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What age is considered old for a rabbit?

ElsasMummy

Warren Scout
Just a general question about peoples experience with older rabbits and their behaviour.

My lionhead Elsa is 8 and a half, she's definitely slowed down, she has the run of the garden as well as a hutch with a ramp down to the run. She's still happily using the ramp but she really doesn't run much at all now, she has one spot behind the shed she likes or she'll sit in the hutch/run. I have distant memories of her sprinting around/binkying and also I've never known a rabbit to jump so high! (She escaped from a run with a fence of 5ft regularly in her youth!)

So just wondering what everyone considers to be an elderly bun and what sort of behavioural changes they have seen as rabbits age. Any 8 year+ rabbits still binkying?! :)
 
My wonderful old man is 7.5 or 8.5 years old now, nearly 8 or 9 and no old age problems. One of my bunnies lived to 9 nearly 9.5, maybe would have been longer if a fox had not given her a heart attack. I saw it run off. That is why my bunnies now live inside.

Was told 12 is about the average age for a small/medium sized bunny. Really depends.
 
my first 2 bunnies, Moet and Chandon (7) started to slow down over this last year. they didn't run about the garden as much, just came out for a look and then went back into their hutch. Moet died quite recently and since then i have put Chandon in with another 2 females. he was really down about Moet but he has perked up a bit and has begun exploring the garden more when he's out.
 
My nethie dwarf is 11.5 and he's really slowed down, we had to put his brother to sleep earlier this year so that hasn't helped. He's happiest lying in his run in his favourite spot. He hasn't binkied for years and he doesn't run around anymore either. Yesterday I let him out into the outside run but all he did was hop back into his hutch. :D he seems happy, eats plenty and always greets me in the morning, probably wants food more than seeing me, but really he's doing fine. :D
 
I think it depends on the breed. A giant bunny would be considered to be nearing the end of his life at 5-6. A smaller bunny can live much, much longer- even twice that, occassionally more.

My oldest was Tubby who was a month shy of being twelve.

In my experience, older bunnies can have health complications but they don't seem to age as badly as cats or dogs and some can remain completely normal and mentally young, but until the day they die.
 
My OAB bunny called Barnaby (RIP), lived to be at least 11 years old. He was a rescue bunny so unsure of his age when found.:(

Obviously physically he had slowed up and his eating habits had changed a little, but other than than he was fit and well.
What he lacked in physical energy, he made up by his wonderful personality.:D

He was a real joy and pleasure to have been part of my family.

Bless him!!!



Barnabysleepyhead.jpg



This is him asleep in his food bowl!!! :):):love::love:
 
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I don't know how old my OAB Dylan is as he was a rescue and they didn't know. He wasn't young when I rehomed him and that was some years ago. He went completely grey (was dark) about three years ago.

He has arthritis now and spends most of his time in the hutch. He still uses the ramp to the upper level which surprises me. Sometimes he will come out of the hutch and hop around the run. I did start putting him in the front garden (bunny proof) to free range as he didn't go far but the last time he ran and hid and was a nightmare to catch so I have had to stop that.

He snuggles with his two wives and enjoys his noms. I think has days when his arthritis is more uncomforable than others (as I do with my own arthritis) but I just keep a close eye on him.

I :love: my grey haired old man.
 
My OAB bunny called Barnaby (RIP), lived to be at least 11 years old. He was a rescue bunny so unsure of his age when found.:(

Obviously physically he had slowed up and his eating habits had changed a little, but other than than he was fit and well.
What he lacked in physical energy, he made up by his wonderful personality.:D

He was a real joy and pleasure to have been part of my family.

Bless him!!!



Barnabysleepyhead.jpg



This is him asleep in his food bowl!!! :):):love::love:



awww, so gorgeous :love:
 
i'm not sure what is classed as old. i thought maybe 8+ . my uncles bunny was just short of his 14th birthday when he passed. :wave:
 
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