Rabbits are the third most popular pet in many countries yet among the most poorly housed, with the majority kept in cages far too small to allow standing upright, running or other essential behaviors.
The gap between rabbit welfare needs and typical keeping conditions is among the largest of any common pet. Rabbits evolved to run, forage and socialize across open landscapes — behaviors that commercial hutches make entirely impossible. Confinement in inadequate housing causes skeletal muscle atrophy, osteoporosis from insufficient exercise, gastrointestinal stasis from restricted diet and behavioral frustration expressed as aggression or withdrawal. As prey animals, rabbits mask stress and discomfort effectively, meaning welfare failures often go unrecognized by owners who interpret passive behavior as contentment. Education, retail reform to stop selling inadequate hutches, and adoption from rescue organizations are all urgently needed to improve outcomes for millions of captive rabbits.