HABRI Central

Housing mice in the laboratory in groups enables social interaction and is the way a laboratory should house mice. However, adult males show reciprocal aggression and are therefore frequently housed individually. Alternatively, a grid divider, which allows sensory contact by sight and smell but prevents fighting and injuries, can separate mice within 1 cage. This study examined the influence of this housing method on various physiological and behavioural parameters. Adult male mice housed for 10 days with sensory contact to an unfamiliar male displayed significant increases in heart rate (HR), body core temperature (BT), and motor activity (ACT). Furthermore, the mice suffered impaired nest-building behaviour and significantly reduced body weight. Conversely, males housed in a similar manner with a female companion showed only a transient elevation of ACT, BT, and HR. Although no clear beneficial effect of housing males with sensory contact to females was evident, this study could not exclude it. On the other hand, housing of mature males in this way leads to sustained detrimental alterations of physiology and behaviour, thus implying severe impairment of animal wellbeing.

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

1. Animal behavior
2. Animal housing
3. Animal physiology
4. Animal rights
5. Animals
6. Animal welfare
7. Behavior and behavior mechanisms
8. Body temperature
9. Body weight
10. Heart rate
11. Laboratory and experimental animals
12. Laboratory animal science
13. Mammals
14. Mice
15. nesting
16. peer-reviewed
17. physical activity
18. Rodents
19. Social behavior
20. social interactions
21. touch
22. vertebrates