The mature rabbit

Hello everyone :wave:

I've not been round for a while I used to post a lot when I was at uni :roll::lol:

Everytime I go to the vets recently he says that Mo and Roxy are getting on a bit. They're both coming up to 8. But I'm sure some people on here have had much older rabbits. Sorry this feels like a bit of a morbid conversation but I'm sure they're only middle aged. Autumn at the very latest

Roxy bless her is starting to go blind...she's probably more blind than I care to admit. The reason I know this is because it now takes her up to 3 seconds to get to her food whereas it used to be eaten up before it had hit the floor. Mo shows no real signs of ageing as he has always been an old man type. A horny old man unfortunately...poor Mist!

Barney is still rather studley and in good health although I'm sure his moultings get more dramatic every year. Barney is about 5 and a half (prime of life!) and Mist is about the same I think.

Anyway, ramble over.

Its lovely to hear they are still in good health despite their age

Heather is now 6 :shock: and I worry a lot about her age despite being only 'middle age'. She has dental problems, tear duct problems and prehaps slight arthritus aswell *sigh* Bunnies manage to worry us far too much don't they?! :roll:

Tell me about it! Yes they can break your heart everyday.

Good to see you on the forum again Isabel

It can be really worrying as buns get older, I've got a few in the same position, and sometimes it feels like you're waiting for something to go wrong.

My bunny Pickles is 8 now. We lost his brother last year, but I think that was more bad luck than old age, as Ginger was full of beans up until his last illness. Pickles is certainly quieter than he was 4 or 5 years go but I guess that's to be expected. He still binkies everywhere and is a very healthy bun. I can't see him leaving us anytime soon!

:wave: Hi Amy - Good to see you too.

Heather&Bart (sorry I don't know your name) good to hear yours are in good health

Hi Isabel:wave:
8 is getting on a bit I'm afraid but lovely to hear all the bunnies are still with you and enjoying life

I lost my own Daisy earlier this year..she was 9..and have permanent Honeybunny George who does look like an old man and has to be at least 8 1/2..

Some bunnies make it to 10 easily while others can be very old at 6, so I think we just have to enjoy every day with them

any chance of some pics of these more mature ex Honeybunnies?

My cousins rabbit lived to be 13 :shock::shock::shock:

I got a whole group of aging buns (thought that through didn't I?:roll Smirnoff is the oldest at 7. He's grumpy as ever

Hi Jill, Angie, Fluffers, :wave:

Jill you know I have become increasingly rubbish with photos. I've got a cold at the moment but when I'm better I'll make a concerted effort.

By the way Jill, Mo and Mist have been helping with the gardening - every time I pop out to check on them they are sat in a plant pot munching on the contents. Naughty bunnies! They're very happy though.

13 Fluffers, that sounds good going. I will accept the challenge to beat it!

ooo itchy to try and get some good pictures now.

I think its luck of the draw...my 1st bun was the usual istake..petshop baby bunny who only lived till she was about 18onths old..she was a severe dental bun and needing another one the vet said it wsnt fair on her and they had her pts

woozle was a baby bunny of only 6 weeks old fro a friend of a friend who never knew the bunny she had as a guest until his mistress had settled her divorce stuff. He died horribly at age 18months 3 days after a myxi booster.

oscar was 8 months old fro a breeder who was retiring after 25yrs of show rabbits. He lived again 18onths and he died from stasis.

bif was y very FIRST rescue bunny..she was a very shy bunny but fell in love with oscar and cuddled hi as soon as they were put together here. but he had other plans..took a month as he needed a dental..yep dental bun.
Bif bless her had so uch go wrong and was not a healthy bunny...but she did get better and then this time last year she was in serious recovery at vets as her heart had stopped under the GA whilst doing a dental. she had organ failure and they didnt know or us and she was pts on the 22nd. she was with us for four years and 5 months and she was 6yrs old and doing ok till then.

i lost my huge frenchie doe just before her second birthday
i lost darling little bandit to bowel torsion/bloat and he was a rescue bun and we had him 18months

casper we took on and knew itd be a very short time..he was abandoned and had his lip ripped apart and falling off necrotic and it had to be cut away. he then had osteomyilitis and was pts. he was not aged as he was so small was he young was he old.

dazy-mae was a rescue bun and only 6 or 7 months old when she was pts with a sudden high fever and at the end resp problems.

bluebells her sister and still going strong albeit a lump removed.

merlin is another rescue bun who was at least 2 when we got him and hes been here for about 3 years i think so hes 5.

bertie..has been the sickest bunny weve ever had and before we had him hed never been sick a day in his life of 18 motnhs well 2 years when we adopted him. hes a frenchie and a small one at that. hes now 7 years old and weve had him for four years and 11 months:shock:

and hes got arthritis in his left back leg...seizures since september...scarring from an eye ulcer...pasturella..so far contained in his upper respiratory tract. hes had a haematoma sore paw like sore hock...high fever..but that was his pasturella flare up.
every day i wake up and feel sick as i go downstairs to medicate him....one day i know my huge sleeping giant will be sleeping forever. everyone says 7 is longer than a frenchie should live....so im holding out hope but i think his arthritis is more of probelm right now than his seizures or pasturella.

i know everyone has someone they know whos bunny has made it into double figures..without being ill just a bit arthritic and sleeping more and eating less.

whats old for one bun isnt what is old for another bunny......and besides...mature bunnies know you inside out and you know them so well...

good age your buns xx

Thanks Debbie. You're had so many! I'd love a Frenchie. Maybe oneday.