Housing and husbandry refinement in laboratory setting: The domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus)

Abstract

Under Directive 2010/63/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2010 on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, animals of certain species used in researchare recognised as sentient beings and entitled to specific protections. In relevant part, regulations require the consideration of replacing protected animals with non-sentient alternatives to the greatest possible extent, the reduction in the number of animals, and the refinement of all aspects of experimental design. Applying these principles is not only necessary to fulfil our legal and ethical obligations; doing so results in better science by, inter alia, reducing stress and increasing the reliability of experimental results. This presentation discusses housing and husbandry refinements in research context in relation to the domestic cat, felis silvestris catus. It covers the size and type of housing and the resources that should be provided to each animal, including not only food, water, and litter, butalso sleeping/resting and enrichment opportunities. It underscores the importance of following a set schedule, carrying out husbandry and research tasks in a calm and considerate way, and providingregular opportunities for positive social interactions with conspecifics and human handlers. It further discusses the interplay between housing and husbandry withtraining, health, and stress. It identifiespotential pitfalls and proposes solutions, and closes with a few observations on potential avenues for additional research.