Rabbits are widely used in research and testing. Understanding their specific welfare needs and the improvements being made to their care helps contextualize their use and protection.
Rabbits have complex needs for space, social interaction, and behavioral expression that are frequently unmet in traditional laboratory housing. Rabbits in small individual cages cannot perform natural behaviors including running, jumping, and rearing. Social isolation, a highly abnormal state for a species with complex social structures, causes significant stress. Sham injections, handling stress, and research procedures add to welfare challenges. The Three Rs framework of Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement guides laboratory animal welfare improvements, and significant progress has been made in refining rabbit housing and husbandry toward more naturalistic conditions.