The reputed science journal Nature published a 2001 article on the suffering of fur farmed mink. The article concludes that mink kept in cages suffer from lack of access to water the same way they suffer from lack of access to other necessities, such as food.
Some quotes from the article:
“Our results indicate that fur-farmed mink are still motivated to perform the same activities as their wild counterparts, despite being bred in captivity for 70 generations”.
“…in the wild (mink) would patrol territories 1–4 km long, use several nest sites, and hunt by following scent trails, investigating burrows, and diving and swimming for aquatic prey.”
“The high level of stress experienced by mink denied access to the pool, rated as the most valuable resource, is evidenced by an increase in cortisol production indistinguishable from that caused by food deprivation. These results suggest that caging mink on fur farms does cause the animals frustration, mainly because they are prevented from swimming.”
Despite arguments that mink housed in fur farms have successfully adapted to captivity, these animals may suffer by being deprived of resources that exist in the wild.”