Pet age & senior years calculator
Choose your pet and their age to see a human-years comparison and which life stage they're in.
In human years
about 47
Scaled to an 80-year human life. A rough comparison only.
Life stage
Adult
Typical life expectancy: median age at death about 4.3 years (England); many live longer.
In the prime years. Regular check-ups are all the planning most families need right now.
Source: O'Neill DG et al. Morbidity and mortality of domestic rabbits under primary veterinary care in England. Veterinary Record, 2020 (PMID 31594841). Every animal is an individual; breed, size and care all make a difference
Next step: Know your options ahead of time →
Using the calculator
Enter a species and an age
The calculator opens on a rabbit aged 2.5. Choose rabbit, guinea pig or another species from the Your pet menu (the Small mammals group also has hamster, rat, gerbil, chinchilla, ferret, African pygmy hedgehog and sugar glider), then enter your pet's Age in years. Half years work, so a pet of eighteen months is 1.5. The calculator shows a rough human-equivalent age, a life stage such as adult, senior or geriatric, and the typical life expectancy for the species with its source.
If you adopted your pet as an adult and don't know their exact age, use your vet's estimate. Teeth, eyes and coat give vets a reasonable guess, and being a year out won't change the life stage much.
Behind the numbers
Where the lifespans and life stages come from
The calculator scales your pet's age against their species' typical lifespan to give a human comparison. For rabbits and guinea pigs it uses VetCompass studies of UK vet records, which are unusually solid: the guinea pig figure of 4.03 years[3] comes from 757 recorded deaths. For other small mammals it uses published species guides such as the Merck Veterinary Manual's chinchilla chapter.
4.3 years[1]
Pet rabbits in England have a median age at death of 4.3 years.
4.03 years[2]
Pet guinea pigs in the UK have a median age at death of 4.03 years.
6-10 years[4]
Ferrets live about 6-10 years; males average about 4 lb (2 kg) and females 2.5 lb (1.2 kg).
A median isn't a limit. Half of pets live longer, and a well-fed indoor rabbit reaching eight or ten isn't unusual. But the median tells you when goodbyes most often happen, and for rabbits and guinea pigs it's much earlier than many new owners expect.
Species by species
Life stages for rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets and others
| Species | Typical lifespan | Common later-life issues |
|---|---|---|
| Rabbit | Median about 4.3 years (UK records); many live to 8 to 10 | Dental disease, arthritis, flystrike |
| Guinea pig | Median about 4 years (UK records) | Dental and skin problems, weight loss |
| Ferret | About 6 to 10 years | Adrenal and insulinoma disease |
| Chinchilla | Up to 20 years | Dental disease |
| African pygmy hedgehog | About 4 to 6 years | Tumours, wobbly hedgehog syndrome |
Some of those issues shape how the end comes. In English pet rabbits, flystrike was the most common recorded cause of death at 10.9%[5], which is why summer checks on older, less mobile rabbits matter. In pet hedgehogs, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual, 80%+[6] of reported tumours are malignant, mostly in animals over three.
A worked example
A five-year-old rabbit: geriatric, not finished
Enter a rabbit aged five. The calculator will show about 93 in human years and the geriatric stage, because she's past the median age at death in UK records (it marks rabbits senior from about three and geriatric from 4.3). That isn't a prediction; plenty of five-year-old rabbits have years left. It is a sign that twice-yearly vet checks, a close eye on teeth and weight, and a quiet think about aftercare are all sensible now.
Compare a chinchilla of five, which the calculator shows as an adult of about 23 in human years, with potentially many years ahead. Species really matters here, which is why the calculator doesn't use a single rule for all small pets. The spread across small pets is wide: by our calculation, an average UK cat lives about 6.7 times[7] as long as an average pet hamster.
When you got your rabbit or guinea pig, how long did you expect them to live?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What to do with the answer
A gentle nudge to plan, not a countdown
If your pet is a senior, a little planning now saves hard decisions at 7 a.m. with a child in tears. Decide whether you'd prefer burial or cremation, find out who your vet uses, and note whether they see rabbits and exotics out of hours. Our at-home goodbye guide explains how home visits work. Our pre-planning guide walks through it, and quality of life and saying goodbye helps with the harder question of when.
Bonded pairs deserve special thought. If one partner is much older, consider how you'll support the survivor; our guide to bonded-pair survivor care covers it. The cremation cost calculator will give you a price range so there are no surprises later.
For families with children, the answer can also shape how you talk about it. A child who knows their guinea pig is "an old lady now" is often better prepared than one who hears it for the first time on the worst morning. Our guide on talking with children about losing a small pet has gentle ways to start, and there's no need to frighten anyone; just let the idea of old age be part of normal family talk.
Know the limits
What an age calculator can't know
It can't see your pet. Breed, diet, housing, neutering and luck all change how long a small mammal lives, and human-year comparisons are only a way of making a number feel familiar. Your vet's view of your pet's health is worth far more than any chart. If you'd like aftercare options ready for when the time comes, send us your details whenever you're ready.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
When you got your rabbit or guinea pig, how long did you expect them to live?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
When did you (or will you) decide on aftercare?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Would you pre-pay for aftercare while your pet is still healthy?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Questions people ask
How long do pet rabbits live?
In a large study of UK vet records, pet rabbits had a median age at death of about 4.3 years, though many well-cared-for rabbits live to eight or ten. Dental disease and flystrike are common causes of death, so regular vet checks and summer hygiene checks make a real difference.
When is a guinea pig considered old?
UK vet records put the median age at death at about four years, so many vets treat guinea pigs over four as seniors. The calculator marks them senior from about three and geriatric from four. Watch for weight loss, which is often the first sign of dental or other problems. Weighing weekly on a kitchen scale is an easy early warning.
How old is a ferret in human years?
Ferrets usually live about six to ten years, so the calculator shows a ferret of four or five as an adult of about 40 to 50 in human years, turning senior at six and geriatric at eight. Adrenal disease and insulinoma often appear from middle age, which is why many vets suggest yearly or twice-yearly checks from then on. The calculator gives a rough human comparison.
Should I plan my pet's aftercare while they're healthy?
It can help, especially with short-lived pets. A few simple decisions, such as burial or cremation and which provider your vet uses, make a sudden loss much less chaotic. It doesn't mean you expect the worst; it means one less thing to work out on a hard day.
Do indoor rabbits live longer than outdoor rabbits?
Indoor rabbits often avoid some risks that shorten outdoor lives, such as flystrike, predators and extreme weather, though outdoor rabbits with good shelter, space and daily checks can live long lives too. Diet, dental care, neutering and companionship matter at least as much as where the hutch stands.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] Pet rabbits in England have a median age at death of 4.3 years. O'Neill et al. 2020, Veterinary Record - VetCompass rabbits, 2020.
- [2] Pet guinea pigs in the UK have a median age at death of 4.03 years. O'Neill et al. 2024, PLOS ONE - VetCompass guinea pigs, 2024.
- [3] From 757 recorded deaths, UK pet guinea pigs had a median age at death of 4.03 years and a median adult bodyweight of 1.05 kg. O'Neill DG et al. Demography, commonly diagnosed disorders and mortality of guinea pigs under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2019. PLoS One, 2024 (PMID 38536813), 2024.
- [4] Ferrets live about 6-10 years; males average about 4 lb (2 kg) and females 2.5 lb (1.2 kg). Merck Veterinary Manual - Table: Ferrets at a Glance.
- [5] Myiasis (flystrike) was the most common recorded cause of death in English pet rabbits (10.9% of deaths). O'Neill DG et al. Morbidity and mortality of domestic rabbits under primary veterinary care in England. Veterinary Record, 2020 (PMID 31594841), 2020.
- [6] More than 80% of tumors reported in pet hedgehogs are malignant; most are found in hedgehogs over 3 years old. Merck Veterinary Manual - Diseases of Hedgehogs.
- [7] An average UK cat lives about 6.7 times as long as an average pet hamster (11.74 vs 1.75 years). Our estimate: 11.74 / 1.75. How we calculate.
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