Farmed rabbits remain one of the least regulated farm animals in Europe, with no EU-wide species-specific welfare legislation. Campaigns for minimum standards represent a significant ongoing welfare opportunity.
Farmed rabbits occupy a peculiar welfare position: they are familiar as companion animals in many European households yet remain legally unprotected as farm animals. Conventional caged rabbit systems cause severe behavioral restriction - rabbits cannot stand upright, run, or perform natural behaviors including gnawing, digging, and social interaction. Welfare-improved systems including group housing with raised platforms, gnawing material, and hiding places are available and used by some producers. EU-wide legislation requiring minimum standards would dramatically improve welfare for hundreds of millions of rabbits.