Millions of rabbits live in inadequate hutches that deny them space for natural behavior, and upgrading provides measurable welfare improvements.
The upgrade from a traditional hutch to an appropriate housing setup is one of the highest-impact welfare improvements available to rabbit owners. The behavioral repertoire that becomes available — running, jumping, digging, exploring — is essentially inaccessible in a standard hutch. The welfare difference between a cramped hutch and an appropriate run-plus-shelter setup is enormous.