Pet rabbits are among the most welfare-compromised companion animals in the UK and beyond, frequently kept in conditions that fail to meet their basic physical and social needs. Evidence-based housing standards are transforming expectations for rabbit care.
Pet rabbit welfare represents one of the largest domestic animal welfare failures in Western countries. The cultural image of the rabbit as a child's easy starter pet has led to millions of animals being kept in conditions — small hutches, isolation, minimal handling, inadequate diet — that cause chronic suffering. Rabbits are prey animals with intense fear responses; inappropriate handling causes injury and acute stress, and sustained inadequate environments cause depression-like states. The science of rabbit behavioural needs is clear: they require space to run at full speed, companions of their own species for grooming and social contact, hay as the dietary foundation (70-80% of intake), and opportunities to dig and hide. Reform requires action across the pet trade (minimum size enclosures, bonded pairs) and owner education (realistic expectations about care complexity and cost).