Domestic rabbits can live 8-12 years with appropriate care, yet many die young from preventable conditions, and the welfare needs of senior rabbits are often inadequately recognized and managed.
Rabbit welfare science has advanced rapidly in the past decade, revealing that many common rabbit deaths represent preventable welfare failures rather than inevitable natural decline. Dental disease from inappropriate diets, obesity from inadequate exercise, and arthritis from inappropriate housing all cause chronic suffering that appropriate husbandry and veterinary care can prevent or manage.