Rabbits are among the most commonly kept pets but also among the most frequently neglected. Understanding their complex needs helps improve outcomes for millions of rabbits in homes.
Rabbit welfare in domestic settings is chronically poor across the population of pet rabbits. The normalised image of a rabbit in a small hutch at the bottom of a garden is a welfare failure — these are complex social animals with significant space, dietary, and social requirements. Dental disease caused by inadequate hay-based diets causes chronic pain in a significant proportion of pet rabbits. Social isolation causes depression-like states. The RWAF (Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund) estimates a majority of UK pet rabbits are kept in inadequate conditions. Consumer education and retail welfare standards are the primary levers for improvement.