Are you looking for the perfect first pet? Well, a pet rabbit can be a great idea, especially the Mini Rex rabbit! If you haven’t heard, the Mini Rex rabbit is all the rage in the rabbit community and might just be the perfect pet that you’ve been looking for! There are certainly a lot of perks that make owning this adorable breed of rabbit easy and very rewarding.
The Mini Rex breed is actually a relatively new breed of rabbit, created from the beginning to be a great pet. The “Rex” breed (the predecessor to the Mini Rex) was first discovered in France during the early 1900s and became known for its impressive fur coat, proportioned physique, and charming appearance. As the Rex grew in popularity, so did the demand for a smaller version. In 1986, a breeder in Florida developed a rabbit with the same features but only half the size of the original breed. Hence, the Mini Rex rabbit was born (source).
You’re probably wondering, are they easy to take care of? Well, you’re right that not all rabbit breeds have the same level of care and maintenance, which is why the Mini Rex has become one of the most popular rabbit breeds for rabbit beginners—they’re easy! So if you are looking for your first furry companion, here are 5 reasons why the Mini Rex rabbit makes a great pet.
1. They Won’t Take Up a Lot of Space
The original Rex breed of rabbits weighed from 8 to 10 pounds but the Mini Rex will only weigh between 3 to 4.5 pounds. With its compact size, a Mini Rex will only need a small cage or hutch with enough space to eat, sleep, and not hit its head when it stands on its hind legs. That’s it! They’re great at curling up in small areas and actually even find comfort in it.
This is great for someone who may live in a small apartment or who doesn’t have a lot of space in their house or yard to keep a rabbit enclosure. While Mini Rex rabbits do enjoy relaxing in small tight areas, they also need to stretch their legs from time to time, so make sure this cage or hutch is mainly for eating and sleeping with another option for exercise when it’s needed.
Create a rabbit-safe area in your home to ensure a happy and healthy environment where your Mini Rex can exercise. This could simply be allowing your bunny to roam freely around your apartment (supervised of course) or creating a fenced area in your yard.
2. They Are Quiet, Calm and Friendly
For young families, singles, couples, and even seniors looking for a pet rabbit, the Mini Rex is an ideal breed because of its balanced personality traits. Other rabbit breeds can be too energetic and active or can be very shy and get easily depressed when they don’t get any attention.
The Mini Rex is the perfect balance for first-time rabbit owners because of their quiet and calm nature, yet they’re very friendly and love affection from their humans. They’re also one of the more compatible breeds for children due to these traits.
IMPORTANT
Even relatively calm rabbits like the Mini Rex will squirm, and injure it’s back if not held properly. So make sure that you and your children learn how to handle them with care. Do not leave them with young children unattended.
3. Easy Grooming and Cleaning
Another trait that makes the Mini Rex Rabbit so unique and sought after is its plush and velvety coat. Running your fingers through their fur is a heavenly experience! Because of their short and dense fur texture, Mini Rex bunnies don’t require much in the way of grooming.
Although their fur is relatively short and maintenance-free, they can occasionally get a little dirty, especially if they run around outdoors for long periods. Keep in mind that like basically all other rabbit breeds, they don’t like baths so you should never bathe them! All you need to do is spot clean them with a damp cloth as needed.
Brushing of their fur is only needed once a week at most, over-brushing can damage its luxurious coat!
4. Very Hypoallergenic
The Mini Rex breed is about as hypoallergenic of a rabbit as they come. Their short coat doesn’t produce a lot of dander which means it’s easy on the sinuses. They do shed, but it’s not a lot as compared to many other rabbit breeds and you won’t have fur floating around in the air due to how their short hairs seem to drop straight to the ground.
Although there is no such thing as a 100% “hypoallergenic” rabbit, the Mini Rex is about as close as they come. Great news for you allergy sufferers!
5. A Healthy Breed
Provided that you create and maintain a clean and healthy environment for your Mini Rex, you won’t have to worry about bringing your pet to the veterinarian very often. Rabbits in general are very healthy animals as long as their basic needs are met with a balanced diet, a clean living space, and an open area to exercise.
The Mini Rex is prone to the same health conditions all pet rabbit breeds are prone to such as gastrointestinal stasis (GI stasis), cocci, respiratory disease, ear mites, sore hocks, snuffles, and a few others (source). Really the only condition they are slightly more prone to is sore hocks (inflamed feet) due to their very short coat which doesn’t offer much protection around the pads of their feet.
While other rabbit breeds are more prone to health concerns, the Mini Rex is a robust breed for those seeking a low-maintenance pet.
6. Cute Appearance and Color Varieties
Let’s not forget to talk about how cute these bunnies are! The original Rex was famous for its coat, physique, and charm and the Mini Rex is all of that but in a miniature form. Who would not fall in love with such an adorable creature?
Not only are they cute, but they come in a variety of fur colors and patterns; from tricolor to a snow-white, chocolate brown, shades of lilac or blue, with patterns on their face and body areas, and more. If you have a preference for a certain rabbit color, you can definitely find what you’re looking for with a Mini Rex.
7. Easy to Care For
The Mini Rex likes to eat a combination of majority hay and pellets along with a smaller portion of fresh vegetables and fruits. Their cage or hutch floor will need to be covered with some kind of bedding like hay, and it needs to be replaced about once a week.
They need constant access to fresh water and exercise as needed. Pretty straightforward with no special requirements for care like some other, more complicated, breeds have.
Potential Downsides to the Mini Rex
Now that we’ve gone over the reasons why the Mini Rex would make great pets, there are definitely a few potential downsides to keep in mind. Again, not all rabbit breeds are the same and require different amounts of attention and care. Here are some downsides when choosing the Mini Rex.
Short Lifespan
While there are other breeds of rabbits that can live up to 14 years, the Mini Rex is on the shorter end. The lifespan of a Mini Rex rabbit is between 5 and 8 years. Females will have a longer life expectancy the earlier they are spayed due to the risk of uterine cancer.
This is something you may need to consider if you are the type of person to get emotionally attached to animals or if this pet would be for your kids. But that doesn’t mean that providing your Mini Rex the perfect living environment and loving care won’t extend its lifespan!
Teeth Never Stop Growing
This isn’t just a Mini Rex thing, all rabbits have this trait, and it’s something you’ll need to monitor to prevent their teeth from overgrowing. The good thing is that the Mini Rex is constantly grinding down their teeth daily simply by eating and chewing. Just make sure you check their mouth every week and you can also get them some rabbit chew toys.
Hard to Train
The Mini Rex is an intelligent rabbit, but they definitely need some patience while training them, if you decide to. As you get to know your specific rabbit you’ll learn what motivates him or her (usually food) and you’ll be better able to create effective training sessions.
Find out what motivates your Min Rex and you can potty train it, teach it to respond to its name, spin on cue, tell it to stay, even run small agility courses, and perform other tricks! See my guide on training your pet rabbit to jump in your lap here for a fun trick to teach to your Mini Rex!
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking into having a furry companion, starting out with a Mini Rex rabbit is the way to go. They’re all the cute and cuddly characteristics most owners are looking for in a pet rabbit! Just make sure that you’re ready and committed to taking care of another living being. But once you welcome a Mini Rex into your life, it will be a fun and rewarding experience!
Useful Resources
- The 6 Easiest Rabbit Breeds to Take Care Of – I bet you can guess that the Mini Rex is definitely on this list of easiest breeds to take care of! But there are other great breeds on this list that are also absolutely great for first time rabbit owners.
- Male or Female Pet Rabbit? Why Your Choice Matters – Did you know that there’s a big difference in daily life with your pet rabbit depending on if you choose a male or female pet rabbit? Now that you know you want a mini rex, pick the sex that’s best for you and then you can start getting serious about your rabbit search!
