Why You Need to Shear Your Angora Rabbit?

Why you need to shear your Angora rabbit? Grooming Angora rabbit is just as essential as providing them the basic things they need to have a healthy life. Your Angora rabbit’s coat will definitely grow and it will naturally be shed out. This is known as coat blowing. Once your rabbit sheds or blows its coat, it will eventually be replaced with a new hair.

Why you need to shear your Angora rabbit? Expect that your pet Angora will have around 4 cycles per year of blowing. At this time, you need to remove the coat by shearing it out or combing it. If you fail to do this; there’s a chance that your pet will ingest lots of their own hair which is bad for their tummies; and the coat will become matted. Ingesting large amounts of hair is one factor that predisposes a rabbit to develop wool block. In this article, you’ll learn why you need to shear your Angora rabbit?

To Clip or to Comb?

Why you need to shear your Angora rabbit? Clipping or combing your rabbit’s coat will depend on the breed of your pet. Clipping is usually done for Giant Angora breed because their coat doesn’t shed out quickly. Another example is the German Angora which was originally bred to commercially produce wool. This facilitates removal of the entire coat by clipping in one session, which is more efficient for commercial purposes. German angoras are best managed by clipping on schedule every 90 days.

Also known as plucking, combing is something that could be painful for your pet if you don’t do it right. When combing it is easiest to simply use your fingers to remove the ripe wool which is already being shed. If your Angora pet jumps during this process, a more gentle approach is needed.

Grooming for Different Angora Breeds

Why you need to shear your Angora rabbit? French, English and Satin angoras may be either clipped or combed. Some breeds of Angoras have been bred to hold their coat so they can have a full coat for the purposes of rabbit shows; or commercially. French and Satin angoras are similar; except that with Satin angoras their first or baby coat tends to matt very easily; and so should be checked often and removed by clipping before matting becomes a problem. Make sure to ask what’s the proper grooming methods from where you bought your Angora; as they will be most familiar with the traits of their own bloodlines.

For wool spinners, there’s this ongoing debate as to which is the best method that could produce superior wool fiber from Angora rabbits. There’s not much really of a difference if you combed or clipped your pet. However, if the shedding of yarn is produced from clipped fiber then there could be“second – cut” issues. Second cuts are shorter lengths of Angora as this result from going over a previously clipped area a second time.

The Shearing Process

Why you need to shear your Angora rabbit? You can start combing or clipping your pet’s coat once it reaches three inches or more in length; or if you start noticing tons of sheds in its hutch. It’s also best to keep track of when you last groomed them so you can have an idea on when the next one should be; or at least learn your pet’s shedding cycle. You will need basic shearing tools like wool scissors, slick brush, and a wide – toothed comb. Grooming is also a good time to check and clip toenails. If you will be mainly clipping and have many rabbits; be sure to buy a hair-dressers’ scissors so it’ll be easy for you.

You can start shearing your pet by placing him on a grooming table; or on your lap to also make your rabbit comfortable. When placing the rabbit on their back in your lap it’s best that you create a hammock type to help your pet become more relaxed. You can also place a mini carpet if you’re going to do it on a table; to make your Angora stay put while you’re cutting its hair.

For most keepers, they usually first remove the long hair; and spin the fiber out before proceeding to the hairs around the face, ears and feet. The last part should be around the leg and belly. Most people find it easier to start in the rabbit’s head before working on the back and on the sides. You want to clip using the flat part of the blade; and also keep the scissors pointed outwards to avoid any injuries. However, if you accidentally cut your pet; make sure to have an antiseptic powder around to apply it to their skin.

The Need for Shearing

Why you need to shear your Angora rabbit? There’s another debate between Angora keepers about the need for interim shearing. Again, the need will vary depending on the type of rabbit or bloodline of your Angora pet. If you own a German angora breed, then you shouldn’t have to do any interim shearing; except for if you want to clean the vent area of your rabbit. You can also opt to do this to prevent matting on the ears or cheeks especially during summer.  It is good practice to check cheeks, behind the ears, inner legs, belly; and vent area very carefully about two and a half months or more.  

As for the English Angora breed, these rabbits have a much higher wool hair compared to their guard hair which is why it’s best that you regularly do an interim shearing. You may also need to use a blower. This is also the same for some other Angora bloodlines like the Satins and French. It is important to use a blower, not a dryer as heat is bad for the angora coat and stressful to the rabbit.

Do You Need Electric Clippers?

Why you need to shear your Angora rabbit? Sometimes electric clippers may not be applicable especially if your pet has a motion injury or some form of arthritis. Clippers can be used but using scissors may be better especially if you want precision or if you want to have a quality wool fiber. The clippers must be high quality and with new blades but you may want to also purchase inexpensive hair trimmers. Blades that have been used on dogs or other animals may not be applicable to rabbits.

Reasons Why You Need to Shear Your Rabbit During Summer

Reason #1

During summer, it’s hot for all pets especially the Angora rabbits with thick coats or wool. This is why you need to shear them before it gets very humid. This will contribute to your pet’s happiness and health. Having a trimmed coat or wool will allow them to feel the breeze and stay cool during the summer.

Reason #2

Angora rabbits are cute pets but because they shed too much compared to other breeds, grooming can be high maintenance. Proper grooming can be a struggle especially if you don’t have the time or the expertise. In which case, you need to get ahead and perhaps let the expert rabbit groomers handle the shearing for you.

Reason #3

Angora rabbits can become a shelter or host to different kinds of pests such as mites, ticks, fleas and whatnot. These small insects usually burrow themselves in the rabbit’s wool especially if you don’t take care of the grooming part. You can prevent this from happening by simply keeping your rabbit neat so that these pets don’t have a coat to cover in. Spare yourself some headache and your rabbit some itchiness by keeping their hair short during the height of the summer bug season.

Reason #5

If for some reason the first cut didn’t do well and your Angora rabbit’s wool didn’t quite go the way you expect it, don’t worry! It will grow back but of course you have to just not look at their bad haircut for a couple of days. Also if you cut their hair a little too short and are worried about them getting chilled you can easily sweater them for some time until enough hair grows back to cover your mistake.

Tips When Using Trimmers

Tip #1

Why you need to shear your Angora rabbit? You may want to also use an ice pack for the clippers and maybe for the bunnies to keep them cool. But this is mostly for the blades because they can heat up, and this could injure your pet’s skin especially if it is thin or sensitive. You can hold the clipper blades against an ice pack every time they start feeling to warm.

Tip #2

You will need to use oil and clean the blades regularly because the wool of the Angora is just different compared to other wool types.

Tip #3

Why you need to shear your Angora rabbit? It might be best to use a grooming table so you can easily control the whole trimming process. It’s best to use a towel or carpet so that your pet will not slip and you can easily clean up later on. Some keepers though prefer the “lap grooming. It’s also best to wash them first so you can shear your pet faster and also initially clean the dirt on the wool.