Angora rabbits are farmed for their exceptionally fine wool, with welfare conditions in intensive Chinese and European operations raising serious concerns about housing, plucking, and social isolation.
Angora rabbit farming combines several severe welfare failures in its most intensive form: individual isolation of a social species, wire flooring that prevents normal foot comfort and behaviour, plucking that causes acute pain, and the total absence of enrichment or species-appropriate habitat. The 2013 footage from Chinese angora farms that drove major retailer boycotts showed rabbits screaming during plucking — a visceral welfare reality that motivated consumer and brand response. European production under better regulatory oversight avoids the worst excesses, but the individual housing standard common even in European operations remains inconsistent with rabbit social needs. Consumer and brand-level rejection of Chinese angora has had real market impact, demonstrating that welfare campaigns on specific supply chain abuses can achieve measurable change.