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New laboratory rodent enrichment research

How many enrichments do lab rodents need? New research shows that each type improves health, but even with 5 different enrichments, there’s no sign of a plateau—meaning cages still have room for improvement! https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106361

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106361
Graphical abstract by Cait et al. 2024. "Conventional cages decrease rodent health, when compared to well-resourced ('enriched') cages. Adding 1–5 types of resources improves rodent health in a dose-response manner.But the effect is linear, with no sign of diminishing returns (let alone a plateau). Thus to achieve asymptotic welfare, even 5 resource-types is not enough."