Considerations for determining optimal mouse caging density

Authors

Charmaine Foltz, National Institutes of Health
Larry Carbone, University of California - San FranciscoFollow
David DeLong, VA Medical Center - Minneapolis
Bernard E. Rollin, Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFollow
Pascalle Van Loo, Utrecht University
Julia Whitaker, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Axel Wolff, National Institutes of Health

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

11-2007

Abstract

At the 2006 National Meeting of the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science, a panel discussed the question of what constitutes optimal or acceptable housing density for mice. Though there is a consensus that present guidelines are somewhat arbitrarily defined, scientific research has not yet been able to provide clear recommendations for amending them. Speakers explored the many factors that influence decisions on mouse housing, including regulatory requirements, scientific data and their interpretation, financial considerations and ethical concerns. The panel largely agreed that animal well-being should be the measure of interest in evaluating housing density and that well-being includes not only physical health, but also animals' behavior, productivity and preference.

Recommended Citation

Foltz, C., Carbone, L., DeLong, D., Rollin, B. E., Van Loo, P., Whitaker, J., & Wolff, A. (2007). Considerations for determining optimal mouse caging density. Lab Animal, 36(10), 40.