Grooming

This is how I Groom my English Angora

This is HHR's Avalanche. (she is in a 2 month re-growth in this picture.)

Her grooming is about to begin... I do not recommend housing an angora in a plastic bottom container that contains wood chips. Wood chips, are often chemically treated, and if eaten or chewed, can make the bunny very ill. It also gets stuck in the coat, etc. A suitable cage will have a wire or mesh floor that separates the bunnies feet from his excrement. Because angora's are prone to abscess's, I recommend providing a foot rest inside their cages. A simple piece of plywood will provide much welcomed relief for their poor feet that have to stand on that wire all the time. Not good for the hocks at all. For the house bunny, I highly recommend this cage. You can purchase it at Pet Smart for roughly $100.00. Notice that I have put a small piece of plywood in one corner to provide foot relief.

This is the blower that I use. It is the blower of choice for all angora breeders. A hair dryer will not suffice as it does not have enough power to open that coat up and expose the skin. Let's begin to groom......I begin with brushing the legs, and underbelly. All trouble spots are in the joints so that is where I begin. The brushing removes all stubborn mats and pilling and paves the way for the blower.

Arm Pits: In a sitting position, with the bunny on her back, head facing me, legs facing out, I begin with the combing of the arm pits. I find that in this position, the arm pits can be done with a simple brushing and the bunny does not flinch or move. Use short gentle strokes to remove any mats. Avoid digging the brush too deeply into the skin. Use your fingers to feel for mats and lumps....if you find any...they must be gently and carefully removed!

Inner Thighs: Again, I am in a sitting position with the bunny settled into my lap, I then use the brush on the inner thigh area. This position gives me complete access to all those hard to reach areas, that must be done.

Caution: Be very careful around the genital area. Rabbit skin is thin like onion paper and it tears very easily. A hard bristle brush in this area can very easily cut or scratch, the genitalia which is very painful for the bunny. Don't be in a hurry. Take your time and make sure you are not brushing on any vulnerable areas of the genitals.

In the same sitting position, I then proceed to use the comb on the legs and feet.

Combing the feet.

Caution....Be very careful when combing the feet. Use extreme gentleness to comb the foot pads. If you take too much wool off of the bottom of the feet, the bunny will develop sore hocks. If you tug too much, you risk ripping the toes right off. BE CAREFUL ON THE FEET!! I will usually do more finger plucking than I do actual combing on this part of the body. If you break the skin on the paw pads, it is very painful for the bunny and it takes forever to heal. You only want to remove any mats. You DO NOT WANT TO remove too much wool!

Neck and chin area are a bit tricky and it takes time to develop a knack for it. I use my thumb and index finger of my left hand to hold the head up, then with my right hand, I brush the neck and chin area, very gently. The bunny cannot move when held in this position and I have complete control over her. Again, short strokes is all that is required to remove any mats in this area.

Now, that all the difficult areas have been groomed, it's time to use the blower and open the coat up. Blowing will expose any wool mite in the coat. Wool mite usually begins in the tail area and travels up the spine towards the neck. It can be identified as little white dandruff looking specks or flakes. This MUST be removed and treated or the condition will worsen causing the bunny to lose his coat. Pick the wool mite off and blow, pick and blow until there are no traces of it left. Wool mite inhibit's coat growth so you will want to make sure you get it all out.

USING THE BLOWER:

Now, I begin working on the butt area first. I use my left hand to gently hold the bunny down as I go over her tail and butt area with the blower. Again, one section at a time. I do not move the blower in any type of motion. Hold it steady overhead, doing one spot at a time. Hold the blower far enough away from the rabbit to allow the wool to fan out, as depicted in this picture. If you see any felting or loose wool, pick it out and continue blowing until the coat is fully open to the skin, and free of mats. Holding the blower directly on the coat achieves nothing and is the wrong way to blow an angora.

Caution....it is possible to break the tail so be very gentle and careful around this area. DO NOT BRUSH THE TAIL!! I finger pluck any loose wool or debris off of the tail.

Never put the blower directly into the face of an angora. You could damage the eyes. Holding the blower in a stationary position, and keeping the blower wand at a distance far enough away from the rabbit to open the coat. ....begin blowing on one spot. Don't place the blower wand directly on top of the wool. I start on the tail area. Use your left hand to hold the rabbit in position, by gently and firmly holding it, at the base of the ears, close to the head. Do not hold it by the tips of the ears! Don't pick the rabbit up by it's ears!!!! Just hold the bunnies ears to keep the bunny in position while you groom. Avoid moving the blower in a circular motion or from side to side as this only accomplishes the creation of more mats. Do one area at a time, allowing the blower to gently break up mats and open that coat down to the skin.

Remember.....when you secure the rabbit by the ears....you must hold the ears at the base, where they meet the head and not at the tips! While holding the bunnies ears tightly with my left hand, I am able to flip her on her back and expose the belly area for blowing. Again, doing one spot at a time, hold the blower steady on one area at a time allowing the blower to do it's work.

Here is Avalanche with her belly exposed and you can see the blower opening up her coat in this area. If I see any felting or wool mite, I will pick it out and resume blowing. Blowing allows me to check skin condition, which is essential to ensure maximum coat potential.

The last thing that I do is the face which the rabbits seem to enjoy when it's done properly. I am still in a seated position with the bunny on her back, and cradled in my lap, I gently pick off all the little "crusties" or dirty areas under the chin. At this time, I clean the crud out of the eyes and comb the head and cheek tuffs. Again, I am holding her ears firmly so that she cannot move. Note.....I hold the ears firmly at the base of the head....I do not pull on them or cause her any pain. Do not apply this hold at the tip of the ears....it will not work and will cause your bunny pain.

Finally, the nails are cut. Again, the bunny is cradled in my lap, on her back.

This final part is pretty stinky but really should be done. I use a Q-tip to clean the vents at the base of the genitalia. They can get pretty encrusted and they smell pretty badly unless they are cleaned. Be very gentle in this area.

Avalanche is all done and looking pretty. Avalanche is in a 2 month re-growth in this picture. I also use a Q-tip to clean excess wax out of the ears. You'd be amazed at how dirty it can get in there. Check them once a month for accumulated wax. From start to finish .... about an hour per rabbit. The nails don't need to be done every time you groom, but I find that they should be cut every 3 weeks or so. The more frequently you blow your angora, the easier the grooming will be. You will need to groom twice a week for about 15 minutes. The more you blow, the less powder will come off of the coat and wool mite probably won't develop. Prevention is always the best medicine!

***Remember*** With owning an angora, comes the responsibility of learning how to properly care for it. The bunny deserves a good life and it is depending on you for all of it's maintenance needs. You want to learn how to groom confidently because if you are not confident, the bunny will detect this and be totally stressed. Don't groom to the point where the bunny is panting, and the nose is vibrating profusely......if this happens...let the bunny rest for a while until you gain control over the art of grooming. Practice does make perfect. A well cared for angora promotes good health and is appealing to the eye. Any angora that I sell is sent to you in optimal condition, please do all that you can to ensure that it stays that way. I end all my grooming sessions with "sweet talk", kisses and cuddles to affirm my love for them. Always end your grooming session on a good note so that the bunny doesn't develop an aversion to having it done.

To achieve that haloed finish look to the coat,.... with your comb, simply go back and forth, over the tips of the wool.

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