Refinement Database

Database on Refinement of Housing, Husbandry, Care, and Use of Animals in Research

This database, created in 2000, is updated every four months with newly published scientific articles, books, and other publications related to improving or safeguarding the welfare of animals used in research.

Tips for using the database:

  • This landing page displays all of the publications in the database.
  • Use the drop-down menus to filter these publications by Animal Type, Setting, and/or Topic.
  • Clicking on a parent category (e.g., Rodent) will include publications relating to all the items in that category (e.g., Chinchilla, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, etc.).
  • You may also add a keyword to further narrow your search.
  • Please note that at this time, only publications dated 2010 or later (with some exceptions) can be filtered by Animal Type and Topic, and only publications dated 2020 or later (with some exceptions) can be filtered by Setting. Most publications older than 2010 can only be searched by keyword. 
Brunelli, R. L., Gottlieb, D., Holcomb, K. et al. 2009. Effects of positive reinforcement training on infant behavioral development in nursery-reared rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). American Journal of Primatology 71(S1), 74. (32nd Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists Scientific Program, Abstract #136)

At the California National Primate Research Center, one key to long-term success of macaque breeding colonies is to develop effective infant-rearing strategies that minimize the emergence of behavioral pathologies, which can be one indicator of...

Brown, C. 2009. Novel food items as environmental enrichment for rodents and rabbits. Lab Animal 38(4), 119-120.

This column discusses the use of novel dietary supplements as environmental enrichment for rodents and rabbits. Items are commercially available from lab animal supply companies. The purpose of enrichment is to encourage behaviors that are...

Leland, S. P., West, A. M., Pippin, Z. L. et al. 2008. Effects of familiarity and novelty on rates of environmental enrichment object manipulation by laboratory rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). American Journal of Primatology 70(S1), 30. (31st Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists Scientific Program, Abstract #29)

Manipulable objects are often provided to laboratory macaques as environmental enrichment, but exposure to objects is widely believed to result in rapid habituation. Consequently, much effort is made to ensure enrichment objects are novel. Here...

Csatádi, K., Leus, K., Pereboom, J. J. M. 2008. A brief note on the effects of novel enrichment on an unwanted behaviour of captive bonobos. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 112(1-2), 201-204.

Animals in captivity may show undesirable behaviour when they are not sufficiently challenged, making it essential for their well-being to provide daily enrichment to zoo animals. Primates need a regular replacement with novel enrichment objects...

Hawkins, P., Hubrecht, R., Buckwell, A. et al. 2008. Refining Rabbit Care: A Resource for Those Working With Rabbits in Research. UFAW/RSPCA: Southwater, UK, 27 pp.

The report sets out how to provide: optimal enclosure characteristicsand size; social housing; solid flooring and substrate; raised areas; refuges; gnawing objects and dietary enrichment; positive interaction with humans; toys and objects to manipulate; for...

Mallapur, A., Waran, N., Sinha, A. 2007. A note on enrichment for captive lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 108(1-2), 191-195.

Two enrichment techniques were devised with the aim of reducing stress and improving welfare for captive lion-tailed macaques in an Indian zoo. In Study A, a log, cotton ropes and a feeding basket were added...

Manciocco, A., Chiarotti, F., Vitale, A. 2007. The response to different environmental enrichments in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus): comparison among laboratory and zoo colonies. Animal Welfare 16(Supplement 1), 173 (Poster Abstract).

Different factors can influence the behavioural needs of captive marmosets, and therefore the effectiveness of a particular enrichment

Leland, S. P., West, A. M., Erwin, J. M. et al. 2007. Incorporation of enrichment objects in threat displays by laboratory rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). American Journal of Primatology 69(S1), 50. (30th Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists Scientific Program, Abstract #43)

Self-directed aggression in laboratory macaques is commonly considered an abnormal behavioral pattern signaling psychological disturbance, whether it is in the form of self-injurious behavior (SIB) or is just part of a self-directed threat display (SDD)...

Jarvis, K. A., Gould, J. E. 2007. Effects of a complex enrichment device on stereotypic behaviors, tool use, tool manufacturing, and activity budgets in captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). American Journal of Primatology 69(S1), 51. (30th Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists Scientific Program, Abstract #44)

As a way to reduce abnormal behaviors, specifically finger-sucking, hair-pulling, and reingestion/regurgitation, observed in two male gorillas at The ZOO Northwest Florida, a complex enrichment device that was contingent on the gorilla's ability to use...

Conour, L. A., Murray, K. A., Brown, M. J. 2006. Preparation of animals for research -- Issues to consider for rodents and rabbits. ILAR Journal 47(4), 283-293.

This article provides details to consider when preparing to use animals in biomedical research. The stress of transport and receipt of animals into a new environment mandate the need for a period of stabilization and...

Taylor, D. K., Bass, T., Flory, G. S. et al. 2005. Use of low-dose chlorpromazine in conjunction with environmental enrichment to eliminate self-injurious behavior in a rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta). Comparative Medicine 55(3), 282-288.

A 7-year-old, captive-bred, female rhesus macaque was placed in a quarantine facility upon arrival at our institution. At release from quarantine, she was observed pawing at and chewing on her left cheek. ... SIB in...

Nelson, R. J., Mandrell, T. D. 2005. Enrichment and nonhuman primates: "First, do no harm". ILAR Journal 46(2), 171-177.

Since the 1998 publication of The Psychological Well-Being of Nonhuman Primates by the National Research Council, and the 1991 implementation of the 1985 Animal Welfare Act Amendment, many formal and informal nonhuman primate enrichment programs...

Lutz, C. K., Novak, M. 2005. Environmental enrichment for nonhuman primates: Theory and application. ILAR Journal 46(2), 178-191.

Only social contact satisfies the goal of promoting a wide variety of species-typical activities while at the same time reducing or preventing the development of abnormal behavior... A number of toys should be provided initially...

Kulpa-Eddy, J. A., Taylor, S., Adams, K. M. 2005. USDA perspectives on environmental enrichment for animals. ILAR Journal 46(2), 83-94.

This article provides a brief historical background of the events and circumstances that led to the 1985 Animal Welfare Act (AWA) amendments. It describes the development of the regulations promulgated by the US Department of...

Overall, K. L., Dyer, D. 2005. Enrichment strategies for laboratory animals form the viewpoint of clinical veterinary behavioral medicine: Emphasis on cats and dogs. ILAR Journal 46(2), 202-216.

Understanding the range of behaviors, behavioral choices, and cognitive stimulation that cats and dogs exhibit under non-laboratory conditions can increase the ability of investigators to predict which enrichments are likely to be the most successful...

Bayne, K. 2005. Potential for unintended consequences of environmental enrihment for laboratory animals and research results. ILAR Journal 46(2), 129-139.

Many aspects of the research animal's housing environment are controlled for quality and/or standardization. Of recent interest is the potential for environmental enrichment to have unexpected consequences such as unintended harm to the animal, or...

Baumans, V. 2005. Environmental enrichment for laboratory rodents and rabbits: Requirements of rodents, rabbits, and research. ILAR Journal 46(2), 162-170.

Environmental conditions such as housing and husbandry have a major impact on the laboratory animal throughout its life and will thereby influence the outcome of animal experiments. However, housing systems for laboratory animals have often...

Fernández-Teruel, A., Giménez-Llort, L., Escorihuela, R. M. et al. 2002. Early-life handling stimulation and environmental enrichment: Are some of their effects mediated by similar neural mechanisms? Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 73(1), 233-245.

Neonatal (early) handling (EH) and environmental enrichment (EE) of laboratory rodents have been the two most commonly used methods of providing supplementary environmental stimulation in order to study behavioral and neurobiological plasticity. A large body...

Queyras, A., Bernarducci, R., Vitale, A. 2001. Environmental enrichment during separtion in captive common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus): Behavioural and physiological aspects. Folia Primatologica 72(3), 151-152. (Primate Meeting Abstract)

In the social condition, the animals tended to show an increased heart rate, presumably resulting from competion over access to the foraging device.

Cohoon, J. 2001. Nylabone on a chain. Tech Talk [The Newsletter for Laboratory Animal Science Technicians] 6(1), 2.

Both pigs and rabbits are having a great time banging the bone on the cage - they can swing it around, and they get to chew on it too!

Woolley, A. P. A. H. 1997. Requirements of biomedical research in terms of housing and husbandry for non-human primates: Pharmacology & Toxicology. Primate Report 49, 37-41.

The objective of toxicology and pharmacology studies is to detect change or variation from normal and to interpret the significance of such change, with the intention of assessing risk to man. With non-human primates (NHPs)...

Schapiro, S. J., Bloomsmith, M. A., Suarez, S. A. et al. 1997. A comparison of the effects of simple versus complex environmental enrichment on the behaviour of group-housed, subadult rhesus macaques. Animal Welfare 6, 17-28.

Enrichment of the environments of captive primates is currently of interest as both a basic and an applied research question, particularly when social and inanimate enhancements are used simultaneously. We measured the hehavioural effects of...

Reinhardt, V., Roberts, A. 1997. Effective feeding enrichment for non-human primates: A brief review. Animal Welfare 6(3), 265-272.

There is a growing awareness that non-human primates kept in zoos and laboratories deserve more species-appropriate stimulation because of their biological adaptation to a challenging environment. Numerous attempts have been made to effectively emulate the...

Reinhardt, V. 1997. Training nonhuman primates to cooperate during handling procedures: A review. Animal Technology 48, 55-73.

Twenty-six reports provide detailed information of how primates can be trained to voluntarily cooperate - rather than resist - during blood collection, injection, topical drug application, blood pressure measurement, urine collection, and capture.

Reinhardt, V. 1997. Species-adequate housing and handling conditions for Old World nonhuman primates kept in research institutions. In: Comfortable Quarters for Laboratory Animals, Eighth Edition. Reinhardt, V. (ed), 85-93. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Practical recommendations to address five basic characteristics of Old World primates in the laboratory setting: a) social disposition, b) semi-arboreal lifestyle, c) complex living environment, d) intelligence, e) sensitivity to distress.