Rabbits are the third most popular pet in many countries but among the most poorly housed. Traditional small hutches deny their fundamental needs for space, companionship, and exercise. Understanding their true needs transforms rabbit welfare.
The traditional wooden garden hutch is one of the most welfare-inadequate housing systems for any commonly kept pet. Rabbits confined to small hutches are denied the ability to run, jump, stand fully upright, or socialise appropriately. The result is musculoskeletal disease, psychological frustration, obesity, and dental disease from inadequate hay access. The welfare revolution in rabbit keeping — from hutch pets to house rabbits or large outdoor enclosures with runs — is supported by all major animal welfare organisations. Neutered, bonded pairs of house rabbits or rabbits with access to large runs demonstrate dramatically better welfare outcomes than hutch-kept individuals.