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. 
Mason, J. W., Mougey, E. H., Kenion, C. C. 1973. Urinary epinephrine and norepinephrine responses to chair restraint in the monkey. Physiology and Behavior 10, 801-803.

Animals who were restrained in an unfamiliar environment showed significantly higher urinary catecholamine levels than animals who were familiar with the environment in which they were restrained.

Maple, T., Erwin, J., Mitchell, G. 1973. Short- and long-term attachments in adult heterosexual pairs of rhesus monkeys. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association held in Anaheim, California.

When the members of four heterosexual pairs were separated, all four males bit themselves while attempting to remove the separating barrier or while threatening observers. [quoted in Erwin et al., 1973]

Lethmate, J., D?cker, G. 1973. Studies on self-recognition in a mirror in orang-utans, chimpanzees, gibbons and various other monkey species [article in German]. Zeitschrift f?r Tierpsychologie [Ethology] 33, 248-269.

Apes show every sign of recognizing themselves in a mirror, going so far as to embellish themselves in front of it.

Erwin, J., Mitchell, G., Maple, T. 1973. Abnormal behavior in non-isolate-reared rhesus monkeys. Psychological Reports 33, 515-523.

Self-aggression [in single-housed subjects] occurred primarily in semi-stressful contexts which apparently did not allow appropriate outward-directed expression of emotion.

Vriend, J., Lauber, J. K. 1973. Effects of light intensity, wavelength and quanta on gonads and spleen of the deer-mouse. Nature 244, 37-38.

Spleen and gonad weight as well as growth rate of the whole animal is dependent on light intensity.

Vanjonack, W. J., Johnson, H. D. 1973. Relationship of thyroid and adrenal function to fur-chewing in the chinchilla. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 45, 115-120.

The fur-chewing chinchillas showed increased thyroid activity (P

Valzelli, L. 1973. The isolation syndrome in mice. Psychopharmacologia 31, 305-320.

Socially isolated mice differ from group-housed mice not only behaviorally, but also in their immunological responses, hormone levels, brain neurochemistry, learning ability, pain thresholds, and sensitivitiy to drugs.

Tagney, J. 1973. Sleep patterns related to rearing rats in enriched and impoverished environments. Brain Research 53, 353-361.

Rats housed in groups in large, enriched versus alone in small, barren cages show brain changes indicative of enhanced cerebral activity.Single-caged rats consumed more pieces of food than their enriched littermates.

Roper, T. J. 1973. Nesting material as a reinforcer for female mice. Animal Behaviour 21, 733-740.

Female mice will work by lever-pressing to gain access to nesting material.

Reinhardt, V. 1973. Beitr?ge zur sozialen Rangordnung und Melkordnung bei K?hen. Zeitschrift f?r Tierpsychology [Ethology] 32, 281-292.

It was found that in an open stable there exists a milking order among lactating cows. its dynamical moment can be fouind in the suckling drive and the appetite for concentrate. Its effect on the...

Mugford, R. G. 1973. Inter male fighting affected by home-cage odours of male and female mice. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology 84, 289-295.

Odors deposited by female mice has an aggression buffering effect on males.

McNatty, K. P., Young, A. 1973. Diurnal changes of plasma cortisol levels in sheep adapting to a new environment. Journal of Endocrinology 56, 329-330.

It was demonstrated that an average of 28 days is needed for cortisol to return to normal levels when sheep are brought from pasture into an animal house.

Manosevitz, M., Joel, U. 1973. Behavioral effects of environmental enrichment in randomly bred mice. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology 85, 373-382.

Lower open-field defecation was noted in enriched mice. Inanimate enrichment promoted body weight increase.

Lee, C. T. 1973. Genetic analyses of nest building behavior in laboratory mice (Mus musculus). Behavior Genetics 3, 247-256.

A Mendelian genetic analysis and a diallel cross study were conducted to investigate nest-building behavior of inbred mice. The amount of cotton used to build nests was observed for 4 days when the mice were...

Jones, R. B., Nowell, N. W. 1973. The effects of familiar visual and olfactory cues on the aggression behaviour of mice. Physiology and Behavior 10, 221-223.

Decreasing the familiarity of the environment and providing flexible avenues of escape lead to reduced levels of inter-male aggression. Greatest levels of aggression were found in cages that had ungergone incomplete cleaning, such as renewal...

Hothersall, D., Huey, D., Thatcher, K. 1973. The preference of rats for free or response-produced food. Animal Learning and Behavior, 241-243.

The majority [but not all] of rats preferred freely available food over food that could be obtained only via lever pressing.

Hauntzinger, G. M., Piacsek, B. E. 1973. Influence of duration, intensity and spectrum of light exposure on sexual maturation of female rats. Federation Proceedings 32, 213.

Light affects sexual maturation.

Denenberg, V. H., Wyly, M. V., Burns, J. K. et al. 1973. Behavioral effects of handling rabbits in infancy. Physiology and Behavior 10, 1001-1004.

Handling of pups increased open-field activity.

Daly, M. 1973. Early stimulation of rodents: a critical review of present interpretations. British Journal of Psychology 64, 435-460.

The perceived benefits of early stimulation of rodents is questioned.

Brandt, E. M., Mitchell, G. 1973. Pairing preadolescents with infants (Macaca mulatta). Developmental Psychology 2, 222-228.

Infants [isolates and controls] were paired with pre-adolescents. There was more social behavior directed toward control infants than toward isolate-reared infants.

Anonymous 1973. Primate breeding on a grand scale. Lab Animal 2(3), 16-18 & 53.

Photographic demonstration of inadequate lighting conditions in double-tier primate cages.

Anderson, C. O., Denenberg, V. H., Zarrow, M. X. 1972. Effects of handling and social isolation upon the rabbit's behaviour. Behaviour 43, 165-175.

Gentle, frequent handling of young rabbits increases general activity while buffering emotionality.

Wells, D. A. 1972 . The use of seclusion on a university hospital psychiatric floor. Archives of General Psychiatry 26, 410-413.
Tatoyan, S. K., Cherkovich, G. M. 1972. The heart rate in monkeys (Baboons and Macaques) in different physiological states recorded by radiotelemetry. Folia Primatologica 17(4), 255-266.

In the presence of man the heart rate is always increased, in spite of the fact that the monkeys appear to be calm.

T-W-Fiennes, R. N. 1972. Primates - General. In: The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory Animals Fourth Edition. UFAW [Universities Federation for Animal Welfare] (ed), 374-375. Churchill Livingstone, London, UK.

The higher primates, such as chimpanzees and baboons, are intelligent and sensitive. If handled with sympathy and understanding they can become more than research tools - even co-operative partners in experimentation. To achieve this, a...