Rabbits raised in intensive wire cage systems experience significant welfare deprivation, and reforms toward group housing and enrichment represent meaningful improvements.
Farmed rabbits in conventional battery cages cannot run, jump, hide, or engage in normal social interactions - behaviors that are fundamental to their welfare. As prey animals with strong flight responses, confinement in visible wire cages without hiding opportunities creates chronic psychological stress. Mortality rates in intensive systems can exceed 15% due to stress-related illness and fighting in overcrowded conditions. Park systems and enriched group housing allow natural behaviors and significantly improve welfare measurable through behavioral indicators.