Rabbits are among the most commonly kept companion animals but also among the most welfare-deprived — small hutches are inadequate for their behavioral needs.
Companion rabbit welfare has a fundamental problem: the standard commercial hutch sold alongside rabbit purchases is dramatically too small for the animal it is meant to house. Rabbits need space to run at full stretch, stand on their hind legs, and perform the energetic leaping behavior (binkying) that signals positive welfare. Confined rabbits become obese, develop skeletal problems from lack of movement, and show learned helplessness and fearfulness. Combined with inadequate diet (too little hay, too many commercial pellets) and social isolation, the standard pet rabbit experience is one of chronic deprivation that is entirely preventable.