Animal behavior and animal welfare

Area of Science:

• Animal behavior
• Animal welfare science
• Ethology

Background:

• Assessing animal welfare, particularly psychological well-being, is crucial.
• Behavioral techniques offer valuable insights into an animal's subjective experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the utility of behavioral methods for assessing animal welfare.
• To present and exemplify three key behavioral techniques using cats and horses.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of behavior patterns and time budgets between different groups (e.g., intact vs. declawed cats, free-ranging vs. stabled horses).
• Two-choice preference tests to determine preferences for environmental attributes (e.g., social contact, bedding).
• Operant conditioning to assess motivation for specific resources (e.g., light, heat).

Main Results:

• Declawing cats did not appear to cause behavioral problems or personality changes.
• Horses showed no significant preference for visual contact with conspecifics but preferred bedding.
• Horses demonstrated operant behavior to access environmental resources like light and heat.

Conclusions:

• Behavioral techniques are versatile tools for evaluating animal welfare and understanding motivations.
• These methods can address diverse questions regarding an animal's environmental needs and preferences.