Rabbits are the third most farmed mammal globally after pigs and cattle, raised primarily in wire cages under conditions that prevent nearly all natural behavior, with welfare standards far below those for other livestock species.
Farmed rabbits suffer from one of the most complete behavioral suppressions in commercial animal agriculture. Wire cages prevent all burrowing behavior, which is a fundamental motivational drive in rabbits. The inability to jump, run, or engage in social grooming creates chronic frustration and is associated with high rates of stereotypic behavior. Welfare research has demonstrated that rabbit welfare improves dramatically in enriched park systems with organic substrate and social housing. Bone fractures, often fatal, result directly from the cage system. Despite comprising a large fraction of global livestock numbers, rabbits have received far less welfare research and regulatory attention than pigs, cattle, or poultry. Consumer awareness of rabbit production conditions remains very low.