age of an outside rabbit!

Question
the people i live with have had an outside rabbit. he was adopted when the neighbors left him behind 5 yrs ago. he eats bagged rabbit food & gets carrots daily. he lives part time under the deck of the house where it's cool!   how long is his life span?

Answer
Dear Amy,

A well cared for house rabbit can live well into his teens.  An outdoor rabbit usually has a lower life expectancy because of the dangers of outside living (predators, parasites, environmental extremes of cold and heat, etc.).  So there's no telling just how long this bunny will live.  

One of the main problems of an outdoor rabbit is that you can't tell when they are sick.  Please see:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sickbun.html

Once you find the bunny outside sick, it's sometimes too late to help him.  So this bunny would really benefit from being brought inside--at least at night--where he can be monitored, spoiled and loved as a member of the family.  For all the best information on rabbit care, please visit:

www.rabbit.org/

Hope this helps.

Dana