Rabbits are highly social animals whose welfare is significantly compromised when kept in isolation, making companionship a fundamental welfare need rather than a luxury.
Rabbits kept in isolation experience chronic loneliness and boredom that leads to frustration behaviors like bar-chewing and circling. Without a companion, they become over-dependent on human interaction but are still unable to receive the rabbit-specific social contact they need. Bonded rabbits engage in natural social behaviors, groom each other, sleep together for warmth, and provide each other mental stimulation. The welfare difference between a solitary rabbit and a bonded pair is substantial.