Social Housing & Companionship

Social contagion of pain and fear results in opposite social behaviors in rodents: Meta- analysis of experimental studies

The study aimed to explore the key factors influencing emotional valence in rodents, focusing on the critical elements that distinguish the contagion processes of fear and pain.MethodsThrough a systematic review and meta-analysis, we examined behavioral outcomes of rodents exposed to...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Du, R., Yu, Y., Wang, X.-L. et al. 2024. Social contagion of pain and fear results in opposite social behaviors in rodents: Meta- analysis of experimental studies. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 18.

What are the priority welfare issues facing parrots in captivity? A modified Delphi approach to establish expert consensus

Parrots (Psittaciformes) are widely kept in captivity, yet their welfare is under-researched in comparison to other captive species. This study aimed to determine key welfare issues affecting parrots through a modified Delphi approach. Twenty-eight welfare issues were first compiled via...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Bird, Parrot

Citation: Chalmers, R., Cooper, J., Ventura, B. 2024. What are the priority welfare issues facing parrots in captivity? A modified Delphi approach to establish expert consensus. Animal Welfare 33, e54.

Heart and shoal: Social cues and oxytocin receptors impact stress recovery in the zebrafish

In many species, social interactions decrease behavioral, hormonal, and neural responses to environmental stressors. While “social buffering” and its mechanisms have received considerable attention in mammals, we know less about the phenomenon in fish. The nonapeptide oxytocin regulates social behavior...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Wilson, L. C., Riordan, A., Nussbaum, A. et al. 2024. Heart and shoal: Social cues and oxytocin receptors impact stress recovery in the zebrafish. Physiology & Behavior 283, 114613.

Pairing laboratory-housed adult male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): Success rates in relation to behavioral response and duration of visual contact

While the benefits of pair housing have been well documented, less is known about increasing success in adult male macaque pair introductions. In this retrospective study, 95 unfamiliar adult male macaque (Macaca mulatta) pairs were examined to determine whether duration...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Logan, L. E., Sayers, K. 2024. Pairing laboratory-housed adult male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): Success rates in relation to behavioral response and duration of visual contact. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 277, 106340.

Familiar versus unfamiliar: Revealing the complexity of sociability in pigs

Social behaviours are fundamental to gregarious animals and a dynamic force driving social structures, conflicts and cooperation. As a personality trait, sociability is defined as the individual reaction to the presence or absence of conspecifics and the motivation to associate...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Ambruosi, S., De Angelis, F., Chou, J.-Y. et al. 2024. Familiar versus unfamiliar: Revealing the complexity of sociability in pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 275, 106248.

The impact of care on chimpanzee welfare: A comprehensive review

Animal welfare research has increased dramatically in scope and prevalence, spanning zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries, and research facilities. Chimpanzees are the most common and well-studied great ape living in human care. This considerable focus on chimpanzee welfare provides the foundation for...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Angley, L. P., Vale, G. L., Cronin, K. A. 2024. The impact of care on chimpanzee welfare: A comprehensive review. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 275, 106272.

The lasting impact of social isolation: Behavioral insights from former pet and entertainer chimpanzees in a sanctuary in Spain

Human fascination with chimpanzees has driven extensive research on the species, but also led to exploitation by private owners and entertainment industries. These animals often suffer species-specific inadequate conditions, which can result in the development and display of abnormal behaviors...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Chen, E., Pipolo, G., Crailsheim, D. et al. 2025. The lasting impact of social isolation: Behavioral insights from former pet and entertainer chimpanzees in a sanctuary in Spain. American Journal of Primatology 87(1), e23715.

Evidence of stable preferential affiliative relationships in the domestic pig

Affiliative relationships are well documented in a wide range of wild animals. However, there is limited evidence of their existence in social farm animals, despite potential significant animal welfare implications. We aimed to determine whether pigs have preferential partners for...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Clouard, C., Foreau, A., Goumon, S. et al. 2024. Evidence of stable preferential affiliative relationships in the domestic pig. Animal Behaviour 213, 95–105.

The use of guanfacine to mediate anxiety-related reactivity and reduce associated agonistic behavior in two pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina)

Guanfacine, an α2-adrenoceptor agonist, has been used to successfully treat self-injurious behavior in nonhuman primates, including macaques (Macaca mulatta) and baboons (Papio anubis). It does so by facilitating a correction to the dopaminergic system that mediates a reduction in impulsivity...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Hopper, L. M., Allen, J. V., Huynh, V. et al. 2024. The use of guanfacine to mediate anxiety-related reactivity and reduce associated agonistic behavior in two pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina). Comparative Medicine 74(3), 186–194.

The impact of cage dividers on mouse aggression, dominance and hormone levels

Home cage aggression in group-housed male mice is a major welfare concern and may compromise animal research. Conventional cages prevent flight or retreat from sight, increasing the risk that agonistic encounters will result in injury. Moreover, depending on social rank,...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Housing, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Streiff, C., Herrera, A., Voelkl, B. et al. 2024. The impact of cage dividers on mouse aggression, dominance and hormone levels. PLOS ONE 19(2), e0297358.