How to Care for a Pet Mini Rex Rabbit

A smaller form of the rex rabbit, which is renowned for its luxurious, velvety hair, is the mini rex. A small rex barely weighs around 4 pounds, compared to an adult rex rabbit’s weight of about 10. The little rex is available in a variety of colors and has a small, spherical body. These bunnies make peaceful and amiable companions. They need a fair lot of maintenance, such as daily feedings and routine habitat cleanings. They also gain from a lot of interaction with others and recreation.

Mini Rex Rabbit Behavior and Temperament

Although every rabbit is unique, the tiny rex breed is renowned for being incredibly loving, friendly, and laid back. Mini rex rabbits often accept mild handling and are placid. However, although many like being petted and cuddled by people, in general, rabbits do not like to be lifted up and carried around. They don’t often bite, but they may scratch if they feel threatened or uneasy.

Mini rex rabbits can develop close relationships with those who look after them. Additionally, keeping many rabbits is recommended to satisfy their social demands. As long as they are spayed and neutered, you are allowed to keep people of the opposite sex together. Additionally, rabbits may coexist peacefully and nicely with other domestic pets like cats and dogs. But be cautious when introducing any animals to one another, and keep rabbits away from creatures that could view them as prey.

Rabbits make busy pets, but they are also generally quiet. You should budget some time each day for feedings and cleaning the habitat. And spend several hours playing and interacting with your bunny. When deprived of mental and physical stimulation, a rabbit may become disruptive and engage in undesired gnawing and digging.

Size Information

Mini rex rabbits are roughly 10 to 12 inches long and weigh less than 5 pounds. The females are often slightly larger than the males.

Housing

The minimum size of your rabbit’s cage should be 18 by 24 inches, and it should also be taller than the animal while it is standing straight up on its hind legs.2 If you have more than one rabbit in the cage, however, you must expand room because bigger is usually preferable.

For ventilation, a cage with wire sides is great, but avoid choosing one with a wire floor because it can be painful for a rabbit’s feet. A dog kennel or a dog exercise pen are popular choices among owners. Make sure the pen’s sides are raised enough to prevent your rabbit from hopping out.

Include a litter box, food and water bowls, games (particularly chew toys), a stable shelf that your rabbit can leap onto for exercise, and toys in the enclosure. Make sure there is still enough room on the floor for the rabbit to completely extend its rear legs.

Keep the cage away from drafts and bright sunshine. Additionally, avoid putting it in a busy, noisy area. However, keep it close by because rabbits want to stay with their human family.

Make sure any place where you let your rabbit out of its enclosure is completely bunny-proofed. Given the chance, rabbits will gnaw on electrical lines and other possible pitfalls.

Specific Substrate Needs

Your rabbit enclosure’s floor must be non-slip. To enhance comfort and facilitate washing, many owners lay down washable rugs. A soft blanket or towel can also be provided, as well as a mound of straw (make sure your rabbit doesn’t get tangled or hooked in the material). In the litter box, use paper litter devoid of dyes.

Every day, clean the litter box and cage floor of waste. Additionally, make a habit of everyday dishwashing. Additionally, clean the cage with mild soap and water once a week.

 

What Do Mini Rex Rabbits Eat & Drink?

Your rabbit should consume fresh grass hay, such timothy or oat hay, as the majority of its diet. Every day, give the rabbit as much hay as you like, making sure there is always some accessible. You have two options for feeding the hay: either put it within the pen or use a hopper-style feeder.

Offer daily fresh greens to complement the hay. There are lettuces, herbs, radish tops, and carrot tops as alternatives. Carrots and other fruits and vegetables can be provided in smaller portions. The greens can be placed in a little ceramic dish or just on a spotless patch of the cage floor. Many proprietors provide these fresh items once or twice daily, taking them away after a few hours to stop them from spoiling. For advice on how much to feed, speak with your veterinarian because it depends on your size and degree of activity.

Offer a little portion of commercial rabbit pellets every day as well. But keep in mind that eating too many pellets might lead to obesity and intestinal issues.3 So, talk to your vet about the recommended feeding rate. A modest ceramic dish should contain a day’s worth of pellets. After 24 hours, remove everything still in the dish and dispose of it before adding the next day’s serving.

Lastly, make sure your rabbit has access to fresh water at all times. Both a water dish and a bottle are acceptable. conduct sure your rabbit learns how to use the bottle before removing the dish, and conduct regular checks to ensure the bottle nozzle is functioning. Every day, replace the water.

Common Health Problems

Mini rex rabbits are prone to the same health problems as most other rabbit breeds. They include:

• Digestive problems, including diarrhea and blockages
• Eye issues, such as corneal ulcers
• Respiratory diseases
• Skin problems, such as mites and fleas4

Additionally, many rabbits have enlarged teeth, which can make feeding and drinking challenging.5 Their nutrition and gnawing on nearby objects (such chew toys safe for rabbits) are how they wear down their constantly growing teeth. If required, a veterinarian can file down the teeth.

Tip

Training Your Mini Rex Rabbit

Litter Training

Similar to cats, mini rex rabbits may be trained to use the litter box, which makes cage cleaning much simpler and keeps your home clean when your rabbit is permitted to wander. The typical rabbit potty location is one specific area. Put the litter box in that location in the cage to help them learn to use it. To get the rabbit to enter the box, fill it with hay in addition to litter. Treat your bunny as soon as you see it using the box to reward the behavior.

Move the box there or add another if your rabbit starts to relieve itself in a different location. It’s ideal to restrict your rabbit to a small space with a litter box nearby at all times until it is completely litter trained.

At least every other day, the litter should be cleaned, and the hay in the box should be replaced. In case the litter box is unclean, rabbits could not utilize it. Additionally, unspayed and unneutered rabbits may defecate beyond the litter box to claim their territory.

Exercise

Ensure that your pet mini rex spends at least four hours each day exercising, playing, and exploring outside of its habitat. However, before letting your rabbit wander free, be sure you bunny-proof your property. Because they like chewing, rabbits may cause difficulty for themselves if they consume dangerous materials like electrical cables. To get your rabbit moving, provide it with toys, food puzzles, tunnels, and other items.

Grooming

Brushing your mini rex around once a week (or more frequently during seasonal shedding times) will assist to remove loose hair, despite the fact that rabbits spend a lot of time grooming themselves. To avoid harming your rabbit’s sensitive skin, use a soft brush made specifically for use on bunnies.In addition to preventing tangles, brushing will reduce the amount of fur your rabbit ingests during self-grooming. Hairballs can develop if too much fur is swallowed.

Additionally, you’ll need to cut your tiny rex’s nails from time to time. Many veterinary clinics will do this job for you if you’re hesitant to do it yourself. You may learn how to securely cut your rabbit’s nails at home from your veterinarian.

Upkeep Costs

Pet rabbits may be pretty pricey. The food and bedding/litter for your tiny rex will be your primary cost. Plan to pay between $40 and $60 every month, depending on the kind you pick. Additionally, you’ll occasionally need to replace worn-out toys (particularly chew toys) and other objects in the cage, which will run you between $10 and $20. Last but not least, remember to include emergency and routine veterinarian care in your budget.

Pros & Cons of Keeping a Mini Rex Rabbit as a Pet

Mini rex rabbits are typically easygoing and friendly as pets. Plus, they are quiet and don’t take up a massive amount of space. However, their upkeep can be expensive. And they do have high social needs that often require getting a second rabbit.

Otherwise, check out other rabbits that can be your new pet.

Purchasing or Adopting Your Mini Rex Rabbit

Mini rex rabbits are a fairly popular breed, so you might be able to find them at a pet shop. However, it’s often better to go to a reputable breeder or rescue organization, where you’re more likely to get sufficient information about the animal’s health, history, and temperament. Expect to spend between $20 and $100, with the price varying based on such factors as the animal’s age.

Reproduction/Breeding

For suggestions on breeders and rescue groups, consult your area’s exotic vets. The American Rabbit Breeders Association and the House Rabbit Society are other resources for finding breeders and animal rescues. Usually, breeders have a larger selection of young bunnies. Rabbits are also frequently available for adoption as pets. Additionally, older bunnies are sometimes a wonderful option since you can quickly determine their personality, and many are already gentle and litter-trained.

Before pairing up any rabbits of different sexes, talk to your veterinarian about spaying and neutering them to stop them from mating.