Mouse handling: Research papers

The literature on refined mouse handling overwhelmingly shows that mice picked up using refined methods display lower anxiety and greater willingness to interact with handlers than mice picked up by the tail. Although there have been some studies that have reported no welfare benefits when comparing tail handling with refined methods, evaluating a refinement requires considering the full body of evidence, which continues to support the benefits of using refined techniques. Studies that find no differences are a valuable addition to the evidence base, but they do not overturn the substantial evidence that there is a better approach to picking up mice by the tail. 

Download the table

We produced a printable table that summarises the research published on the tunnel handling and cupping methods for handling mice, beginning from Professor Hurst’s initial publication in 2010. The table was last updated in August 2023 – we are not currently summarising new publications. If you require the most up-to-date publications on this topic we recommend performing a literature search to supplement the table. 

Why did we produce this table?

Our practical experience of supporting the community with non-aversive mouse handling methods tells us that researchers and animal care staff are not always aware of the underpinning research studies, their key findings, and the quality of their experimental design. This table provides at-a-glance information to address these knowledge gaps, whether you already use refined handling methods in your work or are considering trying them.

What information does the table contain?

We summarise published papers, including the original research, that provide evidence for improved animal welfare and scientific outcomes with the tunnel handling and cupping methods, as well as research aimed at validating or investigating these techniques.

In each case, we note:

• The key findings.
• What was compared (e.g. tail, tunnel, cupping) and the measures used.
• Animal characteristics (i.e. strain, sex and age of mice) as well as the tunnel and cage type.
• The schedule of acclimation to handling.
• An assessment of the study reliability and any caveats.

We include links to each paper so you can read them in full. At the end of the document, we have provided a "Where is the evidence?" table that shows which papers provide evidence for specific aspects of the research.