Rabbits are the third most popular companion animal but among the most frequently neglected, with hutch housing and solitary keeping incompatible with their welfare needs.
Outdoor hutch housing for rabbits is a persistent welfare failure. Rabbits confined alone in small hutches cannot express their natural behavioral repertoire, suffer from insufficient exercise, and are poorly placed to receive veterinary care since owners often underestimate their complex health needs. Indoor free-roam housing with a companion is the welfare standard now advocated by most rabbit organizations.