Laboratory Mouse Welfare Refinement

Laboratory mice are the most common research animal and welfare refinement of mouse procedures reduces suffering at enormous scale.

Key Facts

An estimated 100 million mice are used in research globally each year
Mice are social animals but are often housed individually, causing chronic stress
Enrichment including nesting material and shelter significantly reduces stress and improves experimental outcomes
Burrowing and nest building are among the most highly motivated behaviors in mice

Welfare Considerations

Laboratory mice are frequently housed in conditions that cause chronic welfare problems — individual housing causes social isolation stress, and barren cages prevent the expression of core behaviors like burrowing and building nests. These welfare problems also compromise research validity as stressed animals are physiologically different from well-housed animals. Refinement that improves mouse welfare simultaneously improves research quality — a rare case of perfect welfare-science alignment.

What You Can Do

Support the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) in research animal policy
Advocate for social housing and environmental enrichment requirements for laboratory mice
Support research institutions with demonstrable commitment to refinement
Fund organizations that develop alternatives to animal testing