Start with the floor: a Rex lives on its hocks
If you change one thing for an elderly Rex, change what is under the rabbit. Rex fur is short, dense and plush, with far less coarse guard hair protecting the hock area than most breeds carry, and older Rex rabbits — especially heavier or less mobile ones — commonly develop pressure sores where the hock meets hard ground. Cover every surface your Rex uses with deep fleece, thick washable mats or layered rugs over padding: the sleeping area, the exercise pen, the route to the litter tray, and any favourite sitting spot. Do not leave a single hard patch in the circuit, because rabbits choose favourite corners and will press sore skin on bare board for hours if that corner is theirs.
Inspect both hocks daily as part of the new routine. Fur thinning or pink skin means add padding and review weight; broken skin, swelling or limping means a prompt vet visit.
Remove height, lower everything
Replace the litter tray with a low-entry or walk-in version, drop hay to floor level in racks or piles your Rex can eat from while sitting on padding, and put water where no stretch or step is needed. Take out ramps, levels and jumping platforms entirely — an elderly Rex who attempts a familiar jump on stiff joints risks a fall and a hock injury in the landing. Keep the layout flat, wide and calm, with a ground-level hide large enough to turn in, lined with fleece.
Scatter some greens through hay on the padded surface so your Rex forages at walking pace instead of ranging widely for food, keeping joints moving without impact.
Rest, warmth and coat care
Give your Rex a deeply bedded, draught-free sleeping area where it can rest undisturbed for long stretches, since older rabbits sleep more and tissue under pressure needs off-loading time. Keep bedding scrupulously dry, because damp padding against thin Rex skin invites soreness and infection. Older Rex rabbits also groom less effectively, so add gentle brushing and an underside check to the week, removing loose fur and spotting soiling or skin change early.
Handle your Rex low and with the hindquarters supported, and let the rabbit choose social time from the floor rather than being carried around the house.
Keep a hock and comfort record
Sore hocks develop gradually, and the earliest, most treatable stage is the easiest to miss without notes. Log hock appearance, weight, appetite and how willingly your Rex moves, dated, and share the pattern at senior checkups; a vet deciding on pain relief or further care for hocks works far better from a timeline than from a single day's look.
That timeline sits naturally in KinsLe Pet Passport, which keeps your elderly Rex rabbit's hock notes, weights and health records together in one portable packet for every appointment.