Rabbits are friendly, clean and loveable animals. If you’re planning to adopt a rabbit, you should be prepared for a commitment of many years. The lifespan of a domestic rabbit is around ten years.
But if you take proper care of your rabbit, they may live for longer than this. There are many factors which determine how long a pet rabbit might live. These are as follows:
Diet: Healthy, balanced diets contribute immensely to rabbit longevity. Overweight and underweight rabbits are both likely to die younger than average.
Breed: Some breeds of rabbit tend to live longer than others. This depends mainly on size, and the propensity of each breed to develop certain health problems.
Environment: If your rabbit lives outdoors, it may fall victim to predators, such as foxes. Indoor rabbits, unless properly supervised, may chew through electric cables or eat poisonous houseplants.
Exercise: Rabbits require a minimum of 3 hours of exercise per day. They need plenty of space and time to run around, or they’re at risk of developing health problems.
Mental health: Rabbits are intelligent, social creatures. Bored or lonely rabbits can become depressed, which may lead to self-destructive behaviors and premature death.
There are many reasons why different rabbit breeds may live longer or shorter lives than others:
Size: Larger rabbit breeds do not live as long as smaller rabbits. Scientists believe that larger breeds age quicker than smaller ones, but it’s not known precisely why.
Care requirements: Because of their different physical characteristics, some rabbit breeds need more involved care. If this isn’t provided, they can become sick. For example, longhaired breeds are prone to hair balls if not brushed regularly.
Health problems:Rabbit breeds are the result of artificial selection. Unfortunately, this has made some breeds prone to health problems. For example, lop-eared breeds are more prone to ear problems.
Breed origin: Most rabbit breeds were bred to be pets. However, some breeds were originally bred for meat, such as Flemish Giants and New Zealand whites. Meat rabbits don’t need to live long, for obvious reasons.
Genetic abnormalities: The gene pool for some rabbits, especially newer breeds, isn’t large, inbreeding in rabbits can cause genetic abnormalities that may reduce their lifespan.
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