His Health, As Far As Anyone Knows
Start with the honest unknowns. Ask how old the rescue believes he is and how they know — surrender information, a vet's estimate, or a guess from his condition — because a senior rabbit's care plan leans on roughly where he is in his life. Ask why he was surrendered, without judgement: a previous owner's circumstances are often the whole story, but sometimes the reason is a behaviour or a cost of care you should know about now. Then ask what the rescue and their vet already know about his health: his teeth and whether he has needed dental attention, his mobility and any stiffness they have observed, whether he is eating hay with enthusiasm, his weight, and whether he has been neutered. A good rescue will tell you plainly what is known, what is suspected and what nobody knows — and that honesty is itself one of the best signs you are adopting from the right place.
His Diet and Daily Routine
Rabbits' digestion does not forgive abrupt change, so ask in detail what he eats now: which hay, which pellets and how much, which greens he is used to, and what treats he knows. Plan to bring home a supply of the identical foods and change anything only gradually over the following weeks. Ask about his day, too — when he is active, where he sleeps, whether he uses a litter tray reliably, what flooring and space he is used to, and whether he has lived indoors or out. Matching his new home to his old routine as closely as you can at first is the single kindest thing you can do for an old rabbit: everything else in his life is changing at once, and the comfort of familiar food, familiar smells and a familiar rhythm carries him through the move.
His Temperament and His Company
Ask what he is like, from the people who currently handle him daily. Does he enjoy being stroked and sit for it, or is he a rabbit who prefers company at floor level and his own terms? Does he startle at noise, cope with children, allow himself to be picked up for health checks without a battle? Then ask about companionship: whether he is bonded and must be adopted with his partner — separating a bonded pair for adoption is a real loss to both — or whether he is single and might, in time, welcome a companion of a similar age, or whether he is frankly happiest as an only rabbit with human company. For a senior, the right answer is whichever one keeps the relationships he already trusts, and the rescue staff who watch him daily are the ones who know it.
What Comes Home With Him
Finally, ask what history travels with him: his vet records, vaccination status where relevant, notes from the rescue's own vet checks, and anything known of his earlier life. Ask, too, what support the rescue offers after adoption — most good ones would rather hear from you early than have a problem grow. Once home, treat his first week as a health watch as well as a settling-in: a rabbit who stops eating or produces no droppings needs a vet urgently, not a wait-and-see, and that matters more, not less, in an old one. If his records live in KinsLe's Transferrable Profiles, ask for the profile to be transferred to you at adoption, so his health notes, diet, routines and story arrive with him complete — the accumulated knowledge of everyone who has cared for him, ready for the person who will care for him last and best.