Environmental enrichment

Two beliefs underpin the philosophy applied to the care of research animals:

• that "hands on" contact is important for both the animals and their carers; and
• that the provision of sufficent space and texture in the environment gives animals some control.

Following these beliefs will ensure both a happy and healthy subject, as well as accurate and valid experimental results.

Ideas for environmental enrichment presented below can easily be implemented with low-cost options such as discarded construction materials, disused equipment, second hand sports balls and equipment and any other materials that can be safetly enjoyed by the animals.

Ethics application tips

• Nesting, bedding, in-cage shelter are not considered to be enrivonmental enrichment. These items are considered to be basic husbandry requirements.
• Environmental enrichment items should be described in detail - consider incorporating a digital photograph in your application.

Rats and mice

• White shredded paper
• Paper towel and toilet paper rolls
• Cardboard boxes
• Small branches for chewing (rats)
• Treats: fruit, vegetables, bread, seed
• Group housing in polypropylene caging
• Ramps and ladders with platforms
• Exercise wheel
• Plastic resting pads, plastic or PVC tubing for wire bottom
• Cages 50 mm stationary rings suspended from the cage lid (mice
• Fibre tubing (mice)
• Tubes attached with springs to cage tops (mice)

Rabbits and guinea pigs

• Paper towel rolls
• PVC tubing to chew or toss
• Clean twigs or branches to chew
• Treats: fruit, vegetables, seed
• Group housing
• Visual contact with other rabbits
• Handling by staff and volunteers
• Sound from radio
• Straw
• Shower curtain rings attached to cage door
• Tunnels made from large peices of plastic piping

Cats

• Social groups of 6-8 cats – should be desexed or all female, entire males tend to fight
• Human contact
• Vertical use of space as well as horizontal ie. shelving, walkways attached to the sides of eclosures, 'jump' tray
• Ramps to access higher floor levels
• Tree logs for scratching and climbing up - tea-tree is good (they can rip it to shreds!)
• If environment needs to be totally disenfectable, plastic garden chairs are very good for cats to climb on, and sleep on
• Access to sunbathing areas - this also be inside through a window
• Toys suspended by string/wore from roof eg scrunched up paper
• Scrunched up aluminium foil balls
• Ping pong balls, hollow balls with bells in, 'toy' mice and rats
• Scratching poles particularly hessian type, if not, carpeted with long looped carpet so can pull with claws and also rip to shreds
• Food: long strips of gravy meat for chewing, hiding dry food in places throughout the enclosure so they have to search for it, special treats occasionally
• Areas for hiding eg cardboard boxes, paper supermarket bags
• Warm soft bedding, also like shredded paper to sleep in
• Soft radio music for background
• Warm areas to sleep in eg in winter, heating pads, hot water bottles
• Some cats enjoy cat-nip and if in inside enclosures a pot of plant grass

Chickens

• Shavings for bedding
• Perches and dowling covered wih rubber hose
• Nesting boxes
• PVC or polypropylene resting pads
• Group housing
• Scratch grain mixed ino shavings
• Little boxes for dust bathing
• Mirrors
• Visual contact with other chickens

Pigs

• Old rubber boots, loose or suspended
• Knotted cloth and rope tied to gate
• Shaving for bedding
• Balls
• Hay flakes for rooting, scratching and eating
• Empty jugs, loose or suspended
• Feed bags filled with styrofoam chips and sown up bedding for tossing or rooting
• Pieces of chain suspended from the cages
• Tyres, loose or suspended
• Bristle end of broom tied to wall for scratching
• Sound from radio
• Visual and olfactory contact with other pigs

Amphibia

• Water bath
• Rock for resting