Rat

The effects of environmental enrichment through larger cage type on behavioral patterns in rats

Most behavioral research is conducted in lab-housed animals due to the significant advantages of a controlled environment. In an effort to enhance the welfare and to obtain more realistic measures of behavior, larger cages with an additional raised platform have...

Year Published: 2010Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Hager, R., Lyst, S., Gigg, J. et al. 2010. The effects of environmental enrichment through larger cage type on behavioral patterns in rats. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 658 (Abstract #PS11).

Housing, care and accommodation: An inspector’s observation on how these can affect rodent welfare

In my view it is vitally important that scientists and management pay attention to what animal technologists and care staff have to say about the care and requirements of experimental animals.

Year Published: 2010Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Farmer, A. M. 2010. Housing, care and accommodation: An inspector's observation on how these can affect rodent welfare. Animal Technology and Welfare 9, 94-96.

Covance animal environmental enrichment programme: In-house enrichment items, their benefits and the process of implementation

Some enrichment objects for rats, rabbits, dogs and macaques are demonstrated.

Year Published: 2010Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Dog, Macaque, Nonhuman Primate, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Emmott, M. 2010. Covance animal environmental enrichment programme: In-house enrichment items, their benefits and the process of implementation. Animal Technology and Welfare 9, 189-190.

Solid floors versus wire floor housing for rats revisited: Influence of age and the presence of test boxes

Data did not reveal a clear preference for solid floors. Juveniles were found most often on wire floors while among adults, a preference for solid floors was apparent only in females, and only when a nest box was available.

Year Published: 2010Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: De Villiers, C., Seal, J. V. 2010. Solid floors versus wire floor housing for rats revisited: Influence of age and the presence of test boxes. Animal Technology and Welfare 9, 31-36.

Effects of increased interaction between research rodents and their handlers

We conclude that handling experimental animals more often than only at the time their cage is changes is beneficial.

Year Published: 2010Topics: Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Stewart, K. 2010. Effects of increased interaction between research rodents and their handlers. Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) Quarterly 59(1) Winter, 28-29.

Long-term effects of housing and enrichment on affective behavior and responsiveness of Sprague-Dawley rats

Most rodent studies evaluate different caging paradigms over short periods of time, which may not be realistic for typical colony settings. Inappropriate housing may lead to boredom, aggression, stereotypies, and altered metabolism, which in turn may affect experimental responses. In...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Turner, P. V., Ovari, J., Pinelli, C. et al. 2010. Long-term effects of housing and enrichment on affective behavior and responsiveness of Sprague-Dawley rats. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 658-659 (Abstract #PS12).

Environmental enrichment induces optimistic cognitive bias in rats

People's affective or emotional state can alter their cognitive processing, biasing interpretation of ambiguous stimuli. Those in a more positive state interpret such stimuli in a more optimistic manner than those in a negative state. Recently this research has extended...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Brydges, N. M., Leach, M., Nicol, K. et al. 2011. Environmental enrichment induces optimistic cognitive bias in rats. Animal Behaviour 81(1), 169-175.

Post-surgical environmental enrichment in rodents

Environmental enrichment is a key component of rodent animal welfare since it influences the animal's overall well-being, provides opportunities for activity, and encourages rodent appropriate behaviors. Many aspects of rodent enrichment have received a significant amount of attention during the...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Social Housing & Companionship, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Baran, S. W., Froberg-Fejko, K., Lecker, J. et al. 2010. Post-surgical environmental enrichment in rodents. Enrichment Record 3, 4-6.

The effects of enhancing cage complexity on the behaviour and welfare of laboratory rats

This experiment was carried out to investigate the long-term effects of enhancing cage complexity on behavioural measures of welfare in laboratory rats. We housed 72 rats in groups of four in either ‘enriched' or ‘unenriched' cages for six weeks. Scan...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Abou-Ismail, U. A., Burman, O. H. P., Nicol, C. J. et al. 2010. The effects of enhancing cage complexity on the behaviour and welfare of laboratory rats. Behavioural Processes 85(2), 172-180.

Effect of animal facility construction on basal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and renin-aldosterone activity in the rat

Although loud noise and intense vibration are known to alter the behavior and phenotype of laboratory animals, little is known about the effects of nearby construction. We studied the effect of a nearby construction project on the classic stress hormones...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Handling, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Raff, H., Bruder, E. D., Cullinan, W. E. et al. 2011. Effect of animal facility construction on basal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and renin-aldosterone activity in the rat. Endocrinology 152(4), 1218-1221.