{{Short description|Domesticated form of European rabbit}} {{Use British English|date=December 2025}} {{About|the domesticated form of the European rabbit|the wild variety|European rabbit|all rabbit species|Rabbit}} {{good article}} {{Subspeciesbox | image = Heimtier 004 2023 08 26.jpg | image_caption = Silz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany | image_alt = A white and brown spotted rabbit sitting on a brick pathway among scattered plant matter | image2 = Lautäußerung Kaninchen.flac | image2_caption = The calls of a pet rabbit | image2_alt = Rabbit calls | status = DOM | genus = Oryctolagus | species = cuniculus | species_link = European rabbit | subspecies = domesticus | authority = }}
The '''domestic rabbit''' ('''''Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus''''') is the domesticated form and subspecies of the European rabbit. There are hundreds of rabbit breeds originating from all over the world. Rabbits were first domesticated and used for food and fur by the Romans. Rabbits may be housed inside, but the idea of the domestic rabbit as a house companion, a so-called '''house rabbit''' (similar to a house cat), was only strongly promoted starting with publications in the 1980s. Rabbits can be trained to use a litter box and taught to come when called, but require exercise and can damage a house or injure themselves if it has not been suitably prepared, based on their innate need to chew. Accidental interactions between pet rabbits and wild rabbits, while seemingly harmless, have been strongly discouraged due to the species' different temperaments as well as wild rabbits potentially carrying diseases.
Unwanted pet rabbits sometimes end up in animal shelters, especially after the Easter season. In 2017, they were the United States' third most abandoned pet. Some of them go on to be adopted and become family pets in various forms. Because their wild counterparts have become invasive in Australia, pet rabbits are banned in the state of Queensland. Domestic rabbits bred for generations under human supervision to be docile will be less able to care or fend for themselves, if they are abandoned or escape from captivity.
Domestic rabbits are raised as livestock for their meat, wool (in the case of the Angora breeds) and/or fur. They are also kept as pets and used as laboratory animals. Specific breeds are used in different industries; Rex rabbits, for example, are commonly raised for their fur, Californians are commonly raised for meat and New Zealands are commonly used in animal testing for their nearly identical appearance. Aside from the commercial or pet application, rabbits are commonly raised for exhibition at shows.
== Terminology and etymology == {{Further|European rabbit#Naming and etymology|Rabbit#Terminology and etymology}} Male rabbits are called ''bucks''; females are called ''does''. An older term for an adult rabbit is ''coney'', while ''rabbit'' once referred only to the young animals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=coney|title=coney | Search Online Etymology Dictionary|website=www.etymonline.com|access-date=2024-01-02|archive-date=2024-03-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240306143241/https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=coney|url-status=live}}</ref> Another term for a young rabbit is ''bunny'', though this term is often applied informally (especially by children and rabbit enthusiasts) to rabbits generally, especially domestic ones. More recently, the term ''kit'' or ''kitten'' has been used to refer to a young rabbit. A young hare is called a ''leveret''; this term is sometimes informally applied to a young rabbit as well. A group of rabbits is known as a "colony" or a "nest".<ref>{{cite web |title=The Collective Noun Page |url=http://www.ojohaven.com/collectives |access-date=30 January 2008 |archive-date=1 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201105020/http://www.ojohaven.com/collectives/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
The word rabbit itself derives from the Middle English {{lang|enm|rabet}}, a borrowing from the Walloon {{lang|wa|robète}}, which was a diminutive of the French or Middle Dutch {{lang|dum|robbe}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/rabbit#etymonline_v_3248 |title=rabbit |website=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=15 July 2021 }}</ref>
== History == The spread of the European rabbit from its native range of the Iberian Peninsula is linked to the possible deliberate introduction of the species to Africa by the Phoenicians around this time period, followed by later introductions to the regions of Italy, England, and Ireland by various seafaring groups.<ref name="Walker">{{Cite book|title=Walker's mammals of the world |volume=2 |edition=6 |last=Nowak |first=Ronald M. |date=1999 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |location=Baltimore |pages=1729–1731 |isbn=978-0-8018-5789-8 |url=https://archive.org/details/walkersmammalsof0002nowa_d2q4/page/1730/mode/2up}}</ref>
The captivity of rabbits as a food source is recorded as early as the 1st century BC, when the Roman writer Pliny the Elder described the use of rabbit hutches, along with enclosures called ''leporaria''.<ref name="Irving-PeaseFrantz2018">{{cite journal|last1=Irving-Pease|first1=Evan K.|last2=Frantz|first2=Laurent A.F.|last3=Sykes|first3=Naomi|last4=Callou|first4=Cécile|last5=Larson|first5=Greger|title=Rabbits and the Specious Origins of Domestication|journal=Trends in Ecology & Evolution|volume=33|issue=3|pages=149–152|year=2018|issn=0169-5347|doi=10.1016/j.tree.2017.12.009|pmid=29454669|bibcode=2018TEcoE..33..149I |s2cid=3380288|url=http://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/34474|access-date=2019-09-03|archive-date=2019-08-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822215505/https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/34474|url-status=live}}</ref> In Rome, rabbits were raised in large walled colonies with walls extended underground.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Moore|first=Lucile C.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V8uPBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA18|title=A House Rabbit Primer: Understanding and Caring for your Companion Rabbit|publisher=Santa Monica Press, LLC|year=2005|isbn=1-59580-873-6|location=Santa Monica, CA|pages=19–20|access-date=2020-05-14|archive-date=2024-05-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521140754/https://books.google.com/books?id=V8uPBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA18#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Pliny, the consumption of unborn and newborn rabbits, called laurices, was considered a delicacy.<ref>Pliny, the Elder, Natural history, 8.81 (55) The different species of hares, online: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137%3Abook%3D8%3Achapter%3D81 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170429043950/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137%3Abook%3D8%3Achapter%3D81 |date=2017-04-29 }}</ref>
In the Middle Ages, wild rabbits were often kept for the hunt. Monks in southern France were crossbreeding rabbits at least by the 12th century AD.<ref name="Irving-PeaseFrantz2018"/> This was thought to have occurred as early as 600 AD in order to provide a 'meat substitute' for the monks during lent, which is a Christian observance in which one must refrain from eating meat.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-02-14 |title=The history of domestication: a rabbit's tale {{!}} University of Oxford |url=https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2018-02-14-history-domestication-rabbit%E2%80%99s-tale#:~:text=Wild%20rabbits%20are%20widely%20thought,'meat%20substitute'%20during%20Lent. |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=www.ox.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref> Domestication was probably a slow process that took place from the Roman period (or earlier) until the 1500s,<ref name="Irving-PeaseFrantz2018"/> around which point rabbit was a meat served as a luxury.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Davidson |first=Alan |title=The Oxford Companion to Food |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-19-175627-6 |editor-last=Jaine |editor-first=Tom |edition=3rd |page=1900 |doi=10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001}}</ref> [[File:Women hunting rabbits with a ferret.jpg|alt=Depiction of rabbit hunting in Queen Mary Psalter (1340)|center|frame|A medieval depiction of ladies who are hunting rabbits in a warren using cages and ferrets. Queen Mary's Psalter (1340)]] In the 19th century, as animal fancy in general began to emerge, rabbit fanciers began to sponsor rabbit exhibitions and fairs in Western Europe and the United States. Breeds of various domesticated animals were created and modified for the added purpose of exhibition, a departure from the breeds that had been created solely for food, fur, or wool. The rabbit's emergence as a household pet began during the Victorian era.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Amato|first=Sarah|title=Beastly Possessions: Animals In Victorian Consumer Culture.|publisher=University Of Toronto Press|year=2015|isbn=978-1-4426-1760-5|location=Toronto, Canada|pages=31–32|oclc=1124537499}}</ref> The keeping of the rabbit as a pet commencing from the 1800s coincides with the first observable skeletal differences between the wild and domestic populations, even though captive rabbits had been exploited for over 2,000 years.<ref name="Irving-PeaseFrantz2018"/>
The emerging domestic rabbit subspecies, all breeds of which have been derived from the European rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus''),<ref name="Schneider">{{Cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Mammals |chapter=Rabbit and Hare Species |first1=Eberhard |last1=Schneider |editor-last1=Macdonald |editor-first1=David W. |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199206087.001.0001/acref-9780199206087-e-118?rskey=fRlKyu&result=118 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-920608-7 |date=2006 |edition=3}}</ref> has been popular in the United States since the late 19th century. What became known as the "Belgian Hare Boom" began with the importation of the first Belgian Hares from England in 1888 and, soon after, the founding of the American Belgian Hare Association, the first rabbit club in America. From 1898 to 1901, many thousands of Belgian Hares were imported to America.<ref name="TLC-BH">{{cite web |title=Heritage Rabbits - Belgian Hare |url=http://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/belgian-hare |website=The Livestock Conservancy |access-date=21 February 2018 |quote=Status: Threatened |archive-date=22 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222043744/http://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/belgian-hare |url-status=live }}</ref> Today, the Belgian Hare is one of the rarest breeds, with only 132 specimens found in the United States in a 2015 census.<ref name="AMBH survey">{{cite web |title = Hare Survey - Submitted by the Rare Breed Rabbits Group |url = http://belgianhareclub.com/hare_survey.html |website = American Belgian Hare Club |access-date = 21 February 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180221222455/http://belgianhareclub.com/hare_survey.html |archive-date = 21 February 2018 }}</ref>
[[File:La Vierge au Lapin à la Loupe.jpg|thumb|center|upright=1.5|Titian, ''Madonna of the Rabbit'' ({{circa|1530}})]] [[File:Beatrix and Peter Rabbit photo.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1|Beatrix Potter and one of her rabbits]] Rabbits as house companions began appearing with frequency in the late 19th century.<ref>{{cite book |last=Taylor |first=Judy |date=1986 |title=Beatrix Potter: Artist, Storyteller, and Countrywoman |publisher=Frederick Warne |asin= B005MJF9OQ}}</ref><ref name="BPArt">{{cite book |last=Potter |first=Beatrix |date=1981 |title=The Art of Beatrix Potter |publisher=VikingPress}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/farm-interior-breton-children-feeding-rabbits-14809| title = William Henry Lippincott, Farm Interior: Breton Children Feeding Rabbits, 1878, oil on canvas | website = Smithsonian American Art Museum | access-date = 2024-02-21 | archive-date = 2024-02-21 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240221203423/https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/farm-interior-breton-children-feeding-rabbits-14809 | url-status = live }}</ref> The most notable documentation is from Beatrix Potter's published diaries and letters.<ref>{{cite book |last=Taylow |first=Judy |date=1989 |title=Beatrix Potter's Letters |publisher=Frederick Warne}}</ref> Potter allowed both rabbits to live at least part time in the house with her. "Both were fond of the fire, and one used to lie inside the fender", and one rabbit slept, "under the grate on the hot ashes when the fire had gone out."<ref name="SRT">{{cite book |last=Davis |first=Susan |date=2003 |title=Stories Rabbits Tell |publisher=Lantern Books |isbn=978-1-59056-044-0 |page=72 |url=https://archive.org/details/storiesrabbitste0000davi/page/72/mode/2up}}</ref> The publication of Marinell Harriman's ''House Rabbit Handbook: How to Live with an Urban Rabbit'' in 1985 was another significant push towards the popularisation of rabbits as indoor pets.<ref>{{cite book |last=Davis |first=Susan |date=2003 |title=Stories Rabbits Tell |publisher=Lantern Books |isbn=978-1-59056-044-0 |page=84 |url=https://archive.org/details/storiesrabbitste0000davi/page/72/mode/2up}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=DeMello |first=M. |date=2010 |title=Becoming rabbit: Living with and knowing rabbits |url=https://animalstudiesrepository.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=acwp_habr |journal=Spring: A Journal of Archetype and Culture |volume=83 |pages=237–252 |via=animalstudiesrepository.org |access-date=2020-06-07 |archive-date=2020-03-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319222638/https://animalstudiesrepository.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=acwp_habr |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="HRH">{{cite book |last=Harriman |first=Marinell |date=2013 |title=House Rabbit Handbook: How to Live with an Urban Rabbit |edition=5th |publisher=Drollery Press |isbn=978-0-940920-18-7}}</ref><!--The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) was founded in 1910 and is the national authority on rabbit raising and rabbit breeds having a uniform Standard of Perfection, registration and judging system. The domestic rabbit continues to be popular as a show animal and pet. Thousands of rabbit shows occur each year and are sanctioned in Canada and the United States by the ARBA. Today, the domesticated rabbit is the third most popular mammalian pet in Britain after dogs and cats.-->
==Biology==
===Genetics=== {{anchor|Gene linkage maps|reason=This is subsection was migrated to Cuniculture#Genetics on 19 February 2018.}} {{anchor|Linkage maps|reason=This old subsection title was renamed "Gene linkage maps" on 18 February 2018.}} {{anchor|Color genes|reason=This subsection was migrated to Cuniculture#Genetics on 19 February 2018.}} {{Main|Cuniculture#Genetics}}
The study of rabbit genetics is of interest to fanciers, the fibre and fur industry, medical researchers, and the meat industry. Among rabbit fanciers, the genetics of rabbit health and diversity are paramount. The fibre & fur industry focuses on the genetics of coat color and hair properties.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dorożyńska |first1=K. |last2=Maj |first2=D. |date=February 2021 |title=Rabbits – their domestication and molecular genetics of hair coat development and quality |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/age.13024 |journal=Animal Genetics |language=en |volume=52 |issue=1 |pages=10–20 |doi=10.1111/age.13024 |pmid=33216407 |issn=0268-9146}}</ref> In the biomedical research community and the pharmaceutical industry, rabbit genetics are important in model organism research, in vitro fertilisation, and toxicity testing.<ref name="geneticstructure"/> The meat industry mainly relies on genetics for feed conversion ratios and reproduction potential in rabbits.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Blasco |first1=Agustin |last2=Nagy |first2=István |last3=Hernández |first3=Pilar |date=November 2018 |title=Genetics of growth, carcass and meat quality in rabbits |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0309174018300809 |journal=Meat Science |language=en |volume=145 |pages=178–185 |doi=10.1016/j.meatsci.2018.06.030|pmid=29982071 |hdl=10251/120922 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
The rabbit genome has been sequenced and is publicly available.<ref>{{cite web |title=Genome of ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' (rabbit) |publisher=United States National Institutes of Health |location=Washington, DC |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/datasets/genome/?taxon=9986 |access-date=19 February 2018 |archive-date=22 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222213643/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genome?term=oryctolagus%20cuniculus |url-status=live }}</ref> The mitochondrial DNA has also been sequenced.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gissi|first1=C. |last2=Gullberg|first2=A. |last3=Arnason|first3=U. |title=The complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the rabbit, ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' |journal=Genomics |volume=50 |date=1998 |issue=2 |pages=161–169 |doi=10.1006/geno.1998.5282 |pmid=9653643 }}</ref> In 2011, parts of the rabbit genome were re-sequenced in greater depth in order to expose variation within the genome.<ref name="geneticstructure">{{cite journal |last1=Carneiro |first1=Miguel |last2=Afonso |first2=Sandra |last3=Geraldes |first3=Armando |last4=Garreau |first4=Hervé |last5=Bolet |first5=Gerard |last6=Boucher |first6=Samuel |last7=Tircazes |first7=Aurélie |last8=Queney |first8=Guillaume |last9=Nachman |first9=Michael W. |last10=Ferrand |first10=Nuno |title=The Genetic Structure of Domestic Rabbits |journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution |date=2011 |volume=28 |issue=6 |pages=1801–1816 |doi=10.1093/molbev/msr003 |pmid=21216839 |pmc=3695642 }}</ref>
<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths="200px" heights="120px" caption="Rabbit coat pattern & color genes"> File:American_Grand_Champion_Dutch_Rabbit.jpg|{{center|1=Gene = '''du'''<br />''Pattern: Dutch<br />Gene = '''B'''<br />Color: Black (on white)''}} File:Lapin_Japonais.jpg|{{center|1=Gene = '''e(j)'''<br />''Pattern: Harlequin''}} File:Broken Mini Rex.JPG|{{center|1=Gene = '''Enen'''<br />''Pattern: Broken<br />Gene = '''D'''<br />Color: Chocolate (on white)''}} File:Eithel, black Silver Fox doe.jpg|{{center|1=Gene = '''si'''<br />''Silvering of the hair shaft''}} </gallery>
There are 7 main colour gene groups (or loci) in rabbits, with an additional 4 uncommon loci that are often breed specific; many other genes exist that influence coat color to a lesser degree.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 25, 2023 |title=Rabbit Color Genetics |url=https://www.blossomacresrabbitry.com/educational-materials/rabbit-color-genetics |website=Blossom Acres Rabbitry |access-date=May 13, 2024 |archive-date=May 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240513184839/https://www.blossomacresrabbitry.com/educational-materials/rabbit-color-genetics |url-status=live }}</ref> A rabbit's coat has either two pigments (pheomelanin for yellow, and eumelanin for dark brown) or no pigment (for an albino rabbit). Clusters of color genes plus their modifiers control such aspects as coat patterns (e.g. ''Dutch'' or ''English'' markings), color hues and their intensity or dilution, and the location of color bands on the hair shaft (e.g., silvering).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Stern |first1=Molly |last2=Cruickshank |first2=Jenifer |date=April 2022 |title=Understanding the genetics behind rabbit coat colors: Part 2 — coat color genes |url=https://extension.oregonstate.edu/animals-livestock/poultry-rabbits/understanding-genetics-behind-rabbit-coat-colors-part-2-coat |journal=Ag - Small Ruminants (Sheep and Goats) |access-date=2024-05-13 |archive-date=2024-05-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521140827/https://extension.oregonstate.edu/animals-livestock/poultry-rabbits/understanding-genetics-behind-rabbit-coat-colors-part-2-coat |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Diet=== [[File:Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus & Homo sapiens (54906494553).jpg|thumb|alt=Gray rabbits in an enclosure with a boy wearing a blue sweater and glasses holding a green leaf to feed the rabbits|A boy feeding rabbits at the Copenhagen Zoo]] As a refinement of the diet of the wild rabbit, the diet of the domestic rabbit is often a function of its purpose. Show rabbits are fed for vibrant health, strong musculoskeletal systems, and—like rabbits intended for the fur trade—optimal coat production and condition. Rabbits intended for the meat trade are fed for swift and efficient production of flesh, while rabbits in research settings have closely controlled diets for specific goals. Nutritional needs of the domestic rabbit may also be focused on developing a physique that allows for the safe delivery of larger litters of healthy kits. Optimizing costs and producing feces that meet local waste regulations may also be factors.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://ojs.upv.es/index.php/wrs/article/view/382/369 |title=Towards reduced feeding costs, dietary safety and minimal mineral excretion in rabbits: A review |first=L. |last=Maertens |journal=World Rabbit Science |date=1999 |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=65–74 |access-date=24 February 2018 |archive-date=4 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004063000/http://ojs.upv.es/index.php/wrs/article/view/382/369 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Hay is an essential part of the diet of all rabbits and it is a major component of the commercial food pellets that are formulated for domestic rabbits and available in many areas. Most rabbit pellets are alfalfa-based for protein and fibre, with other grains completing the carbohydrate requirements. Minerals and vitamins are added during production of rabbit pellets to meet the nutritional requirements of the domestic rabbit. Along with pellets, many commercial rabbit raisers also feed one or more types of loose hay; alfalfa in particular is used for the growth needs of young rabbits,<ref name="IndianaHRS food">{{cite web |title = Hay and Pellets: What do you feed a bunny? |work = IndianaHRS.org |publisher = House Rabbit Society, Indiana Chapter |url = http://www.indianahrs.org/rabbit-care/food-pellets-hay.aspx |access-date = 24 February 2018 |archive-date = 26 February 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180226012015/http://www.indianahrs.org/rabbit-care/food-pellets-hay.aspx |url-status = live }}</ref> though it may be too high in protein and calcium for adult rabbits.<ref>{{cite web |title=Feeding Your Rabbit |url=https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feeding-your-rabbit |access-date=12 October 2020 |archive-date=23 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023031403/https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feeding-your-rabbit |url-status=live }}</ref> Common sources of hay for rabbits include bluegrass, brome, fescue, marsh, orchard, timothy, oat and ryegrass.<ref>{{cite web |title= The Importance Of Hay by House Rabbit Society |url= https://rabbit.org/the-importance-of-hay/ |access-date= 12 October 2020 |archive-date= 26 October 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201026015424/https://rabbit.org/the-importance-of-hay/ |url-status= live }}</ref>
===Reproduction=== {{Anchor|title=Milk|reason=This is the name of a subsection that was merged into the "Reproduction" section here on 19 February 2018}} {{Further|Rabbit health#Spaying and neutering}}
[[File:Domestic-rabbit-kanela-breastfeeding.ogv|thumb|right|Rabbit kits suckling|270px]]
Rabbits are prolific breeders, in part because rabbits reach breeding age quickly. To prevent unwanted offspring, rabbits may be spayed or neutered at sexual maturity. Sexual maturity is determined as the point at which the production rate of spermatozoa stops increasing, which ranges based on the size of the breed: 4–5 months for small breeds (e.g., Mini Rex, Netherland Dwarf), 4–6 months for medium-sized breeds (e.g., Rex, New Zealand), and 5–8 months for large breeds (e.g., Flemish Giant).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nowland |first1=Megan H. |last2=Brammer |first2=David W. |last3=Garcia |first3=Alexis |last4=Rush |first4=Howard G. |date=2015 |title=Biology and Diseases of Rabbits |journal=Laboratory Animal Medicine |pages=411–461 |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-409527-4.00010-9 |pmc=7150064|isbn=978-0-12-409527-4 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Amann |first1=R. P. |last2=Lambiase |first2=J. T. |date=1967-10-01 |title=THE MALE RABBIT |url=https://rep.bioscientifica.com/doi/10.1530/jrf.0.0140329 |journal=Reproduction |language=en |volume=14 |issue=2 |pages=329–332 |doi=10.1530/jrf.0.0140329 |pmid=6053779 |issn=1470-1626|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Bucks usually require more time to sexually mature than does.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Varga |first=Molly |date=2014 |title=Rabbit Basic Science |journal=Textbook of Rabbit Medicine |language=en |at=1.6.2.4. Sex, age and sexual maturity |doi=10.1016/B978-0-7020-4979-8.00001-7 |pmc=7158370|isbn=978-0-7020-4979-8 }}</ref>
=== Dewlaps === thumb|A pair of rabbits with dewlaps|alt= A dewlap is a flap of skin or similar flesh that hangs beneath the lower jaw or neck. It is a secondary sex characteristic in rabbits, caused by the presence of female sex hormones. They develop with puberty. A female rabbit which has been neutered before reaching sexual maturity will not develop a dewlap, and even if a doe is neutered after developing a dewlap, the dewlap will gradually disappear over several months. This also aligns with the results of injecting male rabbits with female sex hormones, specifically the ones from pregnant women's urine; the male rabbits developed dewlaps, which then gradually disappeared once administration had ceased.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hu |first1=C.-k. |last2=Frazier |first2=C. N. |date=1938-02-01 |title=Relationship Between Female Sex Hormone and Dewlap in the Rabbit |url=http://ebm.sagepub.com/lookup/doi/10.3181/00379727-38-9761 |journal=Experimental Biology and Medicine |language=en |volume=38 |issue=1 |pages=116–119 |doi=10.3181/00379727-38-9761 |issn=1535-3702 |s2cid=87987542 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>{{efn|This is not the process of the rabbit test, a common way to test for human female pregnancy in the 20th century; the pregnancy test involved dissecting female rabbits after injection with urine to see if their ovaries had enlarged.{{refn|{{cite news |title=Dr. Maurice Friedman, 87, Dies; Created 'Rabbit' Pregnancy Test |last=Howe |first=Marvine |date=10 March 1991 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/10/obituaries/dr-maurice-friedman-87-dies-created-rabbit-pregnancy-test.html |page=32}}}}}} In some breeds of domesticated rabbit, particularly those bred for their meat, the dewlap is formed more readily in males;<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mullan |first=Siobhan |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781119333708 |title=Companion Animal Care and Welfare: The UFAW Companion Animal Handbook |last2=Saunders |first2=Richard |date=2018-12-21 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-1-118-68879-3 |editor-last=Yeates |editor-first=James |edition=1st |pages=172 |language=en |chapter=European rabbits (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') |doi=10.1002/9781119333708}}</ref> physically larger breeds generally develop larger dewlaps.<ref name="Venâncio-2024" />
The function of the dewlap is to provide soft material for the pregnant female rabbit to line its nest with.<ref name="Venâncio-2024">{{cite book |last1=Venâncio |first1=C. |last2=da Conceição Fontes |first2=M. |last3=Simões |first3=J. |year=2024 |chapter=Anatomical features of rabbits |editor-last1=Simões |editor-first1=J. |editor-last2=Monteiro |editor-first2=J.M. |title=Veterinary Care of Farm Rabbits |publisher=Springer |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-44542-2 |isbn=978-3-031-44542-2|page=21}}</ref> Fur is plucked directly from the rabbit's own dewlap, sides, and abdomen for use as nesting material.<ref>{{Cite book| last1=Martins |first1=J.J. |last2=Simões |first2=J. |last3=Venâncio |first3=C. |last4=Saavedra |first4=M.J. |last5=da Conceição Fontes |first5=M. |year=2024 |chapter=Physiological features of rabbits |editor-last1=Simões |editor-first1=J.|editor-last2= Monteiro|editor-first2= J.M. |title=Veterinary Care of Farm Rabbits |publisher=Springer |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-44542-2 |isbn=978-3-031-44542-2 |page=52}}</ref> The fur of the dewlap becomes particularly loose roughly 5 days before the young are born due to higher levels of the hormones testosterone and prolactin, allowing it to be plucked easier.<ref name=garcia-2024>{{cite book |first1=Rosa M. |last1=Garcia-Garcia |first2=Daniela |last2=Jordán-Rodriguez |first3=Pedro L. |last3=Lorenzo |first4=Pilar G. |last4=Rebollar |first5=María Arias-Alvarez |last5=Venâncio |year=2024 |chapter=Reproduction in the female rabbit |editor-last1=Simões |editor-first1=J. |editor-last2=Monteiro |editor-first2=J.M. |title=Veterinary Care of Farm Rabbits |publisher=Springer |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-44542-2 |isbn=978-3-031-44542-2}}</ref> Wet dermatitis and dermatophytoses, both afflictions of the skin, are common ailments of the dewlap.<ref name="Venâncio-2024" />
== Health == {{anchor|Health problems|reason=Old section title}} {{main|Rabbit health}}
Rabbit health is a well-studied area in veterinary medicine, owing to the long history of rabbit domestication and the use of rabbits as laboratory animals. In pet rabbits, disease is rare when raised in sanitary conditions and provided with adequate care. Rabbits have fragile bones, especially in their spines, and need support on the bottom when they are picked up. In domestic rabbits, a significant concern is that they will gnaw on almost anything, including electrical cords (possibly leading to electrocution), potentially poisonous plants, and material like carpet and fabric that may cause life-threatening intestinal blockages.<ref name="HRS rabbit-proof" /><ref name="Dawson">{{Cite journal |last=Dawson |first=Bronwyn |date=10 July 2011 |title=Dealing with Medical Emergencies |url=http://rabbit.org/dealing-with-medical-emergencies/ |publisher=House Rabbit Society |volume=II |issue=4 |access-date=2 October 2015 |journal=House Rabbit Journal |archive-date=4 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004133553/http://rabbit.org/dealing-with-medical-emergencies/ |url-status=live}} A differently formatted version is also available [http://www.rabbit.org/journal/2-4/emergency-preparedness.html here] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127184208/http://rabbit.org/journal/2-4/emergency-preparedness.html |date=2010-11-27 }}.</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last=Crowell-Davis |first=Sharon L. |date=January 2007 |title=Behavior Problems in Pet Rabbits |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1557506306001807 |journal=Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine |language=en |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=38–44 |doi=10.1053/j.jepm.2006.11.022 |access-date=2024-03-20 |archive-date=2023-11-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119192000/https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1557506306001807 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>
Domestic practices that are associated with adverse health effects in rabbits include failure to spay females,<ref>{{cite web | title = Neutering, Castration and Spaying | url = https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/neutering-castration-and-spaying/ | website = Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund | access-date = 2025-02-09 }}</ref>declawing,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rabbit.org/care/declawing.html| website=Rabbit.org |title=Why Rabbits Should Not Be Declawed|access-date=2017-04-06|archive-date=2018-02-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220152443/https://rabbit.org/care/declawing.html}}</ref> and improper housing leading to sore hocks and stress.<ref>{{cite web |title=Housing |work=Rabbit.org |date=22 December 2023 |publisher=House Rabbit Society |url= http://rabbit.org/faq-housing/}}</ref> Domestic rabbits, like wild rabbits, are also susceptible to viral diseases such as myxomatosis,<ref name="OID-Myx">{{cite journal|title=Myxomatosis (Chapter 2.6.1)|journal=Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals ("Terrestrial Manual 2014")|date=May 2014|issue=Lagomorpha (Chapter 2.6)|pages=1–18|url=http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Health_standards/tahm/2.06.01_MYXO.pdf|access-date=19 February 2018|publisher=World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315092400/http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Health_standards/tahm/2.06.01_MYXO.pdf|archive-date=15 March 2018}}</ref> rabbit haemorrhagic disease,<ref name="CFSPH-IICAB">{{cite web |title=Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease: Viral Hemorrhagic Disease of Rabbits, Rabbit Calicivirus Disease |date=September 2007 |author=Center for Food Security & Public Health |author2=Institute for International Cooperation in Animal Biologics |work=CFSPH.IAState.edu |publisher=Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine |url= http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/rabbit_hemorrhagic_disease.pdf |access-date=3 October 2015}}</ref> and West Nile virus,<ref name="Vetstream WNV">{{cite web|last1=Mancinelli|first1=Elisabetta|last2=Cousquer|first2=Glen|title=West Nile virus infection (Lapis)|url=https://www.vetstream.com/treat/lapis/freeform/west-nile-virus-infection|website=Vetstream|issn=2398-2969|access-date=21 February 2018}}</ref> and vaccination is not required or possible for these diseases in all jurisdictions.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Suen |display-authors=etal |first1=Willy W.|title=Experimental West Nile Virus Infection in Rabbits: An Alternative Model for Studying Induction of Disease and Virus Control|journal=Pathogens|date=2015|volume=4|issue=3|pages=529–558|doi=10.3390/pathogens4030529|pmid=26184326|pmc=4584271|doi-access=free }}</ref>
Few European rabbits, both domestic and wild, live longer than 9 years. One pet rabbit in Tanzania reportedly lived to nearly 19 years, and records from zoos and parks put their maximum age at roughly 13 years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AnAge entry for ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' |url=https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Oryctolagus_cuniculus |access-date=8 October 2024 |website=AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database |publisher=Human Ageing Genomic Resources}}</ref>
==Breeds== [[File:Samuel John Carter (1835-1892) - Rabbits.jpg|thumb|alt=Painting of rabbits|Various rabbit breeds painted by Samuel John Carter (1835–1892)]] {{Main|List of rabbit breeds}} As of 2017, there were at least 305 breeds of domestic rabbit in 70 countries around the world.<ref name="DAD-IS 2017">{{cite web|title=Data export|url=http://www.fao.org/dad-is/dataexport/en/|website=DAD-IS (Domestic Animal Diversity Information System)|publisher=FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)|access-date=30 March 2018|date=21 November 2017|archive-date=30 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180330211209/http://www.fao.org/dad-is/dataexport/en/|url-status=live}}</ref> The American Rabbit Breeders Association currently recognises 52 rabbit breeds<ref name="ARBA website">{{cite web |title=ARBA Recognized Breeds |url=https://arba.net/recognized-breeds/ |access-date=8 February 2024 |website=American Rabbit Breeders Association |archive-date=21 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121093953/https://www.arba.net/breeds.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> and the British Rabbit Council recognises 106.<ref name="BRC Standard">{{cite web|title=Breed Standards 2016-2020|url=http://www.thebrc.org/Mono%20Breed%20Standards%20Book%20APRIL%202017%20small.pdf|website=The British Rabbit Council|access-date=18 February 2018|archive-date=21 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121125834/http://www.thebrc.org/Mono%20Breed%20Standards%20Book%20APRIL%202017%20small.pdf}}</ref> Selective breeding has produced rabbits ranging in size from dwarf to giant. Across the world, rabbits are raised as livestock (in cuniculture) for their meat,<ref name="prodintro"/> pelts,<ref name="pg268"/> and wool,<ref name="woolrabbits"/> and also by fanciers and hobbyists as pets.<ref name="companionrabbit"/>
Rabbits have been selectively bred since ancient times to achieve certain desired characteristics.<ref name="Whitman">{{cite book|last1=Whitman|first1=Bob D.|title=Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World|date=October 2004|publisher=Leathers Publishing|location=Leawood KS|isbn=978-1-58597-275-3}}</ref> Variations include size and body shape, coat type (including hair length and texture),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tislerics |first=Ati |title=''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' |url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Oryctolagus_cuniculus/#3a0538fe6c2441bc4dad900e89213ec7 |access-date=May 21, 2024 |website=Animal Diversity Web}}</ref> coat colour,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zigo |first1=František |last2=Pyskatý |first2=Ondřej |last3=Ondrašovičová |first3=Silvia |last4=Zigová |first4=Martina |last5=Šimek |first5=Vlastimil |last6=Supuka |first6=Peter |date=2020-12-30 |title=Comparison of exterior traits in selected giant and medium rabbit breeds |url=https://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/wrs/article/view/12937 |journal=World Rabbit Science |volume=28 |issue=4 |page=251 |doi=10.4995/wrs.2020.12937 |issn=1989-8886 |access-date=2024-05-21 |archive-date=2023-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310184025/https://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/wrs/article/view/12937 |url-status=live |hdl=10251/160037 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> ear carriage (erect or lop), and ear length.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Castle |first1=W. E. |last2=Reed |first2=S. C. |date=July 1936 |title=Studies of Inheritance in Lop-Eared Rabbits |journal=Genetics |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=297–309 |doi=10.1093/genetics/21.4.297 |issn=0016-6731 |pmc=1208677 |pmid=17246796}}</ref> As with any animal, domesticated rabbits' temperaments vary in such factors as energy level and novelty seeking.
Many genetic defects in the domestic rabbit (such as dental problems in the Holland Lop breed) are due to recessive genes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Botha |first1=Mariette |last2=Petrescu-Mag |first2=Ioan Valentin |last3=Hettig |first3=Andrea |date=2014 |title=Genetic disorders in domestic rabbits (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') |journal=Rabbit Genetics |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=7–47 |s2cid=85671191}}</ref> Genetics are carefully tracked by fanciers who show rabbits, to breed out defects.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Castle |first=William Ernest |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=afE8AAAAYAAJ |title=The Genetics of Domestic Rabbits: A Manual for Students of Mammalian Genetics, and an Aid to Rabbit Breeders and Fur Farmers |date=1930 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-598-96820-3 |page=30 |language=en |access-date=2024-03-20 |archive-date=2024-05-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521140756/https://books.google.com/books?id=afE8AAAAYAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<gallery> File:Rabbit (8085135997).jpg|A domestic harlequin rabbit File:Joey Giant Angora Buck-rebalanced.jpg|alt=Fluffy white rabbit|A giant angora rabbit File:Kaninchen3.jpg|alt=A gray rabbit|A standard chinchilla rabbit File:Broken Castor Rex Rabbit.JPG|alt=Brown and white rabbit in the grass|A broken castor rex rabbit File:Lapin geant des flandres 2.JPG|alt=A brown rabbit sitting in a grassy pen|A Flemish Giant, one of the largest breeds </gallery>
== As pets == {{anchor|Rabbits as pets|reason=Old section name}}
thumb|A 9-month-old dwarf house rabbit visiting the outdoors with a harness and leash Rabbits have been kept as pets in Western nations since the 19th century.<ref name="companionrabbit">{{Cite web|url=https://fabclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Companion-Rabbit-Article.pdf|title=Companion rabbits: Assessing their needs and behaviour |publisher= Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians|last=Fry |first=Deborah |access-date=2022-04-21|archive-date=2022-04-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421213342/https://fabclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Companion-Rabbit-Article.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Rabbits can bond with humans,<ref name="HRS-Bonding">{{cite web|last1=Ramnaraine|first1=Amy|title=Bonding With Your Rabbit|url=https://rabbit.org/bonding-with-your-rabbit/|website=House Rabbit Society|access-date=21 March 2018|date=12 January 2017|archive-date=22 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322204513/https://rabbit.org/bonding-with-your-rabbit/|url-status=live}}</ref> and can learn to follow simple voice commands and to come when called.<ref name="Pavia 2003">{{cite book |last=Pavia |first=Audrey |url=https://archive.org/details/rabbitsfordummie00audr |title=Rabbits for Dummies |publisher=Wiley |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-7645-0861-5 |location=New York |url-access=registration}}</ref>{{rp|166}}
Rabbits are easily injured by rough handling, can bite when hurt or frightened, and are easily frightened by loud noises and sudden motions, which has caused them to be discouraged for use as pets for children.<ref name="HRS-Kids">{{cite web|last1=Mixon|first1=Carolyn|title=Children and Rabbits|url=https://rabbit.org/faq-children-and-rabbits/|website=House Rabbit Society|access-date=28 February 2018|date=10 July 2011|archive-date=1 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180301165903/https://rabbit.org/faq-children-and-rabbits/|url-status=live}}</ref> With the right guidance, rabbits can be trained to live indoors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rabbitbreeders.us/rabbit-facts/|title=Rabbit Facts - Top 20 Facts about Rabbits|access-date=2024-01-02|archive-date=2024-01-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102150320/https://rabbitbreeders.us/rabbit-facts/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Rabbits are especially popular as pets in the United States during the Easter season, due to their association with the holiday. However, animal shelters that accept rabbits often complain that during the weeks and months following Easter, there is a rise in unwanted and neglected rabbits that were bought as Easter gifts, especially for children.<ref>{{cite news |title=Easter Rabbits |date=4 April 2007 |work=ABC7 News |publisher=WLS-TV |location=Chicago |url= http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=websites&id=5182955 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090202043356/http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=resources&id=5182955 |archive-date=2 February 2009}}</ref> Similar problems arise in rural areas after county fairs and the like, even in jurisdictions where animals are not legal as prizes in fairground games.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/bunnies-iquanas-used-as-prizes-at-kenner-carnival/289-431975775 |title=Bunnies, iguanas used as prizes at Kenner carnival |date=April 18, 2017 |website=4WWL-TV}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|agency=Forum News Service |url=https://www.twincities.com/2017/07/13/carnival-booth-gave-real-rabbits-as-prizes-till-the-fair-board-found-out/ |title=Carnival booth gave real rabbits as prizes — till the fair board found out |date=July 13, 2017 |website=Pioneer Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.greenfieldreporter.com/2023/07/12/carnival-company-hands-out-rabbits-unaware-of-greenfield-ordinance/ |website=Greenfield Daily Reporter |title=Carnival company hands out rabbits, unaware of Greenfield ordinance |first=Tom |last=Russo |date=July 12, 2023 }}</ref>
There are many humane societies, animal shelters, and rescue groups that have rabbits available for pet adoption.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rabbit.org/resources/how-many-pet-rabbits-are-there-in-the-usa/ |title=Statistics: How Many Pet Rabbits are There in the USA? |website=Rabbit.org |access-date=May 22, 2024}}</ref> Fancy rabbit breeds are often purchased from pet stores, private breeders, and fanciers. Breed availability varies based on geographic distribution, with some breeds being more popular in different countries or regions.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/dwarfrabbitsasho0000kels/page/22/mode/2up |pages=20–29 |title=Dwarf rabbits as a hobby |last=Kelsey-Wood |first= Dennis |date=1993 |location=Neptune, NJ |publisher=T.F.H. Publications|isbn=978-0-86622-713-1 }}</ref> Because of the destructive history of feral rabbits in Australia, domestic rabbits are illegal as pets in Queensland.<ref name="QLD law article">{{cite web |title = Rabbit Laws in QLD: Real life threat |url = http://www.greencrossvet.com.au/Pet_Care_Information/Article-216/Rabbit-Laws-In-QLD.aspx |website = Greencross Vets |access-date = 18 February 2018 |archive-date = 19 February 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180219151413/http://www.greencrossvet.com.au/Pet_Care_Information/Article-216/Rabbit-Laws-In-QLD.aspx }}</ref>
=== House rabbits === {{Listen|filename=Rabbit oinks and squeaks.wav|title=House rabbit noises|description=Noises made by a pet rabbit}} Rabbits may be kept inside as small pets. Rabbits that live indoors are less exposed to the dangers of predators, parasites, diseases, adverse weather, and pesticides, which in turn increases their lifespan.<ref name="HRS rabbit-proof" /> Cages are generally too small for most rabbits to live comfortably{{emdash}}even laboratory rabbits require significant space and enrichment<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nc3rs.org.uk/3rs-resources/housing-and-husbandry-rabbit |title=Housing and husbandry: Rabbit |access-date=May 22, 2024 |first=Lena |last=Lidfors |date=20 January 2022 |website=NC3Rs}}</ref>{{emdash}}and rabbit welfare groups recommend that instead of a cage, domestic rabbits free-roam.<ref name= "free roam">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rabbits/behaviour|title=Rabbit behaviour | rabbit advice and welfare | rspca advice|access-date=2019-11-24|archive-date=2020-09-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919084907/https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rabbits/behaviour|url-status=live}}</ref> The House Rabbit Society recommends "rabbit-proofing" areas to reduce the risks associated with their intrinsic need to chew.<ref name="HRS rabbit-proof">{{cite web |title=Outdoor and Indoor Hazards |work=Rabbit.org |date=2 March 2013 |publisher=House Rabbit Society |url=http://rabbit.org/faq-outdoor-and-indoor-hazards-to-companion-rabbits/ |access-date=3 October 2015 |archive-date=30 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151030080733/http://rabbit.org/faq-outdoor-and-indoor-hazards-to-companion-rabbits/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="HRS chewing">{{cite web |title=Chewing |work=Rabbit.org |publisher=House Rabbit Society |url=http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/chewing.html |access-date=25 February 2010 |archive-date=10 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151110124515/http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/chewing.html }}</ref> Along with their chewing instincts, Rabbits inherit burrowing behaviours from their wild counterparts that may need be addressed by their owner(s).<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Crowell-Davis |first1= Sharon L. |date= February 2007 |title=Understanding rabbit behavior and preventing and treating behavior problems |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/195464294 |journal=Veterinary Medicine; North Olmsted |volume=102 |issue=2 |publisher=MultiMedia Healthcare Inc. |pages=104,106-108,110,112-113 |access-date=17 April 2025|id= {{ProQuest|195464294}} }}</ref> Rabbits are easily litter box trained.<ref name="HRS litterbox">{{cite web|title=Litter Training|url=https://rabbit.org/faq-litter-training-2/|website=House Rabbit Society|access-date=18 February 2018|archive-date=19 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219090255/https://rabbit.org/faq-litter-training-2/|url-status=live}}</ref> thumb|Two house rabbits in their litter box Pet rabbits express their emotions in varying ways, such as a movement known as a 'binky' or 'binkying' when happy,<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=1999 |title=The Language of Lagomorphs: Rabbit Body Language |url=https://languageoflagomorphs.com/did-you-say-binky |website=languageoflagomorphs.com |location=<!-- not stated--> |publisher=<!-- not stated--> |access-date=17 April 2025}}</ref> or 'thumping' their hind legs when upset.<ref>{{cite book |last=McBride |first=Anne |date=2 January 2011 |title=Why Does My Rabbit...? |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zcruCwAAQBAJ |edition= revised |publisher=Souvenir Press |page=49 |isbn=978-0-285-63951-5 |access-date=17 April 2025}}</ref>
=== Bonding ===
Rabbits are social animals and will bond with other rabbits in or around their territory.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Crowell-Davis |first=Sharon |date=January 2021 |title=Rabbit Behavior |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1094919420300542 |journal=Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice |language=en |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=53–62 |doi=10.1016/j.cvex.2020.09.002 |pmid=33189256 |access-date=2024-03-20 |archive-date=2020-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113041759/https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1094919420300542 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Rabbit welfare groups encourage owners to make efforts towards bonding rabbits as part of normal socialisation, which usually involves carefully supervised meetings between rabbits on neutral territory. This helps minimise territorial aggression and allows the rabbits to establish a hierarchy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=bunnyjackpotfoundation |title=How do I bond my rabbits? |url=https://bunnyjackpotfoundation.co.uk/guidance/rabbit-guidance/how-do-i-bond-my-rabbits|access-date=2024-01-29 |website=www.bunnyhugga.com |language=en-GB |archive-date=2023-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230921130402/https://bunnyjackpotfoundation.co.uk/guidance/rabbit-guidance/how-do-i-bond-my-rabbits |url-status=live }}</ref> Over time, rabbits learn to tolerate each other's presence, form a social bond, and engage in vital social behaviours such as grooming, playing, and snuggling.<ref name=":4" />
thumb|A bonded rabbit pair
During bonding, as rabbits become more comfortable with each other's presence, they often engage in mutual grooming sessions.<ref>{{Cite journal |doi=10.12968/vetn.2016.7.4.206 |title=Stranger danger: the importance and perils of companionship in rabbits |first=Nadene |last=Stapleton |date=May 24, 2016 |journal=The Veterinary Nurse |volume=7 |issue=4 |pages=206–212 }}</ref> Unneutered and unspayed rabbits tend to cause problems for owners when approaching maturity.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bonding |url=https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rabbits/company/bonding |access-date=2023-09-21}}</ref> Bonding is reportedly more difficult, intact males become territorial and will fight each other, and male-female pairings can have unwanted pregnancies.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Yeates |first=James |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cGV-DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA163 |title=Companion Animal Care and Welfare: The UFAW Companion Animal Handbook |date=2018-11-26 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-118-68876-2 |pages=171–172 |language=en}}</ref>
When rabbit bonds break, it can have detrimental effects on their physical and emotional well-being. Rabbits are highly social animals, and sudden separation from a bonded partner can cause stress and anxiety. This stress can lead to health issues, such as gastrointestinal problems, reduced appetite, and a weakened immune system. Additionally, the sudden absence of a grooming partner can result in neglected fur, making the rabbit more susceptible to matting and skin issues.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bonding Rabbits |url=https://rabbit.org/care/bonding/ |access-date=2023-09-21 |website=House Rabbit Society |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923165305/https://rabbit.org/care/bonding/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Dogs and cats pose a threat to rabbits unless trained and properly managed, and will not bond the same way rabbits will with each other. Rabbits are not compatible with birds or guinea pigs despite the fact they were commonly kept together in the past;<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rabbits in Homes with Other Animals |url=https://www.wihumane.org/behavior/ask-the-experts/rabbit-behavior/rabbits-in-homes-with-other-animals |access-date=March 20, 2024 |website=Wisconsin Humane Society |archive-date=March 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320172359/https://www.wihumane.org/behavior/ask-the-experts/rabbit-behavior/rabbits-in-homes-with-other-animals |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Rubins |first=Suzanne |title=Guinea Pigs as Rabbit Buddies |url=http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/gpfriends.shtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120910164509/http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/gpfriends.shtml |archive-date=10 September 2012 |access-date=10 June 2009 |work=Rabbit.org |publisher=House Rabbit Network}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Relationships with rabbits |url=https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Relationships_with_rabbits |website=Wabbit Wiki |date=11 October 2025 |access-date=2025-11-05}}</ref> relationships between rabbits and guinea pigs have been described as "at best, neutral" and can involve fighting or transfer of disease.<ref name=":0" />
=== Care ===
Not all veterinarians will treat rabbits, and pet owners may have to seek out an exotic animal veterinarian for their rabbit's care. Rabbits may hide signs of illness or disease, and literature published on the care of house rabbits recommends owners to regularly schedule veterinary checkups to identify hidden issues.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Parker |first1=Karen |title=The rabbit handbook |date=2010 |publisher=Barron's Educational Series |location=Hauppauge, N.Y. |isbn=978-0-7641-4253-6 |pages=53–87}}</ref> Works on rabbit care also advise regular nail trimming, coat brushing and items to chew on.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Moore |first=Lucile C. |url=http://archive.org/details/houserabbitprime00luci |title=A house rabbit primer: understanding and caring for your companion rabbit |date=2005 |publisher=Santa Monica, CA : Santa Monica Press |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-1-891661-50-1 |pages=82–88}}</ref>
Baby rabbits under eight weeks old are susceptible to enteritis, along with gut stasis and bloat.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://lafeber.com/mammals/holland-lop-rabbit-breed/|title=Holland Lop Rabbit Breed|date=2017-05-18|website=Lafeber Co. - Small Mammals|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-01|archive-date=2019-04-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401150948/https://lafeber.com/mammals/holland-lop-rabbit-breed/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Pet rabbits can often exhibit behavioural problems, including aggression towards humans and other animals, particularly with poor husbandry. Rabbits may or may not react favourably to handling and petting, depending on their personality and how they were raised.<ref name=":4" /> Rabbit owners can seek behavioural help through their vets and rabbit behaviorists.<ref name="IAABC"/>
Rabbit skeletons are light and fragile in comparison to their bodies, and are susceptible to trauma from falling, twisting and kicking. Improper handling of rabbits can lead to injury both to the rabbit and the owner.<ref name="HRS-UE">{{cite journal|last1=O'Meara|first1=Holly|title=An Uplifting Experience|journal=House Rabbit Journal |date=Fall 1998|volume=3|issue=11|url=https://rabbit.org/an-uplifting-experience/|access-date=1 April 2018|archive-date=2 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180402101901/https://rabbit.org/an-uplifting-experience/|url-status=live}}</ref> Rabbits also have needs that differ from other common household pets, which can lead to poor quality of life for the animal if their owners are unaware of these needs and often results in rabbits being returned to animal shelters.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Neville |first1=Vikki |last2=Hinde |first2=Keith |last3=Line |first3=Elaine |last4=Todd |first4=Rae |last5=Saunders |first5=Richard Anthony |date=2019-04-03 |title=Rabbit relinquishment through online classified advertisements in the United Kingdom: when, why, and how many? |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10888705.2018.1438287 |journal=Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science |language=en |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=105–115 |doi=10.1080/10888705.2018.1438287 |pmid=29508633 |hdl=1983/1a83e3d8-babf-4dac-8568-394d232378e5 |issn=1088-8705 |hdl-access=free |access-date=2024-03-20 |archive-date=2024-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320153902/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10888705.2018.1438287 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Inappropriate treatment of a rabbit can include inadequate diet, housing, or socialisation.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=Rioja-Lang |first1=Fiona |last2=Bacon |first2=Heather |last3=Connor |first3=Melanie |last4=Dwyer |first4=Cathy Mary |date=January 2019 |title=Rabbit welfare: determining priority welfare issues for pet rabbits using a modified Delphi method |journal=Veterinary Record Open |language=en |volume=6 |issue=1 |article-number=e000363 |doi=10.1136/vetreco-2019-000363 |issn=2399-2050 |pmc=6924855 |pmid=31903189}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=McMahon |first1=Sarah A. |last2=Wigham |first2=Ellie |date=2020-09-23 |title='All Ears': A Questionnaire of 1516 Owner Perceptions of the Mental Abilities of Pet Rabbits, Subsequent Resource Provision, and the Effect on Welfare |journal=Animals |volume=10 |issue=10 |page=1730 |doi=10.3390/ani10101730 |doi-access=free |issn=2076-2615 |pmc=7598668 |pmid=32977692}}</ref> Rabbits also have a body language that is more subtle than that of common domestic pets, such as cats and dogs,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Witherell |first=Melissa |date=27 October 2022 |title=What do Different Bunny Positions Mean? |url=https://www.petmd.com/rabbit/what-do-different-bunny-positions-mean |website=PetMD |access-date=20 March 2024 |archive-date=20 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320153901/https://www.petmd.com/rabbit/what-do-different-bunny-positions-mean |url-status=live }}</ref> and compared to these species are prey animals rather than predators, which poses different challenges to a potential owner.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dobos |first1=Petra |last2=Kulik |first2=Laura Nikolett |last3=Pongrácz |first3=Péter |date=March 2023 |title=The amicable rabbit – interactions between pet rabbits and their caregivers based on a questionnaire survey |journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science |language=en |volume=260 |article-number=105869 |doi=10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105869|doi-access=free |hdl=10831/107705 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
The diet of a pet rabbit is variable and differs from that of wild rabbits, which may have to consume lower-quality food items such as twigs and shrubs to survive. Publications on the care of house rabbits advise various diets based on age in order to ensure the longevity of a pet.<ref name="Harriman">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/houserabbithandb00harr_0/page/54/mode/2up |page=54 |title=House Rabbit Handbook |first=Marinell |last=Harriman |date=1995 |publisher=Drollery Press |edition=3|isbn=978-0-940920-12-5 }}</ref><ref name="IndianaHRS food"/>
=== Housing === {{anchor|Outdoor housing|reason=Old section name}} [[File:Holland Lop Enclosure.jpg|thumb|A Holland Lop hiding]] Rabbits can live outdoors in properly constructed, sheltered enclosures, which provide protection from the elements in winter and keep rabbits cool in summer heat. To protect from predators, rabbit enclosures are usually situated in a shed, barn, or other enclosed structure, which may also contain a larger pen for exercise. The Rabbit Welfare Association has recommended that a pair of average size rabbits are kept in an area of at least 3m x 2m by 1m high.<ref name="RWAF housing">{{cite web|url=https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/outdoor-housing|title=Rabbit Housing Options|work=IndianaHRS.org|publisher=Rabbit Welfare Association |access-date=2024-11-29|archive-date=2015-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004132334/https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/outdoor-housing/|url-status=live}}</ref> Outdoor housing arrangements in hutches or unsupervised periods when rabbits are outdoors, even when properly secured, may still pose hazards such as temperature extremes, lack of social interaction between rabbits, and disease from digging in soil.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rabbit.org/care/indoor-living-is-best-for-rabbits/ |title=Indoor Living is Best for Rabbits |first=Amy |last=Ramnaraine |access-date=May 22, 2024 |website=Rabbit.org |date=11 March 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Outdoor and Indoor Hazards |first=Holly |last=O'Meara |url=https://rabbit.org/care/habitat/outdoor-and-indoor-hazards/ |website=Rabbit.org |date=9 January 2024 |access-date=May 22, 2024}}</ref>
=== Shows === {{Main article|Rabbit show}}
Much like conformation shows for dog breeds and cat shows for pedigreed cats, rabbits can be exhibited at rabbit shows, where they may be judged based on breed standards. Some argue rabbit shows are unethical as they involve transporting and caging the animals in stressful conditions. Most rabbit shows are organised or sanctioned by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA),<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hayhow |first=Chris |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gitWAAAAYAAJ |title=Care of the Domestic Rabbit |date=2003 |publisher=Leathers Pub. |isbn=978-1-58597-197-8 |language=en |access-date=2024-05-21 |archive-date=2024-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514145057/https://books.google.com/books?id=gitWAAAAYAAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> which recognises 52 breeds in its ''Standard of Perfection 2021–2025''.<ref name="rabprobreeds">{{Citation |title=Rabbit Breeds |date=2022-05-11 |work=Rabbit Production |pages=23–28 |url=http://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/9781789249811.0003 |access-date=2024-05-14 |edition=10 |place=GB |publisher=CABI |language=en |doi=10.1079/9781789249811.0003 |isbn=978-1-78924-978-1 |archive-date=2024-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514151434/https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/9781789249811.0003 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> However, rabbit shows have been organised by various groups since at least the 19th century.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gibson |first=Charles S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nzVEAQAAMAAJ |title=Breeding and Care of Rabbits for Exhibition and Market |date=1916 |language=en |access-date=2024-05-21 |archive-date=2024-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514202632/https://books.google.com/books?id=nzVEAQAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rhAAAAAAQAAJ |last=Rayson |first=Charles |title=Rabbits for prizes and profit |date=1872 |publisher="The Bazaar" Office}}</ref>
Show rabbits are judged based on physical conformation to a published breed standard,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/download/sample/3811 |title=Judging Rabbits |last=Andrews |first=Daniel K. |publisher=Washington State University Extension |date=July 2015 |access-date=2024-05-21 |archive-date=2024-05-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521141305/https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/Product/ProductDetails?productId=3811 |url-status=live }}</ref> and may separately include a behavioural or "showmanship" assessment. Important criteria in rabbit judging include coat condition, body shape, ear length and toenail condition.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.farmtalknews.com/news/breeding-rabbits-succeed-in-a-sector-set-apart-from-traditional-livestock-industry/article_a68505fa-6307-11ea-bf98-87202561af4d.html |website=Farm Talk News |title=Breeding rabbits succeed in a sector set apart from traditional livestock industry |last=Rapp |first=Raney |date=March 10, 2020 |access-date=May 21, 2024 |archive-date=May 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521141336/https://www.farmtalknews.com/news/breeding-rabbits-succeed-in-a-sector-set-apart-from-traditional-livestock-industry/article_a68505fa-6307-11ea-bf98-87202561af4d.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
==== Show jumping ====
{{main|Rabbit show jumping}}
Rabbit show jumping, a form of animal sport between rabbits, began in the 1970s in Sweden and has since become popular in the United States<ref>{{cite news |last1=Baczewski |first1=Matt |title=Rabbit Hopping Competitions Jump in Popularity |url=https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/rabbit-hopping-competitions-jump-in-popularity/150438/ |access-date=24 November 2022 |work=NBC10 Philadelphia |date=6 April 2015}}</ref> and Australia.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sheil |first1=Donal |title=Competitive rabbit hopping aims for new heights in international competition |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-13/competitive-rabbit-hopping/11302844 |access-date=24 November 2022 |work=ABC News (Australia) |date=12 July 2019 |language=en-AU}}</ref> Unlike judging shows, show jumping is largely a spectator sport.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Rebecca |date=2015-07-30 |title=Hop to it: Jefferson County Fair hosts first rabbit hopping contest |url=https://www.farmanddairy.com/news/hop-to-it-jefferson-county-fair-hosts-first-rabbit-hopping-contest/273380.html |access-date=2025-09-02 |website=Farm and Dairy |language=en-US}}</ref> When rabbit jumping was first starting out, the rules of competition were the same as horse show jumping rules. However, rules were later changed to reflect a rabbit's abilities.<ref name="topend">{{Cite web |title=About Kaninhop - Rabbit Show Jumping |url=https://www.topendsports.com/sport/unusual/kaninhop.htm |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=Topend Sports}}</ref> The first national championship for rabbit show jumping was held in Stockholm, Sweden in 1987.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://rabbithopping.com/p/hopp |title=Hopping versus Agility |access-date=2019-02-24 |archive-date=2024-05-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521141304/https://rabbithopping.com/p/hopp |url-status=live }} (n.d.).</ref>
=== Abandonment ===
Many pet rabbits are abandoned by their owners, especially those purchased as "Easter bunnies". In 2017, they were the United States' third most abandoned pet.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-04-12|title=Here's why Easter Is bad for bunnies|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/rabbits-easter-animal-welfare-pets-rescue-bunnies|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305180401/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/rabbits-easter-animal-welfare-pets-rescue-bunnies|archive-date=March 5, 2021|access-date=2021-12-21|website=Animals|language=en}}</ref> Rabbits are also frequently abandoned or relinquished to shelters due to challenges with rabbit housing, behavioural issues, or simply a loss of interest in the pet.<ref name="IAABC">{{Cite web|url=https://journal.iaabcfoundation.org/spotlight-on-research-rabbits-in-shelters/ |title=Spotlight on Research: Rabbits in Shelters |first=Clare |last=Ellis |website=IAABC Foundation Journal|date=3 February 2017 }}</ref> Some of these abandoned pets are adopted and go on to become family pets in various forms.<ref name="NYT article1">{{cite news |last = Lovett |first = Ian |title = When Delight Turns to Reality, It's Goodbye, Easter Bunny |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/20/us/when-delight-turns-to-reality-its-goodbye-easter-bunny.html |access-date = 18 February 2018 |work = The New York Times |date = 19 April 2014 |archive-date = 19 February 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180219151650/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/20/us/when-delight-turns-to-reality-its-goodbye-easter-bunny.html |url-status = live }}</ref> As domestic rabbits have been bred to be docile compared to wild rabbits, they will be unable to care or fend for themselves should they be abandoned, or if they escape into the wild.<ref name="SciWild">{{Cite journal |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/why-your-pet-rabbit-more-docile-its-wild-relative |title=Why your pet rabbit is more docile than its wild relative |date=June 25, 2018 |first=Elizabeth |last=Gamillo |journal=Science |doi=10.1126/science.aau5816|doi-access=free |url-access=subscription }}</ref>
== Human uses == {{anchor|Commercial rabbitry|Commercial rabbits|reason=Old section titles}} {{See also|Cuniculture}}
Rabbits have been kept as livestock since ancient times for their meat,<ref name="prodintro">{{Citation |title=Introduction |date=2022-05-11 |work=Rabbit Production |pages=23–28 |url=http://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/9781789249811.0000 |access-date=2024-05-26 |edition=10 |place=GB |publisher=CABI |language=en |doi=10.1079/9781789249811.0000 |isbn=978-1-78924-978-1 |last1=Lukefahr |first1=Steven |last2=McNitt |first2=James I. |last3=Cheeke |first3=Peter Robert |last4=Patton |first4=Nephi |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name="Irving-PeaseFrantz2018"/> and in modern times have been raised for wool,<ref name="woolrabbits">{{cite book |last=Davis |first=Susan |date=2003 |title=Stories Rabbits Tell |publisher=Lantern Books |isbn=978-1-59056-044-0 |page=54 |url=https://archive.org/details/storiesrabbitste0000davi/page/54/mode/2up}}</ref> fur,<ref name="pg268"/> and use in scientific research as laboratory animals.<ref name="animaltrends"/>
=== Meat rabbits ===
thumb|right|Meat-breed rabbits in hutches
Rabbits have been raised for commercial meat production in various parts of the world since at least the early 1900s.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JWpODwAAQBAJ&pg=PA10 |title=Issues on War and Peace |isbn=978-0-9803883-3-6 |author=Julie Kimber |author2=Phillip Deery |author3=Warwick Eather |author4=Drew Cottle |author5=Michael Hamel-Green |author6=Nic Maclelland |author7=Doris LeRoy |author8=Jeanette Debney-Joyce |author9=Jonathan Strauss |author10=David Faber |date=2014 |publisher=Australian Society for the Study of Labour History/Leftbank Press|page=10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yMZyMgnjNkwC&pg=PA146 |page=146 |title=Yearbook of the United States Department of Agriculture |date=1918 |publisher= U.S. Government Printing Office}}</ref> Intensive efforts to efficiently farm rabbits for meat began in the 1920s in southern California, and developed through the use of techniques such as artificial insemination in addition to the general advancement of rabbit veterinary medicine, nutritional needs and disease control.<ref name="meatsci">{{Cite journal|journal=Meat Science |title=Rabbit meat production and consumption: State of knowledge and future perspectives |author1=Marco Cullere |author2= Antonella Dalle Zotte |doi=10.1016/j.meatsci.2018.04.029 |volume=143 |date=2018 |pages=137–146|pmid=29751220 }}</ref> Breeds such as the New Zealand and Californian are frequently utilised for meat in commercial rabbitries. These breeds have efficient metabolisms and grow quickly; they are ready for slaughter by approximately 14 to 16 weeks of age. The main consumer of rabbit meat in the world was China, as of 2017,<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 May 2019 |title=Global rabbit meat market has increased and will continue to grow |url=https://www.newfoodmagazine.com/news/85045/global-rabbit-meat-market-grow/ |website=New Food Magazine |access-date=20 March 2024 |archive-date=20 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320144431/https://www.newfoodmagazine.com/news/85045/global-rabbit-meat-market-grow/ |url-status=live }}</ref> though the production of rabbit meat in China has decreased by 33.8% from 2010 to 2020, and global production has decreased by 24.1% over the same period.<ref>{{Cite journal|doi=10.3390/su15032008 |via=Gale Academic OneFile |journal=Sustainability |volume=15 |issue=1 |first1=Shahida Anusha |last1=Siddiqui |first2= Francesca |last2= Gerini |first3= Ali |last3= Ikram |first4= Farhan |last4= Saeed |first5= Xi |last5= Feng |first6= Yanping |last6= Chen |title=Rabbit Meat—Production, Consumption and Consumers' Attitudes and Behavior|date=2023 |page=2008 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2023Sust...15.2008S |hdl=2158/1304676 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
Rabbit fryers are the most common type of rabbit sold for meat, and make up more than 85% of the market share. They are raised to roughly 2 months of age, and weigh between {{cvt|1.7–2|kg}} live weight.<ref name="meatproduction"/> Rabbit roasters, stewers and "mature rabbits" make up a less defined category with a smaller portion of the market share. They generally have a live weight of over {{cvt|1.8|kg}} and are raised to over 6 months of age.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/What-types-of-rabbit-are-commonly-available |website=U.S. Department of Agriculture |date=December 12, 2023 |title=What types of rabbit are commonly available? |access-date=2024-05-23}}</ref> Stewers have been additionally described as rabbits weighing over {{cvt|3|kg}} and as a category marketed at a lower price than fryers.<ref name="meatproduction">{{Citation |title=Meat Production |date=2022-05-11 |work=Rabbit Production |pages=274–277 |url=http://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/9781789249811.0023 |access-date=2024-05-23 |edition=10 |place=GB |publisher=CABI |language=en |doi=10.1079/9781789249811.0023 |isbn=978-1-78924-978-1|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Some rabbit farmers opt to sell the skins of slaughtered rabbits to supplement income;<ref name="meatsci"/> the skins of meat rabbits may be dried with heat alone and are often sold without tanning.<ref name="meatproduction"/>
=== Wool rabbits ===
Rabbits such as the Angora, American Fuzzy Lop, and Jersey Wooly produce wool. However, since the American Fuzzy Lop and Jersey Wooly are both dwarf breeds, only the much larger Angora breeds<ref name="rabprobreeds"/> such as the English Angora, Satin Angora, Giant Angora, and French Angoras are used for commercial wool production.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y6njl3w0qEQC |title=Proper Care of Rabbits |date=1995 |page=206 |first=Darlene |last=Campbell |publisher= TFH Publications, Incorporated|isbn=978-0-86622-196-2 }}</ref> Their long fur is sheared, combed, or plucked (gently pulling loose hairs from the body during moulting) and then spun into yarn used to make a variety of products.<ref>{{Citation |title=Angora Wool Production |date=2022-05-11 |work=Rabbit Production |url=http://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/9781789249811.0022 |access-date=2024-05-26 |edition=10 |place=GB |publisher=CABI |language=en |doi=10.1079/9781789249811.0022 |isbn=978-1-78924-978-1 |last1=Samson |first1=Leslie |pages=292–302 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Angora sweaters can be purchased in many clothing stores and is generally mixed with other types of wool due to the poor durability of angora fibres on their own.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Onal |first1=Levent |last2=Korkmaz |first2=Mahmut |last3=Tutak |first3=Mustafa |date=March 2007 |title=Relations between the characteristics of Angora rabbit fibre |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/BF02875792 |journal=Fibers and Polymers |language=en |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=198–204 |doi=10.1007/BF02875792 |issn=1229-9197 |access-date=2024-03-20 |archive-date=2024-05-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521141304/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02875792 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>
thumb|upright|{{lang|fr|Peaux de Lapin}} ("Rabbit skins") by Edme Bouchardon (1737)
=== Fur rabbits ===
Rabbit skins are often produced as a byproduct of the meat production process, but some breeds have been bred specifically for superior fur quality. The main breed raised for its fur is the Rex rabbit.<ref name="rabprobreeds"/> White rabbit fur may be dyed in an array of colours that are not produced naturally, which has introduced demand for furs from New Zealand White rabbits; the practise of deceptively dyeing white furs to look like the pelts of other animals was popular in the 1930s.<ref name="pg268">{{cite book |last=Davis |first=Susan |date=2003 |title=Stories Rabbits Tell |publisher=Lantern Books |isbn=978-1-59056-044-0 |page=268 |url=https://archive.org/details/storiesrabbitste0000davi/page/268/mode/2up}}</ref> Rabbits in the fur industry are fed a diet focused for robust coat production and pelts are harvested after the rabbit reaches prime condition, which takes longer than in the meat industry. Rabbit fur is used in local and commercial textile industries throughout the world.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Xian |first=Vivian |date=2007 |title=China, Where American Mink Gets Glamour |url=https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=China,%20Where%20American%20Mink%20Gets%20Glamour_Guangzhou%20ATO_China%20-%20Peoples%20Republic%20of_05-17-2007 |access-date=March 20, 2024 |website=USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Global Agriculture Information Network |archive-date=March 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320144432/https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=China,%20Where%20American%20Mink%20Gets%20Glamour_Guangzhou%20ATO_China%20-%20Peoples%20Republic%20of_05-17-2007 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The reality of commercial rabbit farming in Europe |url=https://www.caft.org.uk/images/CAFT_Rabbit_Fur_Report.pdf |access-date=March 20, 2024 |website=Coalition Against the Fur Trade |archive-date=March 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320144432/https://www.caft.org.uk/images/CAFT_Rabbit_Fur_Report.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Experimentation ===
thumb|Pasture-raised rabbits in a moveable enclosure
Rabbits have been and continue to be used in laboratory work such as production of antibodies for vaccines and research of human male reproductive system toxicology. In 1972, around 450,000 rabbits were used for experiments in the United States, decreasing to around 240,000 in 2006.<ref name="animaltrends">{{cite journal |title=A review of trends in animal use in the United States (1972–2006) |last1=Kulpa-Eddy|first1=Jodie |last2=Snyder|first2=Margaret |last3=Stokes|first3=William |journal=AATEX |issue=14, Special Issue: Proceedings of the 6th World Congress on Alternatives & Animal Use in the Life Sciences, 21–25 August 2007 |date=2008 |publisher=Japanese Society for Alternatives to Animal Experiments |pages=163–165 |url= http://www.soc.nii.ac.jp/jsaae/zasshi/WC6_PC/paper163.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120313093813/http://www.soc.nii.ac.jp/jsaae/zasshi/WC6_PC/paper163.pdf |archive-date=13 March 2012 |access-date=3 October 2015}}</ref> The Environmental Health Perspective, published by the National Institute of Health, states, "The rabbit [is] an extremely valuable model for studying the effects of chemicals or other stimuli on the male reproductive system."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Morton |first=Daniel |title=The use of rabbits in male reproductive toxicology |date=April 1988 |journal=Environmental Health Perspectives |volume=77 |pages=5–9 |publisher=U.S. National Institutes of Health |doi=10.2307/3430622 |pmc=1474531 |pmid=3383822 |jstor=3430622}}</ref> Rabbits are also used in the study of bronchial asthma and related lung diseases,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Keir |first1=Sandra |last2=Page |first2=Clive |date=October 2008 |title=The rabbit as a model to study asthma and other lung diseases |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1094553908000102 |journal=Pulmonary Pharmacology & Therapeutics |language=en |volume=21 |issue=5 |pages=721–730 |doi=10.1016/j.pupt.2008.01.005|pmid=18430597 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> stroke prevention treatments,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dilger |first=Emily K. |date=March 9, 2012 |title=Animal Research Success: Stroke |url=https://www.brainfacts.org/archives/2012/animals-stroke |website=BrainFacts}}</ref> cystic fibrosis,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=McCarron |first1=Alexandra |last2=Parsons |first2=David |last3=Donnelley |first3=Martin |date=February 2021 |title=Animal and Cell Culture Models for Cystic Fibrosis |journal=The American Journal of Pathology |language=en |volume=191 |issue=2 |pages=228–242 |doi=10.1016/j.ajpath.2020.10.017|pmid=33232694 |doi-access=free }}</ref> diabetes,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=Jianpu |last2=Wan |first2=Rong |last3=Mo |first3=Yiqun |last4=Zhang |first4=Qunwei |last5=Sherwood |first5=Leslie C. |last6=Chien |first6=Sufan |date=2010 |title=Creating a long-term diabetic rabbit model |journal=Experimental Diabetes Research |volume=2010 |article-number=289614 |doi=10.1155/2010/289614 |doi-access=free |issn=1687-5303 |pmc=3014707 |pmid=21234414}}</ref> and cancer.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Oshiro |first=Hisashi |date=2014 |title=The role of the lymphatic system in rabbit models for cancer metastasis research: a perspective from comparative anatomy |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ofaj/91/2/91_25/_article |journal=Okajimas Folia Anatomica Japonica |language=en |volume=91 |issue=2 |pages=25–28 |doi=10.2535/ofaj.91.25 |pmid=25492841 |issn=0030-154X|doi-access=free }}</ref>
The New Zealand White is one of the most commonly used breeds for research and testing.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Rabbit as an animal model for experimental research|quote=Amongst various strains, New Zealand white strains of rabbits are commonly being used for research activities. These strains are less aggressive in nature and have less health problems as compared with other breeds.|doi=10.4103/1735-3327.92960|doi-access=free|pmc=3283968|pmid=22363373|date=2012|last1=Mapara |first1=M. |last2=Thomas |first2=B. |last3=Bhat |first3=K. |journal=Dental Research Journal|volume=9|issue=1|pages=111–8|doi-broken-date=12 July 2025 }}</ref>
====Cosmetics testing====
Rabbits have been used for the Draize test, a method of testing cosmetics on animals.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Draize Eye Test and ''in vitro'' alternatives:A left-handed marriage? |first=M. K. |last=Prinsen |journal=Toxicology in Vitro |date=2006 |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=78–81 |doi=10.1016/j.tiv.2005.06.030 |pmid=16055303|bibcode=2006ToxVi..20...78P }}</ref><ref name="ScienceDirect 2018 pp. 673–747">{{cite book | chapter=Special Senses | date=1 January 2018 | doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-809841-7.00022-8 | chapter-url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128098417000228#s0100 | access-date=11 June 2020 | pages=673–747 | isbn=978-0-12-809841-7 | s2cid=172116640 | title=Fundamentals of Toxicologic Pathology | publisher=Academic Press | pmc=7170210 | archive-date=11 June 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611074326/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128098417000228#s0100 | url-status=live }}</ref> Animal rights activists have opposed animal experimentation for non-medical purposes, such as the testing of cosmetic and cleaning products, citing it as an example of cruelty in animal research.<ref name="Scientific American 2009">{{cite web | title=Do Cosmetic Companies Still Test on Live Animals? | website=Scientific American | date=6 August 2009 | url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cosmetics-animal-testing/ | access-date=11 June 2020 | archive-date=11 June 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611074327/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cosmetics-animal-testing/ | url-status=live }}</ref> These efforts have resulted in the decreased use of rabbits in these areas.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Franco |first1=Nuno |title=Animal Experiments in Biomedical Research: A Historical Perspective |journal=Animals |date=19 March 2013 |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=238–273 |doi=10.3390/ani3010238 |pmid=26487317 |pmc=4495509 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Albino rabbits are typically used in the Draize tests because they have less tear flow than other animals, and the lack of eye pigment makes the effects easier to visualise.<ref>{{cite book |last=Dawn |first=Karen |author-link=Karen Dawn |title=Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way we Treat Animals |date=2008 |publisher=HarperCollins |location=New York |isbn=978-0-06-135185-3 |pages=239–40 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pt7ZirPwG1sC&q=thanking+the+monkey |access-date=12 March 2013 |archive-date=21 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521140912/https://books.google.com/books?id=pt7ZirPwG1sC&q=thanking+the+monkey |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Notes == {{Notelist}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{Sister project auto}} * [https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/ The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund] * [http://www.arba.net The American Rabbit Breeders Association] – the oldest and largest rabbit specialist organisation in the United States * [http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/belgian-hare The Livestock Conservancy] – a registry of the rarest breeds of domestic rabbits * [http://world-rabbit-science.com/ World Rabbit Science Association] – an international science organisation dedicated to rabbit health research * [https://web.archive.org/web/20051025025558/http://www.thebrc.org/ The British Rabbit Council] – recognised breeds with photographs and more * [http://www.medirabbit.com MediRabbit] – a site dedicated to spreading the knowledge of rabbit medicine and safe medication in rabbits, for the owner and the vet professional * [https://www.Rabbit.org Rabbit.org Foundation] – a US-based educational and advocacy organisation for rabbit pet-keepers, founded in 2023 * [https://houserabbit.org House Rabbit Society] – a US-based rescue organisation for rabbit pet-keepers, founded in 1988
{{Animal domestication}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q149017}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Domesticated animals Category:Rabbits as pets Category:Livestock Category:Animal models Category:Articles containing video clips Category:Oryctolagus