (i.e., organic).

If a bunny would like to eat them rather than me throw the blackberry canes et al. into the yard-waste container (I can't compost the blackberry canes or rose prunings; they'll self-propagate in the compost bin) and in return give me wonderful hair to comb, pet, spin, ooh and aah over, etc., *and* provide nice compost pellets too, who am I to say no?

I lost my 13-year, 4-month-old Bernese Mtn. Dog female on July 25. Taking care of her during her last several months was very time-consuming, but I wouldn't have missed a minute of it and wouldn't have minded it continuing for many more months.... *sigh*

But, a couple of weeks after she transitioned, I realized that this might be the time to consider adding a rabbit (or two, if Rabbit #1 has or wants a friend) to the household. It had been in the back of my mind for a long time, and now that I wasn't

--spending 2 to 3 hours each day hand-feeding, individually preparing and offering foods which might or might not be accepted, etc. (it was just a very slow process each day),
--taking LittleGirl up the stairs and back down with the help of a body sling each time, and
--keeping a keen ear out for whatever she might need while I was working here at home,

I would have my best opportunity at giving an Angora (or even two of them) the care it/they require(s).

My *only* rock-bottom requirements are that the rabbit(s) actually be Angora(s) and that, if there are two of them, they not be a fertile couple. I do not want to deal with baby bunnies.

So I would like a male or a female or two females who get along or two males who get along. If a male and a female Angora need a new home together, at least one of them will need to have the plumbing "de-activated." ;-)

I've always found brushing my cats and dogs to be nice, quiet, bonding time. Why wouldn't it be that way with bunnies? I look forward to it, quite honestly.

 

[DogCatMom]

I rescued my angora from Craigslist but we did not expect an angora...and he was a rescue...saved from a family who was going to throw him out to the coyotes cuz the kids never delt with him, the lady I got him rescued him from that situation not knowing his breed, posted him on CL as free larger rabbit and cage. I picked him up for a b-day present to my self and oh boy was he in bad shape...we shaved 2 lbs of old wool off of him that was a solid mass..poor guy and he was under weight. He is fat and happy and groomed now and we have had him for about 6-7 months.

Good luck on your search they are lovely sweet amazing bunnies but they need ALLOT of attention and time.

The cruelty of some people never fails to astonish me. I've been active in Bernese Mtn. Dog rescue for 15 years, and the stories of these dogs are enough to turn anyone into an anti-social hermit who takes up living in a cave. And these are large dogs! (But one of the ones we took in had been abandoned by her family; they moved and simply left her behind in her old neighborhood--no food, no water, no nothing.)

What people do to smaller animals--cats, rabbits--staggers the imagination. I'm so glad this bunny came to live with you--that you were the one who took him home and helped him out. Karma/Fate knows the good you've done for him (and others). Is there a photo of him available on this website?

 

[DogCatMom]

You could see if breeders have any older does/bucks they're looking to rehome. That'd... Sorta be rescuing? Lol. I dunno. I've went to breeders for 2 of my buns and they were fantastic. I think rescues and breeders alike are wonderful sources of our furry friends. I would go to a rescue but my local ones are VERY picky. By very picky, I mean it is nearly impossible for anyone to adopt from them unless they have no other pets at all, which I don't think is right but moving on!

I'd keep looking in rescues since you feel comfortable with rescues the most. Call around, check for humane societies in bordering counties. Petfinder is so unreliable... May I also suggest going on Facebook and finding local societies that take in rabbits/are rabbit-only rescues. Sometimes, those cats/rabbits/dogs don't make it onto Petfinder - they're advertised on FB, though! Just a thought.

You could also call your local animal control. Rabbits are sometimes taken there. Why, I have no clue.

Good points, several of them.

--I plan to attend an Angora show in two weeks (September 14) reasonably close to where I live. I'll be able (I hope!) to meet and talk with a few Angora breeders--at least after the Breed judging. I can ask then about older rabbits perhaps being retired from breeding but whose coats are still wonderful for spinning.

--Yes, it's true; sometimes rescues are their own worst enemies when trying to place animals. There are no "qualified" homes; just incredibly excellent ones!

--"Check for humane societies in bordering counties." Just to make sure I didn't hit the same websites twice last Friday, I wrote all of them down. I looked at 38 websites: Petfinder, 9 rabbit-focused rescue groups or alliances, and 28 municipal or county animal control or SPCA or humane societies. The most distant SPCA/animal control/humane society was El Dorado County (Placerville and South Lake Tahoe venues) to the northeast, Sonoma County to the northwest, Santa Cruz County to the southwest, and San Joaquin County to the southeast. Most of the rabbit groups pulled from counties even further away than some of these.

--I do not belong to Facebook. My personal information is not available to Mark Zuckerberg for his money-making purposes. This is an inconvenience to me, I know, but not nearly as much as giving someone else the power to make money off of my private life.

--I also emailed "the rabbit vet" at the vet practice I've gone to for a long time for my own animals. He said that, basically, I've covered the ground in the Bay Area and northern California, and that I'll either need to wait for an indefinite period of time for "the magic rabbit" to appear in rescue or suck it up (just about what he said!) and go to the September 14 show.

Thank you for helping out!

 

[Bonsai]

Good points, several of them.

--I plan to attend an Angora show in two weeks (September 14) reasonably close to where I live. I'll be able (I hope!) to meet and talk with a few Angora breeders--at least after the Breed judging. I can ask then about older rabbits perhaps being retired from breeding but whose coats are still wonderful for spinning.

--Yes, it's true; sometimes rescues are their own worst enemies when trying to place animals. There are no "qualified" homes; just incredibly excellent ones!

--"Check for humane societies in bordering counties." Just to make sure I didn't hit the same websites twice last Friday, I wrote all of them down. I looked at 38 websites: Petfinder, 9 rabbit-focused rescue groups or alliances, and 28 municipal or county animal control or SPCA or humane societies. The most distant SPCA/animal control/humane society was El Dorado County (Placerville and South Lake Tahoe venues) to the northeast, Sonoma County to the northwest, Santa Cruz County to the southwest, and San Joaquin County to the southeast. Most of the rabbit groups pulled from counties even further away than some of these.

--I do not belong to Facebook. My personal information is not available to Mark Zuckerberg for his money-making purposes. This is an inconvenience to me, I know, but not nearly as much as giving someone else the power to make money off of my private life.

--I also emailed "the rabbit vet" at the vet practice I've gone to for a long time for my own animals. He said that, basically, I've covered the ground in the Bay Area and northern California, and that I'll either need to wait for an indefinite period of time for "the magic rabbit" to appear in rescue or suck it up (just about what he said!) and go to the September 14 show.

Thank you for helping out!

Of course! I'm glad I could help. The older rabbits tend to only be maybe 2~3 years old. Really about the same age you would probably find them in a shelter, too. Because rabbits breed so easily and quickly, most rabbitries have more than enough bucks and wouldn't mind sparing a few. They should still have great wool, too! Females produce more than males, though. You may be able to get a doe, too, though!

Seems like you're covering all your bases! I wish you luck on finding your perfect fuzzy lumpkin.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

So I would like a male or a female or two females who get along or two males who get along. If a male and a female Angora need a new home together, at least one of them will need to have the plumbing "de-activated." ;-)

Rabbits can be spayed or neutered. Rabbits not used for breeding or show should be done. If you were to bond them, ideally both should be altered as hormones can cause problems in a relationship. Even if you only get one, it is a good idea to get them one. Most rescues will get it done before the rabbit is adopted. Some breeds may require it for pet rabbits, but most don't. It can be expensive to get done, but that really depends on the vets in your area. Females can range from $100 to $400.

It sounds like whatever rabbit you get will be spoiled.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

The home base for House Rabbit Rescue is in Richmond, a short distance across the bay from you. Try giving them a call--they were always very helpful when we lived in N Cali.

 

[kaosu]

The cruelty of some people never fails to astonish me. I've been active in Bernese Mtn. Dog rescue for 15 years, and the stories of these dogs are enough to turn anyone into an anti-social hermit who takes up living in a cave. And these are large dogs! (But one of the ones we took in had been abandoned by her family; they moved and simply left her behind in her old neighborhood--no food, no water, no nothing.)

What people do to smaller animals--cats, rabbits--staggers the imagination. I'm so glad this bunny came to live with you--that you were the one who took him home and helped him out. Karma/Fate knows the good you've done for him (and others). Is there a photo of him available on this website?

yes here is his blog..pics from day one to current ^_^
He is my first bunny...and allot more work than i had expected with that coat but i would not trade him for anything..he is a sweet heart and fearless!!..there is videos of him playing ball with my dog .

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f18/titan-73075/

 

[DogCatMom]

The home base for House Rabbit Rescue is in Richmond, a short distance across the bay from you. Try giving them a call--they were always very helpful when we lived in N Cali.

In my original post, I described my experience at their place: 'The other rescue, the local contact of a large national group, showed me a sweet little white rabbit who seems to be an Angora mix of some kind, or maybe a mix of another long-haired breed. In any case, her coat was wispy and thin. I asked whether she was rebuilding her coat after a seasonal cut-down, maybe...? The volunteer was horrified and said, "We never touch her with anything other than a comb and brush!" I could have run a Resco fine comb through her coat backwards without any resistance; there was simply no coat on her.'

HRS is actually on my side of the bay. Their breed identification skills were...ah...somewhat suspect. The bunny was very shy and, even after sitting in an ex-pen with her for 30 minutes, wasn't comfortable with me touching her at all, much less petting her. When I did manage to touch her (to check her coat) as she zzzooommed past, the coat was indeed wispy and thin. There was no undercoat to be felt.

If I had been looking for a lop or a dwarf or a regular upright-eared bunny or spotted-coat bunny, yes, HRS had them in singles, pairs, and one bonded trio (littermates, maybe?). Sadly, they had no Angora, either onsite or being fostered offsite.

I didn't dare tell them that I actually wanted to spin Angora fur or that my bunny would not have his/her very own bedroom. While I sat in the ex-pen with the bunny, their DVD played, showing an "ideal" space for a House Rabbit Society house rabbit, which looked like its own bedroom with access to the whole house. Any rabbit(s) I adopt will need to share my home office with ME. The room has the best sunlight in the house and probably the best ventilation, too, but the DVD made this sunny, well-ventilated, clean room seem like ... something the HRS would consider sub-standard.

Maybe I incorrectly interpreted the DVD; I had another appointment to go to and didn't watch the last 10 minutes of the 40-minute film. But the whole session went weirdly:

--on the phone the day before, I made an appointment to arrive between 1:00 and 1:15
--upon my timely arrival, it took me approx. 10 minutes to be admitted into the locked house. I had finished my third attempt at the back door (the front door having been a complete loss), and had turned around to return to my car and leave, when someone *finally* answered the back door
--whereupon the volunteers told me that "every day" they vacuum from noon to 1:30
--thus (evidently) making it impossible for them to hear the doorbells (front *or* back) from 1:00 to 1:15
--and jangling Bunny's nerves all to pieces because she's very "nervous and shy"
--and, per my earlier statement, they mis-identified Bunny's breed

Bunny has been there for many months. I wonder why? Even if someone isn't a spinner and just wants a nice, petite (not dwarf), pettable white rabbit, making this little girl so nervous each and every day just as soon as they open up, the very time that potential adopters could come to see her, makes it impossible for Bunny to show her best self.

I asked whether they ever considered vacuuming at the end of the day, so the bunnies would have more hours when they would "show" better. You would've thought that I was suggesting throwing them into traffic or something.... :rollseyes

One of the volunteers identified herself as the woman I had spoken with on the phone the day before to make the appointment to see Bunny. No awareness of the impossibility of the position she had put me in seemed to cross her mind, except to say, "Oh! We were watching a video in the office with the door closed because of the vacuuming and couldn't hear the doorbell." ::headdesk::

So...is this lack of organization endemic, or did I get this group of HRS volunteers on a bad day? It was very discouraging, coming as it did after a previous in-person visit to another disorganized local rabbit rescue....

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

If you're looking for a specific breed of any kind, I highly recommend making contact with local breeders in your area - especially for a breed like an Angora. Angoras have very specific coat requirements, so a long-haired rabbit of unknown history is not the best option if you're interested in harvesting and using the wool. That trait has to be bred for.

I'll be honest with you, your experiences with rabbit rescues are not uncommon. Many dog or cat rescues (especially breed-specific ones) are operated by very knowledgeable, experienced groups or individuals. It is difficult to find that compliment in the rabbit world - breed identification being the first clue. I understand that, in many cases, the breed may not "matter" as much to everyday care requirements. But it's unnerving, to me, that an "authority" on rabbits isn't able to correctly identify different breeds.

There are reputable rescue options available. But for a need this unique and specific, your best option is a breeder.

You may find some through a search on www.arba.net, but even just a Google search for people in your area may turn up a match.

 

[RabbitGirl101]

If you're looking for a specific breed of any kind, I highly recommend making contact with local breeders in your area - especially for a breed like an Angora. Angoras have very specific coat requirements, so a long-haired rabbit of unknown history is not the best option if you're interested in harvesting and using the wool. That trait has to be bred for.

I'll be honest with you, your experiences with rabbit rescues are not uncommon. Many dog or cat rescues (especially breed-specific ones) are operated by very knowledgeable, experienced groups or individuals. It is difficult to find that compliment in the rabbit world - breed identification being the first clue. I understand that, in many cases, the breed may not "matter" as much to everyday care requirements. But it's unnerving, to me, that an "authority" on rabbits isn't able to correctly identify different breeds.

There are reputable rescue options available. But for a need this unique and specific, your best option is a breeder.

You may find some through a search on www.arba.net, but even just a Google search for people in your area may turn up a match.

I agree with Oak Ridge Rabbits I would look into getting a rabbit from a breeder that you can pick out. You will be able to choose male or female and you can choose to spay/neuter. OakRidge also pointed out some key points in how some traits have to be bred for. I would contact a local angora breeder. (You would have to choose which angora breed you wanted, there is an English, satin, french and giant angora)

 

[DogCatMom]

Thank you both, OakRidgeRabbits and RabbitGirl101.

I made a second try at the local rabbit rescue (not HRS) this afternoon. I had a bag full of toilet-paper tubes to deliver for "hay stuffed toys"; I've donated tubes for seven years, more or less.

I walked in; it's a small storefront, pretty jam-packed with ex-pens and pet supplies. They rescue rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rats. Maybe other animals, too; I'm not sure. But nothing with feathers; I can say that with certainty (I'm absolutely allergic to feather dust/dander).

The "usual crew" of middle-school girls and one high-school boy were cleaning the ex-pens; a young woman in her early 20s was at the register; another woman, who may have been a volunteer, a potential adopter, or a customer, was also there. I very nearly couldn't get in the door due to boxes dropped in the narrow walking path.

Register staffer: "Sorry! We *just* had a delivery!"

Me: "Ah, OK. [picking my way around the boxes--both of my knees have been replaced due to complications of a car accident] Here are some tubes for the bunnies. How's the Angora situation?" [I've made a previous extended visit, the infamous "she brings all their food" incident]

Staffer: "Well, Bunny is here." [indicating]

Me: "Oh! is she an Angora? [approaching the cage, holding the back of my hand against the front of the cage] By the way, the last time I was here, you said that the woman volunteer 'brings all the rabbits' food.' Does that mean there's no food for them here?"

Whereupon, the staffer explained that the rabbits always have hay and water; the volunteer brought all the veggies, which "must be fresh every day." I said that there seems to be a lot of variation in advice regarding what rabbits need to eat, since 95% hay + 5% veggies was "quite different" from some of the other recommendations I was finding in my reading, which were hay + veggies + pellets. She hand-waved the pellets away, saying that those were "for rabbits who...don't live too long, like feeders and breeders." [her words exactly] But, for a long life, "rabbits should eat 95% hay and 5% veggies." (Note: The HRS recommends "very limited quantities of...perfectly plain ones.")

I was still standing at Bunny's cage, my hand against the front of the cage. She had come to the front to smell my hand.

A woman and her daughter came in the front door of the store and were stymied by the boxes. Staffer loudly told them which bag(s) of litter of the same brand to buy, saying that some were and others weren't in the system due to the delivery, and then directed mother/daughter to the register. Another mother/child duo followed them in; same treatment--no waiting.

I was still waiting at the rabbit cage.

I waited long enough to see that I was in fact NOT going to meet Bunny today, or at least within a reasonable time frame. I waded through the throng (yes, four people in this narrow passageway was a throng) to the front door, turned around, and asked, "What time is good to visit a rabbit?" Staffer looked at me--no apology or anything--and said, "Well, calling in advance is good."

Now, if I HAD called in advance today, the same thing would've happened: there was only one non-worker there when I arrived. Calling ahead doesn't keep other people from arriving, and it doesn't keep deliveries from being made. It does very little for the chronic lack of organization I've experienced here (trust me on this one; I detailed it on another rabbit forum, but I was there for 90 minutes on August 2 and they managed to show me only two of an alleged seven "Angora" rabbits they had in residence).

So there I was, a live, willing, potential adopter, ignored by a putative "rabbit rescue."

Yep.

Re. breeds of Angora rabbits: I know that there are four breeds, but my ideal Angora bunny doesn't seem to exist anymore. In the late '80s or early '90s, I saw a demonstration of spinning at a quilt show in Marin County. Two women had English Angoras on their laps and were plucking fur and drafting it directly from the rabbits onto the spinning wheels. The rabbits were practically purring. All you could see was a little nose in all the fluff. It was incredibly sweet!

But...
1) English Angoras now are almost all shear-only, not plucked, coats.
2) French Angoras are shorter-coated with more guard hair than English.
3) Satin Angoras have yet more guard hair than French.
4) Giant Angoras were developed as a plucked breed (per an email exchange with Louise Walsh) but are now a shear-only breed? This is a point of confusion for me w/regard to Giants.

ARBA lists only five breeders of Giants in the U.S., and the breeder of English Angoras nearest to me is the breeder who developed the shear-only characteristic.

If I'm going to be driven into Breeder Land by Rescues who just don't have it together--even well-known national rescues--then I'll say it right here: what I would LOVE TO HAVE is a pluck-able English *or* Giant.

Failing that, I prefer the pluck-able characteristic over other breed characteristics (body style, clean face vs. hair on face/ear tassels, etc.). Using either scissors or clippers gives hairs of multiple lengths in each group/clump/lock, whereas plucking ensures that no hairs have blunt or "square" ends and no hairs are shorter than others except as Nature has intended. In spinning, fibers of uniform or nearly uniform length are much easier to deal with than the mixtures of short/long fibers which scissoring or clippering would produce.

BTW, it was the other staffer at the local rescue, a woman perhaps in her 50s or 60s, who told me a year ago that "Angoras come into rescue quite often." :rollseyes Maybe they do, elsewhere in the U.S.? but in the six weeks I've been looking diligently, no dice in northern California or anywhere within a 6-hour drive.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Going to a coat that doesn't pluck is more for show. A pluckable coat moults and many would moult every 3-4 months. This can make it hard to show them in a fuller coat if it keeps moulting. A rabbit with normal fur will get back into condition fairly quick, but an angora can take a couple months for the wool to grow back. The rabbits you see with a really long coat don't moult which is why the coat can get that long. I am not sure how the long coat translates to spinning and if a longer fibre helps.

Giant Angoras are rare, I like one of the top 5 rarest breeds in North America. ARBA doesn't list all breeders, just those who pay to be listed. Even breed clubs don't list them all, again the breeder has to say they want to be listed. Many giants are mixed with German angoras and there is some confusion between the 2 breeds (2 large, mostly REW angora breeds can be a bit confusing at times).

I like the Giants and English for the fluffy face and ear tassels. I don't really keep them for the wool though, so can't really comment too much on that.

I would suggest trying to find some breeders and see what they might have. They might have a rabbit that has wool that can be plucked and that is not desirable for them, so they may offer it for sale. Some breeders don't update their website too often or don't list everything. Even if they don't have something now, they might later to know someone who does. Local breeder clubs can be a good resource to finding a breeder.

Since I got my first angora, I have seem maybe 5 in the 2 local shelters and that has been about 4.5 years. They don't come along often, at least not here.

 

[Troller]

When I was looking for Flemish originally I had similar issues. The rescues say they have Flemish, but they were mostly mixes of misidentified New Zealand's. All I wanted was a Flemish, which I know was selfish but that's what got me interested in rabbits in the first place so my first pet rabbit had to be that. Also the rescues had some clauses that made it difficult for me to adopt. I dont think I would have been turned down necessarily but the extra hoops I'd have to jump through made it made the idea even less appealing.

So I went through a breeder and I'm very glad I did. They were very knolwedgable, extremely helpful before and after purchase, and they raised beautiful rabbits. Now in my experience in looking for a breeder I realzed that some of the best ones didn't advertise so the best way to find them was to check clubs and more importantly the breed sweepstakes some have. From the sweepstakes I got to know who raises goo rabbits but more importantly through that I got a bit of word of mouth who's good to deal with and who's not. Now I don't know ahout other breeds, but if the Flemish group is any indication they're a close knit and friendly bunch.

I'm not saying my search amongst breeders was all positive but it was in the end fruitful and genuinely fun and i got two beautiful rabbits. I also realized that I like knowing the history of my rabbits lines (i'm always asking about the siblings, something I'm sure the breeders are getting tired of answering) and if there is anything in their behaviors or health they are predisposed to (and found out that yes my rabbits keep to some of their parental traits). I wish you luck in you Angora endeavors and hope you get equally as lucky as I did.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Angoras rarely come into rescues, so whoever said "quite often" probably doesn't know what they're talking about. It's unusual to find a "backyard breeder" of Angoras because they require such extensive care and attention. And for the same reason, breeders are very, very choosy about who they sell to - many won't sell to pet owners.

When you do approach breeders, tell them about your plans to spin and use the wool. Talking to them at a show would be great, because it shows that you've done the research and know what you're getting into. It wouldn't be unusual for someone to ignore an email as "just another pet person." Unfortunately, that does happen because it is extremely difficult to find people who will listen to a breeder about care requirements, etc. Too many people turn directly to "other sources" that provide incorrect, or even dangerous information.

 

[DogCatMom]

Angoras rarely come into rescues, so whoever said "quite often" probably doesn't know what they're talking about.

As I have since learned. Another question I had planned to ask yesterday was re. the quarantine practices of the local rabbit rescue: Do they rely on the shelters they spring the rabbits from, or do they perform independent QT? But of course that opportunity never arose.

It's unusual to find a "backyard breeder" of Angoras because they require such extensive care and attention.

Well, at least that's good to know! BYBs in the dog world = people who haven't researched their breedings = overpopulation and (IMHO) ruination of traditionally respectable breeds like Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, Dalmatians, and other "movie" breeds.

And for the same reason, breeders are very, very choosy about who they sell to - many won't sell to pet owners.

I'm framing my desire for an Angora as a "working" rabbit, like my working dog, the Bernese Mtn. Dog. The rabbit will provide fiber and compost for me, I will provide it with home-grown veggies, rose prunings, blackberry canes and leaves, hay, whatever diet and extras the breeder recommends for her/his lines. The bunny compost will be used on the raised beds where the veggies grow. Mr. or Ms. Angora will be in the house and will receive lots of attention; s/he will not be in an outbuilding. (I can also provide names from the vet practice I've gone to for absolute ages, and the names of the grooming shops I worked at as well as the two humane societies I volunteered at.)

When you do approach breeders, tell them about your plans to spin and use the wool.

Definitely.

Talking to them at a show would be great, because it shows that you've done the research and know what you're getting into.

There's an Angora-only show just over an hour away on September 14.

It wouldn't be unusual for someone to ignore an email as "just another pet person."

Louise Walsh, who developed the Giant Angora breed, responded immediately to my email asking about breed differences btw Giants and Germans. I was pleasantly surprised as well as impressed.

Unfortunately, that does happen because it is extremely difficult to find people who will listen to a breeder about care requirements, etc. Too many people turn directly to "other sources" that provide incorrect, or even dangerous information.

This happens a lot in the Berner world, too, and is one of the paths by which young (<2.5 yr old) Berners end up in Rescue. "I didn't know the puppy would get so big/be so energetic/high-energy!" It makes me wonder, What about "females 70 to 90 lb, males 80 to 125 lb, train puppies early and in multiple obedience classes" makes them think this will be a small dog who doesn't need training?!
Re. Angoras: why would someone think a long-haired rabbit wouldn't need brushing/combing/regular coat care?!

Thank you again.