Social Housing and Environmental Enrichment Policy Purpose: This document sets forth the policy for housing social species and examples of environmental enrichment that must be provided to all species. Social Housing is defined as housing social species in compatible pairs or groups with additional visual, auditory, olfactory, and/or tactile contact with conspecifics housed in the same room. Environmental Enrichment is the process of providing stimulating environments for animals in order for them to demonstrate their species-typical behavior, to allow them exercise control or choice over their environment, and to enhance their well-being. IACUC Policy: Housing must provide for the animals health and well-being while being consistent with the intended objectives of animal use. Animals natural behavior and activity profile must be considered during evaluation of suitable housing or behavioral assessment. All animals should be housed under conditions that meet physical, physiological, and behavioral needs and account for the animals social needs. The primary enclosure must be enriched to create an environment suitable for the animals needs. Social animals must be housed in stable pairs or groups of compatible individuals unless they must be housed alone for experimental purposes and/or veterinary/logistical exceptions.* Structural adjustments are frequently required for social housing and important resources (food and water) must be safely accessible to all animals regardless of their social ranking. *Approval for single housing is only valid for the specific protocol, species and specific project (or group of animals within a protocol) for which IACUC approval was obtained, or veterinary/logistical exception was made. Background: The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Guide) have written guidelines for the provision of adequate housing that provide for normal activity and behavior for all animals. Animals activity requirements (motor and cognitive activity, social interaction) should be considered in establishing suitable housing. All social species should be housed in groups to allow appropriate social interactions, which are essential to development and well-being. All animals should be housed under conditions that provide sufficient space as well as supplementary structures and resources required to meet physical, physiological, and behavioral needs. Environments that fail to meet the animals needs may result in abnormal brain development, physiologic dysfunction, and behavioral disorders that
may compromise both animal well-being and scientific validity. The primary enclosure or space should be enriched to prevent such effects. The primary aim of environmental enrichment is to enhance animal well-being by providing animals with sensory and motor stimulation, through structures and resources that facilitate the expression of species-typical behaviors and promote psychological well-being through physical exercise, manipulative activities and cognitive challenges according to species-specific characteristics. Animals maintained in a laboratory setting can be restricted in their activity compared to animals in other environments. Forced activities such as swimming, treadmills or carousel-type devices are unacceptable except for therapeutic or approved protocol objectives. Repetitive, unvarying behavior (stereotypies, compulsive behavior) may reflect disruptions of normal behavior due to housing or management practices and animals displaying these behaviors need additional social and/or environmental enrichment. Suitable social environments should be based on whether animals are naturally communal or territorial and whether they should be housed singly, in pairs or groups. Not all animals of a social species are socially compatible and housing socially incompatible animals can lead to chronic stress, injury or death. Animals may have to be introduced to each other over a period of time and monitored closely during an introductory period to ensure compatibility. Standards: 1. Social animals must be group housed in stable pairs or groups of compatible individuals. However, the IACUC understands there are instances when animals must be single housed. In these cases, it should be limited to the minimum period necessary and where possible, visual, auditory, olfactory and tactile contact with compatible conspecifics must be provided. To assist in determining when it is acceptable to singly house animals, the IACUC provides the following standards: If animals need to be singly housed for experimental purposes, a scientific justification must be provided in the protocol and submitted to the IACUC for review and approval prior to implementation. The justification must include all instances where the animals must be single housed, the rationale for each instance, and the expected duration. Yellow special care instruction cards must be placed on each animal cage. In addition to scientific reasons for single housing, there are veterinary and logistical exceptions which have been approved by the IACUC for all protocols to support the well-being of all housed animals. These exceptions are provided in the table below and do not require individual protocol review and approval. Mouse or Rat: Stud males Single animal left after others used for studies Prevent fighting Avoid stress associated with re-introduction into new group
Diabetic animals Pregnant female Female with offspring Immediate post-operative period Hamster or Gerbil: Stud males Single animal left after others used for studies Diabetic animals Pregnant female Female with offspring Rabbit: Male rabbit > 6 weeks old Unavailability of suitable cagemate Avoid excessive wetness and ammonia in cage due to polydipsia/polyuria Allow acclimation and nest-building prior to delivery Allow undisturbed care of offspring Allow undisturbed recovery Prevent fighting Avoid stress associated with re-introduction into new group Avoid excessive wetness and ammonia in cage due to polydipsia/polyuria Allow acclimation and nest-building prior to delivery Allow undisturbed care of offspring Prevent fighting Logistics of animal acquisition and use Dog, Cat, Ferret, Pig, Sheep: Unavailability of suitable cagemate Pregnant female Pre-operative period Immediate post-operative period Logistics of animal acquisition and use Allow acclimation and prevent injury prior to delivery Allow pre-anesthetic fasting of individual animal Allow undisturbed recovery
2. Group housed animals must be the same sex or neutered and behaviorally compatible unless breeding is intended and approved on the animal protocol. 3. All social animals must have the benefit of auditory, olfactory, and visual contact with conspecifics and also tactile contact when possible. 4. All animals must be housed in standard cages/pens that equal or exceed the USDA required floor space. 5. All animals must be provided with sensory or motor stimulation through structures and/or resources that facilitate the expression of species-typical behaviors and promote psychological well-being. Guidelines for Environmental Enrichment: Specific enrichment opportunities and techniques vary according to species. Examples of these include, but are not limited to: Dogs -- Toys such as balls or chew toys, bones, and other manipulanda --Exercise outside of the primary enclosure (1-3 times / week) --Positive human interaction (playing, petting, grooming) -- Food treats to be offered when it will benefit animal acclimation human-animal interaction ** Dogs housed in isolation (without sensory contact with other dogs) must receive positive human interaction on a daily basis. Cats --Large room with areas for separation and group housing --Appropriate toys and climbing devices --Positive human interaction (playing, petting, grooming) --Food treats as needed to socialize the animals, but limited to prevent obesity and finicky eating. **Cats housed in isolation (without sensory contact with other cats) must receive positive human interaction on a daily basis. Pigs --Toys such as bowling balls, plastic balls, chains, hoses and other manipulanda that will encourage normal rooting and chewing behavior --Food treats --Positive human interaction (petting, scratching, rubbing) Sheep / Goats -- Straw or hay for foraging or used as bedding --Fresh hay as a dietary supplement --Positive human interaction (scratching, rubbing)
--Food treats Rabbits --Toys such as bells, chew toys, items that can be pushed around, hanging devices and other manipulanda --Food supplements such as alfalfa cubes, Timothy hay, fresh kale and other vegetables --Opportunity for group conspecific exercise outside of the primary enclosure during intermittent supervision to assure compatibility --Pair housing of compatible females may occur Ferrets Toys, cage complexities, hammocks, tunnels, and other manipulanda --Positive human interaction --Food treats Mice / Rats --Nesting material and shelters (e.g. igloos), nylabone chew toys and other devices to allow for normal nesting and chewing behavior. Hamsters, Gerbils, Guinea pigs, other rodents --Dried or fresh vegetables (fresh hay, kale, and sunflower seeds for guinea pigs) --Exercise wheels (for gerbils and hamsters) Non-human primates See Non-Human Primate Socialization and Environmental Enrichment Policy Amphibians / Reptiles -- PVC tubes --Basking shelves (turtles) --Other materials that may be used to provide areas of retreat / shelter --Food supplements (crickets, meal worms, dried shrimp, etc.) Birds --Flight room --Water bath --Perches --Radio/music References: 1.) Animal Welfare Act. 7 U.S.C.2131 et.seq. 9 CFR, Chapter 1, Subchapter A Animal Welfare, http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/downloads/awr/9cfr2.31.txt 2.) Subpart A Specifications for the Humane Handling, Care, Treatment, and Transportation of Dogs and Cats Section 3.8 Exercise for dogs.
3.) The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: 8 th Edition. (Guide). National Research Council. 2011. http://oacu.od.nih.gov/regs/guide/guide.pdf.