Handling

Report of the 2024 RSPCA/UFAW rodent welfare group meeting

The RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Welfare Group has held a one-day meeting every autumn for the last 31 years. These meetings provide an opportunity for members to discuss current welfare research, exchange views on welfare issues and share their experiences of the...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Animal Training, Drug/Substance Administration, Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Imaging & Electrophysiological RecordingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Stevens, C., Robinson, E., Jackson, M. et al. 2025. Report of the 2024 RSPCA/UFAW rodent welfare group meeting. Animal Welfare and Technology 4(3), 219–226.

When touch is stressful: Acute endocrine and behavioral responses of domestic rabbits to unfamiliar human handling

Background Rabbits are increasingly kept as companion animals, yet little is known about their stress responses during interactions with unfamiliar humans—situations commonly encountered during household visits or animal-assisted interventions. This study evaluated whether tactile interaction with an unfamiliar person induced...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Součková, M., Frühauf Kolářová, M., Přibylová, L. et al. 2026. When touch is stressful: Acute endocrine and behavioral responses of domestic rabbits to unfamiliar human handling. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 13.

Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites as stress biomarkers in common buzzards (Buteo buteo) across rehabilitation phases: Implications for raptor welfare

Taking wildlife into human care is a balancing act between benefits and harms, as handling and captivity can cause chronic stress that can lead to permanent physiological changes. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate stress levels during the rehabilitation of...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Handling, RestraintAnimal Type: Bird, Other Bird

Citation: Grundei, L.-L., Wolf, T. E., Brandes, F. et al. 2026. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites as stress biomarkers in common buzzards (Buteo buteo) across rehabilitation phases: Implications for raptor welfare. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 13.

Automated, stress-free, and precise measurement of songbird weight in neuroscience experiments

Monitoring the health and well-being of research animals is essential for both ethical and scientific purposes. In songbirds, body weight is one of the main indicators of their overall condition, yet traditional weighing methods can be intrusive and stress-inducing, which...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, HandlingAnimal Type: Bird, Other Bird

Citation: Bonneh, Y., Tuval, A., Ben-Shitrit, I. et al. 2026. Automated, stress-free, and precise measurement of songbird weight in neuroscience experiments. PLOS ONE 21(1), e0339848.

Water pigs! Capybara husbandry in a biomedical research lab

Capybaras, also known as “water pigs,” are the world’s largest rodent. Although these animals are closely related to guinea pigs, with a shoulder height of approximately 2 ft, coarse brown fur, and partially webbed feet, they are unlike any guinea...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Handling, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Other Rodent, Rodent

Citation: Strait, K.,Chisholm, A., Kusovska, C. et al. 2020. Water pigs! Capybara husbandry in a biomedical research lab. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 8(5) (September/October), 14-18.

How to handle your dragon: Does handling duration affect the behaviour of bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps)?

Reptiles are popular as pets and it is, therefore, important to understand how different aspects of housing and husbandry impact on their behaviour and welfare. One potential cause of stress in captive reptiles is interaction with humans; in particular, the...

Year Published: 2020Topics: HandlingAnimal Type: Lizard, Reptile

Citation: Stockley, V. R., Wilkinson, A., Burman, O. H. P. 2020. How to handle your dragon: Does handling duration affect the behaviour of bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps)? Animals 10(11), 2116.

Tactile stimulation of adult rats modulates hormonal responses, depression-like behaviors, and memory impairment induced by chronic mild stress: Role of angiotensin II

Physical touch can help to decrease the effects of stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of tactile stimulation on the hormonal and behavioral responses of young adult rats submitted to chronic mild unpredictable stress (CMS),...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Costa, R., Leite Tamascia, M., Sanches, A. et al. 2020. Tactile stimulation of adult rats modulates hormonal responses, depression-like behaviors, and memory impairment induced by chronic mild stress: Role of angiotensin II. Behavioural Brain Research 379, 112250.

The care of Central and Pygmy bearded dragons

This article describes the care of central bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) as well as Pygmy bearded dragons (Pogona henrylawsoni). It includes information on housing, feeding, handling and sexing technique, as well as the general health care of these animals. The...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Handling, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Lizard, Reptile

Citation: Hosking, A., Martinic, G. 2020. The care of Central and Pygmy bearded dragons. Animal Technology and Welfare 19(2), 125-130.

The care of the Children’s Python (Antaresia childreni)

This article describes the care of the Children’s python (Antaresia childreni). It includes information on housing, feeding, handling, as well as the general health care of these animals. The information presented is derived from Standard Operating Procedures used at the...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Handling, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Reptile, Snake

Citation: Hosking, A., Martinic, G. 2020. The care of the Children’s Python (Antaresia childreni). Animal Technology and Welfare 19(2), 118-122.

The effects of the frequency and method of gentling on the behavior of cats in shelters

Gentling of cats in a shelter has been shown to increase contented behaviors and reduce anxiety, but it is not clear how gentling should be provided. Two experiments were conducted in cats confined to cages, each having a central room...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Liu, S., Paterson, M., Camarri, S. et al. 2020. The effects of the frequency and method of gentling on the behavior of cats in shelters. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 39, 47-56.