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MANAGEMENT

How to Solve Problem of Animal That's Aggressive Toward Post-Doc?

Reader Question: I have a talented post-doc on my team who has been scratched repeatedly when she removes and replaces a subject cat from its cage. Even though she has daily interaction with the animal, it becomes aggressive with her. I don't want to ask other team members to assist; they have their own work, and a scheduling problem would result. In any case, I’d rather just solve the problem. How can I help my post-doc and keep my research on track?

Expert Comments:

It may not be possible in every lab, but one simple solution is to let the animal leave the cage on its own.

A second possibility, if it won't compromise your study, is to replace the aggressive animal. I once had to replace a rat that inexplicably became belligerent with one of my students, even though she was well-trained and accepted by the other animals.

Your cat might be making a kind of Pavlovian response. Perhaps the post-doc took some positive action in the past but discontinued it. She could now resume that or give another reward or perk when she passes the cage and reinforce it during more frequent visits.

Yet another possibility is that it's simply the post-doc's appearance, a perfume she uses, or an action she takes that is an unconditioned aversive. Enlist the help of a good animal behaviorist, who may help you discover the aversive and change it.

Finally, it could be something purely physical. The animal could have a benign adhesion in its stomach or elsewhere, and pressure to it might be painful. Therefore the post-doc might try altering her methods of handling.

We sometimes forget how individual animals are. For example, we have 100 cats that can be trained with sweetened condensed milk, but one doesn't like the milk and can't be trained.

In most cases, if you are willing to make a careful analysis, taking steps like those described above, you will find your solution.

Expert comments by Emily Patterson-Kane, PhD, animal-welfare scientist in the Animal Welfare Division of the American Veterinary Medical Association. She has conducted animal-enrichment research with several species.

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