Environmental enrichment: mirrors, music, toys, paper-based items and wooden objects (2007)

LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum]

Abstract

The literature suggests that mirrors may be useful to buffer isolation stress in some species. We do not really know if being forced to listen to loud music of the personnel's liking is also to the animals' liking. If it is not to their liking, chances are that they feel distressed. This probably holds true, especially for rodents and rabbits, who are biologically adapted to sleep during the day. Dogs quickly lose interest in any toys, unless a human caregiver entices them to play. There are a few dogs who enjoy chewing on them for a while, but the majority don't. Some dogs chew on suspended nylabones on chains quite a bit, but most are not interested, and after a few days ignore them. Rotation of toys every two weeks is practicable even when this involves a large number of animals.Cardboard boxes offer inexpensive and practical yet effective environmental enrichment for rabbits. Rats enjoy playing with paper strips. Properly sized and properly cleaned/replaced wooden objects provide inexpensive but effective environmental enrichment for rodents and rabbits.