Rabbits are highly social animals that form strong bonds and suffer when kept alone. Understanding their social needs is essential for providing appropriate companion animal welfare.
Rabbit social welfare is consistently undervalued in typical companion rabbit keeping. The image of the solitary rabbit in a hutch — once dominant in pet keeping culture — fails to meet the social needs of animals that naturally live in social groups. Paired or grouped rabbits engage in mutual grooming, body contact during rest, and coordinated alert behavior that fulfills deep social behavioral needs. Single rabbits without adequate social contact develop anxious, withdrawn behavior and higher chronic stress levels. Bonding two rabbits requires patience — a staged introduction process that can take weeks — but the welfare improvement for both animals is substantial. New Zealand and other countries have moved toward requiring rabbit companionship, recognizing its welfare significance.