Rabbits are the third most farmed land animal in the world, yet their welfare in intensive systems receives far less attention than poultry or pigs. Their highly specific needs are poorly met in conventional cage systems.
The welfare of farmed rabbits in conventional systems is severely compromised across multiple dimensions simultaneously. Cage confinement prevents natural locomotion, social interaction, and the hiding behaviour essential for a prey species' psychological security. Wire mesh floors cause painful chronic foot wounds. Barren environments without gnawing material or enrichment create frustrated, stereotypic animals. The high disease burden — particularly respiratory and gastrointestinal disease — reflects the mismatch between the highly sensitive rabbit physiology and intensive farming conditions. Unlike chickens or pigs, rabbit welfare standards are often absent from major food certification schemes, leaving consumers without reliable welfare signals. The shift to group housing systems with adequate space and enrichment represents a meaningful welfare improvement that is technically and economically feasible.