How we care about laboratory animals: Acknowledging differences towards a more comprehensive concept of caring

The concept of Culture of Care fosters a research environment where lab animals and humans are cared for and respected. Several aspects, such as perception of suffering, time, perceived value of an animal, potential benefits of the research, and public opinion, might influence care for animals. The European Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes has represented an advance in animal welfare standards and care. However, the question of how we care about animals in practice, and of why this debate is important to reflect on still exist. Therefore, we draw upon the case study of laboratory non-human primates, to illustrate how these tensions go from theory to practice. It illustrates the conflicts and emotions, by exposing the limitations of the standards and norms in the field. Debating care requires a more comprehensive notion of care, one that goes beyond normative decisions to enable care in practice.