Traditional hutch housing fails to meet rabbits minimum welfare needs; evidence-based housing provides space for running, jumping, digging, and social interaction with a companion rabbit.
Rabbit housing is one of the most widespread animal welfare problems in companion animal keeping, largely due to the persistence of outdated husbandry advice and inadequate pet shop guidance. Traditional hutches condemn rabbits to lives of boredom, immobility, and social isolation. The contrast between a rabbit's natural behaviour — running, jumping, foraging, and socialising — and the space provided by a standard hutch is stark. Modernising rabbit housing standards requires both education and retail regulation.