Bunnies are cute creatures. They are common domestic animals. Just like other animals, rabbits have an average lifespan. There are a lot of factors that affect the longevity of rabbits. Being a responsible rabbit owner, this is crucial to give attention to overall health and optimum living conditions to rabbits.

Here, we will discuss some essential points regarding better management and how you can increase your beloved bunny lifespan.

How to tell the age of a rabbit?

First, you have to know to guess the exact age of your rabbit, which is not easy for this creature. It has many factors like teeth size, the overall size, and ears length.

Let us classify it to adult and kid; the adults will he longer ears and more giant teeth; that’s why they eat more like kids who have shorter ears beside medium-sized teeth, that’s why seeing them eating most of the time.

LIFESPAN OF RABBITS

Talking broadly, the lifespan of rabbits depends upon many factors. A few of them listed below:

• Better nutrition (Feed nutrient-dense diet to your bunny)
• Optimum housing (provide stress-free living conditions)
• Optimum health (keep an eye on the overall health of your bunny buddy)
• Breed of rabbits (rabbit breeders have Netherland dwarf breed are claiming that lives up to 10 years)
• Mental stimulation (healthy enrichment activities)

The average domestic rabbit lifespan:

According to scientific literature, the average lifespan of domestic rabbits is eight to twelve years (depends on how you meet all necessary living requirements of your bunny friend.
On the contrary, the lifespan of wild rabbits is very short, nearly one to two years.
The main reasons are poor living conditions, imbalanced nutrition (food scarcity), etc.

Association of lifespan with rabbit breeds:

As discussed earlier, pet/domestic rabbits have a longer lifespan than wild ones.
Moreover, small rabbit breeds (dwarf rabbits) have a longer lifespan than large breeds, and angora rabbits live up to 12 years. For instance, holland lops, mini lops, and dwarf rabbits will live longer than larger species such as Flemish giants and French lops.
And the rarest bunny breed is Crème d’Argent’s creamy lifespan is between 4-8 years.

Association of lifespan with housing conditions:

Rabbits considered “territorial animals.” They love to mark their living area and need optimum space for their better growth and performance.
Lack of proper living space puts them in stress, which ultimately influences the development of your bunny buddy. Being a responsible owner, this is your job to provide optimum living space to your bunny friend and give them room to roam outside of the pen for a few hours in a day.
Try to keep the housing of your rabbit calm and stress-free. Restrict the movement of other pets (dogs/cats)

Association of lifespan with health:

Veterinary care is very crucial that ensures the longer lifespan of your rabbit. As per American rabbit breeders association advice, you should get regular veterinary check-ups of your rabbit-like any other furry pet.
Many parasitic and infectious diseases badly impact the health and performance of your bunny. In addition to that, gastrointestinal problems are also widespread in rabbits.
Monitor your rabbit regularly. If you find any abnormal sign and symptom, report it to your vet.
Keep the living area (pen) neat and clean. Thoroughly wash all utensils and your hands after and before handling the rabbit.

SPAYING AND NEUTERING INCREASE LIFESPAN OF RABBITS

Note: Spaying and neutering are very much crucial for your rabbits. Female rabbits are more susceptible to develop mammary/uterine cancers. On the other hand, in male rabbits, testicular cancer is prevalent. These serious medical emergencies can be prevented in rabbits by spaying and neutering.

*Spaying is the surgical removal of female reproductive organs.
*Neutering is the surgical removal of male reproductive organs.

BETTER DIET, BETTER LIFE

Association of lifespan with better nutrition:

A balanced diet plays an essential role in promoting the overall health and performance of rabbits. Optimum nutrition increases the lifespan of your bunny friend. That is your responsibility to ensure that your rabbit is taking all necessary nutrients (vitamins, fibers, minerals, carbohydrate, protein, and water) in a balanced amount or not.
For pet rabbits, pellets, vegetables, and hay are good options. Although, you can often give treats to your rabbits as well. In case you are feeding commercially available rabbit feed to your beloved bunny, make sure this particular diet rich with all required essential nutrients.

Association of lifespan with enrichment activities:

Rabbits are compassionate creatures. They quickly get bored and stressed. That is why mental stimulation plays an integral role in keeping them in good physical and psychological health. According to experts, it is highly recommended to give toys to your rabbits.  Toys don’t necessarily need to be store-bought, either: A cardboard toilet paper tube stuffed with hay can be endless fun for a rabbit.

Note: when rabbits are bored (not mentally stimulated), they will tend to dig holes in your carpet and chew at your baseboards.