Rabbits are farmed in enormous numbers in Europe and Asia, yet welfare standards for this sensitive species remain among the weakest in agriculture.
Farmed rabbits suffer from systemic welfare failures that have received far less public attention than conditions for pigs or poultry. Wire cage floors cause chronic foot pain — virtually all commercially housed rabbits develop some degree of pododermatitis from constant wire contact. The prevention of natural burrowing behavior in a prey species that relies on burrows for security causes chronic anxiety. Rabbits thump, vocalize, and develop stereotypic behaviors in response to chronic stress. Individual housing prevents social grooming and companionship. Female rabbits are kept in permanent production cycles without recovery time between litters. Many rabbit farms lack environmental enrichment, veterinary attention protocols, or welfare monitoring. The contrast with the welfare standards expected for pet rabbits illustrates the inconsistency in how we treat the same species depending on their economic function.