Why rabbits require social companionship, how bonding works and how single rabbit housing compromises welfare.
Single rabbit housing is a welfare compromise that is still extraordinarily common despite the strong evidence that rabbits are social animals that experience genuine distress from long-term isolation. A rabbit kept alone without another rabbit companion lacks the grooming partner, the threat-detection partner and the social play partner that are fundamental to normal rabbit behaviour. The visible signs of this welfare deficit - reduced activity, stereotypic bar-chewing, over-grooming and excessive thumping - are often attributed to boredom with the environment rather than social deprivation. Bonding a second rabbit is the single most welfare-impactful change an owner of a single rabbit can make.