Farmed rabbits are among the least regulated of all farmed species despite millions being raised in conditions that cause significant welfare harm.
Farmed rabbit welfare suffers from a perfect storm of regulatory neglect: rabbits are neither charismatic enough to attract public welfare campaigns nor economically significant enough in most Western markets to attract industry investment in welfare improvement. Yet the scale of production and severity of welfare compromise is substantial. The behavioral needs of rabbits — to run, jump, burrow, and explore — are completely incompatible with the wire cages that dominate commercial production. European welfare campaigns have achieved some improvement through enriched housing requirements in certain markets, but global production remains dominated by barren cage systems. Consumer choices favoring certified welfare products create market signals for improvement.