Floors Matter More for a Rex Than for Most Rabbits
The Rex is the rabbit in the velvet jacket, and the genetics behind that plush, short coat also leave many Rex rabbits with sparse fur on the undersides of their hind feet. Housing security therefore starts underfoot: a pen with a solid floor covered in washable mats or thick, tightly fitted fleece, never a wire floor that concentrates the rabbit's weight onto bare skin. Place extra padding where your Rex habitually sits — in front of the hay rack and inside the hideaway — because hock damage builds exactly where a rabbit spends its hours. Choose a pen with a secure two-step latch and panels a strong, athletic Rex cannot flex, set in a quiet room away from damp and direct heat.
Proof the Exercise Room for a Confident Explorer
Rex rabbits are typically curious and active, and they earn a reputation for finding the one unprotected cable in a room. Before exercise time, run leads through rigid covers, block the backs of appliances and entertainment units, and check skirting boards for the peeling paint or loose sections a rabbit will work at. Remove houseplants and any fallen leaves, sweep for dropped tablets, coins and hair bands, and keep the door shut with everyone in the house aware the rabbit is out. Supervise from inside the room: a Rex investigating behind a bookcase can be trapped or chewing something harmful long before a check from the doorway would reveal it.
Weekly Feet, Coat and Teeth Checks
Turn the Rex's short coat into an advantage by making health checks quick and regular. Once a week, gently tip your rabbit into a supported position or examine the hind feet while a helper holds the rabbit securely, and look for pink, thinning or broken skin on the hocks. Early soreness means softer flooring and a vet conversation; broken skin means an appointment now, because feet infections in rabbits deepen fast. Run your hands over the body to feel ribs and spine — a Rex should feel covered but not padded — and watch the rabbit eat hay for signs of dental discomfort such as dropping strands or eating only from one side.
Handling a Strong Rabbit Without the Struggle
A Rex is a medium, muscular rabbit who can injure its back with one hard kick against thin air. Lift only when needed, sliding one hand under the chest and the other under the hindquarters, drawing the whole body against yours so the hind legs feel supported before they push. Set the rabbit down hindquarters first, and let it walk out of your arms at floor level rather than dropping the last few inches. Floor-level laps, hand-feeding a herb and grooming the short coat with a soft mitt build the trust that makes necessary handling calm — and calm handling is what keeps both rabbit and owner safe during vet trips and evacuations.
Latches, Layers and a Finder Plan
Give this athletic breed layered security: latched pen, closed exercise-room door, and no outside door opened while the Rex is loose anywhere in the house. Keep a sturdy carrier by the pen, lined with a mat the rabbit knows, and take clear photographs showing the coat colour and any ear or face markings — a Rex's velvet coat photographs distinctly and helps neighbours confirm an identity. If your Rex ever clears the garden gate anyway, KinsLe's Lost Pet Alert System raises a free alert to Circle of Love members nearby and lets a finder message you directly, so a sighting beside a neighbour's shed becomes a prompt reunion.