Satin rabbits: the sheen coat, size, colours and care

What is a satin rabbit?

The Satin is a rabbit breed defined by its coat. The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) says Satins first appeared in 1934 in a litter of Havanas owned by Walter Huey of Pendleton, Indiana. Geneticists at Harvard University concluded the shiny coat was a simple mutation, unlike anything seen in rabbits before. The rabbits were first called Satin Havanas and later just Satins. Fur and Feather's UK breed list says Satins arrived in Britain in 1947, and that the pink-eyed Ivory became especially popular here.

Today there are two breeds with the coat: the full-size Satin and the Mini Satin. ARBA shows both under one specialty club, the American Satin Rabbit Breeders Association, and the UK has the National Satin Rabbit Club. Our rabbit breeds guide shows where they sit among other breeds, and the Havana rabbit profile covers the breed the Satin came from.

Satin rabbit fur: why it shines

The sheen is in the hair itself. Creatures' vet-written guide says the satin gene gives each hair a thinner, more translucent outer layer and a finer shaft. Light passes into the hair and reflects back out, so the coat gleams and colours look deeper and richer. The gene is recessive, so a rabbit must inherit it from both parents to show the coat. ARBA describes the result as a "brilliant sheen".

Creatures' Satin page sums it up: not wool and not Rex. Our Rex rabbit guide explains the velvet coat, and the satin guinea pig guide covers the same kind of coat in a different animal, where it carries its own health checks.

Satin rabbit size: Satin and Mini Satin

The big surprise is how much the Satin's size differs between countries. ARBA's maximum for a Satin is 11 lb (5 kg), and Creatures gives the American Satin about 8.5 to 11 lb (3.9 to 5 kg) with ideal weights of about 9.5 lb (4.3 kg) for bucks and 10 lb (4.5 kg) for does, on a long, commercial body. The UK standard listed by Fur and Feather is much lighter, at 2.72 to 3.62 kg (6 to 8 lb).

The Mini Satin

ARBA says the Mini Satin was developed by J. Leo Collins, first called the Satinette, and recognised in 2005 as ARBA's 47th breed. Creatures says Collins began in 1992 in Salem, Ohio, crossing White Satins with Florida Whites and Mini Rex to bring the size down, and dates full recognition of the ruby-eyed white to 2006. Either way, the first showable colour was white, and others quickly followed. A "mini satin bunny" is roughly a third to half the weight of a full Satin.

Satin rabbit colours: black, white and more

ARBA says Satins can be shown in 11 colours, while Creatures lists 34 varieties including broken and tri-colour types, and ARBA counted 16 showable varieties for the Mini Satin at the time of writing. The lists change as new colours are accepted. Fur and Feather's UK list for the Satin is ivory, black, blue, brown, lilac, castor, cinnamon and lynx.

Colour has no effect on health or temperament.

Satin rabbit temperament

Satins are usually gentle. Creatures says keepers and breeders commonly describe the Mini Satin as calm, docile and people-friendly, but notes this is experience rather than a studied trait, and that temperament depends most on the individual and on early, gentle handling. Rabbits are prey animals, and many dislike being lifted.

The RSPCA says rabbits need the company of another rabbit, ideally a neutered male and a neutered female. Our guides to bonding rabbits and taming and handling cover both. A big American Satin should be lifted with one hand under the chest and the other under the bottom, close to your body.

Caring for a satin rabbit: what is different

Very little. Satins need ordinary rabbit care, with two small differences: the coat shows dirt, and the full-size Satin is a fairly big rabbit.

Space

The RSPCA's minimum for two rabbits is 3 m × 2 m × 1 m (10 ft × 6 ft 6 in × 3 ft), including the shelter and exercise area, on solid, non-slip floors. A big American Satin will use every bit of that, and more is better. Our rabbit cage size guide shows layouts.

Food

Hay or grass should make up about 85% of the diet, the RSPCA says, with a rabbit-sized bundle every day, a large handful of leafy greens and 25 g of pellets per kg of body weight. That works out at about 50 g (1.8 oz) a day for a 2 kg (4.4 lb) Mini Satin and about 110 g (3.9 oz) for a 4.5 kg (10 lb) American Satin. No special food makes the coat shinier: the sheen is genetic. See our rabbit diet guide.

Grooming and cleanliness

Creatures recommends a weekly once-over and extra brushing in a moult, because rabbits swallow loose fur, and plenty of hay to keep it moving. Its Satin page adds that clean housing matters, because a shiny coat shows stains and poor condition quickly. Don't bathe your rabbit: Creatures warns bathing is stressful and can be dangerous.

Weekly care checklist

• Brush the coat, and daily in a moult
• Check under the tail is clean and dry, daily in warm weather
• Check front teeth, nails and the underside of the back feet
• Look at the coat for dull, stained or thin patches
• Weigh your rabbit and note any change
• Full clean of litter trays and bedding
• Rotate toys, tunnels and forage

Satin rabbit health problems

We found no vet or breed-club source linking the satin coat itself to health problems in rabbits. Creatures lists the problems to watch for in the Mini Satin, and they are the usual rabbit ones: gut stasis, which is an emergency, overgrown teeth, and uterine cancer in unspayed does, which spaying greatly reduces.

Our rabbit health guide lists every sign, and neutering and spaying explains why it helps.

How long do satin rabbits live?

About 8 to 12 years for a well-cared-for pet, says Wood Green, and Creatures gives the same range for the Mini Satin. Size matters: the Scottish SPCA says smaller breeds can live 12 years or more, while larger breeds average about 5 to 8 years. A small UK Satin or a Mini Satin can expect the longer range; a big American Satin may live a little less. Our rabbit lifespan guide covers each life stage.

Satin rabbit breeders and mini satins for sale

Start with rescues. A purebred Satin in a rescue is a lucky find, but a rescue rabbit of any coat is usually neutered and vaccinated already. In the UK, try the RSPCA, Wood Green, Blue Cross and local rabbit rescues. In the US, try the House Rabbit Society and local shelters.

For a purebred Satin or Mini Satin, the National Satin Rabbit Club in the UK and the American Satin Rabbit Breeders Association in the US can point you to breeders. Ask any breeder:

• Can I see the parents and where the rabbits live?
• Is it a full Satin or a Mini Satin, and what weight should it reach?
• Has it been vet checked, and are its teeth straight?
• Has it been fully weaned from its mother?
• Will you take it back if I can't keep it?
• Can I take two, or will you help me find a neutered companion?

A healthy youngster has bright eyes, clean ears and nose, straight teeth, a clean bottom and a glossy, even coat. Our guide to where to get a rabbit has the full checklist, and the complete rabbit care guide covers everything else.