Rabbits are very social animals that need company and plenty of room to exercise. Because they are kept in tiny wire-mesh cages on angora farms, they are unable to perform many of their natural behaviors, such as gnawing on branches and underbrush, hopping, or digging. The low cages also deform their spine because they cannot sit up straight, and the wire mesh floor often causes serious injuries to their paws or legs. They receive no daylight and no enrichment. Behavioral problems often develop due to the inability to move and engage adequately by foraging and exploring. Abnormal, repetitive movements (stereotypes), high levels of physical aggression and gnawed or even injured ears are the order of the day.
Angora rabbits are intentionally bred to have extra fluffy wool, which affects their welfare and health. It can lead to visual impairments and eye diseases as well as intestinal problems from ingesting fur. To reduce their own thick undercoat, they over-clean their coat and ingest large amounts of it. However, their stomachs are not built to digest hair, and unlike cats, rabbits are unable to vomit or retch their hair. This leads to severe intestinal problems. In addition, their ears are bred to be short, which prevents proper body thermoregulation and, together with the thick fur, can cause severe heat stress in the animals. This criterion falls within the realm of breeding for defects (ie breeding animals in a way that causes them pain, abnormalities and other health problems for the purpose of economic gain).
The process by which Angora rabbits’ wool is collected causes immense suffering and stress – they are shorn with sharp cutting tools about every three months, or their fur is torn off by hand with no possible relief of pain. Shearing is a painful and stressful experience for the rabbits as they are naturally afraid of being handled and pinned which is common in the industry. In the worst case, this can even lead to heart attacks due to stress.
Although the average life expectancy of a rabbit in the wild is between 7-12 years, Angora rabbits are considered unprofitable by the age of two as they produce less wool and therefore after a lifetime of misery they are slaughtered and sold as meat.