Young, L., Lin, R. 2013. Strategies to in increase compatibility among pair-housed rabbits. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 667 (Abstract #P168).

The eighth edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide) states that appropriate social interaction among members of the same species is essential for normal animal development and wellbeing. For research animals to exhibit normal behaviors is an underlying necessity which can affect their health and influence research data in a positive way. Rabbits are social, yet territorial animals, and present many challenges for laboratory animal management to maintain in a communal setting. In efforts to improve compatibility, female rabbits were procured as littermates at 3 mo of age from the vendor and pair-housed in opened pens situated on the animal room floor. Care was taken to allow ample space for animals to roam about the enclosure and interact with strategic locations for hide boxes and areas that the animals could be solitary. Rabbits were observed for 19 wk and attention was paid to the use of space, timing and presentation of each feeding, style and placement of furniture, and availability enrichment items. The space provided for each pair was congruent with all housing standards defined by the Animal Welfare Act. With this pilot approach, husbandry and veterinary care personnel observed a notable increase in normal behaviors with the rabbits, such as standing on hind limbs, hopping, foraging, and stretching; an increase in body tone, as well as a decrease in fighting and reported morbidity overall compared with individually caged animals. This approach to pair housing of rabbits greatly improved compatibility within a small sample size. However, this method of housing the rabbits may not be considered the most cost-effective, particularly for larger rabbit colonies.