Rats are highly intelligent research animals whose welfare benefits significantly from cognitive enrichment - research demonstrates that enriched rats also produce more reliable experimental results.
Rat cognitive enrichment welfare improvement follows the same aligned welfare-science logic as for other research species. Enriched rats do not compromise experimental results - they improve them by reducing chronic stress that confounds behavioural measurements and immune responses. The evidence supports mandatory cognitive enrichment standards that go beyond the currently required minimal provisions. Burrowing substrate, complex environments and social play opportunity are practical and affordable additions to standard rat housing that deliver significant welfare benefit. Research councils and regulatory bodies increasingly recognise this alignment, creating momentum for mandatory enrichment improvements.