Farmed rabbits are among the least regulated livestock species despite significant welfare concerns in conventional cage systems. Understanding what better rabbit production looks like helps advocates push for reform.
Farmed rabbit welfare represents one of the most significant regulatory gaps in European livestock welfare policy. Unlike pigs, chickens, and cattle, rabbits have no species-specific EU welfare legislation, leaving their welfare to voluntary standards and national regulation. The majority of European farmed rabbits live in wire cages where they cannot express fundamental natural behaviors including burrowing, jumping, and appropriate social interaction. Foot pad lesions from wire floors cause chronic pain affecting virtually all conventionally caged rabbits. The regulatory gap and low public awareness mean rabbit welfare improvements depend heavily on consumer and retailer pressure rather than legislative requirements. The scientific evidence base for welfare problems in conventional rabbit farming is strong and supports substantial reform.