Companion rabbits are commonly kept in conditions that cause chronic welfare compromise, with enclosures that are too small, inappropriate companionship and inadequate exercise space.
Rabbits in small hutches cannot perform natural behaviours including running, jumping, standing upright and binkying (joyful running and jumping). Lack of exercise causes obesity, dental disease and gut stasis. Single housing causes social deprivation in a species that lives in complex social groups in the wild. The welfare gap between optimal rabbit care and standard pet keeping practice is enormous.