Animal Cage Space
Recommended Space for Commonly Used Group-Housed Lab Animals
Source: ILAR Guide for the Care and Use of Lab Animals
Conventional Mouse Cage/Weight Restrictions |
|||
| Required | Conventional Cage (82.5 inches2; Height (Cage Floor to Cage Top): 6 inches) |
||
| Weight | Floor Area/Animal, in2 | Height, in | # of Animals |
| <10g | 6 | 5 | 13 |
| Up to 15g | 8 | 5 | 10 |
| Up to 25g | 12 | 5 | 6 |
| >25g | at least 15 | 5 | 5 |
Transgenic Mouse Cage/Weight Restrictions |
|||
| Required | Transgenic Cage (80.5 inches2; Height (Cage Floor to Cage Top): 5 inches) |
||
| Weight | Floor Area/Animal, in2 | Height, in | # of Animals |
| <10g | 6 | 5 | 13 |
| Up to 15g | 8 | 5 | 10 |
| Up to 25g | 12 | 5 | 6 |
| >25g | at least 15 | 5 | 5 |
Rabbit Cage/Weight Restrictions |
||||
| Required | Allentown (5.3ft2; Height: 18 in) | Stainless Steel (4 ft2; Height: 15in) | ||
| Weight | Floor Area/Animal, ft2 | Height, in | # of Animals | # of Animals |
| <2kg | 1.5 | 14 | 3 | 2 |
| Up to 4kg | 3 | 14 | 1 | l |
| Up to 5.4kg | 4 | 14 | 1 | 1 |
| >5.4kg | over 5 | 14 | 1 | -- |
Rat Cage/Weight Restrictions |
||||
| Required | Shoeboxes (171 in2; Height: 8in) | Stainless Steel (80 in2; Height: 7.5) | ||
| Weight | Floor Area/Animal, in2 | Height, in | # of Animals | # of Animals |
| <100g | 17 | 7 | 10 | 4 |
| up to 200g | 23 | 7 | 7 | 3 |
| Up to 300g | 29 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| Up to 400g | 40 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| Up to 500g | 60 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
| >500g | at least 70* | 7 | 2 | 1 |
* Larger animals might require more space to meet the performance standards.
Updated June 12, 2007 by SAK