Exotic RAW Room for rabbits

This week is rabbit awareness week.
It is organised by the Rabbit Awareness Action Group (RAAG), who are ‘the trusted voice of rabbit
welfare’ in the UK. They bring together expertise from the RSPCA, PDSA, Blue Cross, the Rabbit
Welfare Association & Fund (RWAF) and have been campaigning for 15 years to improve
the welfare of the UK’s pet rabbits.
This year rabbit awareness week is focussing on the message ‘Room for Rabbits’.
In the wild we see rabbits living in large groups in warrens in grassland, framland, moorland
and gardens. In one study, a five year old warren had 150 entrances, and over 500 metres
of tunnels!
In this context, a pet rabbit living alone and confined to a hutch 24 hours a day could be
considered to being treated worse than a criminal.
Rabbits are very intelligent and social. Pet rabbits can learn to perform tricks, but in the wild
they are curious, and co-operative, taking it in turns to watch our for danger and warn others
when to run for shelter.
The RAAG have set out five principles of rabbit care, which they call their five key welfare
needs.
These hinge around their environment, diet, behaviour, companionship and health. If you
would like to read about these in more detail go to rabbitawarenessactiongroup.co.uk .