Rabbits are farmed in large numbers for meat production, but their welfare needs as prey species with strong behavioral requirements are poorly addressed in most systems.
Farmed rabbit welfare is among the most neglected areas in agricultural animal welfare advocacy despite the enormous numbers involved. The behavioral needs of rabbits are fundamentally incompatible with conventional battery cage systems: as prey animals with strong flight responses, rabbits confined in close quarters without hiding places or movement space experience chronic fear and frustration. Their need to hop, binky jump, and move in a full looping motion are completely prevented. The chronic hypervigilance of caged rabbits represents a sustained negative emotional state measurable through physiological stress indicators. Colony systems that allow more natural behavior represent meaningful progress but require disease management investment. Consumer pressure has driven regulatory reform in several European countries, demonstrating that advocacy creates change.