Rabbits are farmed for meat and fur in large numbers globally, often in conditions that prevent natural behaviors. Improving farmed rabbit welfare requires both consumer awareness and industry reform.
Farmed rabbit welfare is among the most overlooked in the farmed animal welfare movement. Rabbits kept in bare wire cages live their entire lives unable to run, jump, or perform any natural behavior. Wire flooring causes hock sores (pressure wounds on the back feet). The social isolation or overcrowded conditions cause psychological stress evidenced by stereotypic behaviors and fur chewing. Rabbits are prey animals with acute stress responses - the chronic stress of industrial farming conditions has measurable physiological consequences. Park systems that allow group housing on solid litter substrates substantially improve welfare, enabling normal locomotion, social interaction, and some foraging behavior. Consumer awareness of farmed rabbit welfare is low compared to other species, representing an opportunity for significant welfare improvement through advocacy.