Okay I have never really thought about this before, as child hood rabbits got to 5 or 6, and the ones I have had as an adult have lasted to 18 monthsLily  (mixy) 2 floppy(stomach problem) 3 Happy(fly strike) Lexy the pedigree black rex who was rescued at the age of 2 and died at the age of 7 in her sleep. Then Dylan who was rescued from PAH at the age of 6 (he was handed to them with full vetinary care as they ....got a dog!!!!!) he died 6 months later in his sleep. and then we have Ivan.
Ivan came as a bonded pair about 7 years ago, he was bonded with the one that got fly strike. Since then Lexy and dylan have been with him, and since Dylan died, We got a neglected rabbit that was under weight and living in its own feaces, Fudge,
So we have had fudge for 2 months, but then I digress and come back to Ivan.
Ivan is a cross breed rabbit that lived with his brothers who attacked him. His nose is split in half, he has  2 other scars from it.
I hafd to work out how old he waqs the other day as he now has a severe Eye infection, that at first I thought was Myxi. But after a few days realised it wasnt and he has now had meds from an Eye infection.
TRhe thing with him is, he is at least 9 1/2!!!!!! he is geriatric in rabbit terms.
I wondered how old your rabbits have got to. My vet said getting to 10 is unusual, the oldest she has seen is 12. Blooming good vet that I would trust with any of my animals!!!
Sooooooo How old have you got rabbits to???? ( my child hood rabbits seemed to only last until 5!!!!!)
Lea :) :)

As you say 7 seems to be average but 10 - 12 has been known.

O/T a bit but wish rats lasted that long<sigh> I've lost them as young as 11 months and over 2 is seen as good going

It's funny but the average lifespan seems to have increased. When I was a kid the oldest rabbits got to was 5 or 6. (As with dogs, the smaller, the longer they lived.) Now, they go on forever.We had one that lived to 12 (medium sized crossbreed) and the two current ones (Lionheads) we still have we've had for 10 years now.

We had one when my daughter was little, she lived until 9.5 yrs - 'Penelope' (what else would a girly bunny be called LOL)

The oldest one we have ever had lived to be almost 14 - a buck - and we had a doe who lived to be 12. Our rabbits usually have free run of the garden and are only caged at night so that may have something to do with it?

Our netherland dwarf rabbit Billy died last year at the age of 12 and a half.  I know exactly how old he was to the day as I was exhibiting budgerigars at the NEC having gone with a whole coach load from the local bird club and was having a wander round the National Rabbit Council show.  When I got home my son aged 4 at the time was a little surprised to see me bring back the birds plus a cardboard box with the tiniest baby pure white rabbit inside.  Some of the breeders at the show were selling off some excess babies and because we were actively looking for a rabbit (already had hutch, run etc all waiting at home) she let me have one.  Because he was a netherland dwarf baby he looked like a tiny toy rabbit.

He had a ring on his back leg and came with his own Rabbit Council registration certificate with the breeders details and his date of birth etc.  Billy lived the live of riley and my son (now nearly 18) used to lay in the run and play with him, never had a days sickness, went through 4 house moves, a divorce and seeing my son through nursery, primary and secondary school and we literally just woke up one morning to find him in everlasting sleep.  We miss him terribly, he was part of the 'fabric' of this family.  We even rang his breeder and she said that he was the longest living rabbit she had ever bred.

I seem to remember my brothers pet rabbit, Pepper, being around 10 years old at the time of his passing.  It was some time ago, but my Mum and I were only discussing him the other day and she thought the same.

I had my first rabbit (Peter Paul)when I was 2 & he lasted for at least 7 years...cant remember exactly cos I was young & it was a long time ago!!...lol

most of ours have lived to around 7,
all netherland dwarves,

My OH had a rabbit as a kid that lived to 10. It lived in, was housetrained & did tricks.

I always had hamsters & guinea pigs that never lived very long and always caused upset so we took in a stray moggy that lived to 21, much better value!

Can't remember how long my rabbits lived as a id (think I as about 4 when the last died), but the pair I had year before last ere 6/7 when I rehomed them and were still very young and spritely - this despite not being looked after well at all by their last owner (my housemate, which is how I ended up with them) and being quite underweight for some time.  I expect they're still going strong now :-)

Thankyou everyone :) :) :)
Ivan is getting better now, so hopefully he will carry on for longer :) :)
Rabbits do seem to be living longer :) :)
Lea :) :)

I have rabbits many years and showed them in the past. The current crop seem to be excellent in terms of longevity and health. I lost one of my favourite girls a couple of weeks ago and she was 9 1/2. Her mother is 10 1/2 and still in excellent form. Her grandmother I lost last year also at 9 1/2 and her son is 8.

I did a photograph a year or so ago with six generations all in a row. Nothing very remarkable in that with rabbits except that there was a period of 4 years in between the first three and last three generations and their combined ages totalled 28 years!! :-)

Good luck with Ivan, may he have many more happy years :-)

Persoanlly I think that animals live longer if they have something to live for so a stimulating existance goes a very long way over a boring one shut in a hutch all the time. My beloved angora used to travel up and down the motorway with me for a couple of hours every weekend in the passenger footwell. She was a feisty soul and grumbled audibly if she didn't get her way but I loved her. ;-)

Our last rabbit lived to 13,and we had a wild rabbit the cat brought indoors to feed her young who lived until nearly 6 apparently this is old for a wild rabbit.However we last 2 to myxamatosis so had to have them innoculated.Our british giants lived to a much younger age.

my last rabbit a loinhead dexter was going good at 5, untill the new nabours dog broke through the fence. Befor that my english spot had to be put down at 4 due to a genetic spinal problem the vets wouldnt treat. At work we have a mutt rabbit who is around 8 or 9, allthough she has to keep going to the vets as her teeth are not set in her jaw properly so dont file down, so has to be knocked out and have them sorted.