The transition of the rabbit from a wild animal to a domestic animal occurred much later than that of other livestock. Captive breeding of rabbits was already known in Roman times, but it only took hold during the Middle Ages when, inside convents, monks began to grow and reproduce these animals in cages, using them for their own use and consumption. The young were in fact considered to be of aquatic origin and therefore the monks could eat them during Lent when any other type of meat was prohibited.