Sometimes I read the newspapers and just despair. The recent news left me unable to sleep and if you are like me,  affected by cruelty, then spare yourself this read. I am not going to post any links that show the horrors, there are enough websites and photos out there already.

I felt however that I couldn’t let it go without saying something. The news about the plight of the little rabbits in China used for their soft Angora wool has thankfully halted some of the production. Many UK shops have suspended orders of the fur.  We inflict horrendous cruelty when we pluck the fur till the animal is left bald, screaming in pain and fear, then toss it back into its cage, that is, till the next time around when its fur becomes long and lush.  I love the softness of the wool, but I just can’t be a part of this horror. Saying that though, it’s not good enough to just stop using the product, it’s important to let those in that industry know why. We can affect change. Send an email to your shop and let them know why. I come from a nation that used to think baiting a bull with dogs till the animal weakened was the way to go for soft tender meat. Thankfully we have learned that this is utter nonsense.  China is notorious for its cruelty to animals. But China like the rest of us, wants to make a living. It can change.

I applaud Stella McCartney’s for no longer using the fur.

I don’t agree with pulling the current stock of Angora, as those animals have already suffered the pain to make those lovely socks and mittens. Use the product up, but don’t buy more.

Mrs Sichel, of the Orkney Angora Company,  is quoted in the Times article as saying, “They are farm animals bred for their fur and if you don’t shear them, their fur becomes thick and  matted like straitjacket.”

That may be true,  and shearing farm animals is one thing, but ripping the fur off? I really paused when reading that.  We must act with compassion to the animals we breed and keep for food and clothing. Just because it is a farm animal does not make the abuse right.

I want to move away from the pain and terror of these rabbits.

What about the human price in this? I cannot imagine anyone wanting to grow up to torture animals this way. The factory bosses place quotas on the workers and if this is the only job that will place food on your table, you will become numb to the screams of these animals, and if quicker to pluck the rabbit, then that is what you will do. If shearing the animal takes more time, then we the consumer must be willing to share in the cost, or not use the end product.

But I have to ask,  what price are we paying for soft mittens when we support an industry that makes its workers inflict such pain and suffering. The stress the human must feel as the animal screams, even if not acknowledged is horrendous. It is not only the animal’s body we damage  we also destroy a part of the human soul.