Pet rabbits are some of the best buddies out there and there so many great parts to owning a little fur ball. Unfortunately, one of the saddest parts of being a rabbit owner is the shorter lifespans of our furry friends.
Most small animals, including rabbits, have much shorter lifespans than humans, ultimately making our time with them shorter than it should be, but all the more valuable.
As a result, when you’re thinking of how old your rabbit is, it may be easier to think in terms of how many human years a rabbit is at their own age. For example, if a rabbit’s lifespan is 8 – 12 years, how old would they be in human years when they’re 2 years old?
That’s what this article is going to dive into as we break down a rabbit’s age to human years. So let’s dive right into and discuss how to figure out your rabbit’s age in human years.
How to calculate a rabbit’s age in human years
As we mentioned in the introduction, an adult rabbit’s average lifespan is 8 – 12 years and doesn’t matter whether they are male or female. Conversely, a human’s average lifespan is about 75 years old. That means, on average, every year of a rabbit’s life is about 8 human years.
So to calculate a rabbit’s age to human years, the first thing you need to do is identify their actual age, take that number and multiply it by 8. That will give you your rabbit’s equivalent age in human years.
For example, if your rabbit is 2 years old, that would make them the equivalent of a 16 year old human because 2 (your rabbit’s age) times 8 (the human equivalent of 1 year of a rabbit’s life) is 16. This also means that in their first year they’re already 8 years old.
If your adult rabbit is 8 years old, then that would mean they are the equivalent of a 64 year old because 8 (your rabbit’s age) times 8 (the human equivalent of 1 year of a rabbit’s life) is 64.
It’s that easy!
So to calculate your rabbit’s age, all you need to do is take their current age and multiply it by 8 to get a rough idea of how old they are in human years.
Now, it’s not exact and there are many other factors to consider, but multiplying their current age by 8 is one quick way to get a rough estimate of how old your rabbit is in a lifespan that may make a little more sense.
If that’s too much though, we’ve got you covered with a handy table that you can reference.
Bunny years to human years table
Here’s a table that shows the human age equivalent of your rabbit at any given age, all the way up to their average lifespan of 12 years old.
To use this table, just find your rabbit’s age in the left-hand column and their human age equivalent will be in the corresponding right-hand column.
| Rabbit Age | Human Age |
|---|---|
| 1 | 8 |
| 2 | 16 |
| 3 | 24 |
| 4 | 32 |
| 5 | 40 |
| 6 | 48 |
| 7 | 56 |
| 8 | 64 |
| 9 | 72 |
| 10 | 80 |
| 11 | 88 |
| 12 | 96 |
Now, looking at this table may surprise you a bit because a rabbit’s first year already has them turning 8 years old! It was only 365 days for you, but it was nearly 12% of your bunny’s entire life.
This table is very helpful when it comes to determining the different life stages of your furry friend. 1 to 3 years old is when they’re young, spry, and staying active. Their middle age is when they’re approximately 4 to 7 years old as they become a little less active and not so crazy.
And finally, the old age sets in around 8 years old when they’re the equivalent of a 64 year old person. If you think time goes by fast, just imagine your what your pet rabbit feels like.
Easy, right? Now, you don’t even have to manually calculate your rabbit’s age. Just take a look at the table where it’s all done for you.
When are adult rabbits considered old?
Now you may be wondering, when is a rabbit considered old?
Well, it ultimately depends on your definition old, but rabbits start to hit old age at about 7 years. That’s when you may notice they have lower energy levels, their coat may start to deteriorate a little bit, and other physiological changes.
Because if we consider use the table above, a 7 year old rabbit is the age equivalent of a 56 year old. If that worries you a bit, there are steps you can take to ensure your pet rabbit lives a long life.
To prolong the lifespan of your furry friend, rabbit owners should take their pet rabbit to the veterinarian for regular checkups, but it becomes extremely important when your little bunny hits the 6 year mark.
Regular veterinary checkups, plenty of exercise, sanitary living conditions, and proper care can go a long way in ensuring your rabbit lives a long and healthy life. The best care for your bunny is just ensuring you are doing everything you can for them to feel happy and comfortable in your home.
And while older rabbits may not feel like exercising, you should still give them the same opportunity to play outside their cage, explore, and more to ensure they are getting all the activity they need.
Do female rabbits live longer than male rabbits?
Another commonly asked question is whether female rabbits live longer than male rabbits. And no, the gender of your pet rabbit doesn’t matter when it comes to their lifespan.
Both male and female rabbits live the same approximately 8 to 12 years. However, larger breeds tend to live shorter lives than their dwarf counterparts.
But the most important part of living a long and healthy life is a well-balanced diet, plenty of active, and regular veterinary checkups.
Frequently asked questions
Now, let’s answer some of the more frequently asked questions when it comes to a rabbit’s age.
A 2 year old rabbit is approximately 16 years old in human years.
A 10 year old rabbit is approximately 80 years old in human years.
On average, bunnies live for approximately 8 to 12 years, which is the equivalent of living between 65 and 96 years old as a human.
If you don’t know when your rabbit was born, the best chance you have of determining their age is to take them to a veterinarian. A trained professional may be able to look at their coat, nails, teeth, and fur to get a rough idea of their age.
1 rabbit year is equivalent to approximately 8 human years.
Yes, the quality of food and your rabbit’s diet can have drastic effects on their lifespan. That’s why a well-balanced diet is so important to ensuring your rabbit lives a happy and healthy life with the best care imaginable.
No, larger rabbit breeds tend to live shorter lives than their dwarf counterparts.
Yes, domestic rabbits tend to live longer than rabbits in the wild because they are have access to a regular supply of food, regular veterinary checkups and rabbit medicine, and most importantly, they are free from lurking predators in the wild.
A rabbit reaches sexual maturity at approximately 3 – 6 months of age.
Rabbits are social animals and prefer to live with other rabbits. Therefore if you have one rabbit, you may as well go for 2 so they each have a friend.
Conclusion
And there you have it! Everything you need to calculate a rabbit’s age in human years is listed in the sections above. On average, rabbits live between 8 and 12 years, which is the equivalent human age of approximately 64 to 96. So pet rabbits live for a long time!
And to calculate a rabbit’s age in human years, all you need to do is take their current age and multiply by 8. As we mentioned, it’s not an exact science, but keep in mind if you’ve had your hamster for 3 years, it may seem quick to you, but they’ve already gone through 1/3 of their life and are in their 30s.
Young rabbits quickly become old rabbits because a rabbit’s lifespan is so much shorter than ours. It’s pretty wild when you think of their age like that, which is why it’s so insightful and useful to know so you can give them the proper care they need.