Social Housing & Companionship

Size does matter: The effect of enclosure size on aggression and affiliation between female New Zealand White rabbits during mixing

Social enrichment is increasingly employed to improve the welfare of laboratory animals, including rabbits. However, the high levels of injurious aggression that can occur when unfamiliar adult rabbits are introduced to one another are a barrier to implementing social housing....

Year Published: 2013Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Valuska, A. J., Mench, J. A. 2013. Size does matter: The effect of enclosure size on aggression and affiliation between female New Zealand White rabbits during mixing. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 149(1-4), 72-76.

The effect of weight on the compatibility of isosexual pairs of captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Recently, there has been an increase in the implementation of social housing as an effective behavioral management strategy to improve the psychological well-being of captive nonhuman primates. Social housing nonhuman primates with conspecifics provides many benefits such as increased affiliative...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Maguire-Herring, V., Stonemetz, K. M., Lynch, L. J. et al. 2013. The effect of weight on the compatibility of isosexual pairs of captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). American Journal of Primatology 75(S1), 77. (36th Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists Scientific Program, Abstract #148)

The effect of familiarity on behavior of kenneled dogs during interactions with conspecifics

Kenneled environments often prevent direct physical contact between dogs, potentially causing stress, and so it has been recommended that such contact should be provided. This study examined the effect of familiarity on the behavior of dogs during off-lead interaction. Kenneled...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Pullen, A. J., Merrill, R. J. N., Bradshaw, J. W. S. 2013. The effect of familiarity on behavior of kenneled dogs during interactions with conspecifics. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 16(1), 64-76.

Group housing of male CD1 mice: Reflections from toxicity studies

Owing to their naturally aggressive behaviour, male mice are often housed individually in toxicity studies. However, several publications advocate group-housing of mice to enable normal social behaviour and interactions between the animals. This refinement project aimed at facilitate group-housing in...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Annas, A., Bengtsson, C., Tornqvist, E. 2013. Group housing of male CD1 mice: Reflections from toxicity studies. Laboratory Animals 47(2), 127-129.

Social knowledge and signal in primates

Primates are notable for having a rich and detailed understanding of their social environment and there has been great interest in the evolution and function of social knowledge in primates. Indeed, primates have been shown to have impressive understandings of...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Natural Behavior, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Bergman, T. J., Sheehan, M. J. 2013. Social knowledge and signal in primates. American Journal of Primatology 75(7), 683-694.

Full-contact social housing of non-human primates (Macaca mulatta and Macaca fascicularis) in a biomedical research facility: Initiation and implementation

Animal welfare regulations have required social housing of primates for more than two decades, although many veterinary and scientific exemptions have been approved with oversight by Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs). In recent years pressure has increased to...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: West, A. M., Carey, M., Wagner, W. et al. 2013. Full-contact social housing of non-human primates (Macaca mulatta and Macaca fascicularis) in a biomedical research facility: Initiation and implementation. American Journal of Primatology 75(S1), 98. (36th Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists Scientific Program, Abstract #216)

Variables affecting indoor pairing success in adult rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

In research centers that study primates, pairing unfamiliar subjects is the most costly and difficult problem that staff face. Recent studies in adult rhesus macaques suggest that social competence and sociality, as measured by ease of forming new relationships, is...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Steward, A. L., Sorenson, A., Elliot, K. et al. 2013. Variables affecting indoor pairing success in adult rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). American Journal of Primatology 75(S1), 48. (36th Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists Scientific Program, Abstract #60)

Compassion Makes a Difference – Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum [LAREF], Volume III

This is the third volume of discussions that took place on the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum (LAREF). This forum is dedicated to the exchange of personal experiences of refining the conditions under which animals are housed and handled...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Animal Training, Drug/Substance Administration, Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Amphibian, Baboon, Cat, Chimpanzee, Dog, Fish, Frog & Toad, Goat, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Reptile, Rodent, Sheep, Snake, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey), Zebrafish

Citation: Reinhardt, V. (ed.) 2013. Compassion Makes a Difference - Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum [LAREF], Volume III. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Comparison of performance and welfare of single-caged and group-housed rabbit does

Although rabbit does are generally single housed on rabbit farms worldwide, it has been suggested by some specialists and recommendation of organic rabbit production systems that group housing of does is more comfortable and similar to the living conditions of...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Szendrö, Z., Mikó, A., Odermatt, M. et al. 2013. Comparison of performance and welfare of single-caged and group-housed rabbit does. Animal 7(3), 463-468.

Communication patterns within a group of shelter dogs and implications for their welfare

Keeping shelter dogs in groups provides them with a more socially and physically enriched environment, but eventually it may cause them stress. Understanding dogs' communication could help shelter staff recognize and prevent undesirable communicative patterns and encourage desirable ones. Therefore,...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Social Housing & Companionship, VocalizationAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Petak, I. 2013. Communication patterns within a group of shelter dogs and implications for their welfare. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 16(2), 118-139.