Last Updated on June 12, 2023 by Laura Thompson
For first-time rabbit owners who may be looking for a smaller rabbit breed, the Mini Rex rabbit may be the perfect one for you. On this page, we are going to give you an in-depth look at everything that you need to know about this beautiful animal. Plus, at the end of this article you can find Mini Rex rabbit for sale information.
Let’s first take a look at the origins of the Mini Rex bunny, shell we?
Contents
Origins of the Mini Rex Rabbit
Back in the early 1900s, the Rex rabbit appeared. It was well-loved for the fur it could produce. As a result, it was bred in every corner of the globe.
For a good while, it was easily one of the most popular of the fur producing rabbits. Although, of course, this has dwindled in recent years.
Of course, the size of the original Rex breed meant that it wasn’t really that useful as a pet. People had it as a pet, but not so much. This resulted in the Mini Rex.
The Mini Rex that we all know and love today is a combination of a Dwarf Rex buck bred with a Lynx Red. The Lynx Red was a little bit smaller than your typical Lynx Red rabbit and, as a result, it helped to contribute to the size of the Mini Rex rabbit breed.
The Look of the Mini Rex Rabbit
As you can probably guess from the name; this is a small rabbit breed. It is rare for them to get over 4.5lbs in size. This is half the size of the original Rex rabbit breed.
This, of course, means that they are a fantastic rabbit breed for those who may not have a lot of space available in their home. Although, as you will see soon, the rabbit is still going to need to have space to run around in.
Since this has been bred from a traditional fur rabbit you can, as you probably imagine, it looks absolutely stunning. In fact, if you took your rabbit to a show, it would be judged rather harshly on the quality of fur since this is really the defining attribute of the bunny.
Mini Rex Rabbit Colors
Unlike many other breeds, there aren’t really any fixed colors for the Mini Rex rabbit. If you can imagine a rabbit color, then it is likely going to be available in that color.
- Black
- Blue
- Castor
- Chinchilla
- Chocolate
- Himalayan
- Lilac
- Lynx
- Silver marten
- Opal
- Red
- Sable
- Seal
- Tortoise
- Red-Eyed White
- Blue-Eyed White
- Broken
- Tri-Color
Although, as you probably guessed, some of them are going to be a bit more difficult to get hold of than others. In our experience, it seems to be the white that is the most popular fur color for the rabbit.
The Coat of the Mini Rex Rabbit
We probably should go into the coat of the rabbit a little more. Since it is the defining feature of the breed. Honestly, you will have never felt true soft fur on a rabbit until you pet a Mini Rex rabbit.
One of the main reasons why the rabbit breed is so soft is due to the guard hairs. On most rabbit breeds, these are going to be a bit longer than the main coat, which gives the rabbit a coarser feel when you touch it.
On the Mini Rex rabbit, these hairs are the same size across the board. This means that everything sort-of blends into one another, which creates a fantastic rabbit coat.Interestingly, the coat of the Mini Rex rabbit is pretty self-sufficient.
You would think that with a rabbit coat as beautiful as this, you would need to put a little bit of effort into keeping everything working nicely. You don’t.
Sure, you will need to brush the rabbit a little bit on occasion, particularly when they are molting but, for the most part, the rabbit fur will stay looking fantastic without needing to do anything special to it. You can see why the parent breed was such a prominent fur rabbit, right?
Even tho there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic rabbit, and it is impossible for there to ever be so, Mini Rex is what many people claim to be the only one hypoallergenic rabbit breed. They are bred to trigger allergies less.
While they are not going to be a good animal to own if you have a serious allergy to animals, you may want to consider them if you have a mild allergy.
Lifespan of Mini Rex Rabbit
The lifespan of the Mini Rex rabbit is pretty much standard for rabbits. It sits somewhere between 5-7 years. Since there are not any major health issues associated with this breed, most are going to hit the upper cap in terms of lifespan too, with some maybe going a couple of years over.
This is a long-lived rabbit, but not dreadfully long. It is still going to be a major commitment when you get one, however!
The Personality of the Rabbit
As we mentioned before; this is a rabbit that is absolutely perfect for people who are first-time rabbit owners. It is one of the docile rabbit breeds that you can buy.
If you have children in the house, then the Mini Rex rabbit is a breed that loves the occasional cuddle.
It may take a little while to warm up to you, though. This is the same for the vast majority of smaller breeds out there.
Owing to the smaller size of the Mini Rex rabbit, it doesn’t need to have a whopping amount of space available to it. However, it is still going to be an active rabbit, and it does love to run around on occasion. In fact, by ‘on occasion’, we mean that it loves to run around ALL day.
In our opinion, while this is a rabbit that could easily be kept outdoors, it is a rabbit that is probably going to function better indoors. If anything, doing that is going to help you to protect that lovely coat!
As with many rabbit breeds, the Mini Rex rabbit is a very sociable creature. If you can, you may want to pick a couple at the same time. Sometimes it is wonderful just to sit back and watch their reactions to one another!
Special Care Requirements
There are not really any special care requirements for those who own a Mini Rex rabbit. A balanced diet, which is going to be the same for any rabbit breed (rich in hay), then this is going to be a rabbit that will lead a long and healthy life.
Basic grooming like trimming of the nails should be done every month. You should brush it every week.
As we said; if you want to ensure that your rabbit stays as healthy as possible, you should be keeping it indoors and providing it with plenty of space to run around. Check out the best indoor rabbit hutches we recommend.
Mini Rex Rabbit For Sale
As we already said, this is a very popular small rabbit breed, so you may be able to find Mini Rex rabbit for sale in your local pet store. Moreover, you may be tempted by its availability, but we encourage you to get your rabbit from a reputable rabbitry and reputable breeder. This way you will have a better idea of the temperament and any health problems that may arise.
Check out the links bellow, we are sure that you will find Mini Rex rabbit for sale near you, just scroll down thru the lists to find your state:
- ‘Mini Rex rabbits for sale near me‘ List – Breeders for each individual US State.
- Mini Rex Rabbit for sale – Official American Rabbit Breeders Association.
- Contact the breeders for Mini Rex rabbits for sale at the National Mini Rex Club.
If you want to keep the rabbit as a pet, then Mini price would be $25+. If you want to breed it and show it, then the price can go up to $400.
Laura is an experienced wildlife rehabilitator and conservationist residing in Madison, Wisconsin. Her love for rabbits was sparked during her early career when she nursed an injured wild rabbit back to health. Today, she runs “Hoppy Haven”, a rehabilitation center dedicated to the care and release of injured wild rabbits.