Passion for furry friends is also profitable
BY GLORIA J. KATCH Special to the VOICE
At 19, Amy Jones wonders if some people already label her as "the creepy rabbit lady." Regardless, she happily admits her adoration for the fuzzy, twitchy nosed creatures, especially the rare English Angora breed she raises.
"Some people are cat people, some are dog people, I'm a rabbit person," she says, adding, "Everybody's got their thing."
Jones names all of her rabbits and has a backpack for them, so she can carry one or two around. She doesn't stray far from home for long, however, because the rabbits can get nervous from all the attention, which is why she didn't take them to high school very often. When there are crowds of people trying to pet them all the time, they will try to jump out of her knapsack and hop away, she says.
"My rabbits are my kids," she says, in as much of a motherly tone as a 19-year-old can muster.
"I think they're a little too spoiled sometimes.”
The hair from the Angora rabbits can be used to make yarn, which is spun into clothing. Usually, the hair, which is silky smooth, is intertwined with another durable fibre when made into cloth, much like alpaca wool. When Jones was about 12 years old, she began working on an alpaca farm and stayed on for several years. Cousins to llamas, alpacas are also very clean animals and they like to "all poop in one pile." Similar to rabbits, they can be skittish and shy, says Jones, and are sheared for their expensive hair. After you become accustomed to alpacas, their distinctive facial features become apparent, she notes. An animal lover at heart, Jones says that alpaca babies are "incredibly cute."
It was at the alpaca farm that she was first introduced to English Angora rabbits, which are "big beautiful balls of soft fur." There is a French breed, as well.
As far as different breeds of rabbits go, she prefers the English Angora because they are "kind and won't scratch.”
"They love to be petted and be a part of your family." They are also characterized by their erect ears, broad noses, and are bred in a variety of colours. But because their fur is so fluffy and soft, Angora rabbits require a great deal of grooming to avoid matting and tangling. Depending on the season and temperature, their hair has to be kept at the proper length to prevent them from freezing or sweating. The fastidiousness pays off, as each rabbit is worth from about $250 to $300, depending on the bloodline, says Jones.
Their coat is shaved several times a year as it can grow about seven inches in length. Although she has never tried making thread, Jones finds it interesting. When people buy angora sweaters, they are usually woven from either Angora rabbit or goat hair, she says.
Jones fancies herself a bit of an Angora expert, but not really a breeder.
"I want my rabbits to stay happy and healthy," she says. The gestation period for rabbits is only 30 days, and Angora rabbits can have four to six bunnies at a time. Other breeds even multiply faster. However, overbreeding can make mothers weak, thin and scrawny in appearance. Jones separates her rabbits, so they only breed two or three times a year. Twenty rabbits is the total she's had at one time.
When Jones sells a rabbit, she always tries to find it a "good home," and has shipped rabbits from coast to coast. She tries to keep track of her rabbits even after she sells them, and is available to answer questions and concerns from new owners.
"If they couldn't take care of it, I would take the rabbit back," she says.
Jones also has a Continental Giant rabbit, which can weigh up to 20 pounds like a small dog when fully grown at a year and a half. They can also live to be 15 years old, she says. Most rabbits are fed hay and mixed vegetables. She feeds hers special rabbit pellets.
Jones occasionally attends the Canadian Pet Expo, which encourages responsible pet ownership, and showcases a menagerie of animals, including reptiles, for interested spectators and animal breeders in Toronto. This year's event will be held in Mississauga in April. Sometimes Jones attends the event, and puts a few of her pets in their favourite wagon, and tours them around the center. She enjoys the opportunity to learn about rabbits and other animals with like-minded people.
She purchased her first rabbit when she was about 13 years old from a farmer in the Kingston area, but there are not many breeders of English Angora rabbits in Ontario. Oftentimes, Jones has to travel to the U.S. to buy rabbits there, and says for the most part, the trips run smoothly. While she enjoys meeting animal lovers and sharing stories, crossing the border is can be problematic.
Although she doesn't need special permits to transport rabbits into Canada, she is always stopped by immigration officials, who search her car. That's where she sometimes gets those weird, mad-as-a-hatter looks. Jones believes they are often looking for other contraband. They also inspect the rabbits to ensure they're healthy, not sneezing, or carrying some type of virus or disease. The people at the border never look amused at her imports, she says, "Although I had this really nice lady once."
Jones can't understand why they don't have her listed as someone who regularly transports rabbits, as she's been to the U.S. many times. The border crossing always results in delays, but she thinks it’s all worthwhile.
With all the hair she cuts, Jones could be a hairdresser, but she said she is going to school next year to take health sciences and work in a laboratory. She enjoys math, science and chemistry, and said there are about 18 different vocations she can move into from that field. Consequently, Jones will be easy to spot as the only science specialist with a bunny in her backpack.
