Mouse

Enrichment for stud males in MRC Ares

Sometimes within the laboratory environment mice may be housed on their own for example when being used as studs for cryopreservation. As these animals do not have a companion for enrichment it is important that these mice are provided with...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: McCool, J. 2025. Enrichment for stud males in MRC Ares. Animal Technology and Welfare 24(2), 149–150.

Body condition scoring and weighing—Going combo!

Evaluating an animal’s nutritional status and overall fitness ensures its welfare. While weight is often used as a single proxy for overall fitness, it may not capture changes in muscle or fat mass on its own. This is why body...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: McClenaghan, M., Galichet, C., Murphy, S. et al. 2025. Body condition scoring and weighing—Going combo! Animal Technology and Welfare 24(2), 138–140.

A survey on the implementation of environmental health monitoring in mouse facilities in German-speaking countries

The health status of laboratory animals plays a decisive role not only for the health and welfare of the animals but also for the validity of study results. In recent years, there has been an increasing number of publications on...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Mahabir, E., Schmidt, K., Kolbe, T. et al. 2025. A survey on the implementation of environmental health monitoring in mouse facilities in German-speaking countries. PLOS ONE 20(10), e0334442.

Sleep preferences in CD1 mice in a laboratory environment

This study investigates the preferences of CD1 mice in a lab environment for various sleeping enrichment options within their cages. Understanding the environmental factors that influence sleep behaviour is crucial for enhancing animal welfare in laboratory settings. We assessed two...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Mackay, F., Teggart, M. 2025. Sleep preferences in CD1 mice in a laboratory environment. Animal Technology and Welfare 24(2), 175–176.

Chew sticks, do mice really care?

There are various chewing enrichments on the market for small rodents. In this study we focused on comparing two types, T-Brick and Aspen to see which product enabled more natural chewing behaviours in several strains of mice. A rack of...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Higginson, K. 2025. Chew sticks, do mice really care? Animal Technology and Welfare 24(2), 185–187.

Environmental enrichment for laboratory rats and mice: Endocrine, physiological, and behavioral benefits of meeting rodents’ biological needs

Standard housing for laboratory rodents is characterized by cages that do not always provide an adequate environment to meet the animal’s behavioral needs. When animals are reared under impoverished conditions, negative states such as boredom and distress might arise. Environmental...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Domínguez-Oliva, A., Hernández-Avalos, I., Bueno-Nava, A. et al. 2025. Environmental enrichment for laboratory rats and mice: Endocrine, physiological, and behavioral benefits of meeting rodents’ biological needs. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12.

Alternative handling techniques to reduce anxiety in laboratory mice

The most common and widely used method to capture and transfer mice from cage to cage is to pick up and restrain the mouse by its tail. Recent studies at Liverpool University, however, have indicated that handling mice by their...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Thorpe, E. 2020. Alternative handling techniques to reduce anxiety in laboratory mice. Animal Technology and Welfare 19(1), 76–78.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall

When mice are grouped together for the first time it is a novel experience filled with new sights and smells which will stress the animal too much and may cause aggression. It has been proven that mice can see a...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Reading, P., Reading, R., Branstone, C. 2020. Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Animal Technology and Welfare 19(1), 98–100.

Confronting crunching: A refinement for the care of mice with the desire to crunch

‘Crunching’ is the term often used to describe the abnormal behaviour of mice that habitually crunch their pelleted diet, causing substrate levels to rise as the crumbs settle on the cage floor ultimately burying the nest. The aim was to...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Oralman, T. 2020. Confronting crunching: A refinement for the care of mice with the desire to crunch. Animal Technology and Welfare 19(1), 89–91.

Refinements to health monitoring

Green, Amber, Red monitoring system: If a mouse shows any of the listed amber signs, then monitoring is increased to either once or twice weekly (green HC). Mice with 3 amber signs should be on red HC (daily check). Mice...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Jones, H., King, R. 2020. Refinements to health monitoring. Animal Technology and Welfare, 19(2), 153–154.