Alternative handling techniques to reduce anxiety in laboratory mice (2020)

Thorpe, E.

Abstract

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 tails during routine cleaning and procedures induced aversion and high anxiety in many commonly used strains. A clear tube is preferred to allow essential health monitoring of each animal and colour has been found to not be a factor. We decided to trial this new method to see how long it would take the mice to habituate to the tube and whether there was any visible reduction in anxiety compared to our normal tail handling method. During this short trial it was noted the mice using the tube method after a few weeks were willing to enter the tube on their own accord and would quite comfortably sit in the tube whilst being transferred. We also observed that they preferred their own home cage tube as opposed to a clean one. We also observed that the mice being picked up by the tail remained evasive and resisted capture.