Animal well-being. I. General considerations

Area of Science:

• Animal Welfare Science
• Ethology
• Psychoneuroimmunology

Background:

• Growing societal concern and evolving scientific perspectives are increasing focus on animal well-being.
• Animal well-being is a complex, multidimensional concept, not easily defined or objectively measured.
• Determining and comparing animal well-being across different environments presents significant challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the multifaceted nature of animal well-being.
• To identify key factors influencing animal homeostasis and well-being.
• To support a holistic understanding of animal welfare.

Main Methods:

• Review of research integrating animal biology, behavior, stress biology, and psychoneuroimmunology.
• Analysis of factors affecting homeostasis, sensitivity, and feedback control mechanisms.
• Examination of the interplay between internal biological responses and external environmental stimuli.

Main Results:

• Animal well-being is influenced by a wide array of internal (psychologic, neurologic, physiologic, immunologic, endocrine, biochemical) and external (psychosocial, physical) factors.
• A holistic view of well-being is supported by data from various scientific disciplines.
• An interactive system links an animal's internal state with its external environment.

Conclusions:

• Animal well-being is determined by a complex interplay of numerous internal and external variables.
• Factors such as ethology, genetics, social environment, and individual experiences significantly impact well-being.
• A comprehensive approach is necessary to fully understand and assess animal well-being.