Why Research Matters in Rabbit Welfare
- Team Nibbles
- Aug 18
- 9 min read
Introduction
Animal welfare isn’t fixed in time. As our knowledge grows, so too does our understanding of what animals need to live healthy, happy lives. Rabbits, in particular, have long been misunderstood — but thanks to peer-reviewed research, we now know far more than ever before about how to care for them properly.
At Nibbles, we believe that the best way to safeguard their welfare is by following the science. Evidence-based care is how we can ensure that every rabbit has a life worth living.
The Animal Welfare Act (2006) sets out the legal responsibilities that all animal guardians must meet. These are often called the “
Five Welfare Needs”:
A suitable environment
A suitable diet
The ability to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
Housing with, or apart from, other animals as appropriate
Protection from pain, suffering, injury and disease
These duties apply to every rabbit guardian in the UK. What research allows us to do is understand what these needs look like in practice. The science gives us a clear, practical picture of what is required to meet the Act — and shows us the harm caused when those needs are not met.
Environment: Why housing matters
There have been many studies showing just how much a rabbit’s living environment affects their wellbeing. Housing isn’t just about keeping rabbits sheltered from the weather and protected from predators — it shapes every part of their physical, mental, and emotional health.
An early study by Dixon and colleagues (2010) showed that rabbits provided with larger, connected spaces displayed far fewer abnormal behaviours such as bar biting, and instead spent their time running, hopping, stretching, and exploring. In contrast, rabbits in smaller enclosures were limited in their ability to perform even the most basic movements. The message was already clear: more space meant healthier, happier, more natural behaviour.
More recently, Rooney and colleagues (2023) built on this earlier research by measuring stress hormones in rabbit droppings — a reliable, non-invasive way to assess welfare. Their study confirmed what Dixon had already shown, and took it further: rabbits kept in small hutches with only limited exercise had much higher stress levels than those given larger hutches with constant access to a run. Rabbits whose exercise was restricted also showed bursts of frantic activity once they were finally let out — a clear sign of frustration.
Taken together, these and many other studies show that rabbits need enough permanent space to move freely and behave like rabbits — not just at certain times of day, but all the time. That means housing that allows them to run, jump, rear up, and fully stretch whenever they feel like it, day or night.
The Animal Welfare Act (2006) sets out two key duties that housing directly relates to:
the need for a suitable environment, and
the need to be able to display normal behaviour patterns.
When we put the science alongside the law, the message is very clear. A small, restrictive space does not provide a suitable environment. Housing that prevents running, jumping, or stretching does not allow normal behaviours. And when those needs are not met, welfare is compromised.
This is why welfare organisations recommend a minimum area of 3m x 2m x 1m high for a pair of rabbits. This isn’t luxury — it’s simply what’s needed to meet their most basic legal and welfare requirements.
Diet: Why fibre is essential
Just like housing, diet is at the heart of rabbit welfare. What a rabbit eats doesn’t just keep them full — it affects their teeth, their digestion, and even their overall health and lifespan.
One of the best-known facts in rabbit medicine is that they need a very high-fibre diet. But this isn’t just a matter of opinion — it’s backed up by years of veterinary research.
Early work by Gidenne (1992) showed that when rabbits were fed a diet too low in fibre, their gut function slowed, leading to digestive problems and discomfort. Later studies have repeatedly confirmed this, finding that a diet rich in long-strand fibre (hay and grass) is vital for keeping the gut moving normally and preventing potentially fatal conditions such as gut stasis.
Veterinary medicine has also made clear that diet directly affects dental health. Rabbits’ teeth grow continuously, and without enough chewing on coarse, fibrous foods like hay, their teeth can overgrow. Harcourt-Brown (2002) documented the strong link between low-fibre diets, dental disease, and secondary health problems such as abscesses, weight loss, and eye issues.
The research consistently shows that the majority of a rabbit’s diet must be hay or fresh grass, with small amounts of suitable fresh foods, and a measured portion of high-quality pellets to ensure nutritional balance. Muesli-style mixes have been shown to encourage selective feeding, leading to imbalanced diets and increased risk of both dental and digestive disease (Prebble & Meredith, 2014).
The Animal Welfare Act (2006) requires guardians to provide a suitable diet and to protect animals from pain, suffering, injury and disease. The science makes clear what that means for rabbits:
Hay or grass should make up the bulk of their diet every single day.
Suitable fresh foods can be added for variety and nutrition.
A small portion of good-quality pellets is important to meet essential nutritional needs.
Muesli-style foods compromise welfare and should not be used.
When we match the science to the law, the message is undeniable: a diet low in fibre, or based on inappropriate commercial foods, fails to meet a rabbit’s most basic needs — and directly puts their health at risk.
Companionship: Why rabbits need each other
Rabbits are highly social animals. In the wild, they live in groups, rely on one another for safety, and spend much of their time interacting socially. Yet for many years in the UK, it was common to keep rabbits alone. Research has shown us that this is not what rabbits need to thrive.
One important early study by Seaman et al. (2008) looked at how much rabbits “valued” social contact compared to food. The results were striking: rabbits worked almost as hard for access to a companion as they did for access to food. This tells us that companionship isn’t an extra or a luxury — it is a core need, as fundamental to rabbits as eating.
More recent work has looked at behaviour in rescue and shelter settings. Burn (2020) found that rabbits kept on their own were far more likely to show abnormal, stress-related behaviours such as bar-biting. In fact, 8 out of 15 single rabbits showed these behaviours, compared to none of the 30 paired rabbits. Pairs were also seen resting together, grooming, and providing warmth for one another — everyday signs of comfort and security.
Together, these studies show that companionship between rabbits improves both their mental wellbeing (less stress, fewer abnormal behaviours) and their physical wellbeing (better thermoregulation, more activity, healthier routines). A single rabbit may survive, but a bonded pair or group is far more likely to thrive.
The Animal Welfare Act (2006) requires that animals are kept with, or apart from, other animals as appropriate, and that they are able to display normal behaviour patterns. Science tells us that for rabbits, “appropriate” means living with at least one compatible rabbit companion.
When we connect the evidence to the law, the conclusion becomes clear: keeping a rabbit alone falls short of meeting their welfare needs. A life shared with another rabbit isn’t just happier — it’s what the law expects and what the science confirms.
Health: Protecting rabbits from pain, suffering and disease
Good health doesn’t just mean reacting when something goes wrong. For rabbits, it means setting up their care in a way that prevents illness and reduces suffering before it starts. Research has given us a clearer picture of how guardians can do this — from neutering, to hydration, to vaccinations, to monitoring droppings as an early-warning sign of problems.
One important area is neutering. Studies show that spaying female rabbits not only prevents unwanted litters but also dramatically reduces the risk of uterine cancer — a disease which can affect up to 80% of unspayed does by the age of five. Castrating males helps reduce hormone-driven aggression, but most importantly, neutering of both sexes makes it possible to house rabbits safely in pairs or groups, preventing loneliness and ensuring social needs are met.
Hydration is another key factor. Research has found that rabbits drink more when water is offered in bowls compared to bottles. Bowls allow a more natural drinking posture and ensure better fluid intake — helping protect kidney and urinary health. Bottles may be convenient for humans, but the science shows bowls better meet the rabbits’ needs.
Preventive health care also includes annual vaccinations against deadly diseases such as myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD/RHDV2). These diseases are widespread in the UK, often fatal, and have no effective treatment. Vaccination is the only reliable way to protect rabbits from unnecessary suffering.
Perhaps one of the simplest yet most powerful welfare tools is something every guardian sees every day: droppings. The size, number, and consistency of droppings are among the clearest indicators of a rabbit’s gut health. Small, dry, or reduced droppings can be an early sign of gastrointestinal slowdown — potentially life-threatening if left unchecked. Monitoring droppings isn’t just about cleanliness; it’s about spotting health problems early and preventing suffering.
The Animal Welfare Act (2006) requires guardians to protect animals from pain, suffering, injury and disease. The science tells us what that means in practice for rabbits:
Neutering to prevent disease and allow safe companionship.
Annual vaccinations to protect against fatal viruses.
Providing water in bowls to ensure adequate hydration.
Monitoring droppings daily to catch illness before it escalates.
When science is matched to the law, the conclusion is clear: health care for rabbits is not optional or “extra” — it is part of meeting their most basic welfare needs. By acting preventively, we protect them from pain and suffering and give them the best chance of a healthy, happy life.
Bringing it all together
The Animal Welfare Act (2006) gives us five clear responsibilities: to provide animals with a suitable environment, a suitable diet, the ability to display normal behaviour, appropriate companionship, and protection from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
Science shows us what these duties really mean for rabbits. Research has demonstrated that:
Rabbits need a large, interconnected living space which provides suitable sheltered areas for sleeping, resting, and hiding, along with opportunities for enrichment. This includes safe chewing materials such as willow sticks, and items they can hop on, through, over and under. Their environment must also be fully protected from the weather — shielding them from direct sunlight, prolonged rain, wind and snow — and safe from predators and other pets such as dogs and cats.
Hay and grass must make up the bulk of their diet, supported by suitable fresh foods and a small portion of pellets to ensure full nutrition.
Rabbits are not solitary. They need the company of their own kind, with safe bonding and neutering making this possible.
Preventive health care matters. This includes neutering, annual vaccinations, providing water in bowls, and monitoring droppings — all of which play a vital role in keeping rabbits healthy and free from suffering.
When we set the science alongside the law, the message is clear: to meet our legal and moral responsibilities, we must care for rabbits in a way that reflects what research has taught us about their needs. Anything less risks leaving those needs unmet.
As guardians, our role is to put this knowledge into practice. By doing so, we not only meet the basic standards set out in law — we give our rabbits the chance to live the rich, healthy, and fulfilling lives they deserve.
💛 If you’ve found this blog helpful, please consider supporting our work. Nibbles is entirely reliant on public donations to provide expert care for rabbits and rodents in need, and to continue sharing welfare advice grounded in the latest research. Every gift, no matter the size, helps us keep going. Thank you for being part of their future.
References
Burn, C. C. (2020). Best practice for rabbits in the UK: a review. Animal Welfare, 29(2), 123–138.
Dixon, L. M., Hardiman, J. R., & Cooper, J. J. (2010). The effects of spatial restriction on the behaviour of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 5(6), 302–308.
Gidenne, T. (1992). Effect of fibre level, particle size and adaptation period on digestibility and rate of passage in the growing rabbit. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 37(2), 133–146.
Harcourt-Brown, F. (2002). Textbook of Rabbit Medicine. Butterworth-Heinemann.
Harcourt-Brown, F., & Chitty, J. (2013). BSAVA Manual of Rabbit Medicine. British Small Animal Veterinary Association.
Prebble, J. L., & Meredith, A. L. (2014). Food and water intake and selective feeding in rabbits on four feeding regimes. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, 98(5), 991–1000.
Rooney, N. J., Blackwell, E. J., Mullan, S. M., Saunders, R., Baker, P. E., Hill, J. M., & Sealey, C. E. (2014). The current state of welfare, housing and husbandry of the English pet rabbit population. BMC Research Notes, 7, 942.
Rooney, N. J., Anderson, C., & Waters, A. J. (2023). The effects of hutch and run size on the welfare of pet rabbits in the UK. Animals, 13(13), 2121.
Seaman, S. C., Waran, N. K., Mason, G., & D’Eath, R. B. (2008). Rabbit welfare: The need for companion rabbits. Animal Welfare, 17(2), 169–179.
Varga, M. (2014). Textbook of Rabbit Medicine (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann.
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