How Rabbits Travel

For traveling and shows, it’s best to have smaller cages for a few reasons.  First, you don’t need a big cage taking up space in your car.  That space is usually needed by a person or another rabbit.  Big cages are just a hassle.  And they are a hassle to carry.  Second, everyone needs more room at shows.  It is almost always crowded.  You want the cage to be as small as possible without making the rabbit uncomfortable.  You want to have a show cage for a cleaner rabbit when going to shows.  Whatever you do, do not use a dog/cat carrier.  If you have to, you can use a regular pet store cage, but you'll have to clean your rabbit up at the show.

Perfect cage for shows

Pet store cage.  Better than a dog carrier, but not desirable.

Dog/cat carrier.  Do not use for rabbit shows.

    

Rabbit cages should not be able to slide around.   French angoras especially need to be cool while traveling, without any sun on them.  Sun will just make them hotter and more stressed.  We also ran the AC the whole time traveling back from the Stockton show, and the rest of us got cold.  Next time, we will all wear long sleeves.  If traveling in a truck, do not want to put your rabbits in the bed unprotected from wind and sun. 

I like to buy disposable plastic tablecloths to cover the seats and protect them from messes. Do not hook up a water bottle while traveling, but always bring one.  Rabbits will not eat or drink while traveling, and water will just leak.  Put a towel over the cage to protect your rabbit from sun and from seeing rapid movements outside the vehicle, especially headlights.  Also, rabbits generally do not like being held while traveling.  It’s just bad news. 

Stockton Show Report

My mom, Becky, Lydia, and I left at 7AM the day of the show with Muddy Buddy, Honey, Duchess, Stanley, Bubbles, Maple, and a friend’s rabbit.  We couldn’t have them in the bed of the truck.  It would be too windy and it would stress them.  So we put them in the cab with us.  We arrived at 8AM and looked for the other angora breeders.  We were right in the middle of all the angora commotion—blowers, grooming tables, yarns and hats and mittens for sale, and some beautiful angoras. 

Judging for Show B

There were over 70 angora rabbits there, six entered in the youth class.  We entered five.  None of ours had any disqualifications, and we asked one of the judges about Bubbles.  He said she would not be DQ’d for color, her color was just fine.  Unfortunately, we did not ask about Stanley, who is a little different on the back, but otherwise identical to Bubbles.  Muddy Buddy won best of breed in show A, and Honey took best opposite.  In show B Honey took best of breed, and Muddy Buddy took best opposite.  Unfortunately, Muddy Buddy could not compete in best of show for show A, because the judging for show B was going on at the exact same time!   

Honey, Best of Breed in Show B, and Becky

Black Diamond Rabbitry

When I see an unusual screen name, blog name, company name, whatever, I often wonder how the individual came up with that name.  Maybe some of you wonder how we came up with the name of our rabbitry.

Wonder no longer.

The girls and I spent several months considering the problem of coming up with a respectable name for their enterprise.  I didn’t want anything associated with our name.  This is the Internet, and there are creeps out there.  For the same reason, I didn’t want anything associated with our location, like street name or valley where we live.  It’s enough for the world to know that we live in Reno, Nevada.

Anyway, one morning I was walking down the side of the mountain where we live on thirteen acres.  There is probably a 500 foot  change in elevation from the bottom of our property to the top.  Sections of it are very rocky and steep.  It reminded me of the most difficult ski runs—the black diamond ones—at Diamond Peak and Mount Rose Ski Areas.  Not that I ever went on those runs.  The beginner bunny hills challenged me more than enough.  So it came to me:  Black Diamond. 

I presented the suggestion to the girls, and immediately Charlotte piped up with, “Black Diamond Bunny Ranch!”

No.  

No. No. No.

We can be Black Diamond Bunnies or Black Diamond Rabbitry, but we are not the Black Diamond Bunny Ranch.

Just no.

Combs

There are good and bad combs for angora rabbits.  

Most people recommend a slicker comb and a wide tooth comb with stainless steel teeth.

The slicker comb not only removes any loose hair, but it also fluffs up the coat, making it more airy.  It is great for shows, but not for removing mats.  

Slicker comb

We bought  this poodle comb from Betty Chu for a very reasonable $5.00 at the West Coast Classic Show in May 2014.  This wide tooth comb is used on the sides, chest, and around the tail for any mats.  It is also very nice for fluffing up your rabbits at shows.

Poodle comb

Previously, we had been using a dread comb given to us by a nice breeder.  This comb will remove ALL the hair, whether or not it is ready.  We do not recommend it for general use.  However, if for some reason you need to remove all the wool from your rabbit, like due to heat or wool block, this would be the comb to use. 

Dread comb

An Introduction, Just Four Months Past Due

I didn’t want to do an intro until I was sure this blog project would work for our family and our school goals.  I hate finding a blog that I think will be informative and interesting, only to find that the entire blog is three years old and consists of three posts.  

We had a slow start due to a family medical crisis and summer vacation, but now we’re back on track.  I like it, and I think it will be great for Charlotte’s and Lydia’s school writing assignments.  Becky is in her first semester of college and will post when she can.  The focus of the blog will be everything French angora rabbit-related.  Some information will naturally pertain to the other angora rabbit breeds; some will not.  

As I said, this is a blog for the girls for school.  We will try to post something every school day.  Sometimes, life will get busy and no one will be able to blog.  Someone might be sick, or we might be involved in getting ready for a show.  Or I might wish to add my perspective.  

The girls welcome your questions and comments.  Me too.  

Charlotte bought her first French angora rabbit, a chocolate tortoiseshell buck she named Indy, in August 2013.  Lydia and Becky bought their first rabbits, Cream Puff and Snowball, in November of that same year, and Charlotte bought her second buck, Ninja.  Now the rabbits number a dozen, with three litters on the way.  We have all learned so very much that we don’t consider ourselves novices anymore, but we also recognize that there is still a great deal to learn.  

We hope you’ll read and learn along with us.