Rabbits are among the most intensively farmed animals in Europe, housed in barren wire cages with minimal welfare protection. Their complex behavioural needs are almost entirely unmet in commercial production.
Farmed rabbit welfare represents one of the most significant gaps in European animal welfare law. While legislation has progressively improved conditions for laying hens and pigs, rabbits remain almost entirely unprotected, with no EU-wide minimum cage size or enrichment requirements. The consequences for individual animals are severe: wire flooring causes painful hock lesions that affect virtually all caged rabbits; the inability to flee, hide, or burrow causes chronic fear in a species whose entire psychological architecture is predicated on predator avoidance; and the social isolation or artificial groupings of intensive systems prevent normal social bonding. Consumer awareness of farmed rabbit conditions is very low, making advocacy and purchasing choices particularly impactful for this overlooked species.