BUNNY'S ARE NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS (Angora rabbit)

Member Name: thingywhatsit

Product:	Angora rabbit
Date:	28/11/07 (683 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sensible thinking matters.

Disadvantages: Impulse buying means neglected animals.

When I suggested this category, I used a somewhat different title and the site decided to change the title, though the point of writing the review was to answer the question as to whether buying an angora rabbit for a child for Christmas was a good idea.

Christmas nears and more and more people make the mistake of thinking a cute little rabbit is just right to give to their little ones for Christmas. Christmas lasts a week. A rabbit's lifetime can be anything up to 15 years, so it really is important to realise the importance of what may seem a flippant choice of a pet for a child.

The Angora rabbit breed is a particular breed that requires hard work and energy and many children do not have the patience for the care that they need. Included below are many of the characteristics that may make them an unsuitable choice for children which include:

*Habits
*Care
*Grooming
*Characteristics
*Patience

HABITS

The habits of Angoras are quite fixed. They are not keen on change, and introducing them to a noisy environment can unsettle them. They like meals at fixed times, and enjoy having their litter tray in the same place. Although these rabbits can be kept in cages, they thrive if being let to roam within a safe area in the home.

One of the negative side of Angora rabbits for children is that their sleeping habits would mean that often the children sleep during the waking hours of the rabbit, who sleeps all day. If confronted by children upon their return from school, a rabbit will attack. Many do not attack seriously or hurt children intentionally, but in their fear, they tend to snap because their sleep pattern is interfered with.

CARE

Does your child have the patience to care for a rabbit. Angora rabbits need more care than normal rabbits and will leave hairs all over the place. They will need their nails clipped, and regular love and attention. They will also need their tray changed regularly and many kids are not keen in this chore at all. Angora rabbits are very clean animals and if their tray is not cleaned will do their business elsewhere.

GROOMING

Angora rabbits can die if they are not groomed on a regular basis. Sure, they look like a big ball of fluff, but believe me, they need brushing almost daily, not just for cosmetic reasons, but because the loose hair can actually threaten their wellbeing. Rabbits clean themselves with a licking motion and unlike in other animal species, their digestion system works differently and the creation of a hair ball can be lethal, since a rabbit cannot vomit.

CHARACTERISTICS

The characteristics of Angoras differ from one animal to the next, and here while they may be cuddly when they are little, they are fiercely independent animals that can be easily alienated against being picked up. It may prove to be a disappointment to a child that their rabbit doesn't want to be caressed and even care in the choosing stage can never determine what that rabbit is going to be like as an adult.

They are extremely good fun. They hop and skip and actually have a memory, but it is this memory that will alienate them from the children, in that they will remember all the times they are picked up and brushed and avoid those that do this work, not seeing it as a positive measure.

PATIENCE

Patience is essential when you have a small creature like an Angora, since these little critters cannot complain when something is wrong, and an owner needs to be very sensitive to the needs of the rabbit at all times, and quick to deal with illnesses and to call the vet when necessary. They take a lot of patience to care for, and perhaps are not the wisest choice for a child that has very little patience, where a guinea pig or small rodent would be a better choice and easier to care for.

Giving an Angora rabbit for Christmas, give the whole concept thought because it is more than just the smile on a child's face that matters. What matters is the fifteen years that follow and the part the animal is allowed to play in your life. They say that dogs are not just for Christmas, though this applies to all animals, especially those little white fluffy balls called Angoras who need love and care long after the Christmas wrappings have all been packed away, and Christmas forgotten about.

Summary: Be sure before you choose an angora as a gift for a child.