We have a new addition to our family, a cute German Angora named Fritz. He is just a baby but already outweighs most cats. We expect him to be about 12 pounds when fully grown. He had his first haircut on Saturday at the Wamego Winter Fiber Fest where we picked him up. (More on that lovely day in another post.) Denise, his breeder, clipped him part way and I took him home to finish. It's a lot harder than it looks! He still has part of his coat on the sides and on his chest. I snip at him a bit every day for as long as he can tolerate me. I've already carded some of his wool in with my sheep wool for nice lofty rolags. I can't wait to try spinning it. Here's a picture of him before his haircut.
He is playful and curious. When I let him out for his daily romp, he sniffs and sniffs at everything. He has never tried to chew on furniture or power cords, but we keep a close eye on him anyway. He did piddle on the floor the first day. I'm considering trying to litter train him. We bought a litter box for his cage before we got him. And now we look at it and laugh. I'm not sure his hind legs would even fit on it. It was definitely designed for a smaller rabbit! Anyone have experience litter training a bunny? He would be in a cage for most of the day for his own safety, but it would be nice to let him romp a little without piddles on the floor.
There are some great Youtube videos on how to use Angora wool. Here are some of my favorites:
We used to have house rabbits. They can be litter box trained, but it tends to work better with older rabbits. Most rabbits have a “favorite” spot (or spots) which are good places to put litter boxes–the more you put out, the more likely they will be used. When he does his thing, move the mess to the nearest box, and if you catch him doing it, move him straight to the box right then. And be very, very patient. It can take many months. Also, he *will* chew on everything in your house if left unattended. Sometimes they chew out of boredom, but they also NEED to chew to keep their teeth worn down (chunks of nontreated wood work great). Ours also enjoyed playing with things like tennis balls and an old tin mug with a handle they could get their teeth around in order to carry it. Rabbits will surprise you with their intelligence and capacity for “fun” if given the opportunity. The wool is a lovely bonus for an already great pet. Have fun!
Lila,
Thanks for your tips. I bought a litter box yesterday and he has been climbing in and out of it. We’ll try your suggestions.
We’ve also been letting him run on the kitchen floor since it is easy cleanup in there. He slips and slides a bit. Its’ a hoot.
He’s scared a lot but I think he will get used to us and it will be better. I’m so glad they like to play and have fun.