This article is part of the VetHelpDirect series on the five animal welfare needs. In this article, I will be discussing the need for a suitable environment. I’ll cover what a suitable environment might look like for a range of different species, and what happens when this welfare need isn’t met. 

Table of contents

What are the five welfare needs? 

The five welfare needs were originally known as ‘the five freedoms’. They were first developed in the 1960s and focused on the physical needs of farm animals. In 1979 the Farm Animal Advisory Committee (later known as the Farm Animal Welfare Council) modified the concept to also include psychological needs. 

These ‘five freedoms’ have now been applied more widely across all types of animals from pet animals to zoo animals and they are more commonly known as the ‘five welfare needs’. 

The five welfare needs are to:

  • live in a suitable environment
  • eat a suitable diet
  • exhibit normal behaviour patterns
  • be housed with, or apart from, other animals
  • be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease

In England and Wales they are used as a tool to identify whether animal keepers are meeting the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which places a legal duty of care on them to provide for their animals’ welfare needs.

It is worth noting however, that good welfare doesn’t just mean meeting the basic needs of our animals. It also means providing them with positive experiences. Having said that, the needs are a useful starting point to gauge welfare. 

What do we mean by ‘live in a suitable environment’?

For our pets, this simply means that animals should be provided with a suitable place to live. What’s suitable will vary from animal to animal. For some animals, this will be a fairly simple need to fulfil, but for others, it will be more difficult. You may be surprised by the animals with more complex needs. Pets that may seem simple to look after, such as hamsters and fish, are actually more complicated than people think. 

I have provided examples of a particular environmental need of each species below to illustrate the importance of a suitable environment. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of each species environmental needs – if you are thinking about getting one of these animals as pets, then I would recommend looking at VetHelpDirect and other sources of information for further information. 

Example – Rabbits

Many view rabbits as a good ‘starter pet’, but this isn’t actually true. As a species they have fairly complex needs, and this includes their environmental needs. It’s important that rabbits have a suitable space to live in and to exercise in. A leaky hutch at the bottom of the garden simply isn’t going to be suitable for them.

In the wild, rabbits spend their time digging, running, jumping, standing on their hindlegs, hiding from predators and socialising with other rabbits. Their environment should allow them to replicate these behaviours in a domestic setting. 

Their living area should be big enough for them to fully lie down, fully stand up (without their ears touching the roof) and sprint around in (10ft x 6ft x 3ft/3m x 2m x 1m is recommended by the PDSA as an absolute minimum space for a pair of rabbits). 

It’s also important that it’s protected from extremes of weather, proofed against predators such as foxes, and it should be dry and clean to prevent infections. Rabbits also need a secure area for daily exercise such as a run in the garden. 

What happens when this environmental need isn’t met?

A study by Bristol University and the RSPCA found that rabbits with restricted hutch size and run access had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Stress can impact on a rabbit’s health, so not only will they be unhappier with restricted space, they will also be more susceptible to diseases.

Example – Small rodents

Small rodents, such as gerbils, hamsters and rats have certain environmental needs which are unfortunately often misunderstood by the general public. 

Gerbils

In the wild, gerbils live in underground tunnels. This means that digging and building nests is an important behavioural need, even for pet gerbils. They should live in a large, deep tank, such as a gerbilarium or an old fish tank. This should be filled with substrate suitable for burrowing (the RSPCA recommends a mix of rough-grained woodchips and hay). The bedding depth should be 20-30cm. 

Cages with metal bars on the sides (such as a hamster cage) aren’t suitable for gerbils as they aren’t good climbers and could easily injure themselves.

What happens when this environmental need isn’t met?

A study on laboratory gerbils found that gerbils without access to a burrow, or something representing a burrow, demonstrate stereotypical digging behaviours (digging repetitively in the corner of the cage). Stereotypical behaviours usually occur when an animal is unable to perform their natural behaviour, and it can be an indication of stress and poor welfare.

Hamsters

In the wild, hamsters walk for miles every day and are used to climbing and making burrows. The PDSA advises that unfortunately, most hamster cages sold in shops aren’t big enough to even meet a hamster’s most basic needs. Instead, they recommend providing them with a much larger space, such as an extra-large cage, glass tank, or home-made enclosure.

Hamster environments should contain objects that provide enrichment, such as objects to chew, ledges to climb and materials to make nests. 

What happens when this environmental need isn’t met?

A study by Liverpool John Moores University found that hamsters with more enriched environments made more optimistic decisions about uncertain situations. This suggests that hamsters in more enriched environments had better moods and were therefore likely to be experiencing better welfare. 

Example – Small reptiles

Small reptiles are ‘ectothermic’ meaning they use their environment to warm up and cool down. 

Leopard gecko

Leopard geckos originate from Pakistan and Afghanistan. They require a suitable sized vivarium (at least 60 cm long, 40 cm high and 30 cm deep) with a heat source at one end, where they can bask (warm up their bodies). The other end of the vivarium should be cold enough to allow them to cool down. A digital thermometer should be used to check that these are at the right temperatures. 

Leopard geckos also require a gradient of UVB light in their vivarium. UVB light is essential for reptiles, as it allows them to make vitamin D3. The hotter area of the vivarium should be provided with UV light, whilst the cooler end should be shaded. 

What happens when this environmental need isn’t met?

Leopard geckos who are not exposed to enough UV light, will not produce enough vitamin D3. This vitamin helps them to synthesise and utilise the calcium in their diet. They are therefore at greater risk of developing metabolic bone disease. 

Example – Fish

Long-gone are the days when we stick fish in a small bowl and let them get on with it. These days, fish kept inside (not in a pond) require, at the very minimum, a (suitably sized) tank, gravel, an artificial light, and a working filter. Tropical fish also require a heater, to ensure the water is kept to a suitable temperature. 

Fish tanks need to be properly maintained to prevent the build-up of waste and toxins in the water. A small proportion of the tank water needs to be removed from the tank and replaced with treated tap water every 2 weeks.

What happens when this environmental need isn’t met?

Fish exposed to high levels of toxins in the water will be at greater risk of diseases such as fungal and bacterial infections, as well as organ damage, and death. This is why a filter is important, and why a proportion of the tank water should be changed on a fortnightly basis. 

Example – Dogs and cats

Compared to some of these other pets I have spoken about, the environmental needs of dogs and cats are relatively simple. This is because they live in the same environment that we do – in our homes. This doesn’t mean they are simple animals to keep – they still have other types of needs.

There are still some important environmental considerations to make. For example, they both require an environment that is safe for roaming with any toxins or hazards placed out of reach.

Dogs ideally need a big enough garden to meet their exercise needs. This should be fenced off – and the fence should be high enough so that they can’t jump over it! 

What happens when this environmental need isn’t met?

If a dog or cat is kept in an unsafe environment it may injure itself or come into contact with toxins. Toxins can cause serious illness and in some cases death. 

Conclusion

Hopefully I’ve managed to illustrate why a suitable environment is a critical welfare need for our pets. A poor environment can result in poor mental and physical welfare and it increases an animal’s susceptibility to injury or disease. 

For more information:

See also: