Mini Rex Rabbit

Facts about Mini Rex Rabbits. The Mini Rex Rabbit is one of the Dwarf Rabbit species bred for modern American pet owners to take up less space and need less food. The Mini Rex Rabbit was a cross between the Dwarf Rex and Rex Rabbits. In 1988, the Mini Rex Rabbit was recognized as a breed by the American Rabbit Breeders Association.

Appearance of Mini Rex Rabbit

Mini Rex Rabbits have a compact body shape. The species ideal is a round body with fur between 7/8” and 1”. Their heads are low on the shoulders.

The Mini Rex Rabbit’s unique velvet fur is the result of a recessive gene first seen in 1920, a trait that was soon bred into many other rabbit lines, resulting in the wide range of colors and even sizes. The Mini Rex Rabbit has a short but thick coat that feels like velvet. It stands out almost perpendicular to the body, making them a joy to pet.
The Mini Rex Rabbit can have a social personality. The Mini Rex Rabbits can live up to ten years.

Behavior of Mini Rex Rabbit

Mini Rex Rabbits have friendly temperaments. They are considered suitable for children starting to keep rabbits, though care must be taken not to drop them. The young Mini Rex Rabbits are especially prone to breaking bones on impact.

Both males and females can become territorial, something that goes away when the Mini Rex Rabbit is spayed. Try to keep Mini Rex Rabbits in pairs of the same gender so that they have company when you are not there.

Care and Up keep of Mini Rex Rabbit

Mini Rex Rabbits can eat plain rabbit pellets. Mini Rex Rabbits like to chew on hay; timothy hay is their preference. Mini Rex Rabbits enjoy wet food like hay or lettuce every day. Avoid giving them yard clippings, since grass is often sprayed with fertilizer, insecticides, pesticides, and other chemicals rabbits should not be eating. Give them fresh water every 24 hours.

For bedding, give Mini Rex Rabbits wood pellets or aspen. You can use pelleted horse bedding. Do not give them pine or cedar.

Whether you use a litter pan or simply change out the bedding, you periodically need to clean out the cage. Use either white vinegar or a pet safe cage cleaner.

Unlike many rabbits, Mini Rex Rabbits do not need a slicker brush for grooming; their fur does not need much maintenance. Do expect to clip the Mini Rex Rabbit nails periodically.

Ensure that the Mini Rex Rabbits have good air flow; this helps them stay cool. Do not leave the Mini Rex Rabbit out in an outside hutch if it is over 90F. Avoid leaving Mini Rex Rabbits in freezing weather outside. Temperature change of fifteen degrees can kill them, so don’t just take a rabbit from a 100 degree day outside to an air conditioned house. Transition with a frozen water bottle or water mist sprayed on the ears to cool them off.

Trivia about Mini Rex Rabbit

There is a National Mini Rex Rabbit Club called the NMRRC.

Why is this rabbit called the Mini Rex? Because the standard Rex is around nine pounds (4 kg).
"Scientific name for Mini Rex Rabbit is Oryctolagus cuniculus". "Fear of Rabbits Leporiphobia"

The male Mini Rex Rabbit is called a buck and a female Mini Rex Rabbit is called a doe. A young Mini Rex Rabbit is called a kit "kitten" or baby bunny.

Mini Rex Rabbits are herbivores (a herbivore, eats leaves, grass, hay and furns (plant eaters) and also mammal.

Mini Rex Rabbits are born with without fur and its eyes closed. Half of the rabbits in the world live in North America. Mini Rex Rabbits are comfortable living in groups.

Mini Rex Rabbits have an outstanding sense of vision, smell and hearing. Having eyes on the side of their head and being so big, gives them nearly 360 degrees vision, allowing the Mini Rex Rabbit to see predators from all directions. The Mini Rex Rabbit can see everything behind and in front of them and have just a small blind-spot in front of their nose.

Pet Mini Rex Rabbits should be kept in pairs for Companionship, its important for a rabbits happiness and it can live longer with a companion. In the wild, Mini Rex Rabbits are very social. Female rabbits can produce about 2 to 4 litters of bunnies per year with 4 to 6 babies.

The average lifespan of a Mini Rex Rabbit is around 5 to 8 years and in captivity can live up to 10 years. Mini Rex Rabbits have 28 teeth and an incredible fact, a Mini Rex Rabbit teeth never stop growing throughout its life.

Mini Rex Rabbits are very clean animals and will groom themselves and also each other. Mini Rex Rabbits are crepuscular-(meaning the are most active at morning and evening) and do most of there feeding in the evening. Rabbits on average sleep about 8 hours.

Physical Characteristics of Mini Rex Rabbit

The Mini Rex Rabbit is a small rabbit, with females between 3 1/2 to 4 pounds (9.6 to 10 cm) and most males less than 4 1/2 pounds (12 cm). The Mini Rex Rabbits come in a wide variety of colors, many of which are recognized by the breeders’ association. Mini Rex Rabbits can come in blue, black, castor, chinchilla, opal, otter, red, silver marten, sable point, tortoise pattern, white (with red eyes) or white with blue eyes. There are even Himalayan and broken patterned Mini Rex Rabbits.