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. 
Duncan, I. J., Petherick, J. C. 1991. The implications of cognitive processes for animal welfare. Journal of Animal Science 69(12), 5017–5022.

In general, codes that have been designed to safeguard the welfare of animals emphasize the importance of providing an environment that will ensure good health and a normal physiological and physical state, that is, they...

Baldock, N. M., Sibly, R. M. 1990. Effects of handling and transportation on the heart rate and behaviour of sheep. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 28, 15-39.

Sheep show a marked increase in heart rate when isolated from other sheep. When a sheep was separated from other sheep by a fence, she stayed calm as long as she could see her companions...

Arnold, C. E., Estep, D. Q. 1990. Effects of housing on social preference and behaviour in male golden hamsters (Mesocericetus auratus). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 27, 253-261.

One strange male was introduced into a group of 4 littermates in a barren 5-chamber cage without preliminaries, and left with the stimulus animals for about 46 h. ... The hamsters showed an overall preference...

Appleby, M. C., Hughes, B. O. 1990. Cages modified with perches and nests for the improvement of bird welfare. World's Poultry Science Journal 46, 38-40.

Feather, foot and claw damage tended to be less in a cage equipped with a perch and a nest box than in the conventional cages.

Albertin, S. V. 1990. An alternative to distressful methods of animal immobilization. Humane Innovations and Alternatives in Animal Experimentation 4, 202-204.

An alternative to traditional devices for immobilizing a cat's head is described. It took 5-8 days of training with positive reinforcement to adapt the animals, and unlike controls, they did not attempt to get free...

Zazula, J. 1990. Training capuchin monkeys to assist severely disabled individuals. In: Animal Training. UFAW [Universities Federation for Animal Welfare] 135-140. Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) , Potters Bar, UK.

Principles of training capuchin monkeys to assist disabled individuals are described. All helping tasks are trained and maintained exclusively through positive reinforcement with a 95% or higher reliability rate.

Woods, S. 1990. Behavioral enrichment of a group of captive gorillas: A quantitative study . Proceedings: Columbus Zoo Gorilla Workshop, 205-209.

Introduction of embedded foods [novel or preferred foods inside burlap bags and various paper and cardboard containers] resulted in decreases in regurgitation and reingestion, inactivity, and aggression, accompanied by increases in solitary and social play.

Winslow, S., Ogden J. J., Maple, T. L. 1990. Socialization of an adult male lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Proceedings: Columbus Zoo Gorilla Workshop, 195-204.

The careful, successful group formation process of an adult male, an adult female, and a juvenile female gorilla is described.

Wheeler, M. D., Schutzengel, R. E., Barry, S. et al. 1990. Changes in basal and stimulated growth hormone secretion in the aging rhesus monkeys: A comparison of chair restraint and tether and vest sampling. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 71, 1501-1507.

Animals who were adapted to chair restraint appeared calm,but they showed consistently higher cortisol levels than free moving tethered animals.

White, S. 1990. Naltrexone for treatment of acral lick dermatitis in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 196, 1073-1076.

Seven of eleven dogs showed improvement with healing of the lesions and cessation of licking wuring treatment with naltrexone, and opioid antagonist. But all of these dogs relapses when medication was withdrawn.

Weiher, U. G., Kidman, M. T. 1990. Gorillas down under. Proceedings: Columbus Zoo Gorilla Workshop, 162-186.

Group formation process of four adult subjects is described.

Weld, K. P., Erwin, J. 1990. Provision of manipulable objects to cynomolgus macaques promotes species-typical behavior. American Journal of Primatology 20, 243 (Abstract).

A different pet toy was provided to each [single-caged] monkey during six weeks. Self-directed abnormal behavior was reduced or eliminated in all subjects in the presence of objects but increased after removal of the toys.

Wemelsfelder, F. 1990. Bordeom and laboratory animal welfare. In: The Experimental Animal in Biomedical Research. Rollin B.E. (ed), 243-272. CRC-Press, Boca Raton, FL.

Boredom is the process in which animals gradually cease to be active interactors and loose their interest in the environment, becoming apathetic and/or inflexible in their responses.

Visalberghi, E., Vitale, A. F. 1990. Coated nuts as an enrichment device to elicit tool use in tufted capuchins (Cebus apella). Zoo Biology 9, 65-71.

Coated nuts can provide these primates with stimuli that elicit interesting and natural behavior patterns.

Turkkan, J. S. 1990. New methodology for measuring blood pressure in awake baboons with use of behavioral training techniques. Journal of Medical Primatology 19, 455-466.

Training protocols are described to ensure cooperation of 10 single-housed baboons during blood pressure measurement in the homecage.

UFAW [Universities Federation for Animal Welfare] 1990. Environmental Enrichment (Videotape With Commentary) . Countywise Communication.Available on loan from Animal Care Audio-Visual Materials, WRPRC, 1220 Capitol Court, Madison, WI 53715, USA, Potters Bar, UK.

A demonstration of some feeding enrichment possibilities for various zoo animals, including marmosets.

Terman, J. S., Terman, M., Schlager, D. et al. 1990. Efficacy of brief, intense light exposure for treatment of winter depression. Psychopharmacolgy Bulletin 26(1), 3-11.

30-minute morning light at 10,000 lux was more effective in improving depression scores in patients than 3,000 lux morning light and evening light.

Struthers, E. J., Rodriguez, P., Cooper, P. et al. 1990. Xenospecific enrichment at the Primate Research Institute. Laboratory Primate Newsletter 29(2), 14-15.

Nursery reared, single-housed and group-housed chimpanzees were exposed to a puppy after careful prior familiarization. ... The complete physical introduction [with single-caged subject] initially resulted in tugs-of-war over toys and blankets. The chimpanzee would alternately...

Sunde, V. H., Sievert, J. L. 1990. Training female lowland gorillas to urinate on request. Proceedings: Columbus Zoo Gorilla Workshop, A-6.

This method facilitates daily urine collection and minimizes the amount of time each female is isolated from her social group. [Training protocol is described.]

Sutherland, R. 1990. The effects of temporary space reduction on lowland gorilla socialization. Proceedings: Columbus Zoo Gorilla Workshop, 151-160.

Successful integration protocols of juveniles and a mature female into established groups are clearly outlined. Reducing the enclosure size appears to have a number of benefits. The reduction in agonistic behaviour by all individuals, as...

Stevens, A. 1990. Gorilla husbandry/enrichment at the Dallas Zoo. Proceedings: Columbus Zoo Gorilla Workshop, A-5 (Abstract).

Unintrusive husbandry techniques during cleaning and feeding, such as shifting animals, allow keepers to easily incorporate environmental enrichment components during their normal routine. To create a stimulating and diverse environment, keepers supply simple, economic [unspecified]...

Siegel, J. M. 1990. Stressful life events and use of physician services among the elderly: the moderating role of pet ownership. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 58, 1081-1086.

The physician utilization behavior of 938 Medicare enrollees in a health maintenance organization was prospectively followed for 1 year. With demographic characteristics and health status at baseline controlled for, respondents who owned pets reported fewer...

Shumaker, R. W. 1990. Establishment of a mixed species exhibit consisting of gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), and colobus monkeys, (Colobus guereza). Proceedings: Columbus Zoo Gorilla Workshop, 138-140.

In an effort to improve the environments for both the colobus [family of three] and one of the lone male gorillas, we began the process of establishing the four individuals into one exhibit. ... There...

Scott, L. 1990. Training non-human primates - Meeting their behavioural needs. In: Animal Training. UFAW [Universities Federation for Animal Welfare] . Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) , Potters Bar, UK.

Principles of training strategies are discussed. Although I have not heard data to support the view, I am certain that animals who are experienced with humans, are easier to train.

Sainsbury, A. W., Mew, J. A., Purton, P. et al. 1990. Advances in the management of primates kept for biomedical research. Animal Technology 41 , 87-101.

Changes in the management of colonies of long-tailed macaques and common marmosets kept at the Royal College of Surgeons Research Establishment are outlined. These developments are discussed in the context of increasing concern over the...