Cats.....

[slleipnir]

I walked into biology class the other day and saw a cat disected, her uterus was open and you could see her near ready to be born kittens! I thought it was really neat, I was concerned at where the cat came from, but figured it was probably sick. Today in class, my teacher was telling us about when he disect the fetal pig, and that someone will get to cut the cat (We appearintly get a new cat every 2 years..ours was the new one) open and its uterus etc. Then a guy asked how do they die. The teacher said the pigs are usually killed for something wrong with them and it can't be fixed, or is too expensive, so they put them to sleep and give their piglet embryos/fetus's to the place that sell it to my school. Then he said "I can't lie to you, the cats do get killed." It was so sad :[ I don't want to do anything with it if it was killed for the purpose of us to look it, ESPESIALLY when it was pregnant!!! He said theres no way these cats would just come up to the lab and just drop dead while being pregnant. Which I see, yes, but why do we have to study them if they have to killed? -sigh- I find it interesting though, does that make me an evil person? If me not seeing it would make cats not be killed, I definatly wouldn't, but..I don't know, I just find biology so interesting. Anyway, I just thought it was sad, poor kitties :'[ The kittens I saw reminded me of the time I was working at the vet clinic and saw a cat having a C-section. I got to hold/rub the 1st kitten, it was alive, it was soo tiny and cute!! The other one died though :[ Poor thing. It was amazing though. Duno how I associate the two but anywho.....sorry, just wanted to blab :[

[Soledad]

I did a cat dissection in 12th grade. I had really hard time deciding if I should do it or not. The cats had been strays that could not be adopted out and were killed in a very humane way.

I figured that with cat and dog overpopulation, if someone could gain from the death of these animals that need to be put down to control numbers, then that was okay.

I am so glad I did it, because I have a profoundly larger respect for life and the intricate systems within all of us.

But it will come down to you and how you can rationalise the situation.

[neko1]

Thank god the only thing I've ever disected was a chicken foot and a rat! There is no way I would ever disect a cat! I have 4 of them running around in my house and I love cats too much to cut one open. But if need be, I could probably disect other animals, although I'm not sure cause I haven't been in that situation. I have seen necropsies before on cats and it's totally disgusting-yet interesting to see the organs and stuff, but I still don't like it at all.

[slleipnir]

I would probably disect it too, it does kinda bother me that it had to be killed though. I don't find it at all gross seeing it, I saw cats, dogs, horses, pigs getting neutered or spayed, I actually thought it was an amazing experience, I guess thats a little different from this. I'm excited about the pig for now anyway :] Not sure when we're going to do that cat, but we're doing a little in embryology (sp?) so thats why were looking at the kittens..
Soledad, thanks, that is a good point, I suppose a lot of them (strays) could end up having a worst death cause of other pop. or something..

[Soledad]

Don't forget....med students have to dissect PEOPLE. If you want to be a vet, you have to be willing to do these things.

Good luck, I hope you enjoy it and can see the beauty of life.

[slleipnir]

I actually dont think I want to be a vet. Main for the fact you have to kill perfectly health animals sometimes and its hard seeing people when theyve lost a pet...

[kohala]

Originally posted by slleipnir
I actually dont think I want to be a vet. Main for the fact you have to kill perfectly health animals sometimes and its hard seeing people when theyve lost a pet...

They generally aren't perfectly healthy animals, but I understand how hard it can be when we're talking about a being we view as a friend. But thank God for the people who CAN do it; what a horrible world it would be if there were no veterinarians!

My father brought a cat to school for a biology class he was teaching (back in the '40s - before I came along). He had to euthanize it then prepare it for the class. I had major resentment for that until I grew older and began to understand things a little more.

As to perfectly healthy animals, the way you keep them that way is to "vet" them from time to time. Sometimes it's hard to perform an uncomfortable procedure on your animal friend, but it beats letting them continue in illness or injury.

By the way, did you know that the cat's anatomy (unlike the apre of monkey, as so many still believe) is more like human anatomy than any other being on this planet?

[moosmom]

Maybe I'm a little too sensitive, but if it were me, I'd have walked out. There are so many other ways to learn about things like that (virtual reality??) than to cut open a pregnant cat. Just the thought gives me chills.

I was a paramedic for over 20 years and NEVER had to disect a household pet to learn about anatomy. And yes, I do realize that medical students do work on cadavers, having seen them at the UConn Medical School. I do find the human body very fascinating. I guess it all depends on your perspective.

[jenluckenbach]

I may be a little wishy-washy here, but I think that a grade school or even high school class can learn from models and virtual reality, saving the REAL thing for those NEEDING to do it (vet's in training). After all, only doctor's in training work on cadavers. This should minimize the amount of needless death, don't you think?

[kohala]

Originally posted by jenluckenbach
I may be a little wishy-washy here, but I think that a grade school or even high school class can learn from models and virtual reality, saving the REAL thing for those NEEDING to do it (vet's in training). After all, only doctor's in training work on cadavers. This should minimize the amount of needless death, don't you think?

You know, that's a very good point!! We certainly have the technology, although, granted, we don't seem to prioritize our schools (as far as being given the funds to obtain the technology) as much as we need to. When my Dad taught school, the technology was obviously not there. And it seems that skills insofar as actual operations go are taught at a much higher level, so where IS the need (in high school) to cut up anything?

Good Point, Jen!!!

[mugsy]

Very good point Jen, but Ko is right. Technology in schools is sorely lacking. Right now the only 2 computers in my classroom are mine and my room mate's. And they are ancient by computer years. I have the same computer with no updates that I've had since 1998. We have a Mac lab, but it's in use with typing classes all day except the first 2 periods of the day. Language Arts teachers have banks of about 8 ancient computers in their rooms and we are one of the lucky schools in our system. I know when I taught 6th grade science we did put a cd in with a "virtual" dissection of a worm albeit it WAS a real worm, but had been filmed. And THAT was just about too much for the poor little Macs that we had! lol

[Soledad]

I guess I don't understand what the problem is, especially as humane shelters put down animals by the hundreds DAILY. Why not use their deaths for something positive?

That class totally changed my perspective at a very tender age. We also did a "virtual" dissection and it was completely different and not nearly as inspiring.

[ownerof3dogs]

Originally posted by Soledad
I guess I don't understand what the problem is, especially as humane shelters put down animals by the hundreds DAILY. Why not use their deaths for something positive?

That class totally changed my perspective at a very tender age. We also did a "virtual" dissection and it was completely different and not nearly as inspiring.

I totally agree with you. I couldn't have said it better. Why not get something out of there deaths?

I also think dissection is very fasinating. And seeing it virtually wouldn't be the same. But since I want to be a vet (I work for one now) seeing animals cut open doesn't bother me. For some people it is disturbing. At work I've seen/assisted many surgeries and necropsies. I find it very interesting. I think the bottom line is that it should/is a choice. And if you do do it it doesn't make you a bad person or someone who doesn't care about animals. I mean I have 4 cats and 3 dogs!I love animals and wouldn't do anything to hurt one.

[mugsy]

I've done plenty of dissections, but I didn't enjoy them much. I do agree that they are necessary to learn anatomy and how different animals work differently. I do think, however, that certain ages are a little too young for a cat. My 6th graders freaked out with worms, I would hate to think how they would have reacted to a frog, let alone a cat! Sheesh, I would have had irrate parents out the ying yang if that had happened.

[Soledad]

Of course age is a consideration. I was 10 when I dissected a lamb's heart and lungs, 12 when we did the worm, 13 when we did the frog, 15 when we did mollosks, and 16 or 17 when I did the cat.