Not OT, But Disturbing. Help me.

I just read an article in the local paper (complete with a photo which
horrified me)...about the little high school biology class's
dissection project, each student dissected a cat.

I am completely outraged about this, but I can't separate exactly what
I'm outraged about. Who supplies the cats? How do *they* get them.
Maybe they are shelter cats who are going to be euthanized. I wonder
how they're treated before/during euthanasia.

I wonder if the students really even learn anything worthwhile from
this. I have to believe this is extremely disturbing/traumatic for any
catlovers in the class. I am not science-oriented. Other people
probably see this differently than I do. I wonder. I do know the only
thing I ever dissected in class was an earthworm and later a frog,
which I could barely stand to do even back then.

It just made me so sad to see the picture. Labs don't raise cats
strictly to sell to classrooms, do they?

Thanks for listening.

Sherry

"Sherry" wrote in message
oups.com...
I just read an article in the local paper (complete with a photo which
horrified me)...about the little high school biology class's
dissection project, each student dissected a cat.

I am completely outraged about this, but I can't separate exactly what
I'm outraged about. Who supplies the cats? How do *they* get them.
Maybe they are shelter cats who are going to be euthanized. I wonder
how they're treated before/during euthanasia.

I wonder if the students really even learn anything worthwhile from
this. I have to believe this is extremely disturbing/traumatic for any
catlovers in the class. I am not science-oriented. Other people
probably see this differently than I do. I wonder. I do know the only
thing I ever dissected in class was an earthworm and later a frog,
which I could barely stand to do even back then.

It just made me so sad to see the picture. Labs don't raise cats
strictly to sell to classrooms, do they?

Thanks for listening.

Sherry

I've never heard of that being done at a high school. That was one of the
projects for one of my daughter's college biology classes, however. They
obtained the already euthanized cats from the shelter. Frankly, I don't
know how she did it, because she's so much an animal lover she won't read a
book if she knows that anything bad happens to an animal in it. I guess the
fact that they were already dead, and would have been anyway, helped her get
through it. She was a biology major, so it made sense. I don't like the
idea of doing it in high school. When I took high school biology, we
dissected frogs - except that I was sick that day.

Joy

(Sherry) wrote:
I just read an article in the local paper (complete with a photo which
horrified me)...about the little high school biology class's
dissection project, each student dissected a cat....

When my sister was in high school she took a science elective-anatomy
where they dissected a cat. I remember discussing it with her back then,
she was mean(knowing I loved my cats) and even described the markings of
the cat...I cried. They got them from some supply company...the same
place the frogs and other dissection animals came from. Students knew a
cat disection was required for the class so since it was an elective you
could choose another science instead...I took chemistry.

I took the required biology but wouldn't touch the dissection animal we
were suppose to dissect. Luckily the teacher understood and had us in
groups of 3 so only one of the group actually had to cut into the
creature the other just took the notes. I remember we did a frog and a
crayfish. An idiot boy in class thought it was funny to rub his crayfsh
covered hand in some of the girls hair(mine included). It was
disgusting. I know I learned nothing practical from the dissections. I
can't imagine the dissection of a cat being a practical experience for
most of the students. p

"Sherry" wrote in message
oups.com...
I just read an article in the local paper (complete with a photo which
horrified me)...about the little high school biology class's
dissection project, each student dissected a cat.

I am completely outraged about this, but I can't separate exactly what
I'm outraged about. Who supplies the cats? How do *they* get them.
Maybe they are shelter cats who are going to be euthanized. I wonder
how they're treated before/during euthanasia.

I wonder if the students really even learn anything worthwhile from
this. I have to believe this is extremely disturbing/traumatic for any
catlovers in the class. I am not science-oriented. Other people
probably see this differently than I do. I wonder. I do know the only
thing I ever dissected in class was an earthworm and later a frog,
which I could barely stand to do even back then.

It just made me so sad to see the picture. Labs don't raise cats
strictly to sell to classrooms, do they?



No the cats aren't raised for this. Yes they are shelter cats that would be
euthanized in any case. Yes, an effort is made not to use cats that are
likely to be former pets.

They are preserved in formaldehyde.

And yes there is a great deal of value in this.

When I was is high school, in advanced biology, we dissected cats. One cat
for every two students. Most of the students in that class were headed for
pre-med and scientific college educations. The cats were always treated
with respect. We separated and labeled each and every muscle and memorized
its name. I really don't think there is any substitute for dissection in
learning anatomy.

My lab partner is now a respected surgeon.

Yes some of the students learned that they weren't cut out for medicine.
Better to learn it in twelfth grade that wait until you are in med school.

Jo

On Feb 14, 10:43�pm, "Joy" wrote:
"Sherry" wrote in message

oups.com...





I just read an article in the local paper (complete with a photo which
horrified me)...about the little high school biology class's
dissection project, each student dissected a cat.

I am completely outraged about this, but I can't separate exactly what
I'm outraged about. Who supplies the cats? How do *they* get them.
Maybe they are shelter cats who are going to be euthanized. I wonder
how they're treated before/during euthanasia.

I wonder if the students really even learn anything worthwhile from
this. I have to believe this is extremely disturbing/traumatic for any
catlovers in the class. I am not science-oriented. Other people
probably see this differently than I do. I wonder. I do know the only
thing I ever dissected in class was an earthworm and later a frog,
which I could barely stand to do even back then.

It just made me so sad to see the picture. Labs don't raise cats
strictly to sell to classrooms, do they?

Thanks for listening.

Sherry

I've never heard of that being done at a high school. *That was one of the
projects for one of my daughter's college biology classes, however. *They
obtained the already euthanized cats from the shelter. *Frankly, I don't
know how she did it, because she's so much an animal lover she won't read a
book if she knows that anything bad happens to an animal in it. *I guess the
fact that they were already dead, and would have been anyway, helped her get
through it. *She was a biology major, so it made sense. *I don't like the
idea of doing it in high school. *When I took high school biology, we
dissected frogs - except that I was sick that day.

Joy- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thanks, Joy. That's at least a better thought as to the origin of the
poor cat. I really had no idea, not having kids in school anymore. I
just wish the local paper hadn't put that picture in. It was just so
sad. And this might sound stupid, but so undignified.

Sherry

Way back in the Dark Ages when I was in high school..... I was in Honors
Biology... we (groups of 4) had to dissect a fetal pig or a cat...
thankfully a pig was chosen ..and luckily there were 2 guys in the group who
did most of the dissecting. :-) Liz


"Joy" wrote in message
...
"Sherry" wrote in message
oups.com...
I just read an article in the local paper (complete with a photo which
horrified me)...about the little high school biology class's
dissection project, each student dissected a cat.

I am completely outraged about this, but I can't separate exactly what
I'm outraged about. Who supplies the cats? How do *they* get them.
Maybe they are shelter cats who are going to be euthanized. I wonder
how they're treated before/during euthanasia.

I wonder if the students really even learn anything worthwhile from
this. I have to believe this is extremely disturbing/traumatic for any
catlovers in the class. I am not science-oriented. Other people
probably see this differently than I do. I wonder. I do know the only
thing I ever dissected in class was an earthworm and later a frog,
which I could barely stand to do even back then.

It just made me so sad to see the picture. Labs don't raise cats
strictly to sell to classrooms, do they?

Thanks for listening.

Sherry

I've never heard of that being done at a high school. That was one of the
projects for one of my daughter's college biology classes, however. They
obtained the already euthanized cats from the shelter. Frankly, I don't
know how she did it, because she's so much an animal lover she won't read
a book if she knows that anything bad happens to an animal in it. I guess
the fact that they were already dead, and would have been anyway, helped
her get through it. She was a biology major, so it made sense. I don't
like the idea of doing it in high school. When I took high school
biology, we dissected frogs - except that I was sick that day.

Joy

On Wed, 14 Feb 2007 20:20:52 -0800, Sherry wrote:

I just read an article in the local paper (complete with a photo which
horrified me)...about the little high school biology class's
dissection project, each student dissected a cat.

I am completely outraged about this, but I can't separate exactly what
I'm outraged about. Who supplies the cats? How do *they* get them.
Maybe they are shelter cats who are going to be euthanized. I wonder
how they're treated before/during euthanasia.

I wonder if the students really even learn anything worthwhile from
this. I have to believe this is extremely disturbing/traumatic for any
catlovers in the class. I am not science-oriented. Other people
probably see this differently than I do. I wonder. I do know the only
thing I ever dissected in class was an earthworm and later a frog,
which I could barely stand to do even back then.

It just made me so sad to see the picture. Labs don't raise cats
strictly to sell to classrooms, do they?

Thanks for listening.

Sherry


Suggestion: write a letter to that newspapers Forum and raise the
question. MLB

On Feb 14, 11:34?pm, ":-\)Liz" wrote:
Way back in the Dark Ages when I was in high school..... I was in Honors
Biology... we (groups of 4) had to dissect a fetal pig or a cat...
thankfully a pig was chosen ..and luckily there were 2 guys in the group who
did most of the dissecting. :-) Liz


An honors biology class, or first-year college level class makes more
sense to me. This was 10th grade Biology I kids if I understood the
article correctly. I still have doubts whether *any* of them would
come away from the experience having learned anything that would ever
be useful to them. But who knows. At least the teenaged boys in your
class proved themselves useful! :-)

Sherry

On Feb 15, 12:00�am, mlbriggs wrote:
On Wed, 14 Feb 2007 20:20:52 -0800, Sherry wrote:
I just read an article in the local paper (complete with a photo which
horrified me)...about the little high school biology class's
dissection project, each student dissected a cat.

I am completely outraged about this, but I can't separate exactly what
I'm outraged about. Who supplies the cats? How do *they* get them.
Maybe they are shelter cats who are going to be euthanized. I wonder
how they're treated before/during euthanasia.

I wonder if the students really even learn anything worthwhile from
this. I have to believe this is extremely disturbing/traumatic for any
catlovers in the class. I am not science-oriented. Other people
probably see this differently than I do. I wonder. I do know the only
thing I ever dissected in class was an earthworm and later a frog,
which I could barely stand to do even back then.

It just made me so sad to see the picture. Labs don't raise cats
strictly to sell to classrooms, do they?

Thanks for listening.

Sherry

Suggestion: *write a letter to that newspapers Forum and raise the
question. *MLB- Hide quoted text -

That's a good idea, except everybody already thinks I'm the crazy cat
lady and I hate to draw more of that kind of attention to myself. :-)
I thought about calling the science teacher though, and just asking
her about it. Just for my own information.

Sherry

On 14 Feb 2007 20:20:52 -0800, "Sherry" wrote:

I just read an article in the local paper (complete with a photo which
horrified me)...about the little high school biology class's
dissection project, each student dissected a cat.

I am completely outraged about this, but I can't separate exactly what
I'm outraged about. Who supplies the cats? How do *they* get them.
Maybe they are shelter cats who are going to be euthanized. I wonder
how they're treated before/during euthanasia.

I wonder if the students really even learn anything worthwhile from
this. I have to believe this is extremely disturbing/traumatic for any
catlovers in the class. I am not science-oriented. Other people
probably see this differently than I do. I wonder. I do know the only
thing I ever dissected in class was an earthworm and later a frog,
which I could barely stand to do even back then.

It just made me so sad to see the picture. Labs don't raise cats
strictly to sell to classrooms, do they?

Thanks for listening.

Sherry

I hate to have to say that there are facilities that breed cats just for
research. I've seen ads for them in scientific research journals.

They use cats for research at the University of Minnesota. Now that the
statute of limitations has run out, I can say I... er... liberated one
of them, a beautiful long haired black female, and found a good home for
her. I couldn't save the other nine though :-(

My bet would be that the cats are euthanized at a local kill shelter,
and then sold, or given to the school to use in the classroom.

Buying them from a research breeder would be very expensive.

Somebody should start a petition; this is completely out of line for a
high school biology class. The level of anatomy for high school does not
require a higher vertebrate like a cat. Frogs are the norm for high
school dissection.

When I was in college, we used rats in the lower level class, and then
fetal pigs in the upper level anatomy class for dissection.

I simply can't imagine anyone using cats.

At the University of Minnesota, they use a lot of cats and dogs for
education (in the Medical School) and research, but while I personally
hate it, it's a way higher level of institution than a high school
biology class.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Life without cats would be only marginally worth living."
-TC, and the unmercifully, relentlessly, sweet calico kitty, Kenzie.

How you behave towards cats here below determines your status in Heaven.
- Robert Heinlein

Life is very difficult. Once you understand that, life becomes easier.
-Buddha