How millions of farmed rabbits experience significant welfare problems in largely unregulated production systems globally.
Farmed rabbit welfare is one of the most neglected areas of farm animal protection. Despite rabbits being among the more cognitively complex and welfare-sensitive small animals, their welfare in production settings has historically received minimal regulatory attention and limited public awareness. Standard caged systems prevent almost all natural behaviour — the running, jumping, rearing, and social interaction that define rabbit welfare. Yet the commercial and technical knowledge to do better exists: park systems with adequate space, elevated platforms, and appropriate enrichment have been demonstrated viable and demonstrate dramatically better welfare outcomes. Consumer and regulatory attention to farmed rabbit welfare is long overdue.