Farmed rabbits are among the least regulated livestock species globally, often kept in wire cages with no access to enrichment, social contact, or opportunity to express natural behaviour.
Farmed rabbit welfare represents one of the most significant gaps in European farm animal legislation. While pigs, poultry, and cattle have minimum EU welfare standards, rabbits have lacked species-specific protection. The conditions in conventional wire cage systems deny rabbits virtually every opportunity for natural behaviour expression. Rabbits are active, social animals with strong motivations for running, jumping, digging, and foraging that barren wire environments completely frustrate. Consumer demand for higher-welfare rabbit products and regulatory action are both needed to drive the transition to enriched colony housing systems that minimally address rabbit welfare needs.