Rex

The Rex is a medium-sized domestic rabbit best known for a coat that feels like cut velvet rather than ordinary fur. The guard hairs sit at the same length as the undercoat instead of poking through it, so the fur stands up evenly and gives the whole body a smooth, plush surface. This texture is what defines the breed and why keepers often just call it the velvet rabbit.

Most adult Rex rabbits sit somewhere between 3.5 and 4.5 kg, putting them squarely in the medium weight bracket. The body is rounded and solidly muscled, with a broad head and ears that stand upright. Breeders recognise the Rex in a wide range of colours, and a smaller Mini Rex has been developed for anyone after the same velvet coat in a more compact package.

Temperament is where the Rex really earns its keep. It is friendly, affectionate, gentle, calm, and easygoing. Most individuals settle well to handling and fall into a quiet routine, which suits a household after a relaxed indoor companion rather than a bundle of energy.

Who it suits

The Rex suits keepers after a calm, easy-to-handle rabbit who can offer daily attention and room to move. The plush coat wants gentle care, and the breed does best with supervised, respectful handling, so households with very young or boisterous kids should keep a close eye on interactions. First-time owners can manage a Rex just fine if they commit to a proper diet, clean housing, and regular health checks, and, given New Zealand's strict biosecurity settings around rabbits, source their pet from a registered local breeder or rescue rather than trying to import stock.

The Rex rabbit comes from France. The breed can be traced back to the early 1900s, when a coat mutation turned up in litters of ordinary farm rabbits. Rather than the usual mix of long guard hairs over a shorter undercoat, these rabbits grew fur of almost uniform length that stood up from the skin and felt like plush to the touch.

French breeders spent the 1910s and 1920s fixing the mutation into a stable type. The gene responsible for the coat is recessive, so pairings had to be managed carefully to keep the velvet texture consistent from one generation to the next. Early litters were often patchy in fur quality, and selective breeding gradually tightened up the density and evenness.

The breed made a splash at French shows and was exported from there. It reached Britain and the United States during the 1920s, where breeders refined it further and settled a standard range of colours. The coat made the Rex popular both as a show rabbit and, in earlier decades, for its pelt.

New Zealand's rabbit population has always sat under close watch because of the damage wild rabbits do to pasture and farmland, so any Rex bloodlines here trace back through breeders working within MPI's strict biosecurity rules on importing live animals. A dwarf version, the Mini Rex, was bred later by crossing Rex stock with smaller rabbits to shrink the frame while keeping the velvet coat. Today both the standard Rex and the Mini Rex are kept around the country, mostly as companion and show rabbits rather than for fibre or meat.

The Rex carries a rounded, well-muscled body fairly upright, with a broad head and ears that stand erect. Adults generally weigh around 3.5 to 4.5 kg. The coat is the breed's calling card: short, dense, and upright, with guard hairs and undercoat sitting at roughly the same length. The result is a smooth, springy surface that feels genuinely like velvet under the hand.

Coat and colours

The coat is what most people remember about this breed. Because the guard hairs don't project past the undercoat, the fur stands up evenly and gives a level, plush look across the whole body. Recognised colours run from solid shades such as black, blue, white, and lilac through to patterned varieties like castor, chinchilla, opal, and broken (white with coloured patches). Coat density and an even texture carry real weight in the show ring. The whiskers often come out short or curled, which is just a normal side effect of the same coat gene.

The Rex has a name as one of the more laid-back rabbit breeds going. Common traits include friendly, affectionate, gentle, calm, and easygoing. Plenty of individuals are happy just sitting near their owner and accepting a gentle stroke, and some will actively seek out attention once they trust the household.

Around family members the breed tends to stay relaxed and puts up with routine handling well, especially when introduced to people gradually. With strangers a Rex might hang back at first and only warm up after a few quiet visits. Like any rabbit, it can spook at sudden movement or loud noise, so a steady, predictable environment helps it settle.

Around other pets, a Rex can get on fine with calm cats or dogs that have been trained not to chase, though supervision still matters. Two rabbits can bond into a stable pair if both are desexed and introduced gradually on neutral ground. Every rabbit has its own personality, so temperament will vary between individuals.

Grooming

• Brush roughly once a week with a soft brush or just your hands; the short coat doesn't need heavy grooming
• Don't overdo the brushing, as this can flatten or damage the dense velvet texture
• Check and trim nails every 6 to 8 weeks
• Give the ears and teeth a look over during grooming sessions
• Spot-clean soiled patches with a damp cloth rather than a full bath, which stresses rabbits out

Exercise

• Allow at least 3 to 4 hours of supervised time outside the hutch each day
• Set up a safe, rabbit-proofed run or room for hopping about and stretching out
• Add tunnels, boxes, and chew toys to keep the rabbit occupied
• Sensitive footpads mean soft, solid flooring beats wire mesh every time

Environment

Keep the Rex indoors or in a sheltered spot that sits roughly between 10 and 21 degrees Celsius. Rabbits cope with cool conditions far better than heat, and can struggle once temperatures push above the mid-20s, which happens across much of the country over summer. Provide shade, good airflow, and shelter from draughts and damp, particularly through a wet Kiwi winter.

The backbone of a Rex's diet is grass hay, such as timothy or meadow hay, and it should be on hand at all times. Hay keeps digestion moving and wears down teeth that never stop growing. Fresh leafy greens add variety and moisture, and a small daily serve of quality pellets tops up the nutrients. Fresh water needs to be available around the clock.

Treats and extras

Use fresh herbs and small bits of fruit, such as apple with the seeds removed, as the odd treat rather than a daily food. A rabbit getting unlimited hay and varied greens usually doesn't need supplements on top. Check with a rabbit-savvy vet before adding anything extra, and keep treats to a small slice of the overall diet.

The Rex is generally a hardy rabbit with a lifespan of about 5 to 8 years, and some go on longer with attentive care. Most health problems are avoidable through the right diet, clean housing, and routine handling checks. Because the coat is so short, the breed is slightly more prone to pressure sores on the feet than fuller-coated rabbits.

Rabbit keepers in New Zealand also carry an extra responsibility: RHDV (rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus, also called rabbit calicivirus) circulates in the wild rabbit population as part of pest control efforts, and unvaccinated pet rabbits can catch it. Annual vaccination through a vet clinic is strongly recommended for any pet Rex.

Preventive care

• Keep unlimited grass hay on hand to support teeth and gut health
• Use soft, solid flooring to protect the feet
• Check appetite and droppings every single day
• Keep the rear end clean, especially once the weather warms up
• Book annual vet checks and ask about RHDV vaccination

A Rex needs a hutch or enclosure big enough to stand fully upright, stretch right out, and manage a few hops. A solid floor matters here, since the breed's lightly padded feet are prone to sores on wire mesh. The setup should sit in a sheltered indoor spot or covered area, clear of draughts, damp, and direct heat, with daily access to a bigger run.

Setup checklist

• Solid-floor hutch or pen with soft, absorbent bedding
• Litter tray tucked into a chosen corner
• Constant hay supply and a heavy water bowl or bottle
• Hide box, tunnels, and safe chew toys
• Shaded, well-ventilated spot free of draughts

Rex rabbits reach sexual maturity at roughly 5 to 8 months, with smaller individuals often getting there a little sooner. For mating, the doe is usually taken to the buck's enclosure rather than the other way round. Gestation runs about 31 days, after which the doe gives birth in a nest box she lines with her own fur.

Average litters run 4 to 8 kits, born hairless with their eyes closed. The doe generally nurses just once or twice a day, so it's completely normal for the nest to look undisturbed even when the mother is barely seen with the young. Kits open their eyes at around 10 days old and start nibbling solid food soon after. Weaning happens at about 6 to 8 weeks. Responsible breeding calls for healthy parents, close attention to coat quality and colour, and a solid plan for rehoming the young.