Rabbits are among the most surrendered and misunderstood pets. Understanding their needs is essential for improving their welfare in shelters and in homes.
Rabbits in shelters face compounded welfare challenges: they are in an unfamiliar, stressful environment; they are often unpaired, depriving them of species-appropriate social contact; and their subtle communication means that stress often goes unrecognised by shelter staff. Shelters that house rabbits alongside dogs and cats expose them to predator-related stress even without direct contact. Progressive shelters are adopting rabbit-specific housing protocols, including paired housing, prey-appropriate enrichment, and separation from predator species. Adoption practices that require evidence of appropriate housing (minimum enclosure size) and discourage impulse adoption around Easter, when rabbit abandonment peaks, are important welfare interventions.