Mini VS Standard Satin – How Does One Tell?

[Baudoin]

I brought home a ‘rescue’ rabbit today – a 3 month old satin. When I asked the woman she came from what the sire and dam weighed, I was greeted with an answer I wasn’t expecting: 3lbs.  Now, these rabbits are kept in 1×1 outdoor hutches and moms are moved to 2x2s when their litter is born but I don’t think rabbits stunt like fish and reptiles?  How can I tell if my girl is a standard or a mini at her age? She is very small but I haven’t had house rabbits in over 3 years and my memory isn’t serving me well. I look forward to spending the rest of her life with her regardless of size but I want to build her a C&C hutch in her room and her adult size will be what determines how large it’ll be. 

Thank you in advance!

Charlene & Unnamed Bunny

[LBJ10]

How big is she now?

This might seem like an odd question, but why not build a big condo anyway? I’m sure even a small bunny would appreciate having the “extra” room.

[Baudoin]

What is the best way to measure her? Weight?

I will be building at least a 2x4ft two-story condo but while that is large for a 4lb rabbit, it really isn’t for a 12lb rabbit so I just want to ensure I build one with enough space. I have 65 cubes worth of C&C squares on the way (not sure the exact number at the moment) and they are all hers, just need to figure out if I will need more.

[LBJ10]

Ah, I see.

Weight would be the most appropriate measure as bunnies differ in lengths and builds.

[Baudoin]

My bathroom scale is analog and hard to read from my height but she is around 2lbs right now. I will take her by the vet tomorrow morning and weigh her there, I needed to weigh my dog anyways. That will give me a better idea but I figured the close guess was enough to at least post.

In the ways of rabbit proofing, this room is totally hers. I have a few reptiles in the room but they are high on shelves. My main concern was baseboards because it’s a rental and my cords which are easy to wrap in tubing and in c&c cubes if I have to – do I need to do anything else in the way of rabbit proofing besides some rugs because the floor is laminate and she has poor traction?

[Love4Bunny]

Hi Baudoin, if she’s going to primarily be in one room, I’d run cardboard along all the baseboards (ugly, but saves the wall). You could also buy hard antimicrobial sheets of plastic from the hardware store and simply line all the walls in the room (I renovated some cupboards with it when we moved into our rental). This would give the room a better aesthetic.

I agree with LBJ10 about the bigger condo. My 3lb lionhead requires more space to run and binky than my 6lb satin lop cross.

EDIT: As a suggestion, you can always buy an expen and modify it to create levels for the NIC cage later on.

[Baudoin]

Is a 4×2 two – level condo (2nd level 2×3) too small as a retreat? In the room, not including the condo she will have 9ftx6ft of space as well as supervised playtime in a larger room here and there. She will not be confined to her condo once it is completed, the only reason she is confined to her cage right now other than playtime is because of the un-proofed walls.

I do have cardboard but I live in rural Alaska and our nearest Home Depot is 3 hours away. Each way. Cardboard doesn’t bother me, this room is actually our third bedroom and it’s for my animals and me to enjoy. Doesn’t have to be magazine-ready.

[Odette]

Hi Charlene, welcome!

A C&C condo can be added to later, if needed, right? Regardless, I think 4×2, 2×3 is fine since the condo is her retreat/sleep area. She’ll have plenty of run and binky room in the 9X6 ft space and larger room.

I wish I’d thought of the cardboard on the baseboards. My bridge bun was not a chewer. We brought Odette home younger and she is.

[Love4Bunny]

I think that’s a good sized space for a rabbit, as long as she can stand on her hind legs (which may be that space between level 1 and 2)?.

That is a long way and back to Home Depot! I, myself, use a small disassembled cardboard box to cover my baseboards near the wardrobe. I anchor it to the walls with weighted objects, like a small cardboard “toy box” and a rainbow chew log.

[Baudoin]

I’m glad that is adequate space for her. The open space for her to get from the first floor to the second will be 1 square by 2 squares and they are 14″. I wasn’t planning on adding a ‘ceiiling’ to the top level so she would be able to stand up there as well as the space for her to get up. I was hoping to put the litter pan on the far right of the condo with the entrance on the far left and the rest of it would be all hers to sleep, climb and do with as she pleases.

I was almost thinking about using thumb tacks to secure it to the baseboards but I have limited dexterity in my joints and pushing that many thumb tacks into wood would be hard on me. I do have one of those large, fold-out “thanksgiving’ tables set up in the room that would hold most of it up but I was planning on taking the table down due to how much room it requires. I can leave it up while the condo is being build though and when it’s built, I can put it in the corner so it takes the tables place of holding the cardboard up.

[LBJ10]

I’m glad you’re getting the condo worked out. If she’s over 3 months old and weighs about 2lbs, then I think she’s going to stay on the small side.

[Baudoin]

We just got back from the vet, she weighs 2lbs 8oz but looks otherwise healthy and perfect. I was told by the seller they are “about 3 months old” so I am assuming 2.5-3 months. The vet told me to expect somewhere in the 4-6lb range that she would at least double but not much more than that. All of that being said, is a 2×4 going to be okay? It will be slightly larger because the grids are 14″ not 12″ but that’s a good estimate without getting too technical.

[Love4Bunny]

Yes, I think so. The good thing about NIC cubes and zipties is that you can always expand! The one thing bunny ownership has taught me is, nothing is permanent. Or forever. We sometimes have ideas we think are great that our bunnies think are dumb :/

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