Ethology in animal quarters (1986)

Meyerson, B. J.

Abstract

Everybody dealing with laboratory animals should have elementary knowledge about animal behaviour in order to be able to read the well-being of the animal, changes in its conditions and to adjust his own behaviour towards the animal in an appropriate way. ... Knowledge about the signals sent between the animal and human is necessary to establish the confidence which has to be established between the animal and the human. The requirements for 'carefully controlled conditions' counteracts its fundamental purpose if it results in housing conditions where the animals have difficulties in adapting (psychoneuroendocrine changes which may disturb the experimental results).