Rabbit welfare: determining priority welfare issues for pet rabbits using a modified Delphi method

Background Rabbits are the third most popular pet in theUK, but little research into their welfare needs has beenconducted.Methods A modified Delphi method was used to generateexpert consensus on the most important welfare issues forrabbits in the UK. The study involved 11 experts, recruitedfrom a range of disciplines. The experts generated aninitial broad list of welfare issues via an online discussionboard. Two rounds of online surveys were conducted toprioritise these issues. The final round was a workshopwith a subsection of experts. The experts decided thatwelfare issues should be ranked considering: (1) severity,(2) duration, and (3) prevalence.Results Experts considered that rabbits were often keptin inadequate housing, were not handled or socialisedproperly, were fed inappropriate diets and owners failedto vaccinate their rabbits against preventable diseases.Rabbits were thought to experience a reduced lifeexpectancy. Lack of owner knowledge of rabbit husbandryand behaviour and, in some cases, also lack of veterinaryknowledge, contributed to poor rabbit welfare.Conclusions The Delphi process resulted in consensuson the most significant welfare challenges faced by rabbitsand can help guide future research and education prioritydecisions.