Environmental Enrichment

Benefits of providing nesting material as a from of environmental enrichment for mice

Husbandry conditions in a laboratory environment can be barren and monotonous. Improving those conditions by providing opportunities for laboratory mice to engage in species-specific behavior can improve their mental and physical well-being. Giving the animals choices and control over their...

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

Citation: Froberg-Fejko, K. M. 2010. Benefits of providing nesting material as a from of environmental enrichment for mice. Lab Animal 39(10), 326-327.

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.

The influence of olfactory stimulation on the behaviour of cats housed in a rescue shelter

A wide variety of feline species have been shown to gain welfare benefits from the introduction of olfactory stimuli to the captive environment. The effect of this stimulation on the domestic cat, however, has been largely overlooked. This study thus...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Ellis, L. H., Wells, D. L. 2010. The influence of olfactory stimulation on the behaviour of cats housed in a rescue shelter. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 123(1-2), 56-62.

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.

Effects of environmental enrichment and housing system on weight gain of C57BL/6 mice

Our goal was to evaluate the effect of treatment represented by enrichment with cotton balls, and the housing system, by comparing the conventional (open cage) and the ventilated cage (IVC) systems on the weight gain of C57BL/6 inbred mice, as...

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

Citation: Santos, R. A., Fontes, R. S., Ong, F. M. et al. 2010. Effects of environmental enrichment and housing system on weight gain of C57BL/6 mice. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 712-713 (Abstract #P100).

Preferences for toy types and presentations in kennel housed dogs

Toys are often provided for adult dogs housed in kennels, but their effectiveness as environmental enrichment is not well documented. At a minimum, toys need to elicit interest in the animal for which they are intended, before any “enrichment” can...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Pullen, A. J., Merrill, R. J. N., Bradshaw, J. W. S. 2010. Preferences for toy types and presentations in kennel housed dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 125(3-4), 151-156.

Effects of access to voluntary wheel running on the development of stereotypy

Stereotyped motor behaviors are a common consequence of environmental restriction in a wide variety of species. Although environmental enrichment has been shown to substantially reduce stereotypy levels, the various components of enrichment have not been evaluated independently to determine which...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Pawlowicz, A., Demner, A., Lewis, M. H. 2010. Effects of access to voluntary wheel running on the development of stereotypy. Behavioural Processes 83(3), 242-246.

Effects of specific environmental enrichment contributing to litter size and attrition rate of TRP1/TGfβ transgenic mice in a breeding colony

In previous studies of environmental enrichment of mice it has been determined that certain types of mice are affected by manipulation of their living environment. Some have effects on cognitive memory and some affect the developmental nurturing on second and...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Rearing & Weaning, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Oteham, C. P. 2010. Effects of specific environmental enrichment contributing to litter size and attrition rate of TRP1/TGfβ transgenic mice in a breeding colony. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 698 (Abstract #P51).

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).

Middle-aged mice with enrichment-resistant stereotypic behaviour show reduced motivation for enrichment

For captive animals, living in barren conditions leads to stereotypic behaviour that is hard to alleviate using environmental enrichment. This resistance to enrichment is often explained via mechanisms that decouple abnormal behaviour from current welfare, such as "establishment": a hypothetical...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Tilly, S.-L. C., Dallaire, J., Mason, G. J. 2010. Middle-aged mice with enrichment-resistant stereotypic behaviour show reduced motivation for enrichment. Animal Behaviour 80(3), 363-373.