Outdoor rabbit housing must protect against predators, temperature extremes, and other environmental hazards. Understanding the real risks enables effective safety measures that allow outdoor living without welfare compromise.
Outdoor rabbit keeping can provide excellent welfare through space, fresh air, natural grazing, and environmental enrichment - or it can expose rabbits to predator stress, disease, and environmental extremes that cause significant suffering. The welfare difference lies entirely in housing design and management standards. The key risks - predator access, disease exposure, and temperature extremes - are all manageable with appropriate infrastructure. Inadequate housing that allows predator sight or smell triggers chronic stress even when physical attack doesn't occur. A rabbit that watches foxes circle its run nightly is experiencing significant fear even without being harmed. Disease vaccination is non-negotiable for outdoor rabbits - myxomatosis and RHDV2 are devastating and preventable. The welfare case for outdoor living is strong when done properly, and strong against it when done carelessly.