Research

Laboratory Animal Enrichment: Making Research More Humane

Providing enrichment to laboratory animals improves their welfare and may also improve the quality of research by reducing stress-related confounds.

Key Facts

Stressed laboratory animals show elevated cortisol that affects research outcomes
Nesting material for mice reduces stress, improves immunity, and reduces pain sensitivity
Social housing for gregarious species reduces stereotypic behavior significantly
Foraging enrichment for primates reduces abnormal behavior by over 60%
The NIH 3Rs Interagency Working Group coordinates enrichment research across agencies

Welfare Considerations

Enrichment in laboratory animals is not just an ethical obligation but a scientific improvement. Barren housing creates chronic stress that alters the very biological systems researchers are studying. An unstressed animal on nesting material provides more reliable data than a stressed animal in a bare cage. Enrichment is one of the clearest examples where animal welfare and scientific quality are aligned rather than in tension.

What You Can Do

Support the Animal Welfare Act amendment to require enrichment for mice and rats
Advocate for enrichment requirements in all publicly funded research institutions
Donate to the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing
Engage with university research ethics committees about enrichment standards
Support publication of enrichment protocols and research into welfare-science alignment