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Breed Characteristics

Pet Suitability

1 paw - breed exhibits the least amount of this characteristic
5 paws - breed exhibits most amount of this characteristic

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Mini Satin rabbit

Origin

As popular as the Satin breed has become, and as long as it has been around, it’s a surprise that the Mini version was only recognized in the last decade. But when you consider how time and resource-intensive it is to create and present a new breed, and the exacting standards the ARBA requires of presentations, maybe it’s not so surprising after all. In fact, a lady named Ariel Hayes of Troy, Michigan, first set out to create a smaller Satin in the 1970’s, but the breed did not reach its final acceptance until 2005.
Mrs. Hayes crossed Satins to Polish and called her new breed “Satinette.” She had the size down to 4 ½ pounds, but by 1982 had to give up the project and her lines were, as far as we can tell, lost. Later in the 1980’s a breeder named B. Pettit started trying to put a satin coat on a Netherland Dwarf. Verle and Sue Castle joined the project in 1990. But also in 1990, a man was discovered in Michigan to have a number of small, “satinized” rabbits. He called them Satinettes, but claimed that he had invented the name and would not tell where they came from. The Castles obtained a working standard for the Satinette, but had to drop the project in 1994.
A man named Jim Krahulec purchased the Castle’s herd, but thinking they were too much like satin-coated dwarfs, decided to raise the size a little, make the type more like the standard Satin, and rename the breed to Mini Satin. Krahulec worked with the breed for several years, but Judge J. Leo Collins finally saw the acceptance of the first variety, white, at the 2005 ARBA Convention in Indianapolis.
Other colours have marched steadily on in behind the whites: chinchilla, opal, red, and siamese. Several more — such as lilac, blue and broken — are still in development. The body type is small and compact, shaped more like a miniature Satin than a Mini Rex. Ears must not be over 3 ½ inches. Fur has a beautiful sheen caused by a translucent hair shell.
The ARBA requires that each recognized breed is backed by a National Specialty Club, but does allow similar breeds (such as lops and angoras) to be grouped together under one club. Many of the early Mini Satin supporters were standard Satin breeders, so when the Mini was accepted, the American Satin Rabbit Breeders Association was happy to take the breed under its wing and sponsor both sizes of shiny-coated rabbits. Although breeders have some kinks to work out of the bloodlines (such as questionable temperaments), Mini Satins have already achieved high levels of quality. Amazingly, a white Mini Satin won Best in Show at the 2007 ARBA national convention, just two years after final acceptance. This one promises to be a popular breed in the future.

Physical Attributes

Weight	3.5 - 4 lbs. (1.6 - 1.8 kg)
Ear Type	Erect
Fur Type	Satin
Colours	They have been bred in many different colours.
Appearance	They have compact, rounded bodies and short, upright ears.
Other Considerations	Life Expectancy: 5 -8 years Temperament: Gentle
Best Kept In	Pen. Cage or Yard.