How long a pet rabbit lives depends on several factors. A rabbit’s overall care plays an essential role in how long domestic rabbits live. Care needs to include a well-balanced diet, grass hay with the right mix of vegetables, exercise, reproductive status, and veterinary care.
Rabbits can make great pets. When taught how to properly and safely handle them, they are soft, lovable animals who can make excellent pets for children.
However, bunnies do require a moderate amount of care and proper feeding. Knowledge about their daily needs, adequate handling, exercise, and mental stimulation is critical to ensure they lead healthy, long-lasting lives.
If you are considering a pet rabbit, knowing how long they live and some of the care needed to give them excellent quality of life may be important.
So, let’s dive into how long pet rabbits live.
What is the average lifespan of a rabbit?
So, how long do pet rabbits live? According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest pet rabbit to date hails from Berwyn, Illinois. The record holder, Mick, an Agouti rabbit, turned 16 on February 9, 2019. While Flopsy, the oldest wild rabbit in the record books, hailed from Australia in the 1960s. He lived to the ripe old age of 18.1
Rabbit health and lifespan
Generally speaking, the average spayed or neutered domestic rabbit lives 6 to 13 years. But when answering how long bunnies live, we need to discuss several factors that affect their lifespan.
Breed and size
As we see with small breed dogs vs. large breed dogs, size matters.
For domestic rabbits, smaller breeds have longer lifespans, while larger breeds live shorter lives. Thus, dwarf rabbits will have the longest overall lifespan while giant breeds, have the shortest.
Additionally, certain breeds are prone to specific health problems, potentially shortening their lifespan. For example, some dwarf breeds have shortened noses (like smushy-faced dog breeds such as the pug). This makes them more susceptible to tear duct blockage issues and dental disease. Other breeds have an increased risk of cancers, such as the Dutch rabbit, while giant breeds are at risk of heart disease and arthritis.
Rabbits’ Average Lifespans By Size
In general, rabbits live 5+ years
Learn more about all the different types of rabbits used for pets.
Dwarf breeds: Longest lifespan 7-14 years
Dwarf rabbits range from 1.5 to about 5 pounds
- Netherlands Dwarf Rabbit
- Dwarf Lop
- Dwarf Lionhead
- Mini English Angora
- Holland Lop
Standard breeds: 6-10 years
Standard breeds range from 5+ to 12 pounds
- American Sable
- Angora
- Californian
- Dutch
- Harlequin
- Silver
- Belgian Hare
- Cinnamon
- Havana
- Rex
Giant breeds: 5-8 years generally
Giant breeds range from about 11-20+ pounds
- Flemish Giant
- Continental Giant
- Checkered Giant
- German Giants
- British Giants
- Red (Belgian Giants)
Looking for a great rabbit name? Visit our list to find your pet bunny’s name!
Indoor vs. outdoor housing
Where your rabbit is housed plays a role in overall health and lifespan.
Housing outside
Rabbits are susceptible to temperature changes and don’t tolerate heat very well. Additionally, there are inherent risks with living outdoors, including predators such as hawks, foxes, coyotes, and others, depending on where you live.
Finally, parasites in the environment can lead to infection, illness, and a shortened lifespan. However, living outside provides a wealth of nutrition and the most ‘natural’ of diets for them. Grazing on the grass outside can provide mental enrichment, help with teeth health, and (if they don’t get parasites) can help their gut stay healthy. Even if kept 100% outside, they will need additional food and your help to fully balance their diet.
Housing indoors
Indoor rabbits do generally live longer lives than those living outdoors. Indoor-housed pet rabbits are less vulnerable to harsh weather conditions, infectious diseases, or predators.
Learn more about the best rabbit hutches for indoor and outdoor.
Providing exercise and enrichment
The amount of exercise, mental enrichment, proper diet, and genetics play critical roles in how long your pet rabbit will live.
Exercise is a must! This can be provided by allowing free roam in a rabbit-safe zone in your home. Or, it can be provided in a safe outdoor enclosure such as a covered pen or hutch safe from predators. Allowing them to stretch their legs, sniff, explore, and engage with their environment helps them maintain overall health, especially keeping their gut healthy.
Spaying and neutering
Rabbits are very prone to cancers – the uterus in females and the testicles of males. Additionally, we can see aggressive behavior and other issues associated with rabbits who are not spayed or neutered.
Veterinarians recommend these procedures before your rabbit reaches sexual maturity (4-8 months of age, depending on the breed and small vs. large breeds). By doing so, you can minimize the risk of scent marking and prevent or minimize aggressive behaviors. Finally, in addition to avoiding cancers of the reproductive tract, you can, of course, avoid unwanted pregnancies.
Will what I feed my rabbit affect its lifespan?
Simply put, yes.
What you feed your pet rabbit is of the utmost importance to overall rabbit health and critical for their GI tracts to function correctly. Rabbits are great at eating, eating, reproducing, and eating.
They eat throughout most of the day and need to graze on grass hays, ideally grass hays, such as timothy hay. They need fresh greens and a variety to help ensure proper nutrition. Their digestive systems are complex. The right diet plays a crucial role in how long your rabbit will live.
The majority of illnesses veterinarians see in pet rabbits are secondary to poor diet and other factors associated with their environment. The food your rabbit eats has a huge impact on how long pet rabbits live.
So, what is the best way to ensure your rabbit will live a long, happy life?
Always provide constant access to good quality hay, daily fresh greens, and a small serving of fruit periodically. Do not feed sugary treats, especially commercially prepared rabbit treats. Avoid high-fatty foods and starches such as beans, bread, cereals, or seeds.
Finally, make sure fresh water is always readily available
Learn more about the best hay for rabbits.
What role does veterinary care play in your rabbit’s well-being?
By observing the essential factors of living environment and diet, you can help prolong the lifespan of your rabbit. However, by providing annual veterinary care visits, you can further ensure your animal’s health. By seeing your veterinarian every year, you make sure that problems do not creep up on you. Rabbits do not show illness until they are very sick. So, catching teeth problems or heart disease before showing signs is vital to help ensure a long life for your pet.
So, how long do pet rabbits live?
That really depends on you and your family! The care you provide, the foods you select, the activity, and the mental stimulation you offer all play a role in how long your rabbit may live.
If you own a rabbit please leave a comment with how old your pet rabbit is or how long your pet rabbit lived.
Erica Tramuta-Drobnis, VMD, MPH, CPH, is a veterinarian, freelance writer, and public health professional. She is the founder and CEO of ELTD One Health Consulting, LLC. Her veterinary clinical experiences span over 22 years. These experiences include general practice, a keen interest in veterinary nutrition, pain management and prevention, emergency and critical care, and exotic animal medicine, including rabbits, ferrets, rodents, reptiles, and more.
She received her Master’s in Public Health in 2019 and became Certified in Public Health in February 2020. She has a keen interest in the One Health concept of public health and a multi-disciplinary approach to human health, animal health, and environmental issues. She currently works part-time in emergency and critical care while also writing and consulting on various topics, hoping to establish her niche in a One Health world. The human-animal bond plays a significant role in many people’s lives. Dr. Tramuta-Drobnis hopes to help rabbit owners improve their husbandry (environment, nutrition, and overall pet care). By doing so, she hopes to help strengthen this bond and enhance the well-being of both pet and parent.
Learn more about her: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eltdonehealthconsultingllc/
Comment *My bunny is 11 and will be 12 in 2 months. He is a neutered house rabbit I adopted from a shelter when he was 9 months old.
He is a medium or standard mixed breed white with Rorschach spots. Really soft fur, adorable personality. He gets all of the diet things you recommended here plus vet care. But he acts like he’s 5 or 6 years old, not almost 12.
He runs around and plays and is curious all the time, gets into trouble, plays, destroys his cardboard forts with gusto, etc. he hasn’t gotten the memo how old he is!
That’s why when I see “the average is 8-12 years”, I think that seems like a low estimate. More like 6-13 like you said or 8-14. My bunny hasn’t even started aging and he’ll be 12 in 2 months.
This was so funny, ” destroying cardboard fort’s with gusto”. Thank you for sharing, my sister’s gonna get a kick out of your silly and adorable bunny pet
I had a lop / lion head cross called grandad as he outlived his brother and partner and kids and grandkids lol he was just short of his 21st birthday when he finally passed..he’s buried in my garden alongside my cat and his family..I had him and his brother from a friend as babies and was kept outside in hutch together..neither was neutered and they never fought each other but tried to mount each other as well as trying with my cats n dog..they all got along and they were always let loose on the back garden to roam n dig most days unless weather was bad..still got his offsprings who are getting on a bit too..love them all xx
MURDER… I had a bunny rabbit, her name was Barry and one day, i came home to a dead body. we looked on the cameras and there it was! dead bunny… On March 7th… 2021… Barry was murdered by 2 dogs who busted through the fence and into her cage and dragged her into the grass just to kill her… she was a great bunny, she lived a long 9 years, we didnt really know what breed she was, but she was grey/brown, with NOT floppy ears, and loved to lay down and play, at the time, we had no fence BEFORE she died, so we would let her loose and see if she would come back to see if she really did care… and she did.
I have two very happy house rabbits who are both 10 years old, they are still with us (a mini lop and a jersey wooly), they have free run of the house, no hutch living, they have their own room they sleep in and run of the house when we are home. A good healthy diet of fresh greens and copious amounts of unlimited hay and fresh water in a bowl not a dripper bottle. They are de-sexed and have been for a long time. Both buns are still very active for their age and well loved.
My friend has a bunny who is a rescue and is almost 20 years old.
my sister has a bunny
I have a free roam bunny named Snowy, she likes to cuddle up with me. She is an emotional support animal, as I am deaf and can hear a tiny bit in the other with a hearing aid, I also have type one diabetes, synesthesia, and light sensitivity. I am ten years old and other kids make fun of me for my differences and ever since I got her two year sago she has meant the world to me and has helped me so much. My mom let me write this even though I am not thirteen.
We are glad to hear your bunny has helped you so much! Take care
My Granddaughter has PTSD, And Kuro her Rex Rabbit has brought her so much comfort!
He is also an emotional support rabbit, And has helped her through so many tough times.
Thank you for sharing your story!
I have a friend who’s rabbit was never spayed and her rabbit is currently 19 years old. That is the grand mother of my little bun bun so maybe my bunny will live as long as hers.
We just had to have our Netherland Dwarf Rabbit put to sleep he had had a stroke he was getting old he was at least 12years 3mths old hop well Bubbles
I have had 19 pet rabbits over my lifespan. My first was also my favorite, a traditional black and white Dutch female named Molly. She lived 6 years. She was the only full time house rabbit, and was litter box trained and my constant travel companion. Probably the only rabbit with over 100,000 travel miles. She loved to go places and traveled well. The others were all very sweet mixed breed rescues. Some lived to around 6 years, about half lived to 12+. The oldest one died at 15.
I am planning a rescue of a white w brown spots bunny. He’s been caged for at least 5 years with very little attention. He is well fed tho a bit overweight. I have a small hutch & surround pen & plan to keep him inside with me bc of Natural predators In our desert region.
I went to see him yesterday & he responded to my attention well – so now I just need to know how to potty train him & how to care 4 him. No vets here for bunnies. I I have a 20 yr old chihuahua that is timid & blind & a cat who might be ok but I can keep separated.
I just can’t stand to see any animal isolated. He was a Easter bunny pet 4 a little girl then 4gotten and they will give him to me. I’ve never had a rabbit b4. Any advice is truly appreciated.” Especially potty training, food & the basic care. Do I get him blankets Or towels? What do I use in loiter box? He’s sweet despite the isolation
Thank u so much.
My rabbit took to a toilet litter tray really well. I use wood pellets and he was a natural very clean
I rescued two rabbits 9 years ago. One aged 2 at the time and the other 7months approximately. They were both neutered by the Rescue Centre. They both live outdoors in a hutch in a large shed with a run attached. They are let out every morning no matter what the weather is like and leave it up to them as to whether they come out. the oldest is now 11 and has slowed down but think this is because of the Winter but she still comes out and hops around and munches on the grass. They are put away every night when starts to go dark and then get fed on pellets, veggies and fresh water. They seem very happy bunnies.
Over three years ago, someone abandoned a beautiful big white rabbit in a field near where we live (there were kibbles with him, so definitely intentional). Poor guy wouldn’t have made the night I’m sure. He was so very gentle and loving – my heart melt and I couldn’t give him to a shelter. So, we adopted him and named him Stuart. We had no idea how old he was at the time. My daughter was 14 then, and very thrilled! He is mixed breed, and I suspect part Beverin. Unfortunately, Stuart has been struggling the past few months and most likely has testicular cancer. He’s gotten bony and inactive and the sad call to euthanize him was made. He goes in today. Almost like he knows it, he had a little burst of energy last night and was his ‘old self’ for a while. Very bittersweet. I never thought I could get so attached to a rabbit, but I just know I’m gonna cry when the time comes today 🙁
We had a Californian rabbit growing up that my brother won at a 4-H Fair. I was 8 at the time and he was still feisty when I moved out. My parents had to find him a new home when I was 23 due to their bad health. He lived with a neighbor at least 2-3 more years that I know of. I don’t think my brother took very good care of him though, unfortunately. I have no idea how he lived so long. He lived at least 17-18 years.
Hi – my beautiful bunny Bunzy just died yesterday while we were all at work. I don’t know what happened. It’s so sad to lose a bunny. My daughter worked at a summer camp that had pets and the camp tried to find good homes for the pets at the end of each summer. She called us and asked if she could bring home a bunny. We initially said no since our dog died six months prior, but she was 17 and really wanted a companion in the house so we said yes. I bonded more with the bunny than she did, especially the next year when she went off to college. She was this big ball of white fluff. We spoiled her with lots of bunny snacks (sold in pet stores), lettuce, a piece of banana once in awhile, and a baby carrot here and there. And lots of hay and rabbit food. She had an outdoor hut and an indoor cage (we live in NJ). She lived in the outdoor hut from Memorial Day to mid September but i would bring her in if it was too hot or too cold or during July 4th weekend when there were fireworks. I brought her in Monday after work because it’s supposed to get hot this week in NJ. She was fine as of Monday evening. Then Tuesday morning she wouldn’t eat and she wouldn’t move from her corner of the cage. I figured i’d see how she was Tuesday when i got home from work, and then call a vet if necessary, but when i got home Tuesday she was gone. She was probably about 7 years old. We had her for 6 years and she was probably about 1 year old before she came to the camp. I’d like to get another one eventually, but i need to get over Bunzy. We dropped her off at her vet’s place this morning for cremation. They’ll call me when her ashes are ready for pick-up. I’m going to miss her so much.
Our bunny, Mr Snowy is at least 10 years old. We don’t know exactly how old he is as we found him in our street. That was 9 years ago and the vet thought he was around 2 years old. He has trouble with his back legs and we give Metacam for pain relief and make sure he is very clean. He’s a much loved member of our family and is free running while we’re around. He loves spending time in his garden being watched over by his Mini schnauzer brother and sisters.
I have 5 rabbits, 4 girls and 1 boy, 2 of my girls (the grannies) they’re 8, not neutered and live outside all year round, they do however have a massive bunny house which is 2 levels and bigger than my bedroom, they’re fed fresh veg and fruit every day…
I now have my daughters rabbit as she has left home. When he was 6 months he used to play with the dogs but now chases and bites them. Will this stop if I get him fixed?
We have a single mane lion head rabbit. He is 10 years of age, he lives inside,has a good diet. He goes to the vet for a manicure every couple of months and they check him and say he is still in good health. He has not been neutered. In the summer we take him out for a run around the garden when we are outside,
I have a female netherland dwarf bunny. She turns 1 August 21st of 2018. Her name is Pumpkin. She has lived indoors since I got her and I got her spayed. She was an 18th birthday gift for me since I always wanted a bunny and a pet that could show affection. I love her very much.
I bought my son a Neverland dwarf rabbit for his 13th birthday, my son will be 23 in February next year and his pet rabbit Dwyer is still going strong. Needless to say im now the primary care taker of him, he’s never been spayed and lives outside in an old cubby house.
I have a beautiful young male dwarf hotot named Snowball, and he has just turned four. I am hoping my baby is with me for many years, and I am so sorry for the rabbits that the rest of you have lost. 🙂
Just had to euthanize my wife’s Cinnamon rabbit of eighteen years,he was in bad shape but lived a long time and had only one visit to the vet in his lifetime.He will be missed
We just lost the last of several rabbits we’ve had. Edison was more than 8 years old, because we got him from a rescue group 8 years ago when he was already an adult. As with all our rabbits, he lived outside in a hutch and pen. He had the run of the pen during the day and was closed in the hutch at night. He was not afraid of dogs, having been raised with them, and we used him to help service dog puppies to just get used to ignoring rabbits. It worked well!
Two of our rabbits lived to be 10.
My mother’s bunny was 12 years old and died today – he was a beautiful bunny and he will be missed (loved his carrots, hay and kale). R.I.P in peace. Sad day today
I and my husband have a little mix breed we call Hopper she is a love. We keep her indoors and let her out dearing the day. Our one cat and her grew up together and play, very fun to watch. Hope to have her many years.
I just had to have my outdoor dwarf Rex rabbit put to sleep this afternoon after suddenly getting very sick and I couldn’t find a vet that knew about rabbits before she got worse. I’ve had her for six years and when I got her from some people they told me that she was very old, about 8-10 is what they said. She was one of the best pet bunnies I have ever had and the only one I’ve had that would “talk” to me, by making a lot of noises whenever I held and cuddled her.
My sister owned are Bunny before she rehomed him to us, he’s 6 years old now. Loves kids, dogs and cats. He’s a indoor lop eared bunny. He was spoiled with her and yet was very mean to her, now that he lives with my family he seems like a different Bunny completely. Loves cuddles
My bunny died he was 8 very active had testical cancer and died under anasitic im devistated he was mini lop,so friendly my lifes never same now
Our beautiful boy Snuggs was put to sleep 10 days ago just a few weeks before his 12th birthday . He came to us 6 years ago having been found in a hutch with his dead brother . He was the gentlest soul who lived life to the full . He started to lose weight rapidly and our wonderful vets tried so hard to save him. We were giving him Oxbow by syringe but one night he just told us he’d had enough and refused anymore . His teeth had been fully checked and he’d had a wee molar spur corrected recently so we know it was just his time . He leaves behind his companion Lana and his two really upset humans who adored him . The garden will never be the same without him .RIP beautiful boy .
My jasper died under anasitic he was 8,always very healthy,and so sweet he had developed enlarged testical vet was sure it was cancer as other testical had got very small,i had no choice and am devestated,he crashed under anasitic,he showed no signs of testical prob 2 months before when he had health check.vet said it was aggresive tumor i feel so bad as he ment the world to me.
I just lost my precious rabbit Apple December 26 2017 he died in my husband arms he was three years old, what I don’t understand is how can that be he was inside pet well taking care of he looked fine but was deteriorating the next day and died. We are devastated love him so much miss you my Apple.
Just got my first Rabbit about 6 weeks ago.
Would never have guessed how intelligent or loving these little bundles of fur are.
He’s a six month old Grey Lop and has mixed quite well with the two cats I have.
Due to be neutered soon and is a house rabbit.
Looking forward to many years with him.
We have a black medium-small rabbit who lives outside (in a hutch at night and free in a good sized back garden by day). He was spayed and had his injections when young but has had no other vet interventions since then. He will be 11 years old next week. He has needed extra attention over the last year and a half as he’s not able to clean himself so well now. We have to rinse/wipe his rear every two or three days to prevent problems, particularly blow fly strike April-Nov. He has been, and still is, a most excellent pet.
My son had a dwarf Lionhead bunny named Charlotte. She lived in a really cute two-story chicken coop on over some drawers in our kitchen. She like to be held, but didn’t like the act of being picked up. She did love to be petted and would lean into your hand and nuzzle you, she would not move away until you were tired of petting her. Having her in the kitchen (where you would put a kitchenette), made her available for loving, petting, and general talking to and also let her feel a part of the family. She kept a tidy home, didn’t poop in her upstairs bedroom, she had a litter box in the corner of the lower section of her chicken coop. We didn’t close the doors on the coop and our cats knew to stay away from her, she was the queen in our home. She had recently taken to stepping out the lower floor of her bunny coop into a large oregano plant brought in to protect it from the cold. She would nestle in the dirt surrounded by a miniature forrest of oregano leaves. Btw, she didn’t eat the oregano, she preferred pineapple sage, mint and basil for herbal treats, and preferred organic kale to spinach. When the temperature was right, we let her run around on our deck with supervision. As she grew older it became a challenge to catch her to bring her back inside, so we’d bring her entire home outside so our grand lady could step inside her home and be carried back in without any stress. Charlotte quietly passed away this week at about 7 1/2 years old. I noticed she was slowing down but she didn’t appear to be in any distress. Charlotte was a well loved bunny.
My parents had a rabbit i’m not sure what breed but he lived for over 20 years
4 weeks ago I lost my beautiful lop, Timothy. He was only 3 years 8 months old. He lived in the house with us with no restrictions. We gave him the best of everything. He followed me everywhere. Despite a good diet he had many bouts of statis and we got him through with medicine and Critical Care. This time we didn’t and I feel so guilty. I should have got him straight to the vets. I had to go into work for a few hours and when I got home he’d died. The night before everything was fine. I feel I cheated him of many more years with us. I cry everyday. Not just cry, I sob because my heart is broken. There are still some little footprints under the table – I cannot bring myself to clean them off. I miss him so much.
Our Beauregard was caught on an earlier December day in Alaska, because of his fur color we knew he was a domestic rabbit someone had let loose (we have no idea how long he was living in our woods.) It took us almost a month to coax him into a trap but after weeks of hand feeding him fruit and carrots we still could not grab him and turned to trapping. Beau was taken to a vet within days of catching him, he was neutered and easily litter box trained. Our wonderful buuny will be 8 yrs old in Jan. 2018, he’s the best pet we’ve ever had. Beau has full reign in our house. We rarely tell guest we have a rabbit and Beau makes his surprise appearance hopping through the house. Just a FYI, when we caught Beau chewing on our baseboard I rubbed Tabssco sauce with a cotton ball over the area, he’s never chewed again on anything other than cardboard boxes and alfalfa we make available for him.
I have two beautiful rabbits, one being a rex mixed with a loopy, and the other being a full Flemish Giant. my rex mix is white with blue eyes and is named Angel Yang and the Flemish is black with white patches on her shoulders with hazel eyes and is named Shadow Yin. Angel is almost 7 this coming October 7th, and Shadow was born this March 20th so she is only 6 month’s old.My boyfriend and I love them to pieces
I have a rex/ mini lop mix unspayed indoor rabbit. She is 6 in September and still hopping strong. So far she’s been free of any health concerns. In her free time she loves chasing balloons and the cat!
Our rabbit is a dwarf lop. He is 10 years old. He is still in pretty good health but I sometimes need him to help him keep clean. He doesn’t seem to hear or are so well now but is friendly and still loves hopping out of his cage around the house. Loves his food too!
my white not sure of the breed but he has fluff between his ears is now 9 and has been an indoor bunny all his life ,he has out lived 2 guinea pigs and now lives alone (i say alone but his cage is never shut and the cat and dog are all lovely to each other ) had a few people say to me why dont you put him outside in a cage and i say hed miss his television lol he is part of the family x nice to read all the other bunny stories x im in essex uk btw
John..Thanks for this site…I have 2 albinos..Both fixed..The boy, Jack Frost, turns 8 yrs this month, for sure, a NZ White, weighs 9.5 Lbs…The girl, Miss Grace Slick, I rescued off the street 9 yrs ago this month, not sure…Think she may be a NZ/ Florida White mix, as she only comes in @ 6.5 Lbs…Both beautiful animals…Never thought I would have rabbits as pets…@ 61 Yrs of age, when my friends cross the Rainbow Bridge, that will be the end of rabbits for me…I am so glad that I got to know the species, they can make great pets..Thanks again John…..JK
just lot my rabbit today, he was almost 5 and a half and a outdoor continental giant cross french lop. he was a huge thing but was gentle with people kids and all other pets. he lived outdoors. tears running down my face as im typing im just totally gutted. wont be the same not seeing him in the garden. some would say its only a rabbit, but he was part of the family x
So sorry for for your loss Tracy.
My rabbit, who we named snuggles because she loved cuddles passed away in my arms last night, she was only 8 years old and I can’t help but feel it was my fault ???? unless she was having a cuddle she never got out of her cage to run around because I couldn’t tell what my dog would do, a very friendly dog they used to kiss each other through the cage, but it’s in his nature as a terrier to hunt.
I loved snuggles so much and we were very close, I sobbed for hours last night. She is buried in my garden and I am painting a very large white pebble with her name etc on.
I will not replace her, 1 because she was unique and 2 because it wouldn’t be fair on it as we have a dog, I had snuggles before my dog and we lived somewhere else where I could let her out without the risk of him getting her, but life dictated a house move and we were no longer able to let her run around.
I am riddled with guilt ????????????????????????
I have 3 buns. The bonded pair are lops. The doe is about 5 years and very chunky but she loves to run fast. 🙂 She’s called Miranda. The buck is very small and had terrible malocclusion when I first saw him. He had a dental extraction and he eats just fine now. A few yeas ago he developed a cataract. Over time his eye became inflamed and he eventually had an enucleation. He gets about ok using his good eye and other senses. He has metacam twice a day to help with some stiffness in his spine. I called him Sage because he was long in the tooth when we met. 🙂 He is a lovely affectionate bunnie and is about 7 years old.
My oldest bunnie is called Verity. She is an agouti and is very affectionate. She looks like a “roundabout” rabbit in the UK. I have had her since she was 8 weeks old kit. She was so small she could fit in the palm of my hand. She had huge long ears which she eventually grew into. She had her 10th birthday earlier this year. 🙂
We just lost our beautiful rabbit . She was coming up to her 4th birthday . She was fine and had a check up on sat and this morning she passed away . Feeling lost and can’t stop crying . X she was a home rabbit and it’s killing me to know that home rabbits should live longer and we loved her to bits
I just lost my sweet nearly 14 year old Dutch bunny. She was 3 months shy of her 14th bday. ❤️
We lost our lop ear rabbit named LeRoy yesterday. He was a retired breeder. The person we got him from said he was born in 2012. We had him for 2 years. I have always suspected he was older than that. He lived in a large and secure outdoor rabbit apartment with my dutch rabbits. We let all of our rabbits out for playtime in the yard. Over the past few months he would tire out fairly fast and want to go back in his house. When he was done playing he would periscope and look up at his door. We took him to the vet 2 weeks ago because I noticed he was becoming incontinent. They cleaned him and shaved his bottom and sent him home with some ointment. For 2 weeks his mom and I washed him and put the ointment on him. He never put up a fuss with the daily butt baths because he understood we were trying to take care of him. The afternoon of the day before he passed away I could tell he didn’t have much time left. I gave him all the greens and pellets we could eat and that was a lot. He had a bigger than usual piece of banana for dessert. Leroy was a big boy. He weighed around 10 lbs. In a weeks time he had lost a considerable amount of weight and was drinking excessive amounts of water. He was dying of organ failure. I was there with him when he passed away. He went peacefully. He knew I was there with him. I talked to him and rubbed his ears. I didn’t want him to die alone. I’m sure he was confused and afraid so I tried to comfort him. I don’t know what his life was like before we had him but, I know he enjoyed his all to short stay he had with us. We gave him good food and lots of attention. He loved his greens and hay. He got a small piece of fruit once a week for a treat. We will certainly miss having him.
I have a Rex rabbit. A friend of mine had given him to me and my husband a couple years ago. She wasn’t sure of his age but our vet said he was about 4 or 5. He’s about 7 or so now and he’s very lively and active. He’s cage trained which is wonderful. Whenever we let him out to get some exercise, he’ll go back into his cage to go to the bathroom. Pretty neat. My only problem with letting him out of the cage is he has this issue with eating my carpet. Really confusing honestly. I think he’s going to be around for a long time.
Our rabbit (cookie dough) came to us as a rescue from an elementary school classroom. We had no idea how old she was when we got her. But she was at least 2 years old. She was pretty mean and vicious so she lives in the garage, but as she has aged she likes to be handled more. She spends Saturday and Sunday days on the lawn and just hangs out. We have had her for almost 10 years now and she is still going strong.
I have just had to lay to rest my grand-daughters 10 year old bunny Lilly , she was heart broken and am amazed to admit so was I. Lilly was bought so Amelia would learn how to love and look after somebody other than herself, and I must admit from the tender age of 4 she loved that bunny, every weekend and after school she would come to mine to make sure Lilly was ok , I thought as she got older it would fall to me to be the care giver but no she did it all. That bunny did not like me at all and would only have Amelia tend to her , she even bit me a few times and Amelia would just laugh and say ” what’s naughty nana done to you” , but I have to admit she grew on me in a funny way so Lilly were ever you are be nice please and learn to share x
Our Dutch rabbit has lived outside in a hutch for 10 years! He still seems active and healthy. We have never taken him to a vet.
Have had a few bunnies over the last ten years, Flopsy my first was I believe, though not being spiritual in the least an angel, he just seemed to get me and came into my life at a pretty tough time and his comfort was invaluable. Before he died I bought Benjamin, a timid and quiet extra large lip rabbit who sat in the corner of his cage for a full week without budging. When I introduced Flopsy to him, it was pretty impressive how he just seemed to somehow calm Benjy down and though Flipsy died a few weeks later, I think somehow he knew his time was short and since then ( Five years ago) Benjamin has been the best of friends, he literally goes everywhere with me and at night, he sleeps in the knook of my arm and wakes me up in the morning by licking my face and when I am endlessly writing manuscripts he sits at my feet patiently. Being a little anti social, rabbits have saved and shaped my life and some part of me will always hold onto the wildly irrational assumption that Flopsy was a spiritual soul put on this earth just for me. He taught me to be softer, kinder and more forgiving. The power of love huh.
Hello,My name is Kelli and we bought a rabbit for her on Easter 4 years ago n was told that it was a male thanks to the web we just now meaning today that we found out he is a she..Not that we care about the sex but she is so great this is our first rabbit n she is wonderful loves to play with the 2 cats that we have and the dog,which he is a big boy but the rabbit runs along with them and all he is so spoiled he knows when i come in the room if he is put away i will let him out..I never knew that a rabbit could be such a wonderful pet she is trained to go to the potty on paper in another room when she is out of her cage..We love her so much and want to tell you thanks for your help..
I have an 11.5 year old lop/ Lionhead mix. There was a bit of blood in her area a few weeks ago and we took her to the vet. We suspected a UTI and medicated for that:
Today I got back from vacation. (My husband was here) when I picked her up she was bleeding immediately when I put her down.
It looks like maybe the issue is Uterine cancer… I’m afraid I may have to put her down on Monday.
I am
Crushed, but not crushed enough to allow her to be in pain.
We are so sorry to hear that!
Our Lucky is 12 years old and doing wonderful. You’d never know his age by how he acts and jumps. He is super spoiled and loved very much.
Our pet bunny(Hoppy) is 14 years old. He loves to play and be cuddled by the family, but has slowed down with age. Unfortunately, I fear in the last week he has broken his back leg and will not be able to tolerate any surgery at his age if it is needed. I hope that our trip to the vet will result in splinting the leg so he can make a full recovery.
Jack was my rescue bunny, we got him from our local RSPCA centre in 2008 and were told that he was approx. 2 yrs old. He was bonded with my female bunny Lulu for 6yrs, sadly she died of unknown causes. We didn’t want him to be lonely so Daisy came along, once again a rescue. She was quite timid but soon learnt to trust us. She bonded with Jack after a couple of months, sadly she died a year later, age 2yrs, His next female companion was Poppy, 1yr and another rescue, she arrived August 2015. Once again Jack bonded well with her. Sadly Jack died last Sunday evening at the vets following a dental procedure. I
have cried a million tears for him and my other beloved bunnies. Jack was 9yrs old. It has a left a massive void in my world and I am heart broken, he was the sweetest soul. All my bunnies have been spayed/neutered and all lived outside together in the same large hutch, all had regular checks at the vets and had a healthy varied diet. Poppy is now alone and so sad to see. I will find her another mate but at the moment I can’t contemplate it, it is too soon. Bunnies are the sweetest, gentle creatures and deserve the best.
My rabbit will be 12 years old and 6 months on April 11, 2017. He just lost his vision in his right eye 1 month ago due to cataracts. Beside that, he’s still healthy, eating nicely, loving being cuddled. He always lived in our house. He sleeps most of the time now, taking mini walk around the rooms in the house and going back to sleep. He was neutered when he was 6 months old.
I have owned4 rabbits, the most recent died only3 days ago at 9 yrs, 10 days! He was such an old man, and my other bunnies have passed around 8. I take such great care of them and feed them high quality food. I don’t know why they don’t live longer. So sad.
Hi,
I had a bunny, half dwarf and half lion head. He died last Wednesday. I am so very sad. He was 9.5yrs old. Overall, I thought he would live much longer because he was always running around and acting normal, just like he was when he was a little baby. But he didn’t eat as much lately as he was constipated, but that always happened to him and he always bounced back but I guess this time he couldn’t. I should have taken him to the vet sooner but he still acted normal. I miss him. Now after reading alot of people’s comments saying theirs lived 12+ years and even into their teens just confirms more to me that he died too young and should have lived longer. I loved him like I would my own child.
:’ (
RIP My Sweet Bilbo
Our rabbit is just over 11 years old . He is a neutered male .
He lives outside most of the time , but when cold comes indoors . He has had myxamatosis , he got bitten by his half brother , he also had to have a toe removed when it was infected . He never bites and I give him fresh food each morning and evening . He eats nuggets , too . I am hoping he will break the record !
I just got a bunny and it’s 8 1/2 weeks old and she is a cross bread between a lion head and a floppy eared bunny. She’s the cutest
I have 3 Bunnies we have had them since they were babies. All females they have there disagreements I would see. They live in a Hutch that’s in an Enclosed Atrium. Last night I found one on its back she had died probably 10-15 mins before I found her. I have no idea what it could of caused it they have water feed hay and get carrots from time to time. It broke my heart and just don’t want to lose anymore.
My 7.8 years old bunny named Truffle just pass away.Very sad and I already miss her. Unfortunately I wasn’t home and my daughter found her.She was sweat and loved to watch TV.She will be greatly missed.Lots of tears…R.I.P
Our mixed breed, small bunny was born outside during a brutal snow storm in Alaska. We got him from a friend & named him Blizzard. He has lived outside in a hutch his entire life, in all seasons & many more blizzards. I went out to give him hay & treats this morning & change his frozen water bottle. His body was still warm but he was dead. He was 11 years old.
Thank you for the information. We have had a few rabbits over the years and had two for best part of 7 years which sadly passed away this passed weekend. We are devestated as they had the freedom of our house both inside and out. Sleeping in our room every night and played all over our garden during the day.
The one suffered from bladder problems throughout his life and sadly passed on in a peaceful manner. His companion both males who has been neutered got down and after an X-ray at the vet found to have an enlarged heart. Sadly the vet told us there wasn’t much information in the medical field on what to do for an enlarged heart and sadly passed away 40 hours later. We have buried them together as they were so close but are so sad that two healthy bunnies who seemed as happy as could be deteriated with visits to the vet during this time sadly left us so fast. We knew the one left behind would be depressed and pine for his life long mate but are so sad and down it happened so fast. We wanted to give him the love his pal had given him but we didn’t get the opportunity. If you really love your rabbits and give them the best they are the most rewarding pets and really made us all so happy. We will never forget our two little guys and love the pm forever. Peter, Natasha, Reagan and Jordan.
Hi I have a dwarf rabbit and she is 12 weeks old, I was reading how long she likely to live for?, my bunny is health and she a indoor bunny! she had her first set of injection and has lots of play and comes out to bond with us.
Trying to train her to go toilet in one place! it work until my partner charge the lay out of her cage, (say in book that keep moving the cage around to help your bunny live longer)
Thank you for the answer, John.
Our sweet baby let out a squeal we have never heard from any animal before. My daughter held him longer, and we put him back in his cage. He squealed again very loudly about an hour later.
I checked on him around 2:00 am the next morning, and our sweetie had crossed the Rainbow Bridge. I think that last squeal might have been right before his last breath.
I am so thankful that he did not suffer long. He was a good bunny, and we gave him a good life & happy home. Our little Havanese is missing her chase-around-the-house playmate. Animals know. They just do.
Please help my house rabbit stardust is 6 years old he has a cage with a litter tray which is open so he’s free to roam in & out day & night but just recently he’s not using his tray & going on the carpet & he seems to be getting soiled on his back end,he keeps facing the wall I tried bathing him last night to get it all off,nothing has changed with his diet (please help I love him to bits )
Tracey,
it sounds like your rabbit is ill. You should consult a vet asap if his condition doesn’t improve. Thanks for posting.
I’m concerned about our sweet almost-solid-black rabbit, Smoke Monster. We rescued him nearly six years ago from our idiot next door neighbors who let him roam the streets and never fed him (that we could see). He came onto our driveway a lot, and we fed him & gave him water. One day, my daughter held out her hand and instead of running away, he came right to. One rescued bunny added to our menagerie. We have no idea how old he is, but the vet said he was at least two years old when we rescued him.
Yesterday, he was knocking over his food and running in his cage. Today, our sweet little bunny is lethargic and barely moving. My daughter thinks he probably won’t make it through the night. She has been holding him since she got home from work. He seems to be getting stiff in her arms.
Is it normal for a bunny to get that sick that fast? Or could it be that he is a lot older than we thought, and that it’s just old age?
Our hearts are breaking. We have lost two dwarf hamsters, seven guinea pigs, one rat, and a 14-year-old Shih Tzu over the last several years. We lost our last four guinea pigs in the span of a week; one of them apparently had a respiratory infection and passed it to the others. Our two Shih Tzus, one Havanese, and one rat will miss him a lot. He is the man of the house, as all the rest have been girls.
CJ,
It’s not unusual for a bunny to get really sick over night and pass away. It looks like he might be close to 8 years old which is the lifespan of a lot of rabbits. Your best bet is to take him to a vet to get looked at if his condition worsens. Hoping for the best outcome for your bunny and family. Thanks for posting.
Hi , I have a question how long do rabbits live ? My rabbit just passed suddenly she was very well taken care of shes about 5 years old indoor living we kelp her in a cage inside I had pen I whould let her run around in outside I always stayed outside with her . I rasied her on a bottle. She was my Fur baby she didn’t show no signs of any illnesses at all . Rip honey bun. Any info is greatly appreciated thanks .
Sorry for the loss of your honey bun Virginia. She died fairly young as most rabbits live at least 6 years with 12 years being the high end. The average lifespan is around 9 years old but it really depends on the breed of rabbit and living conditions.
My bunny, Ginger, passed away Monday night. I adopted her 8 years ago, so we are not sure how old she was. She was a very large mixed breed rabbit. She was an indoor rabbit. I fed her Timothy hay pellets, hay, and the occasional treat. She loved strawberry tops and romaine lettuce leaves. I noticed Sunday she wasn’t eating or drinking and was very lethargic. I called the vet, and we decided I would bring her in to see her in the morning. I had a feeling she would not make it through the night. Part of me regrets not rushing her to an emergency vet, but another part is thankful she died at home peacefully.
Sorry for your loss of Ginger. I have added her name to our list of rabbit names.
I have a male neutered lion head rabbit. When I got buddy they said he was about 2 years old and I’ve had him for 9 years. Buddy has kitty litter in his kennel and doesn’t have any wetting accidents and very few droppings outside the litter box. I take buddy outside when I’m out and he follows me around the yard. He loves children and chases them when they run. He always stays in the yard and doesn’t run off. He also likes to push a rubber ball around the house. I did not know about including hay in the diet, so I will purchase that.
I had 2 rabbits they live outside in a big enclosure at night and all the garden during the day but unfortunately a cat killed Clark….I hate cats..clover was lonely so I hit another primrose from sspca she is lovely they get on great but she won’t let me pick her up and I’m desperate for a cuddle they eat well fruit veg pellets grass but they refuse to go into bed unless they get there treat whether it be chocolate, cake or cookies only a tiny bit, they also come on and out of house happily and lie in front of tv they are soooo cute I just love them.vet says they are perfect happy days but I still miss Clark of course x
Sorry for your loss of Clark. Just take it slow and spend some time each day trying to handle the new one, eventually she should start to warm up to you holding her.
My bunny turned 10 today! He hasnt been neutered and survived a bout with cancer and is going strong! Hes a mini rex broken. His name is cow.
I have a Netherlands Dwarf bunny, she’s about 8 years old. She lives in a cage indoors and I let her run around inside about twice a week, but I should do it more. I feed her mostly food pellets, but we give her lettuce, parsley, and hay sometimes. She always has water and I clean her cage once a week. She’s not spayed, though. How long do you think she’ll live?
I can’t say for sure but you should have several more years with your bun. I would encourage you to feed her less pellets and more fresh hay. Just like people, proper exercise and a good diet goes a long way to living a healthier longer life. Thanks for sharing!
I adopted my bunny from the shelter when he was 3.9years old. His name is Ash but I call him B -Boy (short for bunny boy) or sometimes just B. I love this bunny so much I came online to check their life span. B-Boy is 11 years old. He lives in an (open door) spare bedroom. He occasionally hops out into the hall but will quickly run back into his bedroom if he hears anyone approaching. I initially got my Bun for my daughter but probably also for me too. Cause she long since got tired of bunny. He still loves her anyway & will run to her & give her kisses when she visits with him. B-Boy loves to be petted & goes into a “trance” when I stroke Hus head. He will be kissing my ankle & if I start stroking his head his kisses will slowly come to a stop as he goes into a happy trance. If I stop he will nudge my hand for me to keep on going. Bunny Boy lives indoors. I feed him Timothy hay, pellets, veggies. In the summer I grow radishes & parsley for my boy. His favorite veggies are fennel, parsley, & radish tops with occasional fresh strawberry(with their green tops). He does not like to be picked up but he does like to be cuddled. So I will lay on the floor beside him & pet & kiss his head & tell him that he’s the best bunny in the whole world. He seems to really like this. B is a mixed American Standard. I really believe bunnies make one of the best pets to own. Thanks for allowing me to share my story 🙂
Thanks for sharing about B . Sounds like B is lucky to have such a caring owner. May B live many more years.
My husband and I have a bunny we found when he was about 2 weeks old. He had a badly broken leg and chewed up ear. We named him George. George is not 6 months old and thriving, despite his crookedly healed let and birth-defect arm joints. (We took him to the vet for care once a week, and he wore splints and jackets for the first 4.5 months of his life.) He is so happy and sweet! Doesn’t like to be picked up, has a wee bit of a side-ways hop, but he definitely is a sweet bunny.
We had a silver martin boy named Leonardo who was neutered at 1 year old. He passed away last year at 7 years old. We still have his companion Peach who is spayed, she is about 7 now. Always indoor with lots of cage space and free roaming time. She is starting to show signs of aging, nit sure if her breed but she weighs about 6lbs.
Our rabbit was just diagnosed with breast cancer. She is 7. Would having her spayed have reduced her cancer risk?
I have dwalf x French lop he is 6years old he lived in a big wooden wendyhouse with is sister she passed away this week plus i handtreared those 2 as there mam pass away when there were just under 2 weeks old i thought he would pine for her he enjoys it food to him self no.more. her chasing him lol
I have a 10 year old neutered male dwarf bunny named Marley. He stopped eating recently and we’re going to take him in to the vet to get looked at tomorrow. He’s always been healthy – weird sudden change, but maybe that’s because he’s 10… Praying everything goes okay tomorrow.
How is Marley doing? I hope everything worked out. Thanks for sharing.
My babyjust passed at 7 years I feel so sad and miss him so much he lived indoors and has never been in a cage, I’m nit sure what happened he stopped eating Saturday and died Sunday I hope it want my fault not getting him to the vet ASAP I had him cremated and in in the process of making a shadow box, I feel like I can’t stop crying, I loved him so.
Sorry for your loss Tammy. Have you decided to get another rabbit?
I have a rabbit that I have had for 4 years. I don’t know what breed it is. It’s white with black spots. It uses a liter box. She has access to go in and out. I have a fenced in yard. So she can run an play with the dogs. She eats tator chips, popcorn, crackers . Even hard dog food. It is a very different rabbit. I’m just trying to find out how long it’s life span is. ?
A sad day for our family, especially my oldest daughter. Her pet rabbit, Flowie, passed away today or late last night. He was approximately 9 years old and was a mixed breed male. When we first got him, we were told he was a female, and later we found out differently. So “Flower” became Flowie (she was 7 or 8 when we got him). He was a good boy but pulled some pretty ornery tricks when he was young and left good memories. But today there are lots of tears. Rest in peace, Flowie Boy. We loved you and will miss you.
Thank you for sharing this!. Sorry for your loss of Flowie.
I just spent a lot of time and money building a big outdoor hutch for my rabbits. I have one which has mostly been kept inside in her cage other than free time when we let her out. The other is her mother which was transitioned from indoor to outdoor and has been fully outdoors for several months now. My issue is I had planned on them being able to stay in this huge hutch we built for them outside. I believe the mother is pregnant by a wild rabbit who is almost always in our yard as well. My plan to house them together has been going horrible as the mother is very aggressive to her daughter and the poor baby squeals and is terrified. Someone please help! I don’t know what to do and I feel so bad!
I have a satin rabbit who is 2 and a half years old. I acquired him from a reptile store. He was bred to be snake food, so I wonder how long his life expectancy will be. I was told with his particular breeding that he may not be the brightest rabbit or a great pet. Trixie is amazing, loving, and smart as a whip. I had him neutered, he eats great food with a lot of variety, and he has a half of a room to himself. He cuddles with a cat everyday, and I do my best to give him a provide a wonderful and fulfilling life, but I wonder since he is a “feeder” rabbit, how long he will live. He’s my sweet boy, so I hope he’s with me a long time.
Our hollandlop bunny died this morning. His name was Sumo, 6 yrs old, indoor bunny. He is loveable, likes to be cuddle, like a baby. We take him with us for traveks, he likes to seat by the arm rest and look out. My husband takes naps and he does too beside him. He would snip you for attention, for food, to be pet or if he wants to go outside the deck. He owns the basement, and comes up if we’re home. He would follow you and straight to his bowl or by the fridge waiting for food. He likes, carrots, kale, banana, grapes, apples, fav. soy nuts, peanuts,lettuce. But lately he’d been sick, loose droppings, until one night he’s very ill. Gave water to hydrate him but morning came, he’s gone. We cried, and hoping to revived him but. .. truly miss him… Sumo was my bday gift from our daughter. Sumo gave a lot of joy to us, best buddy, my garden buddy, when the house is quite, he is there to delight you. R.I.P my baby Sumo.
Thanks for sharing about Sumo. Sorry for your loss.
I have a female dutch who is around 5 now, I got her around 1 year old. She is very friendly and will come right up to people when she feels like it. I have tried to keep her outside but with running room, not in a cage. She has a big yard now and loves to dig and run. I would bring her inside but my roommates won’t let me and she has been outside so long now I don’t think she would go in the pan again. She likes to lick me and has never bitten me. I love that little bunny. Best pet ever, I hope she lives a long life. She isn’t fixed, but I think it may be too late to do that.
I work at a veterinary clinic and someone had dropped of a cute, super sweet black and white bunny. Instead of calling animal control (we only take care of dogs and cats) i decided to take him home! I took him to another vet and had him neutered. They said he was a very young rabbit no more than 6 months old. I’ve had him a year now and he is just an absolute wonder pet! He does live outside which I’m sure he prefers. He gets his revolution medication every month to prevent mites. I adore him ❤️
Our medium size white rabbit with a black dot at his back passed away this noon after 6.5 years of having him. He was well cared, indoor, fed with hay, carrot, kale, green vege, pellets and drinking water. He is a friendly, funny, loving, mischievous bunny. He used to hop onto the couch where I slept just to sit on my face if he saw me sleeping on the couch. We travelled with him on car to San Francisco, Las Vegas and Pebble beach. We left him free in the office room and eat with us in the living room. He used to bite off my shoe strap or bottle rubble when he was young, to claim his territory. He lost weight after I got pregnant. He accidentally ate two apples couple weeks ago. Is this the reason he passed away? Doctor said he passed away due to his heart failure.
I have a pure bread BEW holland lop. She’s so beautiful. All white with blue eyes. Shes only a yr old. I hope she lives for many yrs. I want to bread her.
hi i just got my female bunny a few days ago. she was shy at first but snuggles and love is what i am starting to get. i have not had a pet after losing my best furry friend after 11 amazing years about 5 years ago.but i saw he and fell in love. she is about a year and a half old but i worrie about he not being fixed but i want to get her fixed. the only thing is i dont have the money for a few months and i dont want anything to happen to her. this little furry animal that i finaly opened up to i dont wanna lose her to cancer or anything of the sort. i was hoping someone could put my mind at ease.
Our rabbit unfortunately just died at the weekend age 5. We live in Turkey.
No sign of illness. He lived happily free in our back garden with our cocker spaniel. They used to run round the garden in circles chasing . The rabbit ate the dogs dry biscuits and the dog loved the rabbits variety of good. Very odd pair. Used to sleep in their under balcony storage come kennel together in complete harmony.
My rabbit Charlie is 12 years old he lives indoors ,Charlie is a lot less active than he was but still happy and healthy.His partner passed away 2 years ago aged 10
We have has Lightning for over 4 years. Although he is my daughter’s bunny, I claim him as my own, and I have nicknamed him Bunches… That is short for Hunny Bunny.. Which tuned into Hunny Bunches, and now, just Bunch or Bunches. The main problem we have had with Bunches is keeping his bottom clean. He has allowed me to give him warm showers to clean his bottom, and this is when he cuddles! I think he knows we are trying to help him feel good.
We have an indoor pen for him, and we let him out to play with us, the cat, and the two dogs, as often as possible. The cat is his favorite playmate! They run around and chase each other constantly! They are so fun to watch!
Bunches was neutered a few years ago, he does not like to be picked up or held, but he loves to be petted! He is my morning buddy, as I talk with him and give him treats before I leave for work every day. He knows he is a good bunny! We are hoping to have Bunches for a long, long time!
I have one female bunny named Sammie. She is 12.5yrs old and still holding strong! I also had another male rabbit, but he passed away last year at the age of 11.5yrs old. Both are Dutch rabbits, Sammie weighing in at around 4-5lbs and Slurpee (my husband works for 7-Eleven Corporate lol) weighed around 6-7lbs. I’ve always fed them fresh greens, apples, strawberry tops, carrots, celery and many other fresh fruits and veggies. They also love their Timothy hay! I’ve had them inside their whole lives and built them a three story playhouse that they loved until I had to break it down recently for fall concerns for my sweet elderly Sammie girl. She gets a little wobbly at times these days…but she’s still the happiest bunny around. ???? Buns are the best!!!
Currently I own 3 rabbits right now 6 yr old 11 lb spayed New Zealand, 3yr old spayed 3 lb dutch cross and a 1 yr old 2 lb neutered polish cross. All rescues and all taken care of really well, exercised daily out of their cage, fresh veggies and unlimited amount of hay with minimal pellets. All spayed/neutered at a young age as there was behavioural issues such as cage aggression, mounting, aggression towards my cats, spraying and for some strange reason biting people they didn’t know. Not only do I not see any of these issues anymore the health benefits of doing this procedure will lengthen the life greatly of all my rabbits. With 90% of female rabbits #1 cause of death is due to ovarian/uterine cancer! Crazy fact that is! It is preventable. I did my research and found a rabbit savvy vet that I trusted! Rabbits are very sensitive under anesthetic so it is important to find a vet that deals with them all the time. So in the end its a win,win for me! I enjoy my bunnies very much and they are my little fur babies. Crazy how different their personalities are. What great little pets! It is important to me that they live a healthy and long life!
I had a beautiful white and gray rabbit named Mr. Snuggleupugus, for short, Snuggles. I originally bought him for my nephew to have at my house, but he quickly became very attached to me, as I often carried him around in my housecoat pocket in the mornings as I drank coffee and let him sit next to me at my desk to work. He lived inside only, but went out on leash walks often, and was allowed to play in my fenced backyard when the weather was nice and not too hot. He was pretty big at about 17 lbs. I didn’t realize the importance of neuter for a rabbit until he developed a testicular tumor. I had the tumor removed and had him neutered by a fantastic vet!! This was when he was about 10. He was an amazing and loving companion and my Border Collie, Maggie, absolutely adored him!! When he was just a few months shy of his 15th birthday, he had a stroke. He had always loved being rocked and especially loved this after the stroke. After rocking him and taking him out for 2 days, I decided that it was time to help him cross the Rainbow Bridge. He had completely lost his quality of life. He couldn’t stand on his own, he had to have help from me to balance, which I managed by using his leash wrapped around his body to help him stand and move. I had decided to take him the next day to my vet, but while rocking later that night, he passed quietly in my arms. He would have been 15 yrs old in 3 more months. I miss him terribly, but have yet to get another. Treat your rabbit well and they will offer you many years of friendship and love. Also, for those that do not know, be very careful with rabbits outside. They are highly prone to heat stroke. If you must keep your rabbit outdoors, I suggest freezing 2 litre bottles of water and putting one in their cage during the hot days. Switch it out as it thaws. This will give them something to lay against to keep cool. They love it!!
I have a black dwarf rabbit since 2001 and I was wondering how long they live. When we adopted it from my son’s summer camp I thought it would last about five years. He is at least 14 years old now. We keep it in a cage with us in our family room and leave his door open for him to go in and out as he pleases. Lately, he wants to stay in his cage and very seldom comes out. We feed him rabbit diet from pet store and occasionally carrots and lettuce. He is starting to develop a loss of hair under his eyes. Does anyone know what this is from?
Got a rabbit last yr. She’s lovable and funny. Very smart. We let her out in the front yard every once in a while. She loves it and knows when to go back in the house.
My current rabbit is an indoor neutered mix between mini rex and mini lop. He came from a breeder who was trying to develop a new mini rex lop breed. He’s 8 years and still going strong. He even survived a hawk attack when he was young. The two rabbits I had from pet stores growing up both passed much ealier – one at 1.5 years and another at 4 years.
Emily, thank you so much for sharing about your pet rabbit! He sounds like a wonderful and strong bunny. Thanks again!
Can someone inform me? I have never owned a house rabbit but have discovered a beautiful one that I learned has been abandoned by an owner. This rabbit has been on the loose in the woods where I live for some six months. I want to care for it and take him to a vet or adopt him but am not sure of how my yorkie said might react. Don’t know what to feed him, etc. all help welcome.
Hi Sharyn,
Thank you for your post! Regarding acclimating your new friend to your yorkie pup, I would proceed with caution. Your new pet is going to need to adjust to you and his/her new environment to begin with. Adding in a dog will be a lot for the rabbit to take in. If the yorkie is well behaved, as in does not snap, bark or lunge at the rabbit, then you might be able to gradually get them used to each other. Sometimes over a period of weeks and even months this can be accomplished. I would think long-term, rewarding both animals excessively for all positive behavior and never emphasizing the negative behavior as they will associate punishment with each other. That can lead to hostility. Start out with bunny in the cage and the dog on its leash to test the waters. Move very slowly and be thorough in observing their reactions. A bunny can die of shock from a dog even so much as barking at it. Never leave them alone together as something might happen even by accident. Hope this is helpful.
I have had many Bunny and my oldest was 14 he was inside have his life out side the rest he was a lionhead mix well cared for
we have had our male rabbit Sam for apprx 12 yrs. we owned the mom and we saw sam born. He passed last night. was indoor pet and was well cared for. he was very large around 10-15 pounds
Thank you for sharing Mitzi. I am sorry for the loss of Sam.
I have had 4 rabbits. All were the white albino type (magician pull out of hat type). All lived outside. The first one lived to be 7.5 but began a sort of head tilt, than couldn’t stand up w/out falling over. She died a short time after these symptoms. The 2nd ran away after almost a year. Broke out of cage. She was a bitter and didn’t really like being held. By #3 I had learned more about rabbits, litter trained her and she was very sweet, much like #1. Than a dog tore up her cage and killed her.
#4 was not quite as sweet as 1 & 3 and did bite on occasion. But after a short illness died at about 5 and change. We had #5, also a female, but she was an indoor bunny, mixed between full sized and mini and was not fully white. We decided to have her fixed but the vet must have made some type of error as she died 2 days after surgery. She was 2. Now we have #6. HE is 3, lives indoors, has a all day supply of hay and timothy pellets. After the experience with the vet last time, I’m not going to get him fixed. He definitely doesn’t like being held, will bite on occasion and uses a litter box in his cage and outside when he runs free, mostly in evenings. After all this experience, my advise is to get one as young as safely possible. (8 weeks) and train it to be held, loved, kissed and use a litter box. That should eliminate the biting. As far as getting him/her fixed, just realize the so called “best exotic vet” may not be the best. If you live in South Fl, don’t use a certain female vet/doctor (name will not be listed). But if you use only male docs, you will avoid her. Good luck all
Thanks JD for sharing about how long your rabbits have lived and their stories.
I share my home with two bunnies, Isabella and Winston. Isabella is a typical white bunny and was found on the side of the road as a baby along with 2 littermates. She was the only survivor . Winston is a fluffy white lion head. After having Izzy spayed and she settled in I thought she might be lonely so I adopted Winston. He had not been well cared for at all. I had him neutered and he and Isabella now live quite contentedly in my living room in a 6 x 5 foot pen. I also have a secure outdoor area where they and my kitties can enjoy the sun, flowers and fresh air in the warmer months. Izzy is 4 and the vet figures Winston is 5 or 6. Thanks for letting me share my little story
Thanks for sharing your bunnies with us Renee! They sound like great companions and allowing them to roam outside in a secure area is great. Taking good care of your bunnies is the best thing you can do to make sure they live out a long and healthy life.
our mixed breed dwarf rabbit (3 lbs–cross between small and miniature) was born July 14 , 2003, and still seems very happy and healthy. He was only spayed 5 years ago, after developing a tumor on a testicle. He has slowed down since: he used to try and jump on any cat he would see, including our 23 lbs cat .
He is free to roam around all day, but mostly sleeps in his cage at night. He often goes to bed on his own late evening. He usually will stay in the same room as we are. He loves laying on or besides us on the coach, getting petted while we watch TV. He has 3 litter boxes, which he uses most of the time (he was better in earlier years)
He travels well: we take him along on trips, and he seems to recognize other places he has visited in past years. He eats a lots of greens: Dandelions and Romaine lettuce are his favorites. No carrot . Also goes for dried apples, oatmeal and bread–never liked hay.
we hope to have him many more years, but we remember our first rabbit before him, who died suddenly overnight at 3 years only
Sounds like you have a great rabbit, my hope for you is that you will get to enjoy each others companionship for many more years. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, John, I have tried coaxing her out with food, it doesn’t work. I read that you should not reach into the cage and pull her out, that is there safe place and you should not invade her space. Let her come out on her own, but she will not. When I do get her out and hold her she seems happy to cuddle but she really fights being picked up. So I guess I will just be patient with her for awhile until she decides it is safe to come out on her own.
Someone gave me a rabbit that someone else had dumped out in my neighborhood . I know that it is a female and was kept in captivity but that is all I know. I have and outside cage and I get her a small inside cage. She will not come out of the smaller cage. I put her in the big cage but she will not come out of the small cage. I bring her in at night and put her in the bath room with the cage door open but she still will not come out. I know you are not supposed to reach in her cage and pull her out so I don’t know what to do. Any help please.
You might try coaxing her out with some food. It’s not unusual for rabbits especially if they were not handled a lot to be very timid and afraid of people. If you try to take her out, move slowly and carefully trying not to injure her. If you pick her up be sure to support her hindquarters. Hope that helps.
our bunny is 9 years old now, he has always lived outdoors and has not been neutered. His companion died at 7.5yrs and we thought he would die of loneliness soon after but he has thrived. He hops about and seems to be much friendlier towards us and have much more energy than when his companion was alive. We feed him veg/hay/pellets every day, with the occasional treat.
We had a Netherland dwarf bunny. A baby girl we named Shugga. She passed away just on Monday. She was well cared for and lived indoors all of her life. Next month the would have been just 3 years old. She showed no signs of illness. In fact we were just playing with her on Sunday she loved running around the house. We were very sad and taken by surprise when we came home and she was gone. R.I.P Shugga. I really can’t explain what happened. We did the usual play for a couple hours and back in her cage for bed. Hopefully she went peacefully and not in pain.
The bunny I had just passed away. He was given to me, so his estimated age was 8.5 years. He was a dwarf, not neutered, lived outside (in FL) but was well taken care of. Showed no sign of disease before passing.
We are so sorry to hear your bunny passed away. Thank you for sharing this information about your bunny.