For sure, you’ve heard of Rex rabbits and their spectacular velvet fur. Rex bunnies typically can weigh up to 10 pounds and are very famous for their coats. However, in recent years, the Mini Rex breed has been gaining popularity because it allows you to enjoy all the characteristics that we admired in the Rex breed, now in a smaller size. If you are interested in this breed and want to know how to care for a Mini Rex rabbit, we invite you to keep reading.
Origins of the Mini Rex
The Mini Rex is a relatively recent breed. It comes from the original Rex breed, which was first discovered in France in 1900. The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) recognized the Rex breed, yet the interest developed for a smaller bunny, hence the Mini Rex Rabbit was created.
The standard-size Rex was the foundation for the development of the Mini Rex. The Mini Rex breed was born for the first time thanks to Monna R. Berryhill, from Texas, who got a litter from crossing a black dwarf Rex from Europe with a lynx colored Rex rabbit even smaller than the male, thus obtaining a litter of seven Mini Rex. In 1986, Berryhill introduced the Mini Rex Rabbit, and the ARBA recognized it as a new breed of rabbits in 1988.
Characteristics of the Mini Rex
The Mini Rex breed is growing in popularity as a pet and exhibition rabbit for three main reasons: its luxurious coat, which is short but fluffy, its small size and its friendly, calm and docile character.
Physical Characteristics of the Mini Rex
The Mini Rex is a small version of the Rex and has the same plush coat in a wide variety of colors. Here are its most outstanding characteristics:
Fabulous Fur
Mini Rex bunnies are cottony and airy to the touch. Their furs, although shorter than other rabbits, looks and feels like velvet. Their guard hairs, as well as their undercoats, are short straight, giving them a cut-fur look.
Why is Their Fur so Smooth?
To better understand the significance of Rex’s fur, let’s first take a look at a few fundamental insights regarding hair development.
Every hair strand develops from a hair follicle. Humans usually have only one hair strand per hair follicle, but this is not the case with animals. Animals, in general, have more hair strands per follicle. The number of hair strands an animal has in each follicle will vary from species to species.
The hair follicles of rabbits contain two different types of hair:
- The inner coat which gives protection against changes in temperature.
- The outer layer provides physical protection.
A rabbit tends to have a single protective hair strand with 6 to 12 inner hairs in every hair follicle. The structure of the outer hair layer has not changed in the majority of rabbits, and it remains much longer than the inner hair. Rex rabbits have had changes in this structure.
The reason Rex rabbits have such a dense coat is because of the amount of hair which its follicles contain. Also, these rabbits have evolved changes in the diameter and length of the hair shafts that make up their outer layer, which has led to mixing up the outer layers with the inner layers. Most people think Rex rabbits have no outer hair layer. The truth is this layer looks more like inner hair due to these variations.
It is worth mentioning that Rex bunnies lack the dense protective fur layer on their footpads. Therefore, Rex rabbit owners need to keep their pets from becoming overweight and house the pets on a surface that provides some softness.
Variety of Colors
Mini Rex rabbits are available in the same variety of colors as the Rex. These include lilac, saber, blue, opal, beaver, Himalayan, lynx, broken (which is an accepted variety with white), tricolor, and patterns (a broken pattern with marks on the nose, eyes, ears, and spots on the tail and body).
Body
The Mini Rex s a rabbit that belongs to the smaller breed groups. These rabbits grow very fast and reach their adult size by their first year. They can weigh from 2 34 to 4 12 pounds. Females are generally larger than males. These bunnies have a compact body with narrows shoulders and a rounded back.
The head of a Mini Rex rabbit is proportional to the rest of the body. Their ears are thick and straight and are not too long. They can reach a maximum length of 8 cm.
What is their Life Expectancy?
As with most rabbits, their life expectancy will depend on their quality of life and the care they receive. On average, a Mini Rex rabbit can live from 6 to 10 years.
Mini Rex Temperament
The Mini Rex rabbit is a popular breed among families with children and other pets, as they can easily adapt to this kind of cohabitation, as long as they are properly introduced to other animals, and children are instructed on how to handle them. It is important to teach small children how to treat the rabbit and never leave them alone to make sure that the rabbit does not suffer any harm.
The Mini Rex makes exceptionally peaceful pets, and as long as they get the proper consideration and training, they can grow up to become perky and amiable pets.
These rabbits are loving, friendly, and very smart creatures. The females have a well developed maternal instinct and can even adopt bunnies from other species and take care of them as their own.
Special Needs
Having such a luxurious and unique fur, and being so small in size, these pets require some special handling.
How to Take Care of Their Fur
Its short fur does not need much maintenance. Owners should try not to brush their coat too often as this can damage its texture. It would be better to moisten your hands or wipe their fur with a damp cloth to eliminate any loose hair as well as any other particles on its surface.
Avoid exposing this breed to hot environments and excessive sunlight as they can become dehydrated due to their dense fur. These rabbits should neither be bathed, as they will take too long to dry, thus causing them to catch a cold or become hypothermic.
About Their Whiskers
A noticeable difference between Rex and other rabbit breeds is that their whiskers wrap around their mouth/nose area, cheeks and eyebrows. You should inspect and trim your rabbit’s whiskers, if necessary, to prevent them from getting into the eyes, nose, and mouth of your pet rabbit.
Footpads
Their footpads are very sensitive due to the lack of hair, so they must be provided with soft bedding, to avoid any sores that may be caused by standing on a hard surface.
It is also imperative to avoid your rabbit being overweight, so they do not experience as much pressure on their delicate paws.
Supervising Small Children
Mini Rex rabbits are relatively small in size. We must supervise our children at all times when they are handling these rabbits, especially their offspring, as they can fall if the child does not grab them securely. If your child does hold the rabbit, make sure he or she is sitting on the ground to minimize the risk of falling.
What Does a Mini Rex Rabbit Eat?
The diet of a mini rex is not so different from that of other rabbits. As with other rabbits, the Rex requires a diet that consists of 70 percent high-quality hay, with the rest being a good mixture of green leaves, fruits, pellets, and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables which contain high levels of sugar must be given principally as treats and in moderation. Remember that there should never be a shortage of water.
The Perfect Cage
Being a small breed, the Mini Rex will not need a large cage. The cage is an essential element you should provide to your pet, but for the animal to feel comfortable, it should be used as a refuge and not as permanent housing. No one likes to live locked up, so buy one that is large enough to provide enough space. Transform its cage into a pleasant shelter where they will discover food and a decent rest.
It is essential to keep its cage clean for the rabbit to live and grow in a healthy environment. You must remove feces and urine every day as much as possible and clean it thoroughly at least once a week. Make sure that you always provide it with straw or hay bedding and a soft surface that does not cause damage to the base of its paws.
Despite all the care we can offer to our pets, they will always be at risk of catching diseases. Make sure to take your rabbit on routine visits to the vet and keep its vaccinations up to date. This way, you can make sure that they are correctly monitored and prevent them from suffering from illnesses or conditions which you may not be able to detect.