Rabbits are among the most misunderstood companion animals, with their welfare needs frequently unmet due to outdated advice and underestimation of their behavioral complexity.
Companion rabbit welfare suffers from a persistent image gap: rabbits are marketed and perceived as low-maintenance starter pets, but their actual welfare needs are demanding, their behavioral complexity is underestimated, and their vulnerability to specific welfare emergencies is significant. A rabbit in a traditional small hutch — isolated, given pellets without adequate hay, unable to run or jump — is experiencing chronic welfare deprivation across multiple domains simultaneously: social, spatial, nutritional, and behavioral. Modernizing companion rabbit care requires changing the default advice dispensed at the point of sale and improving minimum welfare standards. Rabbits given adequate space, appropriate social companions, species-appropriate diet, and regular veterinary care live rich, behaviorally diverse lives that reflect their complexity as highly social, cognitively active animals.