Ferret

Meeting ferret enrichment needs in infectious disease laboratory settings

Environmental enrichment is a necessary component of all research vivarium settings. However, appropriate enrichment decisions vary greatly depending on the species involved and the research use of the animals. The increasing use of ferrets in research settings—notably for modeling the...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Ferret

Citation: Anderson-Mondella, C. J., Maines, T. R., Tansey, C. M. et al. 2023. Meeting ferret enrichment needs in infectious disease laboratory settings. JAALAS 62(6), 518–524.

The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory and Other Research Animals (9th ed.)

The latest edition of the seminal reference on the care and management of laboratory and research animals. The newly revised ninth edition of The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory and Other Research Animals delivers an up-to-date...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Animal Training, Environmental Enrichment, Euthanasia, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Relocation & Transport, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Amphibian, Bird, Capuchin, Cat, Cattle, Cephalopod, Crustacean, Dog, Equine, Ferret, Finch, Fish, Fowl, Frog & Toad, Gerbil, Goat, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Invertebrate, Lizard, Macaque, Marmoset, Mole Rat, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Other Animal, Other Bird, Other Fish, Other Nonhuman Primate, Other Rodent, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Reptile, Rodent, Sheep, Snake, Tree Shrew, Turtle & Tortoise, Vervet (African Green Monkey), Zebrafish

Citation: Golledge, H., Richardson, C. (Eds.) 2024. The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory and Other Research Animals (9th ed.). Wiley-Blackwell. 1040 p.

Novel ferret enrichment: Ferrets have a ball

The best types of enrichment for lab animals are ones that encourage the expression of positive species-specific behavior. Ferrets were domesticated for their hunting prowess to control vermin and ability to tunnel narrow holes to ferret out prey. To satisfy...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Ferret

Citation: Madera, N., Adams, D., Offord, S. et al. 2022. Novel ferret enrichment: Ferrets have a ball. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 10(6) (November/December), 40-42.

Housing and environmental enrichment of the domestic ferret: A multi-sector survey

Ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) are kept and used in multiple sectors of society, but little is known about how they are housed and what environmental enrichment (EE) they may benefit from. We aimed to help guide caretakers about what housing...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Ferret

Citation: Dancer, A. M. M., Díez-León, M., Bizley, J. K. et al. 2022. Housing and environmental enrichment of the domestic ferret: A multi-sector survey. Animals 12(9), 1065.

Identifying behavioural traits and underlying personality dimensions in domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo)

The aim of this study was to examine the personality structure of domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) by using owner-based reporting of personality traits. A total of 743 ferret owners participated in an online questionnaire, with a total of 1029...

Year Published: 2021Topics: PersonalityAnimal Type: Ferret

Citation: Talbot, S., Freire, R., Wassens, S. 2021. Identifying behavioural traits and underlying personality dimensions in domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo). Animals 11(8), 2173.

Refining housing, husbandry and care for animals used in studies involving biotelemetry

Biotelemetry can contribute towards reducing animal numbers and suffering in disciplines including physiology, pharmacology and behavioural research. However, the technique can also cause harm to animals, making biotelemetry a ‘refinement that needs refining'. Current welfare issues relating to the housing...

Year Published: 2014Topics: External Bodily EquipmentAnimal Type: All/General, Amphibian, Baboon, Bird, Capuchin, Cat, Cattle, Cephalopod, Chicken, Chimpanzee, Chinchilla, Crocodile & Alligator, Crustacean, Dog, Equine, Ferret, Finch, Fish, Fowl, Frog & Toad, Gerbil, Gibbon, Goat, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Insect & Spider, Invertebrate, Lemur, Lizard, Macaque, Marine Mammal, Marmoset, Mink, Mole Rat, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Other Animal, Other Bird, Other Fish, Other Invertebrate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Other Rodent, Owl Monkey, Parrot, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Reptile, Rodent, Salamander, Salmon, Shark & Ray, Sheep, Snake, Squirrel Monkey, Tilapia, Trout, Turtle & Tortoise, Vervet (African Green Monkey), Zebrafish

Citation: Hawkins, P. 2014. Refining housing, husbandry and care for animals used in studies involving biotelemetry. Animals 4(2), 361-373.

Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals (1st ed)

This 30-chapter volume informs students and professionals about the behavioral biology of animals commonly housed in laboratory and other captive settings. Each species evolved under specific environmental conditions, resulting in unique behavioral patterns, many of which are maintained in captivity...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Amphibian, Baboon, Capuchin, Cat, Cattle, Chicken, Dog, Equine, Ferret, Fish, Fowl, Frog & Toad, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Lizard, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Other Rodent, Owl Monkey, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Reptile, Rodent, Salamander, Sheep, Snake, Squirrel Monkey, Turtle & Tortoise, Vervet (African Green Monkey), Zebrafish

Citation: Coleman, K., Shapiro, S. J. (Eds.). 2021. Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals (1st ed). CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.

The development and use of facial grimace scales for pain measurement in animals

The measurement of pain in animals is surprisingly complex, and remains a critical issue in veterinary care and biomedical research. Based on the known utility of pain measurement via facial expression in verbal and especially non-verbal human populations, “grimace scales”...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cat, Cattle, Equine, Ferret, Mouse, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent, Sheep

Citation: Mogil, J. S., Pang, D. S. J., Silva Dutra, G. G. et al. 2020. The development and use of facial grimace scales for pain measurement in animals. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 116, 480-496.

Using novel equipment to aid reduction and replacement of the ferret model in influenza transmission

The ferret model has long been the “gold standard” animal model for studying human influenza infection and is used all around the world for transmission studies. Professor Wendy Barclay and her team have used ferrets at Imperial College for 10...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Disease/Experimental ModelAnimal Type: Ferret

Citation: Boreham, T. 2019. Using novel equipment to aid reduction and replacement of the ferret model in influenza transmission. Animal Technology and Welfare 18(1), 59-61.

An explorative study on the effect of provision of preferred and non-preferred enrichment on behavioural and physiological parameters in laboratory ferrets (Mustela putorius furo)

Environmental enrichment is often advocated to refine animal studies. Despite the increasing use of ferrets as an animal model in biomedical research, the knowledge on effects of the provision of enrichment on these animals is limited. Additionally, it is unknown...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Ferret

Citation: Reijgwart, M. L., Vinke, C. M., Hendriksen, C. F. M. et al. 2018. An explorative study on the effect of provision of preferred and non-preferred enrichment on behavioural and physiological parameters in laboratory ferrets (Mustela putorius furo). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 203, 64-72.