Rabbits are the third most common companion animal in many countries but are also among the most poorly housed, with small hutches and inadequate space remaining standard despite strong evidence of the welfare harms they cause.
Companion rabbit welfare is a paradox of affection without understanding. Rabbits are widely kept as beloved pets, yet the conditions considered standard — small hutches, solitary housing, limited veterinary care — cause chronic welfare compromise for millions of animals. Rabbits are complex social animals with strong exercise drives and specific environmental needs that a hutch in a garden does not meet. Spinal conditions from restricted movement, dental disease from inappropriate diets, and psychological distress from social deprivation are common findings in rescued rabbits. The challenge is that poor rabbit housing is normalised — sold in pet shops, depicted in media, and passed down through generations of owners who believed they were providing adequate care. Reform requires changing what is considered normal, which takes both regulation and cultural shift.