Rabbits are among the most misunderstood companion animals. Traditional small hutch housing fails to meet their welfare needs — modern rabbit husbandry requires substantially more space, enrichment, and social companionship.
Pet rabbit welfare is among the most consistently neglected in companion animal care. Surveys in the UK and elsewhere regularly find the majority of pet rabbits living in conditions that fail basic welfare standards: hutches too small to allow normal movement, solitary housing causing chronic loneliness, and diets heavy in muesli mix rather than the 85% hay that rabbits require. Rabbits suppress pain signs effectively, making welfare problems invisible until severe. Dental disease, GI stasis, and obesity from inadequate movement are common consequences. The contrast between typical rabbit housing and what rabbits actually need — space to run and jump, a bonded companion, complex environments, constant hay access — is stark. Education at point of sale and adoption, combined with realistic minimum standards, could transform companion rabbit welfare. Indoor rabbit-keeping with free access to a large pen or rabbit-proofed room represents the current welfare gold standard.