Angora Wool: what is it and what you can do?

Hi everyone! I’m Sarah and I’m really happy to be writing for Mad Rabbits, my first post on here is going to be about the wrongful treatment of Angora rabbits in factories where they are abused for their wool coats.

Many people know about  the usage of furs in fashion, but what do you know about angora wool? If you didn’t know, fur in fashion is the upsetting and wrong abuse of innocent animals for their fur to be used in clothing and other accessories. This treatment often results in detrimental psychological affects, injuries and premature death for the animals involved. Angora wool specifically is made from angora rabbits, small, fluffy, usually active and social creatures who spend their whole lives in tiny cages, being plucked of their soft coat from the time they are 8 weeks old up until their premature death.

The angora industry produces anything from sweaters to mittens, hats, and blankets. They make these products by relying on the soft fuzzy fur of Angora rabbits. These docile creatures are generally easy to care for and can live long healthy lives ranging from 7 to 12 years. They are very sociable animals and love to crawl, dig and chew. These cute creatures can even be potty trained and learn their own names.

Unfortunately the massive neglect and cruelty to these creatures is one that is left out of conversation. The abuse of these poor animals is one that continues today, mostly in China where the Angora rabbits are kept in tiny cages and plucked and skinned of their coat every 8 weeks. PETA Asia released shocking video in 2013, of the horrible methods used to extract the wool from these helpless creatures. A PETA investigator filmed workers ripping the fur violently from the animal’s sensitive skin while they screamed in pain. The footage is horrible and disturbing, and I would not recommend watching if you are sensitive to animal abuse. These rabbits, much like humans and other animals, experience a state of extreme shock after such an ordeal; they lie in their cages, barely alive, still writhing in pain. Shearing and cutting the fur off of these rabbits is also a traumatizing experience, the poor rabbit’s arms and legs are tied and they often are cut and injured by the scissors and shears. Commonly these rabbits fall ill to disease and infection while living in their own filth-ridden cages and most die before they even reach two years old.

What can you do?

1. Avoid companies that purchase and use angora wool. By supporting companies that indorse animal cruelty you too are supporting animal cruelty. Make sure to be especially careful during the fall and winter seasons when the types of products that use angora are typically popular. You can find the video that PETA released and a list of companies that do not buy angora wool here.
2. If you have or want little bunny companion, make sure you educate yourself on how to care for them. These creatures are relatively easy to care for but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read more about how to give your bunny the best home you possibly can. Read up on how to care for your rabbit.
3. Pledge to never buy angora wool! Sign PETA’s pledge that states “After learning about the cruel angora wool industry, I want to help rabbits. By signing my name, I pledge to buy only cruelty-free clothing and avoid angora!”