Mink raised on fur farms are semi-aquatic carnivores kept in wire mesh cages that severely restrict movement and natural behaviour, making fur farming one of the most welfare-concerning agricultural practices.
Mink are cognitively complex animals with strong motivations to swim, hunt, and explore. Wire cage confinement denies virtually all natural behaviours and causes severe frustration. Research consistently shows high rates of repetitive stereotypies indicating poor welfare states. The Five Freedoms are systematically violated in conventional mink production.