My Sons 9Th Grade Class Uses Cats for Dissection

Wait 'til he gets to med school where they use human cadavers. Yes, it would be wonderful if all animals were loved and well-cared-for pets, but these are animals which would otherwise be euthanized because their owners were too thoughtless to spay or neuter them; they're usually feral, mal-nourished. My HS biology classes (a gazillion years ago) included dissection of fetal pigs and cats. Students learn biology by dissecting something real--not by studying drawings or plastic replicas. There's a good reason why the US gets students from all around the world seeking to study in our med schools; they're the best in the world. Our students have the opportunity to study real anatomy. Like it or not, we have many ways to train excellent health care providers such as nurses and doctors which include learning on animals (and I'd like to know that my doctor or nurse learned from real-life experience rather than just reading anatomy books).

In high school I didn't take bio because I would have had to dissect a piglet. Bio was an elective in my HS. I too have and LOVE 3 cats and 2 dogs. I work with a german shepherd rescue organization. I have dissected about 4 cats in my college education. I won't tell you about pre-med "cadaver lab." Cats and many other animals, are bred in laboratories, euthanzied and then prepared for dissection. It was really hard to get past my upset, but I did it because I had to, to learn what I needed to learn. My rationale is this: they have already been sacrificed, my refusal to do the dissection would not have changed that. My doing the dissection gave me the knowledge to help others in times of medical crisis. BUT, a 9th grader shouldn't " have" to do it. I would talk to someone at school about it. He's young and a boy so I can understand his not wanting to be singled out. I wonder how many other kids went home and said the same thing to their folks. They don't want to do it, but don't want to be the only one to sat they are uncomfortable doing it.

L. you're right if they were dissecting dogs the humane society would be outraged, and they should be about cats as well. I would call the teacher and speak to her, but be sure to let her know that your son did not want you to call, but as a parent you have to speak up when your kids don't want to. I can't believe that a school district would allow the dissection of animal that is such a common household pet. When I was in school we dissected frogs and other worms. I know that there is an abundance of cats in the world, but I don't think that using them as science experiments is the way to reduce the population. When you call the teacher ask them how and why they chose to use cats, what specific skill will the students get, scientifically, out of using cats versus any other animal, and has this been done in the past or is it the first time, and if it has been done before what was the reaction by students and parents. Hope that helps.

About me: Stay at home mom to 2 girls 3 and 18 months. Before kids I taught high school math and most recently preschool.

What ever happened to frogs and worms and starfish (oh my)? I was a biology major at Cornell University and we even dissected frogs. I suspect that your son is not the only one to stay silent for fear of "being the only one". I would say it's at least worth further investigation with the HS - is there an alternative to disecting the cat?

I think you have to decide whether you have a real ethical issue with this or whether you are just being squeamish. Cats are fairly anatomically close to humans, which is why they are used. There have been allegations in the past of unscrupulous biological supply houses capturing and killing the cats in inhumane ways; that having been said, 3-4 million animals die each year in animal shelters. Why not use them for educational purposes? If your family eats meat, I don't see how this is any different-- it is just killing an animal for human use-- IF the animals were caught and killed in a humane way. Put another way, not dissecting the cat doesn't mean that it wasn't going to die, it just means that it is used before it is disposed of.

In any case, I would talk to the teacher. Find out how they animals are obtained, and talk it over with your son. Almost all schools will provide alternative activities. But, if you son goes to college, he will almost certainly have to dissect something there if he is remotely interested in science.

And I agree with several of the other moms-- the first cut is the hardest!

If you contact the teacher or the guidence office and explain the concern they will help. Also there are computer programs for dissection that can be used inplace of actually dissecting an animal

Are you kidding me? We're not big cat lovers in our family, but I don't think you have to be to see how wrong that is. I mean, where are they getting these cats from? That is way too close to home. I'm sure there were many students who were too intimidated to say no. I would apologize to your son but I'd be making a call to the school principal and the school board. That's crossing a line. And you're right. If it were dogs they'd be throwing a big fit. I wonder just how many parents are aware of this practice and wonder how many of them are against it. There are many parents out there that may be against something but are too afraid to rock the boat, or wait for someone else to step up first. Maybe that's what needs to happen here. If it were me, the first thing I'd do is call the school principal and I would not let my child participate and would expect my child NOT to get a failing grade over it. And yes, I'd be calling all the animal agencies in the area. I hate PETA, but I'd call them as a last resort. That's just not right.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HarrisburgPAChat
chat and events within 2 hour radius

This is difficult. When I was in 10th grade I had an AP Biology class and we were going to dissect a cat. There was no WAY I was going to be able to do such a thing. As it turned out, another girl in my class couldn't either. My teacher allowed the 2 of us to do some other project instead. The teacher should let your son change his mind and do something else instead. Good luck!

From what it sounds like, it may not happen everywhere, but in my 9th grade bio class we did a worm, then a fetal pig, then a cat. i believe you could opt out of it and do an alternative assignment. the class was not Honors or AP.

I'm sorry, but I don't see an issue here. It is a biology class, it isn't like they are destroying animals for laughs. This is supposed to be a learning experience for the students in many ways. If your son isn't interested in learning from it in class, he should be learning to take responsibility for himself and speak with his teacher on his own. While I do agree that you should be involved in his education, he is old enough that he needs to be the one to take the first step and own up to not being comfortable with the assignment.

While we are on the topic of PETA and other animal rights groups... what else are you doing to protect animals? This particular situation seems to have you upset, but:
Do you still eat commercially processed meat knowing how those animals are treated during their life and how they are killed in the factories?
Do you still eat eggs? Do you know what happens to male chicks on those farms?
Do you drink non-organic milk and understand how those cows are treated?

If you are going to be angry about animal rights, be ANGRY. There are plenty of avenues for you to channel this anger that could have a bigger impact than a handful of cats in a high school bio class.

Wow, I didn't do that until 1st year biology! I think they use cats that were to be euthanized anyway so he doesn't need to worry about that. Though they do seem a bit young to be moving onto cats. I don't know what to suggest besides what some others have suggested in the forum.

I remember dissecting fetal pigs in 9th grade and cats in 12th. But each district is different I guess. My suggestion to you is to have you (or your son) speak with his teacher. I know when I was in school, they HAD to offer an alternative to anyone who chose not to dissect (whatever the reason). If I remember correctly, the alternative to doing the actual dissection was doing a virtual one on a school computer and writing a report about the findings of the dissection. Something worth looking into. I remember prior to entering high school, when I found out we would have to dissect animals, I was dead set against it. But soon gave in after realizing that I had a real interest in science/medicine, and dissecting is just part of the job.

If you find out that your school does not offer an alternative, try taking that up with the PTO/PTA or the school board, because there really should be an option for the kids that don't wish to be involved. (It's not like they are skipping out on the classwork.)

Good luck to you!

Wow, cats weren't usually until senior year bio or anatomy in my HS. My sister tried getting out of it but wasn't allowed. I have also heard of schools using dogs, so no - I don't think that people complain less about using cats. I'm glad I never had to disect a cat (didn't take science my senior year), and I don't think many people actually enjoy it. But if it's required for the class, then I don't see how he can get out of it. I hated the thought of disecting anything, but once I did it I realized it wasn't so bad.

This is not uncommon. I had an AP Bio class in HS that did fetal pigs and cats, although it was not until my senior year. I love animals, but I wanted to be in the sciences and this is part of learning about anatomy. The 'higher' animals are used, like cats and pigs, are used because they have more complex anatomies than creatures like frogs.
I would have your son perhaps talk to the teacher in private to see if there is an alternative. If not, then let it go and don't make a big deal about it.

Also, I'd be careful of some of the agencies and web sites suggested below. You can't believe everything you read and some of the PETA people are extremists. Unless you want a picket line around your son's school, I wouldn't call them! And I know what I am talking about as I used to work for a pharmaceutical company and have had direct dealings with PETA. Best of luck!

Hi L.,
9th grade seems a little young but I disected a cat when I was a senior. It was gross for a total of week. Once I got over it (also a cat lover) I learned A LOT!!!! Maybe you could ask the teacher where the animals come from. I don't exactly remember where ours came from but I remember being morally satisfied by the answer. I can guarantee the cats aren't born and raised to become subjects in science class. In perspective, the cats are surving much more purpose this way than if they were euthenized and cremated in a bursting-at-the-seems shelter. Ultimately, I think you should respect your sons request not to get involved. Allowing him to make this decision will be a learning experience all in it's own. He will build problem solving skills as long as anatomical knowledge.

P.S. I still find myself recalling information I learned during the experience in daily life - especially as a parent when injuries are so common.

Good Morning,
This is absolutely horrifying. What happened to the days of frogs and earth worms?? I would not be ok with cats either. I think contacting the humane society was a good idea. I understand how your son feels and can sympothize with the fact that he does not want you to make a stir if no one else seemed to mind. I just cant understand how no one else in the class has a problem with this. I am a total cat person, but even if I wasnt I still would not be ok disecting one. I skipped class when we had to use frogs. Are there no females in his class? I can see a lot of the boys not having a problem with it, but I cant see all of the girls being ok with it. By calling and making a fuss your son will stand out, so maybe you can call and ask if the teacher can talk with the students again and maybe this time do an anonomous ballet. Then maybe more will be willing to say they have an issue if the entire class wont see them raise their hand. If this doesnt work then maybe you can schedule a "doctors" appt right around that time and pull him out of class and do something he would like to do for an hour or two. I would have jumped at the opportunity to miss school of my parents let me!
Good Luck!!!

Hi L., this is very upsetting. This website offers a lot of info regarding cat disection, where the cats come from, etc. Its very disturbing.

http://www.sniksnak.com/aavs3.html

Wow, you are in a tough situation, not only the ethical dilema, but your sons feelings! I don't have alot of advice, but just wanted to let you know I support your feelings. If you get in touch with PETA, I"m sure they would have suggestions, but it woudn't be done quietly! Good Luck. Keep us updated.

This is very unusual. Most high schools no longer do dissection in regular biology classes. Most save that for a dedicated, elective anatomy course. There are NUMEROUS software programs in which students can dissect various animals on the computer. Many are very high quality. I believe schools MUST provide this alternative when requiring dissection.
I am a HS bio teacher (well I was before I became a stay at home mom) and the policy at all the schools in the area is that if a dissection of any kind is done (even a worm) you must have a software option for the kids who don't feel comfortable with live dissection. I am also disturbed by the way the teacher asked if the kids had problems with this. She should have given each student a piece of paper. THey should have put their names on it & then circled whether or not they wanted to do the dissection.
I would call the teacher's supervisor & request a new, paper survey to be done while the supervisor was present (to prevent teacher persuasion). Make sure they inform students of the option to dissect on the computer instead. I can assure you that most girls will opt for this simply b/c it is cleaner & less smelly. And of course there will be other students who object to disecting animals.
Good luck!

Hi L.,

Let it go. One thing I would suggest to you is to make sure you know what is going on with your child's education before the fact, not after the fact.

Let this be a learning lesson. Go to the PTA and get involved.

Hope this helps. D.

I do know that because I refused to do the dissection of the fetal pigs, cats and other animals, I was forced into taking general biology in HS. Because of that, I eventually had to do it all in college anyway. It was basically a losing battle the whole way around. Animal dissection was/is pretty much mandatory for our school district for the students who are wanting to take the academic course. If I had known then what I know now, I wouldn't have put up such a fuss over the whole situation. The animals the schools use are ones that had been euthenized/aborted already. If I were given the opportunity to do it all over again--I would have just done the dissection the 1st time around and gotten it over with. Best of luck with however things turn out!

L., I am appalled that they are using cats. This is the US where cats are our pets and almost family for some of us. When I was in my senior year of H.S. in 1996, they wanted me to dissect a fetal pig. I refused. They told me not to take the class but I fought because I love biology and wanted to take it. Just because I would not touch a fetal pig, I wanted the rest of the class. So, After a bit of a fight, I got to do another assignment instead. It was long and hard work but I still got my A and learned a great deal. It taught me that I have a right to stand up for what I believe in (or do not believe in!) and I could do it in a way that is assertive and I can get what I want if I at least try. If you son wants the class, he can stand up for himself...he is getting a bit old for you to do it for him. If he stands up and they will not listen, then you should help him. At 14, he needs to make some choices for himself-say something or do something he doesn't want to to. It would be great if had a discussion with him about the consequences of either choice. Best of luck! A.

I would have a real problem with that. Frogs are one thing-though I never dissected one. I used to pay my friend to do it for me when our teacher wasn't looking.
But cats? Really? That is way too much. I'd have to say something to the principal about that one.

I'm actually impressed that your school uses cats for dissection. When I was in high school (more than 20 years ago) we only had clams, worms, huge crawfish, a fish and a frog. It wasn't until college that I could do cat dissection as part of anatomy class. I'm a doctor, so what I see is what a great learning experience this could be. There are tons of computer simulated anatomy programs available - all medical and chiropractic schools use them - but in addition to cadaver dissection. There's nothing like real dissection to learn anatomy, gain perspective on how the body is put together, and to discover how each body is different. what you see in text books and videos are what is typical, you don't see the anomolies - one extra vertebrae, muscle that divides into more parts than usual, nerve that travels a little off course. It's fascinating and may inspire your son to take a career in biology - or he may learn he hates this stuff, which is much better to learn now than when he's a sophmore in college. Just my perspective.

Normally a biology class does not dissect cats. this is a "can you handle it" test by the teachers to get a class reaction. AP biology (a college course offered in some high school) may get into this but not before. My daughter's class was told they would dissect a pig, but never did.
Place a call to the teacher doing his prep period and express your concerns. Teachers do listen and he'll put your mind at ease.

hi L.. i did not read all 29 of your responses, but i wanted to share something. when i was in school, there was a certain science class that dealt with the cat dissection. we all had to dissect worms and frogs in general biology. but moving onto to advanced biology was a choice in my school district.

i chose other science related classes to fulfill my credits needed, like chemistry and other labs. depending on what your son is interested in doing in his future though, colleges may look for a more advanced science background. just something to think about. i am pretty sure he could elect not to though.

we were told immediately upon taking the class. they made us aware of all of the dissections in the future. and that gave me enough time in the beginning of that marking period to switch my class around. depending on how far your son is into his semester that may not be a possibility though. i hope something gets worked out for you.

As the "mommy" of 2 cats myself, I too would have a major issue with this. In my college A&P we had to disect cats. I spoke to the teacher in private after class one day to explain that I was completely uncomfortable with this and was there an alternative assignment. The teacher was understanding and supportive. I would recommend that your son speak to his teacher in private- that way he will not "stand out" in the class by being the only one. With all the technology we have now, i would think there would be a way to avoid dissection period, let alone dissection on a common household pet.

When I was in high school, we had a choice between cats and fetal pigs. I chose the pig, since we had house cats at home.

I would call the school and ask if there is an alternative option. If not, I would DISCREETLY discuss this with the teacher, and come to some sort of agreement for an alternative assignment that your son could do instead of the dissection. Then, keep him home that day!! His peers will never know the difference, and I know that's HIS biggest concern!

Good Luck....I can't imagine the school won't work with you on this!

Hi L., I grew up with cats and have loved them all my life so I understand your distress. On the other hand it has been my experience that most schools do use cats for dissection (usually in 12th grade bio though). If your son is willing to work through this then maybe you should let him. On the other hand a quiet non-confrontational talk with the teacher about it may put your mind at rest. Asking where the cats come from and how they will be treated both durring class and after are not questions that are out of line. Good luck.

Do you have issues with dissection in general or is this specific to cats? I once heard a comedian say that no one protests the killing of ugly animals . . . Ninth grade is a bit early, but students who are interested in life sciences will do more and more dissection, until they are ultimately working on human cadavers. Even with all our technology, this is still the best way to learn . . .