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. 
Bayne, K. A., Beaver, B. V., Mench, J. A. et al. 2015. Laboratory animal behavior. In: Laboratory Animal Medicine, 3rd edition. Fox, J. G., Anderson, L., Otto, G., et al. (eds). Elsevier, Inc., Amsterdam, NL. pp. 1617-1651.

The study of laboratory animal behavior has increased steadily over the last decade, with expanding emphasis on a variety of commonly used species. In the United States, this trend was initially focused on species for...

Kaiser, R. A., Tichenor, S. D., Regalia, D. E. et al. 2015. Telemetric assessment of social and single housing: Evaluation of electrocardiographic intervals in jacketed cynomolgus monkeys. Journal of Pharmacological and Toxicological Methods 75, 38-43.

Introduction: Proactive efforts to socially house laboratory animals are a contemporary, important focus for enhancing animal welfare. Jacketing cynomolgus monkeys has been traditionally considered an exclusionary criterion for social housing based on unsubstantiated concerns that...

Walker, J. K., Waran, N. K., Phillips, C. J. C. 2014. The effect of conspecific removal on the behaviour and physiology of pair-housed shelter dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 158, 46-56.

Dogs (Canis familiaris) are a highly social species and within a shelter environment pair-housing is recommended to prevent the stress associated with social isolation. Separation of individuals which may have formed bonds in this environment...

Xie, L., Zho, Q., Liu, S. et al. 2014. Effect of living conditions on biochemical and hemtalogical parameters of the cynomolgus monkey. American Journal of Primatology 76(11), 1011-1024.

The cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) has been increasingly used in biomedical research. Although living conditions affect behavioral and physiological characteristics in macaques, little data is available on how living conditions influence blood-based parameters in the...

Strittmatter, R. R., Ferraro, A., Tiano, D. 2014. Behavioral management approach to facilitate use of pen-housed nonhuman primates for toxicology studies. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 539 (Abstract #PS53).

Housing laboratory primates in large pens can improve welfare by providing ample opportunity to express normal social and locomotor behaviors. This type of housing, however, can present great challenges in terms of manipulating animals for...

McGrew, K. 2014. The importance of data collection to social housing. Enrichment Record 19, 20-21.

Data collection can help facilitate the progress of social housing programs within individual institutions and in the industry as a whole. One benefit is that it provides the ability to address preconceived ideas (“myths”) with...

Mariti, C., Carlone, B., Ricci, E. et al. 2014. Intraspecific attachment in adult domestic dogs (Canis familiaris): Preliminary results. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 152, 64-72.

Canis familiarisis a highly social species. Among the social relationships between two individuals, a particular case is represented by attachment bonds. The aim of the current study was to assess whether the bond between adult...

Wagner, D., Newbury, S., Kass, P. et al. 2014. Elimination behavior of shelter dogs housed in double compartment kennels. PLOS ONE 9(5), e96254.

For animals in confinement housing the housing structure has tremendous potential to impact well being. Dogs in animal shelters are often housed in one of two types of confinement housing – single kennels and rooms...

Rehrig, A., DiVincenti, L., Schery, L. A. 2014. Social housing of non-human primates in a research facility: socialisation across macaque species and sexes. Animal Welfare 23(4), 387-389.

Refinement of social housing practices is paramount to improving animal welfare in laboratory environments, especially with regard to non-human primates. Even though social housing of the same species should be considered the optimal paradigm, cynomolgus...

Nelsen, S. L., Bradford, D., Houghton, P. 2014. A comparison of two social housing techniques for sexually mature male cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis). American Journal of Primatology 76(S1), 104. (37th Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists Scientific Program, Abstract #208)

Social species of nonhuman primates, such as macaques, should be given the opportunity for social access to conspecifics. In captive laboratory settings, creating a system to provide this opportunity can be challenging, especially concerning sexually...

McCully, C. L., MacAllister, R. P., Smedley, J. et al. 2014. The longevity of a nonhuman primate social housing strategy: A review of group housing for rhesus male macaques maintained on active protocols in biomedical research. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 566-567 (Abstract #PS67).

Regulatory mandates promoting the psychologic wellbeing and addressing the social needs of nonhuman primates have been well described. In response to these directives, in 1992, we initially reported a successful group housing strategy for instrumented...

Gottlieb, D. H., O'Connor, J. R., Coleman, K. 2014. Using porches to decrease feces painting in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). JAALAS 53(6), 653-656.

The goal of this project was to evaluate the efficacy of a porch in decreasing feces painting in captive rhesus macaques. The porch is a small extension that is hung on the outside of a...

Normando, S., Contiero, B., Marchesini, G. et al. 2014. Effects of space allowance on the behaviour of long-term housed shelter dogs. Behavioural Processes 103, 306-314.

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of space allowance (4.5 m(2)/head vs. 9 m(2)/head) on the behaviour of shelter dogs (Canis familiaris) at different times of the day (from 10:30 to...

Baker, K. C., Coleman, K., Bloomsmith, M. A. et al. 2014. Pairing rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): methodology and outcomes at four national primate research centers. American Journal of Primatology 76(S1), 104. (37th Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists Scientific Program, Abstract #207)

Pairing laboratory macaques is a high priority goal for many behavioral management programs. There are numerous methodological differences in introduction procedures across facilities, including the intermediate stages used between single housing and full contact. A...

Baker, K. C., Bloomsmith, M. A., Oettinger, B. et al. 2014. Comparing options for pair housing rhesus macaques using behavioral welfare measures. American Journal of Primatology 76(1), 30-42.

In a biomedical research environment, research or management procedures may render continuous full contact pairing of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) unfeasible. This study aimed to determine whether separation on a frequent basis or housing in...

Andrianjazalahatra, T., Honess, P. 2014. Use of visual barriers by breeding groups of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis): An indication of color or location preference? American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 539-540 (Abstract #PS54).

Visual barriers have been shown to be valuable environmental components of nonhuman primate housing to break visual contact between conspecifics as well as between primates and their human keepers. The effect of visual barriers can...

Abney, D. M., Toscano, J. E., Poor, L. L. et al. 2014. Successful social housing of adult male cynomolgus macaques with similar bodyweights. American Journal of Primatology 76(S1), 86. (37th Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists Scientific Program, Abstract #151)

At Charles River Laboratories, we are committed to ensuring all animals have the highest level of care and welfare. To this end, our social housing program includes placing all nonhuman primates in pairs or groups...

Abney, D. M., Harding, K., Toscano, J. et al. 2014. Successful social housing of mature male cynomolgus macaques in mixed sex rooms. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 567. (Abstract #P70).

We are committed to ensuring all our animals have the highest level of care and welfare. To this end, our social housing program includes placing all animals in pairs or groups. We have a rate...

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.

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...

Piccione, G., Arfuso, F., Giannetto, C. et al. 2013. Effect of housing conditions and owner's schedule on daily total locomotor activity in dogs (Canis familiaris). Biological Rhythm Research 44, 778-786.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of housing conditions on daily rhythm of total locomotor activity in dogs. Seven clinically healthy dogs (Canis familiaris) were used and divided into two groups...

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.

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...

Gazes, R. P., Brown, E. K., Basile, B. M. et al. 2013. Automated cognitive testing of monkeys in social groups yields results comparable to individual laboratory-based testing. Animal Cognition 16(3), 445-458.

Cognitive abilities likely evolved in response to specific environmental and social challenges and are therefore expected to be specialized for the life history of each species. Specialized cognitive abilities may be most readily engaged under...

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

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...

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)

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...

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)

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...