"Tug Bunny" Explained In A Tirade About Responsible Rabbit Ownership And Breeding

Tug Bunny is a French Angora rabbit that was re- homed (at my home) last fall. 

When I first took her in, she was a "problem rabbit:" she didn't like being held or touched or groomed. While normally I would have been fine with her being her "self," I knew that I had to do something to "civilize" her so that she could be groomed. 

Grooming is necessary for Angora rabbits; if they aren't properly groomed, they can and will ingest wool and develop wool block- a potentially lethal condition in which wool, undigested food, and mucous form a stomach mass that interferes with digestion. Also, an un- groomed rabbit will most likely develop mats- which can be painful. 

I don't believe that Tug was purposely neglected. I believe, though, that Angoras are difficult and time- consuming to care for and her previous owner was in over her head. I also believe that, perhaps, she simply didn't know how to deal with Tug. 

I know that Tug came to her in poor condition; she had wool block and was badly matted. Thus, suffice it to say, the owner before the owner before me (got that?) most likely was terribly negligent. My guess is that, by the time she was adopted by the owner before me, she hadn't been groomed or handled and thus was very difficult to handle and thus groom. I know, because I was tasked with the job of handling and grooming her and, at first, it was impossible. 

I believe that, with most living beings, trust can't be bought or forced; it must be earned. Rabbits are no different. However, earning trust must be coupled with the belief that we- the humans- are in charge because rabbits will sense weakness and inconsistency. Yes, they are THAT smart. 

For example, I didn't just grab her and force myself on her; I let her out of her cage and sat in a room with her. Eventually, she came to me and let me pet her for a few seconds. A few seconds eventually became a few minutes until, once day, she jumped into my lap. 

However, when it came to nail trimming- a must for safety reasons- I had to be the boss. Gently, kindly- but firmly- I had to insist on clipping her nails. 

So, a delicate balance was discovered. 

After a few months, Tug fully came around. Granted, she has her days but, as an individual with feelings and thoughts all her own, this must be expected. 

Anyhow, after I had Tug for a while, I decided to re- home another rabbit. This rabbit was almost a year old and had never been sheared. Mind you, rabbits must be sheared every 90 days! 

This time, the rabbit was sweet and civilized- although grooming him was still a bit of a catastrophe. However, Thor's sweet nature and clown- like behavior made up for any trouble he gave me about grooming.

The third rabbit was also re- homed. We drove through a blizzard on a 10 *F day to get Eileen. She was living outside in inadequate living conditions. I believe that she would have frozen to death had we not made the trip to get her that day. 

From there, my rabbitry grew. I decided to focus on German Angoras but, because I kept coming across French Angoras that desperately needed homes, I kept taking them in. 

Because of my experience with taking in rabbits, I have come to question the motives of many rabbit breeders. Don't get me wrong- there are many wonderful, decent, kind, responsible and reputable breeders out there- but for every responsible breeder, it seems like there are five irresponsible ones popping up every few months. 

Which begs the question: If so many irresponsible breeders exist, should rabbits be bred at all? 

The "good" guys truly love the breeds they with which they work and do everything in their power to improve the breed and, if it weren't for them and others like them throughout history, we would not have many of the domestic rabbit breeds that exist today. 

Another fact to consider is that the domestic rabbit breeds that exist today have been bred specifically for a task- whether it be meat, wool, confirmation, etc. and thus many natural defenses/ instinct have been bred out of the domesticated rabbit. 

Take Angoras for example: Angoras have been bred for hundreds of years to produce wool. However, they are notorious poor mothers because the instinct to mother properly has been bred out of them while nice wool has been bred in.

 Also, an Angora would not survive in the wild. It would be impossible to escape from predators with long wool that snags on twigs and branches. Moreover, a matted rabbit that ingests its own wool would quickly die from wool block. 

Thus, if one loves Angoras, one must deal with the reality that they must be bred and, furthermore, they must be kept by humans. Wild Angoras would not live past a few generations (at best) and so enjoying them in the wild- away from human irresponsibility- is not an option. 

However, loving Angoras also means that we must insist on responsible breeding and ownership. 

It is so easy for breeders to point their fingers at rabbit owners and claim that, once a rabbit leaves their premises, they are no longer responsible for the care and future outcome of the rabbit's existence. I believe that this statement is a cop- out. 

While I understand that it is unfair to blame breeders for the actions of their customers, it is hard not to blame when I have re- homed 3 rabbits from the same breeder. Moreover, I have re- homed a few grandbunnies from rabbits bred by this breeder as well. This indicates an issue with the breeder as well as her customers.

Tug Bunny, Thor, Eileen and the others are living examples of irresponsible breeding and ownership. Their breeders obviously didn't care where they ended up- the fact that they were making money off of them was all that mattered.  This is irresponsible (not to mention, amoral and unethical). 

Therefore, anyone who intends to breed should do so responsibly. On the same note, anyone who chooses to purchase an Angora (or any breed of) rabbit, should do so from responsible, reputable breeders. 

As an Angora rabbit breeder, I believe that it isn't enough for me to state facts and argue a position. Actions speak louder than words. I believe that- to some extent- any rabbit exiting my rabbitry will always be my responsibility because I chose to bring him/her into the world thus am responsible for their welfare- both long and short- term. I also believe that any responsible rabbit breeder to do his/ her best to educate the public on Angora rabbit care and the difference between a responsible and irresponsible breeder. We must also be ready and willing to take in rabbits that need a home because we are all- in some small way- to blame for neglect and irresponsibility because we are simply another spoke on the wheel. 

In closing, the name Tug Bunny was chosen because- instantly- she was a living, breathing creature that tugged on my heart strings- in so many ways. Because of her, I developed a deep love and respect for Angora rabbits. Also, because of her, I developed a strong dislike for irresponsible breeders and owners and a strong desire to change things.

On a positive note, though, Tug Bunny is responsible for starting it all. I never would have spun if it weren't for her. I never would have re- homed any rabbits if it weren't for her. I wouldn't feel so passionately about responsible rabbit breeding and ownership if it weren't for her. Most important, however, is the fact that knowing her helped me to come to a decision to a problem with which I had been grappling for years: to start or not start a business. 

Thank you, Tug Bunny!