Social Housing & Companionship

Effects of perforated cage dividers on rabbit behavior.

Based on study observations and the natural history of wild rabbits, bucks engage in affiliative social behaviors, but current caging may not allow enough space for the expression of species-typical behaviors, thereby resulting in continued aggression. In this study, we...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Martin, J., Newell, M., Deemer, S. 2025. Effects of perforated cage dividers on rabbit behavior. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 13(6) (November/December), 24-28.

Companionship counts: Investigating social housing conditions and welfare in privately owned rabbits

Rabbits are among the most popular companion animals. Despite being a social species, most companion rabbits are solitary housed due to challenges with pairing and cohabitation, which may compromise their welfare. This study therefore aimed to investigate the effects of...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Skovlund, C. R., Corneliussen, N. M., Kofod, L. B. et al. 2026. Companionship counts: Investigating social housing conditions and welfare in privately owned rabbits. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 294, 106864.

Social buffering of stress in rats: A multisystem meta-analysis and translational framework for stress resilience

Background: Social context modulates stress physiology and resilience, yet preclinical rat paradigms vary widely in stressor type, timing of social exposure, contact modality, and endpoint definitions. We synthesized rat studies to quantify directional and, where feasible, standardized effect-size evidence for...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Sarapultsev, A., Komelkova, M., Gusev, E. et al. 2026. Social buffering of stress in rats: A multisystem meta-analysis and translational framework for stress resilience. Physiology & Behavior 307, 115242.

Female guinea pigs prefer familiar opposite-sex individuals but not familiar same-sex peers

While some species show a preference for familiar individuals when choosing a social or sexual partner, this tendency is not universal and varies across species. However, the association between partner preference and social system is still not clear, and partner...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: Romero-Chacón, A. M., Cardona-Restrepo, M., Pena-Bello, G. et al. 2025. Female guinea pigs prefer familiar opposite-sex individuals but not familiar same-sex peers. Animal Behaviour 230, 123384.

Playing or fighting? Home cage dynamics in crowding or social instability paradigms contribute to stress and reproductive impairments in adult female Wistar rats

Play fighting represents a key behavioral component in group-housed rats, yet its contribution to the outcomes of social stress paradigms remains unassessed. This study characterized play fighting behaviors over time in two social stress conditions involving crowding. We also evaluated...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Poitras, M., Ouellette, É. A., Pellis, S. M. et al. 2025. Playing or fighting? Home cage dynamics in crowding or social instability paradigms contribute to stress and reproductive impairments in adult female Wistar rats. Behavioural Processes 233, 105301.

Social housing of postoperative animals to support animal welfare

Single housing of animals, or social isolation, is a known stressor for many species. Generally, laboratory animals are housed in social groups as a default to support their behavioral welfare. In some research protocols, investigators may request exemptions from social...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Regulations & Ethical Review, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: All/General, Cat, Dog, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Pig, Rabbit, Rodent

Citation: Darbyshire, A., Beninson, J., Dyson, M. C. et al. 2026. Social housing of postoperative animals to support animal welfare. JAALAS 65(1), 11–18.

Effects of social pairing on measurable disease outcomes in hospitalized rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) living in outdoor breeding colonies may require transient housing in an indoor hospital setting. While previous studies have documented the benefits of socially housing macaques to promote psychosocial wellbeing, concerns of pathogen transmission or wound tampering...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Burke, M. C., Haertel, A. J., Heagerty, A. et al. 2026. Effects of social pairing on measurable disease outcomes in hospitalized rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). American Journal of Primatology 88(4), e70144.

Social housing of male CD-1 mice (Mus musculus) in the toxicological setting: A 28-day social compatibility study of male mice following oral gavage of theophylline

Group or pair housing of social animals in laboratory settings is beneficial to animal welfare. Social housing of male mice can be difficult due to possible aggressive behaviors, leading to injury and resulting in animals not being able to continue...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Blakie, L., Alves, S., Chase, F. T. et al. 2026. Social housing of male CD-1 mice (Mus musculus) in the toxicological setting: A 28-day social compatibility study of male mice following oral gavage of theophylline. JAALAS 65(1), 92–111.

Paired versus single housing of ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) does not influence experimental outcomes of influenza a virus pathogenesis studies

Social housing of animals is well recognized as a fundamental element in providing for the well-being of social animals during laboratory research activities but is contraindicated in some experimental designs. To ascertain if social housing represented a potential confounder in...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Ferret

Citation: Belser, J. A., Kieran, T. J., Truelove, M. A. et al. 2026. Paired versus single housing of ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) does not influence experimental outcomes of influenza a virus pathogenesis studies. JAALAS 65(2), 182–190.

Opportunities for refinement of non-human primate vaccine studies

Non-human primates (NHPs) are used extensively in the development of vaccines and therapeutics for human disease. High standards in the design, conduct, and reporting of NHP vaccine studies are crucial for maximizing their scientific value and translation, and for making...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Humane Endpoint, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Prescott, M. J., Clark, C., Dowling, W. E. et al. 2021. Opportunities for refinement of non-human primate vaccine studies. Vaccines 9(3), 284.