Angora wool is a soft fibre largely used in high-end fashion, produced from the thick luxurious coats of gentle, intelligent and highly social angora rabbits. 

90% of the 2500+ tonnes of angora wool produced every year comes from China where millions of rabbits endure a lifetime of suffering, hidden from view. 

Rabbits are kept in tiny wire mesh cages unable to express natural behaviours such as hopping, digging, and gnawing. The cages are so small that rabbits can’t sit upright leading to painful spinal deformities. 

Every three months or so, rabbits are pinned down and their fur is removed using sharp cutting tools or, worse, it is ripped off by hand without any pain relief. Some rabbits die from heart failure due to the stress of the process. 

Out of stress and boredom, rabbits demonstrate high levels of aggression. Injuries are common and usually left untreated. 

Rabbits are intentionally bred to have fluffy wool, and this can lead to impaired sight, eye disease and other health and welfare issues. 

In the wild, Angora rabbits can live to up to 12 years. In the angora industry they are deemed unprofitable at around two years of age and, after a lifetime of misery, they are often slaughtered and sold for meat. 

FOUR PAWS is fighting to stop this cruelty. We are exposing the truth behind the angora industry and, through our Wear it Kind programme, we are building a global movement of people who demand better for animals. 

We do more than point out the problem – we are part of the solution by engaging with designers, brands and retailers and supporting them to make vital changes to their supply chains, calling on companies to ban the use of Angora wool.