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. 
Goldmeier, J. 1986. Pets or people: Another research note. The Gerontologist 26, 203-206.
Golub, M. S., Anderson, J. H. 1986. Adaptation of pregnant rhesus monkeys to short-term chair restraint. Laboratory Animal Science 36, 507-511.

Heart rate and blood pressure values recorded immediately after the blood sampling did not decline with repetition of this procedure.

Fritz, J. 1986. Resocialization of asocial chimpanzees. In: Primates. The Road to Self-Sustaining Populations. Benirschke, K. (ed), 351-359. Springer-Verlag, New York, NY.

Successful resocialization techniques of asocial (insufficient opportunities have prevented the subject from acquiring the social experience necessary for compatible group living) chimpanzees and their practical implications are discussed. The problem of lack of opportunity for...

Fox, M. W. 1986. Laboratory Animal Husbandry: Ethology, Welfare and Experimental Variables. State University of New York Press, Albany, NY.

Clear discussion and comprehensive review of housing- and handling-related variables affecting research data. Cage size is probably determined more by tradition, economics, and some vague subjective impression about the animal's space requirements. ... The 'queue'...

Erwin, J. 1986. Environments for captive propagation of primates: Interaction of social and physical factors. In: The Road to Self-Sustaining Populations . Benirschke, K. (ed), 297-305. Springer, New York, NY.

This report includes summaries of research projects (conducted by myself and my colleagues) that have dealt with such issues as social organization, social bonds, social roles, aggression, spatial change, social density, provision of cover, group...

Erkert, H. G., Gröber, J. 1986. Direct modulation of activity and body temperature of owl monkeys (Aotus lemuriunus griseimembra) by low light intensities. Folia Primatologica 47(4), 171-188.

Light directly affects activity and body temperature.

Else, J. G., Tarara, R., Suleman, M. A. et al. 1986. Enclosure design and reproductive success of baboons used for reproductive research in Kenya. Laboratory Animal Science 36, 168-172.

A total of 75 female and six male wild caught olive baboons were placed in three enclosures. Single cages were attached to the main enclosure to allow separation of individual group members for sample collection...

de Waal, F. B. M., Luttrell, L. M. 1986. The similarity principle underlying social bonding among female rhesus monkeys. Folia Primatologica 46(4), 215-234.

Twenty adult female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were observed over a three-year period. They lived in a mixed captive group with kinship relations known for three generations. The study's aim was to test Seyfarth's [J...

Croudace, C. 1986. Environmental needs of primates in captivity. RATEL (Journal of the Association of British Wild Animal Keepers) 13, 139-142.

A synopsis of a workshop

Wieser, R. 1986. Funktionale Analyse Des Verhalten Als Grundlage Zur Beurteilung Der Tiergerechtheit. Eine Untersuchung Zum Normalverhalten Und Verhaltensst?rungen Bei Hauskaninchen-Zibben. Ph.D. Thesis, Universit?t Bern , Bern, Switzerland.

Anatomical changes in the spine of rabbits were attributed to the lack of basic locomotor activity in small, conventional single-cages.

Van Gool, W. A., Mirmiran, M. 1986. Effects of aging and housing in an enriched environment on sleep-wake patterns in rats. Sleep 9, 335-347.

Rats housed in enriched versus barren cages show brain changes indicative of enhanced cerebral activity, and they spend more time sleeping.

Van de Wal, P. G., Engel, B. v. E. G., Huslhof, H. G. 1986. Changes in blood acid-base characteristics, haemoglobin and lactate concentrations due to increasing moderate stress in pigs. Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science 34, 108-111.

Even moderate restraint stress can cause significant changes in the acid-base balance.

Ursin, H., Murison, R. 1986. Facts, fiction and rational decisions. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 554(Supplement 1), 234-242.

Rats showed a significant increase in plasma glucocorticosteroids after being moved by lift from one room to another, even though they remained in their home cages.

Stolba, A. 1986. Ansatz zu einer artgerechten Schweinehaltung. Der m?blierte Familienstall. In: ?kologische Tierhaltung - Alternative Konzepte, Volume 53. Sambraus, H. H. , Boehncke, E. (eds), 148-166. M?ller, Karlsruhe, Germany.

The family pens contain an activity area with straw and a rooting area with peat and bark. This environmental enrichment increases the foraging activity of the sows.

Rushen, J. 1986. Aversion of sheep to electro-immobilization and physical restraint. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 15, 315-324.

Thirty-six Merino wethers were forced along a sheep race and were either electro-immobilized using a commercially-available instrument, restrained with the electro-immobilizer electrodes attached, physically restrained in a sheep-handling machine or allowed to run freely through...

Renner, M. J., Rosenzweig, M. R. 1986. Social interactions among rats housed in grouped and enrichedconditions. Developmental Psychobiology 19, 303-313.

No evidence was found in support of the hypothesis that play is responsible for the effects of environmental enrichment.

Reinhardt, C., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V. 1986. Social behaviour and reproductive performance in semi-wild Scottish Highland cattle. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 15, 125-136.

Social behaviour and reproductive performance in a herd of semi-wild Scottish Highland cattle were assessed over a period of 4 years. Dominance relationships were very firm. Being predictable to each other, the animals had little...

Ramos, N. C., Anderson, K. E., Adams, A. W. 1986. Effects of type of cage partition, cage shape, and bird density on productivity and well-being of layers. Poultry Science 65, 2023-2028.

In Experiment 1 there were no significant differences in rate of lay, egg quality, latency to feeding, and feather condition of hens in cages with wire mesh or solid metal side partitions. Birds in cages...

Prentice, E. D., Zucker, I. H., Jameton, A. 1986. Ethics of animal welfare in research: The institution's attempt to achieve appropriate social balance. The Physiologist 29, 1&19-21.

Physical restraint procedures should be used on awake animals only after alternative procedures have been considered and found to be inadequate. If a restraint will be utilized the animal should be trained or conditioned to...

Marsden, M. D., Wood-Gush, D. G. M. 1986. The use of space by group-housed sheep. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 15, 178 (Abstract).

Quality of space as well as quantity affects the use of the space by the animals and so must also be considered in housing design.

Marsden, M. D., Wood-Gush, D. G. M. 1986. A note on the behaviour of individually-penned sheep regarding their use for research purposes. Animal Production 42, 157-159.

Sheep are commonly housed in small individual pens for research purposes. ... The nature and extent of the abnormal behaviour found may be indicative of a differing background physiological state in these experimental animals from...

Jenkins, J. L. 1986. Physiological effects of petting a companion animal. Psychological Reports 58, 21-22.

This research compared the blood pressures and heart rates of 20 pet owners in their own homes while petting their dogs and while reading aloud. All pet owners showed a positive regard for their animals...

Jaeger, R. G. 1986. Pheromonal markers as territorial advertisement by terrestrial salamanders. In: Chemical Signals in Vertebrates. Duvall, D., Maller-Schwarze, D., Silverstein, R. M. (eds), 191-203. Plenum Press, New York, NY.
Inglis, I. R., Ferguson, N. J. K. 1986. Starlings search for food rather than eat freely available identical food. Animal Behaviour 34, 614-617.

Starlings search for food rather than eat freely available identical food.

Hemsworth, P. H., Barnett, J. L., Hansen, C. 1986. The influence of handling by humans on the behaviour, reproduction and corticosteroids of male and female pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 15, 303-314 .

Animals who are fearful of humans show a marked increase in corticosteroid levels both in the presence and in the absence of people. Unpleasant handling treatment resulted in a chronic stress response, with consequent adverse...