Angora rabbits are farmed for their exceptionally soft fur, but the harvesting process and housing conditions raise serious welfare concerns.
Angora rabbit welfare depends critically on the harvesting method. Live plucking — pulling fur directly from the skin — causes acute pain and is documented in Chinese production facilities. Shearing with scissors or clippers, done carefully, is significantly less harmful. The challenge is supply chain verification: the soft luxury appeal of Angora makes welfare auditing essential but difficult across distributed supply chains. Consumer campaigns have been effective — multiple major fashion brands dropped Angora entirely following documented welfare violations. For remaining Angora use, third-party certification with live plucking prohibition is the minimum welfare standard.