In the countries of Spain and China, rabbits are raised for food just as we in the United States raise chickens to eat. Being very frugal, these countries let nothing go to waste and sell the rabbit furs as well as the meat. Rabbit furs come in assorted sizes, shapes and colors. One of the most popular is the white rabbit fur. It is believed that the white rabbits grow faster and larger than the mixed color rabbits and so are favored by the farmers who raise them for meat. Today, nine out of ten rabbits processed for food are white.
A word of caution…Never try to wash a rabbit fur in soap and water as this method strips the fur of its natural lanolin and it becomes stiff and brittle. Also do not dry clean. The best method to clean these furs is using a product called Eucalan Wool Wash. It may be purchased on line. When shipped from to the factory, rabbit furs are packed with moth balls to prevent bugs from becoming a nuisance. To help remove this strong odor, place your rabbit fur outside for a day to two in a protected area such as a garage or sun porch to air out. A quicker method that many say helps eliminate the moth ball smell is to place the dry fur in your drier with a couple of scented drier sheets and turn on low heat for no longer than five minutes.
Buyers of these furs use them for many different things. Often you’ll see them in jewelry display cases used as a back drop. I have seen them used as doilies on tables and many are sold to barbers to test clippers to be sure that they are sharp enough to cut hair. Some are sold for making into bags as well as to line winter gloves. Rabbit fur is sometimes used to trim special garments. Native American musical instruments and hand crafts many times are trimmed with rabbit fur. Guys who are into fishing often purchase the fur to make fishing jigs. I have seen them cut up in squares and made into a super soft blanket. One woman I know even gives her little one a soft clean rabbit fur to use as a security blanket. With a little imagination, I am sure the uses could be endless.
