Disecting cats in Biology class.

[pitc9]

I'm out of school (have been since 1993)
But when I was in school, when it came time in Bio II to disect something, they did fetal pigs. (I did not take the class)

I was shocked when I looked at my brother in laws year book (he graduated this summer) and they are now disecting cats! CATS!!!!!

There was a picture of it in the year book! I cried when I realized it was a cat! I saw the pads on one of the feet and lost it!!!

I looked up on the internet and found some places use PREGNANT CATS!!!
OMG... I've been torn up all weekend.

I know pigs are animals too... but cats... they're family PETS!
I don't know where they get them from but if nothing else, I hope they get them from a pound after they are PTS. Which makes it even more sad. Not only did they die just because they didn't have a home, but on top of it their bodies are destroyed.

How could these kids do that? Do none of them have a cat for a pet?!
I just need to vent.

[Catty1]

Some schools have a dirty little money game buying animals for research. Your local Humane or SPCA may know something about this, or maybe they should be notified.

And - the town council.

Please find out...if they are doing this illegally, you may save some lives!

RIP poor babies.

[JenBKR]

Oh I don't think I could have handled a cat. We did starfish, worms, frogs, and one or two other little things if I remember correctly...but I would have lost it had I seen a cat there in front of me.

AP bio, which I didn't take, always did a whale towards the end of the year. I can remember the 'fishy' smell in the science hall for at least a week

[Medusa]

Years ago, I knew a woman who was a lab technician and was taking nursing classes. She told me then, I'd say it was in '82 or '83, that they dissected a cat. She said "Mary, there wasn't a thing wrong w/that cat either. It made me sick to do it".

[Marigold2]

If the cat is being used to improve our lives in health issues and most important if the cat was going to be put down because of an inability to adopt or a terminal illness that is understandable.
Vets have to learn on cats and all manner of creatures, as do Dr's. It is a sad and horrible truth.
As for buying animals to do research on, are these cats already slated to be put down?
I would rather have a surgeron opperate and practice open heart surgery on a hundred cats and dogs before he tries it on my child. Untill we have man made organs and enough spare human parts to practice on this will sadly continue.
Yet I don't think it would be easy for me either, too personal.

[Husky_mom]

I know from other persons they have been doing this to be more accurate or something... and I´ve known rats.. but not cats... how sad indeed... hopefully they were already gone... as i´ve heard soem of these rats go under anaesthesia.. get disected... then stitched... and woken up...

when I was at school.. they did worms and frogs... I say did as I skipped that part.. I just couldn´t.. not even the worm... and not even they were already dead... I just couldn´t...

but I´ve seen an autopsy of a puppy... I still cried.. but I didn´t do it, just watched for an answer.. (not my puppy, from a vet I worked for)

[pomtzu]

Back in the 70's I worked as a lab tech in the biology dept at the Univ of DE. I witnessed cats being used in experiments - what they were doing I don't know and didn't ask - but they had electrodes implanted in the top of their heads - and after the "experiments" were complete - the aimals were destroyed. It made me sick!!! - and fortunately I did not work in the division with the people that were conducting these experiments. I just avoided that section of the building like the plague!

[Desert Arabian]

For my human anatomy/physiology class in high school we had to disect cats second semester. I refused to participate with the cat. I had no problem doing the pig, cow eye, sheep brain, etc although it wasn't very pleasant. I sat to the side and watched my lab mates with the cat, taking notes accordingly and learning the parts - but I refused to touch it. It made me cry because it was an orange male cat and made me think about my Sammy baby. At the same time it was kind of neat to see everything and learn about some of the stuff. Now, if it was a pregnany cat with kittens in the womb - I would have walked out of the class and dropped out - that's sickening!!!

[Catlady711]

I could never work in research, take a biology disecting class, or live on a working livestock farm.

Yes at work we do surgery and all manner of gross stuff to animals at work, but the animals are asleep, and what we're doing to them helps them, not destroys them (well save for euthenasia but that's usually a blessing to end horrible suffering). When we're done with an animal it wakes up, and usually feels better either immediately or in a couple days and you can see it's health improve. Somehow that makes what we do easier to deal with.

[ramanth]

My High School biology class ('95) disected cats. I had pet cats and so did my lab partner. We were told the cats died of natural causes and were donated. Whether that was true or not, I can't say.

Only one student opted out. My lab partner and I participated. At the time I was considering becoming a vet, so I found it useful and helpful.

[Daisy and Delilah]

We had to dissect a cat in my college anatomy/physiology class. The cats we used came from Mexico. They were packed in formaldehyde and it was nauseating to tolerate the smell. It was very sad. I could only wonder why the cat ended up there.

I really never thought the dissection of the cat helped me that much with the class either. Why bother subjecting people to it and destroying the life of an innocent cat?

[Catty1]

There are plenty of people who leave their bodies to medical science so that medical students can learn.

When I was in 2nd year university, several of us were invited to see an experiment a friend was doing. This cat had electrodes attached to its head, the eyelids were held open...I must have looked shocked, because my friend told me, "The cat is drugged with curare (sp?). He doesn't feel anything."

I'd had a crush on him....not after that!

This was in the 70's. I know Obama has a lot of really important and vital work to do, huge issues to deal with - but I hope he can inspire and instil a respect for ALL life in all people.

From Black Friday to dissecting cats - and cruelty to animals and children...I hope and pray for a sea change.

[Cincy'sMom]

We disected not only cats, but also rabbits, fetal pigs, and many other smaller animals in my HS anatomy/Phys class. I didn't really give it a lot of thought...I knew going in it was part of the class and I don't regret taking the class, being a science major in college.

In retrospect, I don't know if I would have taken the class so readily if it was a dog. Maybe that isn't fair, becuase one is not a better pet then the other, but it was easier to distance myself form the cat, having never had one as a pet.

[Casper]

I know I couldn't do it.
In the biology classes at my school kids are allowed to dissect sheep eyes, crawfish, frogs, and fish. I participated in all of those without any problem. The thought of dissecting something with fur bothers me for some reason. I can't put my finger on the reason why I can dissect fish and frogs(both animals I own) but not furry animals. Its not like their lives are any less valuable...

I don't see why someone can't come up with eerily similar models of dissected animals... out of ballistics gel or something.. I mean, you have probably seen hollywood movie props that are so accurate that they could fool you for the real thing.

[k9krazee]

I don't think that high schools should be allowed to dissect cats, or larger animals in general. I read something somewhere that only 10% of people will actually pursue science in higher education and fewer of those will ever use the skills/knowledge you gain by doing dissections.

In HS we dissected the fetal pig. I didn't have much of an issue with that because the pigs were all still born or died of natural causes. The other high schools in the area all dissected cats, but my teacher told us that it cost too much money to do the cats, and he had students in the past that weren't as willing to do it.

I can understand dissecting cats in college courses, but don't really understand why so many high schools do it. I do wonder where they get them from though.