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 that include earlier publications) can be filtered by Animal Type, Setting, and Topic. Most publications older than 2010 can only be searched by keyword. 
Denenberg, V. H., Wyly, M. V., Burns, J. K. et al. 1973. Behavioral effects of handling rabbits in infancy. Physiology and Behavior 10, 1001-1004.

Handling of pups increased open-field activity.

Daly, M. 1973. Early stimulation of rodents: a critical review of present interpretations. British Journal of Psychology 64, 435-460.

The perceived benefits of early stimulation of rodents is questioned.

Brandt, E. M., Mitchell, G. 1973. Pairing preadolescents with infants (Macaca mulatta). Developmental Psychology 2, 222-228.

Infants [isolates and controls] were paired with pre-adolescents. There was more social behavior directed toward control infants than toward isolate-reared infants.

Anonymous 1973. Primate breeding on a grand scale. Lab Animal 2(3), 16-18 & 53.

Photographic demonstration of inadequate lighting conditions in double-tier primate cages.

Anderson, C. O., Denenberg, V. H., Zarrow, M. X. 1972. Effects of handling and social isolation upon the rabbit's behaviour. Behaviour 43, 165-175.

Gentle, frequent handling of young rabbits increases general activity while buffering emotionality.

Wells, D. A. 1972 . The use of seclusion on a university hospital psychiatric floor. Archives of General Psychiatry 26, 410-413.
Tatoyan, S. K., Cherkovich, G. M. 1972. The heart rate in monkeys (Baboons and Macaques) in different physiological states recorded by radiotelemetry. Folia Primatologica 17(4), 255-266.

In the presence of man the heart rate is always increased, in spite of the fact that the monkeys appear to be calm.

T-W-Fiennes, R. N. 1972. Primates - General. In: The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory Animals Fourth Edition. UFAW [Universities Federation for Animal Welfare] (ed), 374-375. Churchill Livingstone, London, UK.

The higher primates, such as chimpanzees and baboons, are intelligent and sensitive. If handled with sympathy and understanding they can become more than research tools - even co-operative partners in experimentation. To achieve this, a...

Stephen, R. D. 1972. A record of a friendship between a baboon and a guinea-pig . Eastern Cape Naturalist 46, 12.
Missakian, E. A. 1972. Effects of adult social experience on patterns of reproductive activity of socially deprived male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 21(1), 131-134.

The three [single-caged, socially deprived] male subjects represented examples of severely disturbed animals as witnessed by rates of stereotyped behavior (self-aggression, stereotyped locomotion). The problem under investigation involved the extent to which social group experience...

Mason, J. W., Mougey, E. H. 1972. Thyroid (plasma BEI) response to chair restraint in the monkey. Psychosomatic Medicine 34, 441-448.

Study of 14 of these monkeys throughout a longer period of 8 weeks of chair restraint indicated that ... mean BEI [butanol extractable iodine] levels remained significantly elevated through the third week. ... Acute emotional...

Martinez, J. L. 1972. Effects of selected illumination levels on circadian periodicity in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta). Journal of Interdisciplinary Cycle Research 3, 47-59.

It was demonstrated that activity of caged rhesus macaques inceases as a function of light intensity (illumination).

Mason, J. W. 1972. Corticosteroid response to chair restraint in the monkey. American Journal of Physiology 222, 1291-1294.

These experiments indicate clearly that placement in the restraining chair represents a potent stimulus to the pituitary-adrenal cortical system. Animals who were restrained in an unfamiliar environment showed significantly higher urinary cortisol levels than animals...

Schaller, G. B. 1972. The Serengeti Lion. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois.
Rosenzweig, M. R., Bennett, E. L., Diamond, M. C. 1972. Chemical and anatomical plasticity of brain: Replication and extensions. In: Macromolecules and Behavior (2nd Edition). Gaito, J. (ed), 205-278. Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York, NY.

Single-caged rats eat more than group-housed animals kept in enriched cages.

Manosevitz, M., Montemayor, R. J. 1972. Interaction of environmental enrichment and genotype. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology 79, 67-76.

Assessed the effects of exposure to an enriched environment, from birth-38 days of age, using 3 behavioral tests: open field, exploration, and running wheels. 144 inbred mice from 3 strains (A/J, C3H/HeJ, and C57BL/10J) were...

Lynch, C. H., Hegmann, J. P. 1972. Genetic differences influencing behavioural temperature regulation in small mammals: I. Nesting by Mus musculus. Behavior Genetics 2, 43-53.

When nest material is placed on the cage lid, mice will readily pull it into the cage and build a nest.

Long, S. Y. 1972. Hair-nibbling and whisker-trimming as indicators of social hierarchy in mice. Animal Behaviour 20, 10-12.

Barbering is a common abnormal behavior in laboratory mice. Alopecia and loss of facial hair, as well as loss of vibrissae, seem to be a physical indiaction of social dominance.

Lee, C. T. 1972. The development of nest-building behaviour in inbred mice. Journal of General Psychology 87, 13-21.

Both, females and males will build nests when they have access to appropriate nesting material.

Kruuk, H. 1972. The Spotted Hyena. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois.
Klingel, H. 1972. Das Verhalten der Pferde (Equidae). Handbuch der Zoologie 8(10), 1-68.
Hughes, B. O., Duncan, I. J. H. 1972. The influence of strain and environmental factors upon feather pecking and cannibalism in fowls. British Poultry Science 13, 525-547.

Feather pecking occurs much more often when chicken are kept on wire floor rather then litter which allows the hens to peck up additional food particles.

Fox, M. W. 1972. Understanding Your Dog. Coward, McGann and Geoghegan, New York, NY.

Social rearing of puppies is the most effective means of ensuring appropriate social behavior as adults.

Duncan, I. J. H., Hughes, B. O. 1972. Free and operant feeding in domestic fowls. Animal Behaviour 20, 775-777.

Chicken will work for food in the presence of free identical food. It is interesting that we failed to note any clear influence exerted by hunger motivation.

Doty, B. A. 1972. The effects of cage environment upon avoidance responding in aged rats. Journal of Gerontology 27, 358-360.

The beneficial effects of environmental enrichment are not restricted to a brief cricial period in development. Positive effects occur also in rats aged 300 days when first placed in an enriched environment.