Rabbits are highly social animals whose welfare is significantly compromised by solitary housing, making bonded pairs the minimum standard for companion rabbit keeping.
Solitary rabbit keeping has historically been common but is now recognized as a significant welfare failure. The social isolation of a rabbit without a conspecific companion causes chronic loneliness and stress that manifests in abnormal behaviors and compromised immune function. Human interaction, while valuable, cannot substitute for conspecific companionship in a prey species whose evolutionary history involves continuous social group membership. Rescue organizations and welfare bodies now routinely recommend adopting bonded pairs or single rabbits to be bonded with a compatible companion.