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. 
Kidd, R. 1993. Help livestock keep their cool: Water and shade are keys to comfort. The New Farm 15(5), 8-12.

In most parts of the U.S., heat stress is the most costly and insidious environmental factor affecting livestock.

Kamada, T., Kimata, M., Notsuki, I. 1993. The effect of providing pigs with toy on the welfare and performance. Journal of Animal Science 71(Supplement 1), 115 (Abstract).

These data suggest that providing pigs with toy [suspended bicycle tire tubes, baseballs] would improve welfare situation [decreased aggression between pen mates] at every developing stage but would have little effect on pig performance.

Kaplan, M. L. 1993. An enriched environment for the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis). Lab Animal 22(5), 25-29.

A continuous-flow aquatic housing system for frogs is described. Sandstones and a stainless-steel rabbit feeder were used for enrichment. The animals swam into the feeders immediately, and three of four animals usually occupy each feeder...

Keeling, L. J., Hurnik, J. F. 1993. Chickens show socially facilitated feeding behaviour in response to a video image of a conspecific. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 36, 223-231.

Chickens are highly responsive to video images.

Jones, R. B. 1993. The handling phenomenon and fear-reduction: strategic relevance for the domestic fowl? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 38, 77-78 (Abstract).

Handling regimes effectively reduced fear responses to people.

Hutson, G. D. 1993. Behavioral principles of sheep handling. In: Livestock Handling and Transport. Grandin, T. (ed), 127-146. CAB International, Wallingford, UK.

Sheep appropriate handling methods are outlined.

Hutson, G. D., Haskell, M. J., Dickenson, L. G. et al. 1993. Preferences of pregnant sows for wet and dry concrete floors. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 37, 91-99.

The sows in this study showed a clear preference for dry floors. When fed on the dry side sows spent most of their time in the dry pen. In contrast, when fed on the wet...

Hurst, J. L., Fang, J., Barnard, C. J. 1993. The role of substrate odours in maintaining social tolerance between male house mice (Mus musculus domesticus). Animal Behaviour 45, 997-1006.

The group's odor cues protects the individual group member from being attacked. Strangers who do not have this group specific odor cue are attacked.It may be good advice to always leave some soiled bedding to...

Hubrecht, R. C., Serpell, J. A. 1993. Influence of housing conditions on the behaviour and welfare of dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 35, 293 (Abstract).

The provision of toys to kennels is often restricted on the basis that it may provoke aggression: however, preliminary observations suggest that tethering the toys to the ceiling can help to overcome this problem.

Hubrecht, R. C. 1993. A comparison of social and environmental enrichment methods for laboratory housed dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 37, 345-361.

Group- and pair-housed beagles were studied. Following 2 months of environmental enrichment [with rawhide, Gumabone?, plastic tubing], dogs spent a substantial proportion of their time (24%) using the toys. ... Environment-enriched dogs solicited less play...

Hopster, H., Blokhuis, H. J. 1993. Consistent stress response of individual dairy cows to social isolation. Proceedings of the International Congress on Applied Ethology, 123-126.

Stress response in pairs of cows after separation from partner was investigated. Short-term social isolation induced an increase in heart rate, an elevation of plasma cortisol concentration, and increased vocalization.

Hickey, T. E. 1993. Group housing dogs on GLP toxicology studies. In: Refinement and Reduction in Animal Testing. Niemi, S. M. , Willson, J. E. (eds), 73-77. Scientists Center for Animal Welfare (SCAW), Bethesda, MD.

The take home message from all of this is quite simple: dogs on many GLP [good laboratory practice] toxicological studies can be housed in groups. This concept is, at the very least, worth of consideration...

Hemsworth, P. H., Barnett, J. L., Jones, R. B. 1993. Situational factors that influence the level of fear of human by laying hens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 36, 197-210.

On the basis of the withdrawal responses of birds to an approaching experimenter, fear of humans may decline from moderate levels among birds housed in Tier 1 (bottom) to Tier 3, in both systems and...

Hemsworth, P. H., Barnett, J. L., Coleman, G. J. 1993. The human-animal relationship in agriculture and its consequence for the animal. Animal Welfare 2, 33-51.

The results of our research on both experimental and commercial animals, particularly pigs .. demonstrate that the productivity and probably the welfare of a substantial proportion of farm animals may be at risk due to...

Held, S. D. E., Turner, R. J., Wootton, R. J. 1993. Social behaviour and immunological correlates in group-housed female laboratory rabbits. In: Proceedings of the International Congress on Applied Ethology. Wierenga, H. K. , Braun, S. (eds), 131-135. KTBL, Darmstadt, Germany.

Low-ranking does received more aggression than high-ranking ones, however, there was no indication that this affected their welfare.Abstract published in: Applied Animal Behaviour Science 40, 82, 1994; Held SDE, Turner RJ, Wootton RJ; Social behaviour...

Hansen, I., Braastad, B. O., Storbr?ten, J. et al. 1993. Differences in fearfulness indicated by tonic immobility between laying hens in aviaries and in cages. Animal Welfare 2, 105-112.

In the present study the fearfulness, as measured by the tonic immobility response, increased more with age in battery layers than in aviary layers. The more constant and lower fearfulness of birds in the aviaries...

Galef Jr., B. G., Durlach, P. 1993. Should large rats be housed in large cages? An empirical issue. Canadian Psychology 34, 203-207.

In the present experiment, eight large rats (489-623 g) were each allowed to choose for 24 hr between a 16.8-cm-high [barren] cage and a 23-cm-high [barren] cage. The rats failed to exhibit any preference for...

Garcia-Brull, P. D., Nunez, J., Nunez, A. 1993. The effect of scents on the territorial and aggressive behaviour of laboratory rats . Behavioural Processes 29, 25-36.

In the present work we analyse social relations presented by laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus, Wistar breed) in seminatural conditions, with special reference to behaviours of dominance, territorialism and aggressiveness, and the importance that these marks...

Feh, C., de Mazieres, J. 1993. Grooming at a preferred grooming site reduces heart rate in the horses. Animal Behaviour 46, 1191-1194.

Being groomed has a calming effect as reflected in heart rate reduction.It is commonly suggested that the principal function of allogrooming is to reduce social tension between group members, but direct evidence of the physiological...

Ehlers, C. L., Kaneko, W. M., Owens, M. J. et al. 1993. Effects of gender and social isolation on electroencephalogram and neuroendocrine parameters in rats. Biological Psychiatry 33, 358-366.

Same-sex pairs were established and partners separated after 6 weeks. The effects of 6 weeks of [subsequent] social isolation on electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) functioning were studied. Separation resulted in significant sleep disturbances...

Choi, G. C. 1993. Humans enrich the lives of lab baboons. WARDS (Working for Animals Used in Research, Drugs and Surgery) Newsletter 4, 3-7 & 13.

The reduction in cage painting and banging was dramatic and remarkable after the single-housed animals received more attention from the attending personnel.

Carlstead, K., Brown, J. L., Strawn, W. 1993. Behavioral and physiological correlates of stress in laboratory cats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 38, 143-158.

These results indicate that qualitatively poor caretaking is a potent psychological stressor for confined [single-caged] cats that may eventually compromise reproduction through behavioral or physiological mechanism. To promote well-being, caged cats should be provided with...

Canadian Council on Animal Care, Olfert, E. D., Cross, B. M. et al. 1993. Guide to the Care and Use of Experimental Animals, Volume 1, 2nd Edition [Cats]. Canadian Council on Animal Care, Ottawa, Canada.

A thorough guide to the species-appropriate housing and handling of cats. The least stressful housing environment for research cats will usually be gang housing, especially if there are numerous perches [at different heights] on which...

Canadian Council on Animal Care, Olfert, E. D., Cross, B. M. et al. 1993. Guide to the Care and Use of Experimental Animals, Volume 1, 2nd Edition [Dogs]. Canadian Council on Animal Care, Ottawa, Canada.

A thorough guide to the species-appropriate housing and handling of dogs. Unless contra-indicated by the protocol, medical condition, or the animal's aggressiveness, dogs should be paired or group housed with conspecifics in cages or runs...

Canadian Council on Animal Care, Olfert, E. D., Cross, B. M. et al. 1993. Guide to the Care and Use of Experimental Animals, Volume 1, 2nd Edition. Canadian Council on Animal Care, Ottawa, Canada.

We are morally responsible for any living thing that we cause to be dependent upon us, including animals used in research, teaching and testing (p. 10).