Farmed rabbits are among the least welfare-protected farm animals in Europe. EU regulatory reform is beginning to address the worst aspects of intensive rabbit production.
Conventional farmed rabbit battery cages create near-total welfare failure: insufficient space prevents natural movement, bare wire flooring causes footpad injuries, absence of hiding places creates chronic stress in a prey species, and social crowding without adequate space increases aggression. The scientific evidence for rabbit suffering in battery systems is unambiguous. EU legislative reform moving toward park housing systems represents meaningful welfare progress, but the pace of change is slow relative to the scale of suffering in existing systems.