I Am So Mad!!

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by stacwase
Now come on. We dissect PEOPLE!

But we don't breed people for the purpose of cutting them up and playing with their insides.

[Uabassoon]

While I don't think that someone in an entry level bio class should be dissecting a cat, I agree kind of agree with stacwase. Keep in mind that I am saying it is NOT ok for an entry level bio class. But in college when you are studying any medical field dissection is a big part of learning. If my cat needed surgery I want to be comfortable in the fact that my vet has had a good education, and that includes him working on dead animals before he got to work with the live ones. I personally wouldn't feel comfortable with a vet if the first time he saw the inside of a cat was my when he was operating on my cat.

But we don't breed people for the purpose of cutting them up and playing with their insides

As far as I know these cats aren't bred for dissection, usually the companies go to the humaine societies and collect animals that have already passed on.

We do the exact same thing with humans. Doctors to practice on human cadavers when they are in school.

But like I said earlier I really see no point in doing this for an entry level bio class.

[BastetsMum]

I would like to point out that humans have a CHOICE to be disected after they die. Animals (of any kind) do not. That is what annoys me the most. We treat animals like they are to be exploited not as a gift from the Gods to be utilised in a way that we see fit as a society. I don't believe disection at highschool level is one of those areas of utilisation.

However, I do agree at college and university level I would prefer the vets of the future to be using euthanised animals for means of learning about diseases and *doing* surgery. I cannot see anything wrong with that. I am sure the animals would think the same.

[bluekat]

omg, I know how you feel My sister said that her school disects black cats. Bags of them too She said that they're from the street.
I hate how humans just have to kill animals for no reason. Here's what I think. If we can dissect animals, why not dissect humans?
Animals have no choice, if a human plans to kill them, they do

[Sia1]

I don't normally post here but I do feel very strongly about this posting. I have three cats, and when I was a senior in high school we had to dissect a cat. Yes, it wasn't very pleasant--I hated every moment of it...but now I'm a graduate student at a Veterinary college. Vet student perform surgery, dissections, you name it...to learn how to properly care for your animals.
It sickens me that people aren't responsible and don't spay and neuter their animals. I also realize that there are thousands of animals being PTS in shelters because no one wanted them. No, these animals did not have a choice on being born or when they would die...but at least they are being used to help others. These cats can at least be used to further education, instead of just being thrown away. Students need hands-on training; not just a book or some interactive learning.
I'm sorry if I have offended anyone, I love my cats as much as anyone here. I just feel that if these animals are going to die (and thousands do die whether we like it or not) that they can at least be used for some good.

[Uabassoon]

hate how humans just have to kill animals for no reason. Here's what I think. If we can dissect animals, why not dissect humans?

Actually humans are dissected. Medical students work with cadavers, in case you aren't sure what that is, it's the dead body of a human.

[All Creatures Great And Small]

I guess what really bothers me about it is that they used an animal that is commonly kept as a pet, and an animal that unfortunately is more often the victim of abuse by teens than dogs or other animals. This is just not a good age group to be showing dead cats to, especially with Halloween right around the corner. It just reinforces the idea that it's "OK" to mess with cats, and if they are used for lab work, they must be a "lesser" creature, not a potential cherished pet. You know, they put an awful lot of dogs to sleep every year too, but I don't hear about schools using dead dogs for dissection. I am so tired of cats being considered the "second class" citizens of the pet world, at least in this part of the country.

[popcornbird]

They do disect humans actually. Doctors do.........and they need to. Imagine a doctor doing surgery without actually experimenting on an animal/human beforehand. They need to cut them open to learn.......there's just no way out. BUT.............I think its absolutely unneccessary in school. Its important for students in the medical field, in college, going to be doctors, but why should an average school kid have to disect? Why should a kid that's going to be a computer science, etc. major in the future need to disect animals? I think disection should be left for college, depending on what field a student is going into.

Personally, I *hate* disections..........absolutely makes me cringe. I've done a frog, and a cow's eye, but when they brought a cat, I refused to do it. I just refused.........I said I won't. They were fine with it and let me go.

My mom majored in microbiology, so she had to disect just about everything..........frogs, cats, rabbits, all those cute furries. She said she hated it, but because it was her major, she had to.

I'm going to tell a story..........that if you don't have the heart to read, stop right here. Just a warning for the more sensitive folks.

My friend told me when her aunt was going in the medical field to become a doctor, she had to disect all sorts of animals. She told me at the end of the 2nd year, they called them in for a test. A test to determine if they had the heart, mind, and capability to actually become a doctor. They called the students in, and brought the most precious dog...........a white fluffy gorgeous dog. She said it was the most beautiful dog her aunt had ever seen. Anyway, the teachers told the students.......if they could stand to see the dog killed, opened, and worked on, they should stay. If they can't, leave the class and forget about being a doctor. Half the class left. Her aunt stayed.
Anyway, they killed the poor dog somehow.........think put him to sleep, and then began cutting him open, to study his organs and body parts and all that stuff. Her aunt stayed, she worked with it and finished. After completing the disection, she fainted. Really, she just couldn't take it. I don't think I would've gone as far to let myself faint. I would've run out and dropped the becoming a doctor future. Anyway, she said when she finally awoke, she came home crying, and crying and crying. Then she fainted again. It was so hard on her. Its not an easy thing. Really painful, especially for an animal lover. Its not only killing the animal, but its messing around with its organs and stuff that I cannot take. I just can't see that for hours straight you know. I can't. Her aunt dropped out of the medical field, because they told her this was a test if they could take it...........and a human was next. She said no way, bye, and forgot about it.

My uncle's a doctor too, and he tells me of how many humans he's had to disect. Grosses me out. Bleh.

[carole]

What everyone is saying making sense, one way or another, but personally I am opposed to dissection of cats, I think at least the students should have a say as to whether they wish to participate in this procedure, for me I would be out of there smartly.

Whereas it might be ok for vet students to do this, I think there is a purpose there, but with students in a high school classroom, I fail to see how much they will benefit from doing this. Just MHO.