Rabbits are intensively farmed in Europe and Asia for meat and fur, with their complex behavioral needs largely unmet by wire mesh cage systems causing significant welfare compromise.
Farmed rabbit welfare suffers from the invisibility that affects many less-charismatic species. Rabbits cannot vocalize pain convincingly to human observers, their distress in inadequate housing manifests as behavioral suppression that is easy to overlook, and consumer demand for rabbit products has generated little welfare scrutiny compared to chickens or pigs. Wire flooring causes hock wounds and prevents normal burrowing behavior. Group housing with enrichment, solid resting areas, and opportunities for species-typical movement represents the minimum welfare standard that evidence supports.