Rabbit Welfare: When Poor Practises Are Written Into Our Culture
- Victoria Elsmore
- May 9
- 5 min read
A rabbit, kept on woodshavings and straw in a 4ft by 2ft wooden garden hutch, fed rabbit mueseli and left over greens from Sunday lunch is the traditional perception of the UK's third, most popular family pet. Historically, considered an excellent children's first pet and a westernised mascot for seasonal festivals, rabbits have been present in our gardens since the Victorian period. But when the underlying principles of "everyday" rabbit husbandry still resemble the methods promoted when they were kept in hutches to raise for meat during World War II, we have to ask, as modern day animal guardians with an additional 80 years of science and education under our belts why aren't we doing better for a much-loved species?
I don't believe that it is in our nature as a nation to knowingly cause our animals pain, discomfort, ill health and mental stress. I understand that whilst there are a limited number of individuals for which this is not true, for the most part, we are very publically a nation of animal lovers. The cause of these welfare oversights can therefore only be attributed to a lack of education, limited financial funds or a cultural defecit in our country's perceptions of their needs.
This month, I had the pleasure of interviewing two rabbit experts. I spoke to Rae Walters from The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund; we spoke about changing legislation, supporting prospective rabbit guardians with knowledge to empower them to make better decisions when sourcing their new pet and The RWAF's mission to promote rescue rabbits to reduce the number of rabbits currently residing in rescue centres. I had the pleasure of revisiting my University, Harper Adams to talk to Sue Jeavons, principle lecturer in animal husbandry, welfare and ethics; we talked about rabbit husbandry, health plans, welfare and ethics. Sue empowers animal students within the university with the understanding of how meeting an animal's needs through excellent husbandry practises improves their welfare.
Meeting Rabbit's Needs
So, what do rabbits need?
To establish this we need to look at The Animal Welfare Act 2006. The five freedoms or five founding principles of meeting an animals needs are as follows:
Freedom from hunger and thirst
Rabbits need access to a balanced diet to include a complete rabbit nugget feed, constant access to a good quality hay, such as Timothy hay, fresh greens; cabbage leaves, small treats of carrot. You can access further dietary information on the RWAF website.
Freedom from pain, injury, disease.
A comprehensive healthcare plan to include preventative medicine; vaccinations and endo and ecto parasite prevention. Regular claw and tooth checks, grooming and bottom checks (Rabbits produce a sticky poo, which they re-eat, this often can get stuck to the bottom areas and attract flies, leading to fly strike)
Freedom from discomfort
Providing a suitable environment for your rabbit with adequate space, comfortable, clean substrate which is regularly cleaned and maintained, Sue recommends wood shavings and straw. An enclosed space to shelter from cooler temperatures or extremely hot temperatures.
Freedom to express normal behaviour
Rabbits are sociable animals and should always be homed with another companion rabbit, which has been successfully pair bonded. It is vital that they are correctly sexed and neutered to prevent unwanted litters. Rabbits need a living space that allows them to stand on their back legs, reach up, run around, stretch out, forage, run, jump, explore and tunnel. Providing them with suitable enrichment that will encourage normal behaviours such as tunnels, cardboard boxes, forage balls and hay.
Freedom from fear and distress
Rabbits do not enjoy handling, they are a prey species and although they can be very bold and curious, they should always be given the opportunity to escape situations that cause them distress and allowed their own time to explore. Good handling practises and a knowledge of correctly picking up and placing down supporting their heavy back legs is essential.
Surprisingly, many forms of accomodation currently available in general retail are not big enough to allow rabbits to express normal behaviour. The traditional hutch that holds the traditional space in our perceptions is often not big enough. The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund recommends a minimum accomodation size of 3m in length, 2m in width and 1m in height.
Sourcing a Rabbit
Rabbits are amongst the small number of companion species still to be found within retail spaces. Whilst other species such as dogs have a robust education associated with "finding the right dog for you" and breed characteristics and health stats, rabbits have sadly fallen behind. Despite their sentience, their curiosity, ability to learn and social characteristics they are still in the eyes of many a product to be purchased "off a shelf".
When we visit a pet shop to purchase rabbits, there is a trend for us to take them for face value. We do not ask questions about their breeding, the conditions in which they were bred, the welfare practises of the breeder or indeed, if any paperwork exists representing their heritage.
Not All Breeders Are Equal
I, personally, have had experience of poor practises in rabbit breeding when I visited a rabbit breeder a few years ago. I was shocked to find the rabbits kept in cages that would not have been considered out of place in a battery-style farm; rabbits were barely able to move, they were cramped, with low ceilings in cages built from floor to ceiling in a dark, dingy, rickety garage/shed space. There was dust, dirty bedding, flies and the overwhelming, throat-burning continuous presence of ammonia in the air. The rabbits were breeding machines, spitting out litter after litter.
The lady in charge of the operation told me that she sold predominantly to pet shops and rarely received visitors to purchase direct. Unsurprising! I am not sure what madness inspired her to invite me to view, she seemed completely unaware of the crimes she was committing to those poor animals and the litany of errors she had made in her operation.
So why, as a nation, do phrases such as "puppy farms" hold such emotional weight, when rabbit breeding institutions acting in the same way escape our national scorn?
To change this inherent culture, we need to start at source. As a nation we need to learn to change the narrative by asking the right questions. There are great rabbit breeders out there, there are great rabbit rescues out there and all should be honest and excited to introduce you to their premesis to meet the bunnies. They should be educated, champions of rabbit welfare with a passion for the species. Their rabbits should have all of the basic husbandry requirements and more, a passionate breeder, a caring breeder would be excited to fulfill their animals needs.
We Can Wait For The Government.....Or Become Rabbit Advocates In Our Own Right.
At present in England, you are not required to hold a license to breed rabbits. This, in day to day practise means that there are no specific welfare guidelines or inspections to hold breeders to account to uphold minimum standards. The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund are campaigning for an update that will mandate for licensing. I believe, that whilst this will be very welcome, while we wait in the interim period, we ourselves can equip ourselves with the knowledge to ask the right questions, be critical of our choices, critical of the choices of others. If we see poor practise or cruelty, we should report it.
So Lets Update Our Knowledge
If you would like to learn more about rabbit welfare and how you can make the very best welfare choices for your new pets or your existing rabbits, education empowers all of us to do this! Listen to our podcast featuring Sue Jeavons, Harper Adams University and Rae Walters, The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund.
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