French Angora Rabbit: Pictures, Care Guide, Lifespan & Traits

Angora rabbits are one of the oldest breeds of domestic rabbits, long bred for their coat fibers. Though four Angoras are recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA), the French Angora is the breed that requires less maintenance than the others. This rabbit is great for people looking for a sweet and friendly family pet or for spinners looking for a fiber rabbit to raise for clothing.

Of course, the French Angora isn’t right for every family. Read on to learn more about this beautiful rabbit breed to see if it is well-suited to your lifestyle.

There are over ten distinct Angora breeds, though only four are recognized by the ARBA. The French Angora is one of the largest Angora breeds. It differs from the other recognized breeds in that it has a hairless face and front feet. Its wool texture is smooth and silky, versus an English Angora’s cottony wool and the Giant Angoras’ dense, strong, and wavy wool.

French Angora Rabbit Breed Characteristics

How Much Do These Rabbits Cost?

A French Angora can cost anywhere between $20 and $250. The price will vary from location to location and the rabbit’s lineage. Show-quality French Angoras will come at a higher price than those bred specifically for domestication.

However, you may get lucky and find someone trying to rehome their Angora on online marketplaces or through private sales. Please ensure any rabbit you’re adopting from such sources has had a veterinary check to ensure you’re not unknowingly buying a sick rabbit.

Temperament & Intelligence of the French Angora Rabbit

French Angora rabbits are docile and sweet. They’re known for their gentle and mellow temperaments. They’re happy to hop around freely whether they’re kept indoors or out.

The more time you have to handle and socialize with your pet, the friendlier and more social they’ll become. The earlier you can begin socializing your rabbit, the better, as those that aren’t handled regularly from a young age will be tentative about bonding with their humans.

French Angoras are highly intelligent and can be trained by a patient and determined caretaker.

Do These Rabbits Make Good Pets? 👪

French Angora rabbits may have originally been bred for meat or wool production, but they absolutely make fantastic pets. Most Angora rabbits are docile and sweet, making them the perfect addition to almost any family.

Does This Rabbit Get Along With Other Pets?

French Angora rabbits are so easygoing and social that they could potentially get along with other household pets. But, of course, introducing new animals isn’t always easy. We suggest considering another rabbit if you absolutely must have another pet in the home. Raising two rabbits is much simpler than introducing a dog with a high prey drive to your beautiful French Angora. Even then, getting two single bunnies to become friends will still require work and patience.

Things to Know When Owning a French Angora Rabbit:

Food & Diet Requirements 🥕

The French Angora has similar dietary needs to most other rabbit breeds. They’ll need a diet of hay, fresh vegetables, and water. Aim for a diet that’s 85% fresh hay or grass, 10% greens, and 5% extruded pellets.

Hay should be the foundation of any rabbit’s diet, but it is especially important for fiber rabbits like the French Angora. High-quality hay or grass should always be available and make up most of your pet’s diet. In addition, the fiber in hay helps keep your rabbit’s digestive system moving so they don’t develop wool block. According to VCA Animal Hospitals, grass hay like Timothy, orchard, or brome are the best options as they’re high in fiber to promote digestive health.

Your French Angora’s diet must be supplemented with fresh, leafy greens. Great options include romaine lettuce, carrot tops, cilantro, basil, beet greens, and mustard greens. High-calcium veggies, like collard or dandelion greens, should be fed sparingly as they could contribute to bladder stones if fed too often.

Timothy pellets can be provided in small quantities to adult rabbits. Overfeeding pellets to fully grown rabbits can cause obesity and soft stools. Many rabbit vets recommend no more than 1/8 cup of pellets per five pounds of body weight. However, rabbits under six or seven months can have unlimited pellets formulated for their age range. This is because their bones and muscles require protein and calcium to grow properly.

Habitat & Hutch Requirements 🏠

French Angora rabbit owners can choose whether to keep their pets indoors or outdoors.

According to the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund, a hutch is insufficient to give rabbits what they need to live a healthy life. Therefore, the bigger space you can provide, the better. Aim for an area of at least 10 ft x 6 ft x 3 ft for outdoor rabbits. A good rule of thumb for a hutch is that it should be big enough to allow your rabbit three hops from end to end.

Indoor rabbits will appreciate outdoor roaming time, so you’ll need to provide a safe outdoor hutch to protect them from other animals and prevent escapes.

Outdoor rabbits need a well-ventilated, dry, and draft-free environment. You should also provide hiding spaces to escape if they feel threatened or afraid.

Exercise & Sleeping Needs 🐇

Rabbits, in general, are very active creatures, so they need a lot of space and time to hop, run, jump, and dig. In addition, they’re very intelligent and inquisitive, so it’s important to provide plenty of opportunities for daily exercise to stay physically fit and mentally healthy.

Rabbits should have three to four hours to roam and hop around an open space daily. Rabbit-run tunnels are especially fun.

You can provide toys like puzzles to keep them mentally challenged and chewing toys to help redirect problem chewing and strengthen their teeth.

Training 🥎

Rabbits are highly intelligent, so housetraining them is just as easy as housetraining a cat. Before you begin training, we recommend having your pet spayed or neutered. Intact rabbits are harder to housetrain and may spray urine around the house more than those that have been fixed.

You can also train your rabbit to do tricks like coming when called, giving kisses, spinning, or high-fiving. Training is a fun way to bond with your rabbit while challenging them physically and mentally. Because most rabbits are treat-motivated, you’ll need to determine what high-value treat to offer during and after your training session.

Grooming ✂️

French Angoras have thick undercoats and smooth, silky fur. Their wool has many guard hairs that protrude from the underwool. Their beautiful coats make them popular amongst fiber enthusiasts looking to spin wool to make clothing. While the silky texture can make spinning difficult, the finished yarn has great weight and warmth.

The French Angoras differ from other Angora breeds as they don’t have hair on their face or front feet. While they may not be as high maintenance as other similar breeds, you still should expect to perform frequent grooms to keep your rabbit in the best shape. You’ll need to brush on an as-needed basis, which can be as often as daily or as little as once a week. Regular blow drying should be part of your routine to keep the coat separate and clean.

Because their wool can grow so fast, you may need to shear them three or four times annually.

Lifespan and Health Conditions 🏥

French Angoras are generally a healthy rabbit breed, though they may be susceptible to some health conditions.

One condition your French Angora can develop is wool block. When rabbits groom themselves, they inadvertently swallow some of their fur. Because this rabbit’s coat is so thick and dense, it can become lodged inside their bellies or digestive tracts. These hairballs can cause obstructions which may require subcutaneous fluids or even surgical removal to treat.

Fur and ear mites have also been noted in French Angoras. These tiny parasites burrow under the skin and look like dandruff.

Additionally, these rabbits may be at risk of common diseases in other pet rabbits, including hutch burn, pasteurellosis, pneumonia, pododermatitis, and uterine adenocarcinoma (seen in over 70% of unspayed female rabbits).

Male vs Female

Unlike other animals, there often is very little difference in appearance between male and female French Angoras. The only surefire way to know your pet’s gender is to examine their genitals.

Temperament-wise, males tend to be easier going and more laidback than their female counterparts. Neutered rabbits are less destructive and prone to spraying than those that are intact.

Female French Angoras can be territorial if you’re in their space. In addition, they can be difficult for first-time rabbit owners to connect with as they are more aloof and destructive than their male counterparts.

3 Little-Known Facts About French Angora Rabbits

1. The French Angora is the most similar Angora rabbit to the originals

Angora rabbits are one of the oldest domestic rabbit breeds. They’re said to have originated in Ankara (present-day Turkey) and were brought to France in the early 1700s. Of the several Angora breeds, the French is most closely related to the original Angora that was brought from Ankara to France in 1723.

2. French Angoras are a highly commercial breed

French Angora rabbits are a highly commercial breed, bred for their meat and fiber. Their valuable, soft, silky wool means high demand for domestic production. But, of course, just because they have the potential to be commercial rabbits doesn’t mean that they don’t make excellent family pets because they absolutely do.

3. French Angoras have two coats of hair

These rabbits have two coats of hair – coarse guard hairs and a thick wool coat. Their guard hairs give hand-spun yarn the “halo” effect that’s highly sought by spinners.

Their coats differ from other Angora rabbits because their fur is mostly confined to their bodies instead of all over their face, ears, and feet.

Final Thoughts

The French Angora rabbit is a beautiful breed, perfect for commercial use and as a wonderful family companion.

As with all Angora rabbits, this breed requires a fair amount of grooming to keep its fur in tip-top shape. They constantly release fur to make way for new fur, so grooming can be time-consuming. In addition, a French Angora will molt up to four times a year, releasing huge amounts of fur for you to harvest for yarn.

Aside from its unique grooming requirements, caring for the French Angora is much the same as for any other rabbit breed. If you’re experienced with owning rabbits and want to raise a fiber rabbit, this sweet and docile breed may be just what you’re searching for.

Related Reads: 

• German Angora Rabbit: Breed Info, Care, Traits & Pictures
• Giant Angora Rabbit: Pictures, Care Guide, Lifespan & Traits

Featured Image Credit to: Zanna Pesnina, Shutterstock