How long do different pets actually live?

Lifespan varies enormously across pets, and misjudging it is one of the most common reasons animals end up rehomed. These are typical ranges with good care.

Dogs: 10–13 years average, with size being the dominant factor. Small breeds commonly reach 14–16; giant breeds such as Great Danes and Irish wolfhounds often only 7–10. This inverse relationship between body size and lifespan within a species is unusual and not fully explained, though faster growth and higher cancer rates are implicated.

Cats: 12–18 years, with indoor cats living substantially longer than outdoor ones — traffic, fights, disease and predation account for the difference. Twenty-plus is not rare.

Rabbits: 8–12 years. Frequently and badly underestimated. Rabbits are often bought as short-term children's pets and are a decade-long commitment requiring space, company and specialist veterinary care.

Guinea pigs: 5–7 years. Also longer than expected, and highly social — most welfare guidance says they should not be kept alone.

Hamsters: 2–3 years. Syrians slightly longer than dwarfs.

Rats: 2–3 years, which is short for how intelligent and social they are.

Ferrets: 6–10 years.

Budgerigars: 5–10 years. Cockatiels 15–20. Larger parrots are the extreme case — African greys commonly 40–60, macaws and cockatoos 50–80 or more. A large parrot is genuinely a lifetime commitment and may outlive its owner, which is why provision in a will is routinely advised.

Goldfish: 10–20 years, and far longer in ponds. The short lives people expect are usually a consequence of inadequate tanks, not natural lifespan.

Tortoises: 50–100+ years, routinely inherited across generations.

The practical point: match the commitment to your circumstances honestly before acquiring, not afterwards.