Frankly, I think the issued is addressed from several different levels. What do rabbits need? What do rabbits like? And what do we think rabbits need and like?
It would appear, objectively, that rabbits don't needa lot to simply be healthy. Laboratories and meat producers can keep rabbits in pretty confined conditions while still maintaining a modicum of health. I think rabbits would like more space, but how is it that one determines that? Rabbits seem to like their little "hidey holes," construction tubes, cardboard houses, etc. Has anyone ever devised tests to insure "what they want?"
Rabbits don't need us. Given the choice to live as a normal rabbit, as opposed to a pet rabbit, I suspect they would chose to live normally and fore-go a bonding experience with us.
When we make them pets we do have a tendency to anthropomorphize, or attribute human thoughts and emotions to them, much like you would seein Richard Adams' Watership Down, but I don't know that that is the way they are thinking.
As pet owners we do tend to give them spacious quarters and exercise, which I suspect they enjoy, but I don't know if they think they are in need of it. I don't know if a rabbit who has been cage all its life, knows or understands the difference.
We have five outside rabbits, two bonded pairs and one widowed doe. We also have one house rabbit. We feel guilty because we do not spend a lot of time with the outside rabbits since we installed central air conditioning. We do let each pair, or single, free range in the back yard on alternating days in order to preclude fighting.
Because the pairshave each other, there is nothing to suggest they have any difficulty living in a hutch. They obviously enjoy free ranging. I don't think they miss our attention anywhere as much as we feel guilty about providing a lack thereof.
The widow has refused our attempts to bond her to new partners and doesn't seem overly anxious to cuddle with us. The house bunny reacts favorably to us and seems interested in us, but is fearful of free ranging. I suspect that is because everything outside seems so comparatively vast, noisy, unfamiliar and threatening.
I think rabbits raised by breeders can be healthy and happy, regardless of total numbers, because they are raised socially with their families and other rabbits. Many breeders attempt to handle all their charges daily in an attempt to make them better pets for us humans, but I don't necessarily know that is what the rabbit would prefer.
I think our rabbits are better off than being in a lab or a meat producing facility. If I were to do it over again, I would only have one rabbit at a time to languish my affection andcare upon. I don't know if our outside rabbits would agree with me. I think you can have as many rabbits as you don'tfeelguilty about.
The first rabbitry I ever visited had 600 holes! It was exquisite, architecturally and esthetically. It matched the rest of surroundings decoratively and ecologically. It was clean, airy and odorless. Watering and refuse removal were done automatically. All rabbits I saw everywhere appeared healthy and vibrant.
The family that owned the rabbitry, was in business to sell rabbits, but it was obvious they loved their business for each family member hadhis/her own breed specialtythat they raised for show. It soon became clear to me that probably no other rabbitry would ever compare favorably with this faciity. It was obvious to me that 600 rabbits were not too many rabbits for this family to deal with.
So how many can you have? As many asYOU don't feel guilty about. Don't think it often matters to the bunny(ies).
Buck
