Rabbits
Rabbits:TheEU'sSecond-Most-FarmedAnimal—AndAlmostNoOneKnows
Over a billion rabbits a year are killed for meat, fur and laboratory testing — most in stacked wire cages smaller than the rabbit's own body.
Farms
Battery Cages You Haven't Heard About
Rabbits are the second-most-farmed land animal in the European Union after chickens. China, Italy, Spain and France account for the bulk of global production. The overwhelming majority spend their lives in stacked wire-mesh battery cages identical in concept to those used for laying hens — with the same welfare consequences and even less public scrutiny.
An adult rabbit confined to a battery cage cannot hop, stand upright on her hind legs, or stretch. Foot lesions, spinal deformities and stereotypic bar-biting are routine. Mortality before slaughter often exceeds 20%.
Rabbits are also among the most heavily-used animals in cosmetics testing — the Draize eye-irritancy test was developed on rabbits in the 1940s and is still performed today in markets that have not yet banned animal cosmetics testing.
Cosmetics
Testing on Animals Is Still Happening
The EU, India, Israel, Norway, Switzerland, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Mexico and several US states have banned cosmetics animal testing. China — historically a major holdout — has begun accepting non-animal data for most products.
But many ingredients are still tested elsewhere, and 'cruelty-free' labelling is not legally regulated in most countries. Look for Leaping Bunny certification, which audits the full supply chain.
We don't need new arguments to act differently. We need new defaults.
Pet rabbits
The Companion Animal We Treat Worst
Rabbits are the third-most-relinquished pet in Western shelters. They are routinely sold as 'starter pets' for children, despite needing 10+ years of complex care, social companionship, and several hours a day of free-roaming exercise.
If you live with rabbits, the House Rabbit Society's guidance is the gold standard: pairs (not solitary), free-roam (not cages), and a hay-based diet (not pellets-only).
Rabbits
Try one plant-based week.
Rabbits are also among the most heavily-used animals in cosmetics testing — the Draize eye-irritancy test was developed on rabbits in the 1940s and is still performed today in markets that have not yet banned animal cosmetics testing.
Newsletter
One short letter. Once a month.
A handful of recipes, a story worth your time, and one thing you can do this week. Nothing else.
We never share your email. Unsubscribe in one click.