Comfort behaviour in animals

Comfort behaviors in animals are actions that contribute to the maintenance of their pelage, feathers, integument, or musculoskeletal system, enhancing overall physical well-being and comfort.

Comfort behaviors are exhibited from an early age and remain largely consistent throughout an animal's development. Certain comfort behaviors are associated with the onset of a rest period, such as grooming, while others, like stretching, occur at the end of rest, potentially serving to prepare the body for activities such as escape or hunting. Certain comfort behaviors, such as dust bathing, are performed only when both internal and external stimuli are appropriate (see also sham dustbathing). Animals typically engage in comfort behaviors when not occupied with essential activities such as feeding, drinking, hunting, or escaping, leading to their classification as luxury activities. However, some comfort behaviors, like dust bathing in hens, can be highly motivated, and restrictions on these behaviors—such as those imposed by battery cages—are considered detrimental to animal welfare.