Domestic rabbits are commonly kept in conditions that fail to meet their behavioral needs. Understanding rabbit welfare requirements leads to dramatically better lives for these intelligent animals.
Pet rabbit welfare is one of the most misunderstood areas of companion animal care. The image of a small rabbit in a wooden hutch is deeply embedded in culture, but this housing causes genuine welfare harm. A rabbit unable to perform a full sprint or binky cannot express its most fundamental locomotor behaviors. Solitary rabbits have no social bonds and experience the isolation that social animals suffer without companionship. Poor diet (muesli mixes rather than hay) causes dental disease that results in months to years of chronic pain. The gap between how rabbits are typically kept and what they actually need is enormous - but it is fully bridgeable with appropriate enclosures, suitable companions, correct diet, and veterinary care.