Disclaimer: You might completely fall in love with this creature!
Ever thought whether there is anything that has a fluffy coat, is small, heartwarming, has a calm temperament, compact body shape, harmless, and innocent altogether? Well, the mini satin rabbit is the answer to your wonders! Having an interesting history, these little rabbits are absolutely adorable, and can even be mistaken for toys!
The first members of this breed came only in two colors: red and the albino. But today, there are so many color varieties of the mini satin rabbit- blue, black, chocolate, chinchilla, opal, blue, otter, Siamese, red, and many more! The mini satin rabbits are known for their fur, proudly flaunting the soft, shiny fur coat!
Be it kids, old people, or families with older children, this rabbit is the perfect companion for all, requiring minimal grooming to be spot clean! Which one are you planning to get? The chinchilla mini satin rabbit or the black mini satin rabbit?
Already in love with the mini satin rabbit? You might also have an amazing time reading our fact pages on other rabbits, such as the European rabbit and the swamp rabbit!
Mini Satin Rabbit Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a mini satin rabbit?
Mini satin rabbits are a type of rabbits.
What class of animal does a mini satin rabbit belong to?
This mini satins breed falls under the class of mammals.
How many mini satin rabbits are there in the world?
There is no exact count on the total number of individuals of the mini satin rabbit breed.
Where does a mini satin rabbit live?
These animals with a compact body shape are usually kept as pets. They can be found in pet shops and breeder shops.
What is a mini satin rabbit's habitat?
These rabbits are specially bred. However, they suit well to areas having good vegetation.
Who do mini satin rabbits live with?
As the mini satin rabbits are usually kept as pets, they live with their human companions.
How long do mini satin rabbits live?
This breed is said to have a lifespan of 5-8 years.
How do they reproduce?
These little mammals can reproduce throughout the year. At a very young age of about 5-8 weeks, these rabbits can begin breeding.
The male rabbit is initially kept alone for a few days, after which the female is introduced in the same space. There may be a little hesitation from the doe (female rabbit) due to being with a foreign company.
The buck (male) would sniff her body to make himself familiar. The two might run together inside the enclosure, chasing each other.
After a good amount of running around, the male would then make an attempt on mounting her. At this moment, if the doe resists, she would be evacuated from the cage and brought back after some time.
However, if she is ready to breed, she would lay down and allow the buck to mount her. After the mating takes place, the doe is shifted back to her private space.
The total pregnancy is usually 5-6 weeks long. As soon as she knows she is close to bearing her kittens, she would begin to search for a good place for building a nest.
She gives birth usually to 3-5 little kittens. The little kittens cannot see or hear when they are born.
The mother takes care of the little babies until they are properly weaned. The babies will be able to see within a week’s time and wean from the buck within two weeks. The buck can bear children almost four times a year.
What is their conservation status?
The conservation status of the mini satin rabbit breed is not known.
Mini Satin Rabbit Fun Facts
What do mini satin rabbits look like?
The name pretty much explains how big this bunny is. This bunny has a compact anatomy. It is not very tall, and its body has a pretty well-rounded body shape.
Their fur is absolutely soft, silky, and shiny, giving an extremely beautiful appearance. It is of medium size. These beautiful rabbits come in various colors, be it black, chinchilla, opal, white, red, copper, or many more.
Its head is spherical in shape. This bunny looks even cuter with its big, straight eyes which are on the side of its head. Their eyes are large, making them look just like stuffed toys.
Their feet are also large. These ears stand upright and are well covered with a coat of satinized fur. Their ears should also be short and thick.
Are you excited to know all the color varieties these little ones come in? More than 10 different mini satin rabbit colors exist: black, blue, chocolate agouti, red, white, chocolate, copper, opal, tortoise, otter, chinchilla, siamese, silver marten.
* Please note that this is an image of a wild rabbit and not of a Mini Satin Rabbit. If you have an image of a mini satin rabbit, please let us know at hello@kidadl.com.
How cute are they?
Calling these rabbits cute would totally be an understatement! Doesn't your heart melt looking at them?
How do they communicate?
Rabbits in general have minimal ways to vocalize their feelings. If they are mildly disturbed or unhappy, they would whimper or squeal softly to explain their displeasure.
If they make soft honking sounds or go ‘oink’, it means they are interested in mating with the other rabbits. If they are angry, feel scared, or have any stress, they will resort to hissing, growling, grunting, or even snorting noises.
This stress can even urge them to bite or jump. If at any time, they are in extreme danger or feel a lot of pain, they would make loud squeals until they are calmed down again.
How big is a mini satin rabbit?
The mini satin rabbit size of these rabbits is small and compact, just as its name says. The total body length is around 3-4 in (7.62 - 10.16 cm) long. Due to the standards set for rabbit breeds, mini satin rabbit ears are not permitted to grow any longer than 3.5 in (9.6 cm).
This would make them almost the size of the rufous hummingbird!
How fast can mini satin rabbits run?
Sorry, but we do not know about the exact speed of the mini satin rabbit species as it has not been recorded yet!
How much does a mini satin rabbit weigh?
This mammal has a body weight of a maximum of about 3-4.5 lb (1.36-2.04 kg).
What are the male and female names of the species?
In general, a male rabbit goes by the name of buck, and the female rabbits are called does.
What would you call baby mini satin rabbits?
A baby rabbit, in general, is known as a kitten.
What do they eat?
Hay happens to be one of the main constituents of the mini satin rabbits' diet. You would undoubtedly be advised to feed hay to these rabbits, and about 70% of their whole diet consists of hay.
Rabbit pellets are another integral part of rabbit food. These pellets provide the rabbits with enough minerals, proteins and vitamins for their health. Fresh water is essential for these rabbits. You can also feed them with fruits, grass, and vegetables. Leafy veggies, carrots, mangoes, peaches; they would enjoy it all!
Be sure the fruits and vegetables given are washed well, as any small amount of insecticide and pesticide on it might harm these animals.
Would they make a good pet?
Absolutely! These mini satins breed are one of the best choices to be kept as pets. Another beautiful pet to keep is the rhinelander rabbit.
Did you know...
This little one is said to be the outcome of breeding the standard satin bunny with the Netherland dwarf, with a possibility of the Polish bunny being a part of the process too.
To protect these calm mini satins, you must ensure its safety from harsh environmental conditions and dangerous predators. Thus, they are usually kept indoors in small enclosures or cage, which are often made of wire. This accommodation must not be compact though, there must be enough room to hop around and exercise as well.
The rabbit owner needn’t bathe them regularly, just pat a damp cloth on their bodies and brush their fur coat regularly, and these bunnies will be spot clean!
Just like any other rabbits, these little ones might face health issues like deworming, overgrown teeth and even mites in the ears.
A regular visit to the vet would be sufficient to cure most of these health issues. Deworming is encouraged at least twice in a year for a healthy rabbit.
Overgrown teeth would lead to pain and injury for their rabbit gums and jaws, and your little calm bunny might develop a restless temperament. Munching down on hay or pieces of wood can help trim their teeth, and cut down on the vet bills!
What is the difference between a mini satin rabbit and a domestic rabbit?
The first and foremost visible difference between the mini satin rabbit and a domestic rabbit is its size. Domesticated bunnies can grow up to 15.75 in (40 cm) in length, whereas the mini satins grow only up to 4 in (10.16 cm).
Domestic rabbits have a lifespan of about 8-12 years, whereas mini satins can live up to eight years of age.
Domesticated rabbit breeds come in a variety of colors, whereas the mini satin rabbits have a fixed color range.
The fur of the mini satin rabbit is specially engineered to narrow down the hair shaft diameter and increase the concentration of pigmentation which gives a lustrous, soft and shiny fur. However, domestic rabbits do not have much mutation and have comparatively less soft fur.
How did the mini satin rabbit get its name?
Mini satin rabbits aren’t the only satins in the rabbit family history! The standard satin rabbit was stealing the hearts of all people back in the mid 1930s.
These satinized little cuties were bred from the Havana rabbits by a well-known rabbit breeder, Mr. Walter Huey. Other breeders raised their voices against the satinized Havana, and thus came a separate class of rabbits known as ‘satin rabbits’.
The ASRBA - American Satin Rabbit Breeders Association - now stands for the cause of creation and breeding of the satin rabbits.
Fast forward to the '70s, the Michigan breeder Ariel Hayes made an attempt and tried to breed this beautiful little mini satin rabbit. Unfortunately, her efforts showed no success and she withdrew her interest in this idea in the year 1982.
This history does not stop here. This attempt of Ariel Hayes sparked enthusiasm among other breeders, and continued research was made on ways to breed the miniature version of the satin rabbits between the years of mid 1980 all the way to 1999.
One of the possible attempts was made by Mr. J Leo Collins. J Leo Collins successfully created two different varieties of the smaller satin rabbits, one of which was red in color, and the other was albino.
He was awarded with the Certificate of Development for his work. It was in recent years, back in 2006, when the ARBA - American Rabbit Breeders Association - accepted the little white rabbit of this breed.
Ever since, multiple colors of mini satin rabbits have been introduced as well as accepted by the ARBA. Hence, the ‘mini satin rabbit’ came into existence.
For more relatable content, check out these amazing Nutria facts, or the naked mole rat interesting facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring on one of our free printable mini satin rabbit coloring pages.