Rabbits are the third most popular companion animal in the UK and US but are also among the most neglected, commonly housed in inadequate hutches that prevent natural behavior.
Solitary hutch-confined rabbits cannot exhibit natural running, binkying, digging, or social behaviors. Boredom causes aggression, fur-chewing, and depression. Insufficient hay causes malocclusion and GI stasis — painful, often fatal conditions. The gap between how rabbits are marketed and what they actually need is one of the largest in companion animal keeping.