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| ©The HSUS |
Cats, one of the most popular pets
in the United States, are used in research. |
Appearance
Behavior
Reproduction
Diet
Cats and Humans
Cats Used in Research
Laboratory Cats and Class B Dealers
Life in the Laboratory
All domestic cats (Felis catus) are descendants of the wild cat (Felis silvestris libyca) which originated in Africa and southwestern Asia.
Appearance
Cats have compact, powerful bodies with rounded heads and triangular ears. They average 8 to 10 inches at the shoulders and weigh 8 to 26 pounds. All but two of the 30 existing breeds have long tails, which they use for balance
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Facts About Cats |
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The nose pad of the cat has ridges in a unique pattern similar to that of a human fingerprint
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Hunting is a skill learned by watching other cats stalk and catch prey
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Cats have an exceptional sense of balance, but they do not always land on their feet or survive any fall. The cat’s tail is essential to their balance
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Cat eyesight is not much better than human sight, although cats are able to see well in dim light, an adaptation that aids in catching prey animals.
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The word “meow” is likely derived from the Egyptian word for cat, “maw”.
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The word “cat” and other indo-European versions of the word are likely derived from ‘utchat’, the word for the all-seeing-eye amulet depicted in art of the Egyptian cat goddess, Bastet. |
Behavior
Cats are generally solitary and territorial animals well known for marking their territory with urine spray or rubbing surfaces with scent glands on their chins and ears. Cats are excellent climbers and jumpers, and take frequent naps, sometimes amounting to about 16 hours of sleep a day.
Reproduction
Female cats can have as many as four litters of one to six kittens a year. The gestation period is 63 days. Born blind and deaf, kittens become fully self-sufficient after about eight weeks and need to be kept with peer groups until they are 6 months old. Young cats are very playful and must interact with littermates in order to assure their well-being and development. The average age of sexual maturity is 7 months old to 12 months old for females and 10 months old for males. The average life span is 12 years old to 15 years old.
Diet
Well-developed hearing and sharp teeth make domestic cats successful predators. All cats are primarily carnivores and require high protein diets rich with the amino acid taurine.
Cats and Humans
It is often said that cats have nine lives and, considering their rocky history with humans, it seems they need them all. Evidence suggests cats were associated with humans since the end of the Stone Age, although their heyday began in ancient Egypt when they were common household pets and controlled rodent populations.
Bastet, the cat goddess, gave rise to 2,000 years of cat worship, leading the Pharaohs to decry all cats.
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| ©The HSUS |
| Cats and humans have associated since the Stone Age. |
During the Middle Ages, a legion of unsavory myths and superstitions sprang up about cats and they were blamed for spoiling crops and spreading disease.
As a result, they were relentlessly hunted, tortured and killed, nearly wiping them from existence in Europe.
With cat populations destroyed, rodent populations flourished and contributed greatly to spread of the bubonic plague in 14th Century Europe.
Cats were initially blamed and further persecuted as a cause of the plague, but eventually fell from attention.
As cat populations started recovering, cats helped control rodents and other animals that spread plague, playing an important part in ending the epidemic. Despite their many benefits to humans, it wasn't until the 17th century that cats regained their place as a welcome houseguest and rodent hunter.
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| The HSUS |
| Based on data obtained from United States Department of Agriculture |
Today, cats are the most popular pet in the United States and are part of an extensive breeding and show industry.
Cats Used in Research
According to data reported by research institutions to the United States Department of Agriculture, 23,640 cats were used in research in 2004. Of those, 378 were used in experiments that caused them significant pain and distress not relieved with analgesics or anesthetics.
Cats have been used in research since the late 1800s because they share some physiological features with humans, are a manageable size, long-lived and are easily obtainable. Cats are used to research a number of ailments including chlamydia, cholera, toxoplasmosis, leukemia and AIDS.
Cats have also been used in behavioral research into learning abilities and in neurological studies on disorders such as epilepsy. Cats are also used to research cardiovascular problems, toxicology and spinal cord injuries. The cat's long life span makes them a popular model for aging research. After they're used in research, cats are most often euthanized by intravenous barbiturate overdose or CO2 inhalation.
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| iStock.com |
Class B Dealers may
sell cats to laboratories. |
Laboratory Cats and Class B Dealers
Cats used in research can be obtained in a variety of ways. Some are purposely bred by Class A dealers, which are designated breeding operations regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture to supply research facilities with animals. Cats obtained from such dealers are usually vaccinated and free from common diseases and parasites, and subject to uniform genetic control.
However, cats can also be supplied from Class B dealers licensed by the USDA to buy animals from "random sources." Random source animals can be obtained from auctions, flea markets or animal shelters.
Random-source cats and dogs are often in compromised health, are poorly socialized and come with no medical or ownership history, which are all factors that can undermine research results. Many leading research centers such as National Institutes of Health do not use random-source animals.
Nevertheless, some research facilities across the country continue to buy random-source cats and dogs from Class B dealers. Such operations are not adequately monitored by USDA inspectors and are notorious for neglecting and abusing animals.
In 1966, an undercover investigation into Class B dealers revealed such appalling animal cruelty that it caused outrage across the United States and resulted in the passage of the Animal Welfare Act.
Despite increased regulations, many investigations into Class B dealers have uncovered similar abuse and countless animal welfare violations since then. In 2005, a highly publicized case involving Class B dealers resulted in the largest civil penalty ever assessed for Animal Welfare Act violations.
The C. C. Baird family operated Martin Creek Kennels in Arkansas, and an undercover investigation by Last Chance for Animals (LCA) videotaped neglect and deliberate abuse of random-source dogs and cats. The Pet Safety and Protection Act would eliminate Class B dealer (of random source dogs and cats) operations.
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| ©The HSUS |
| Even group living can be stressful for cats in laboratories. |
Life in the Laboratory
Cats are one of the few research animals that receive any protection under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), which covers only certain mammals and birds.
Most cats, regardless of background, have difficulty adjusting to new surroundings, particularly in confinement.
Cats prefer to use their own litter box and will not normally use one that was soiled by another cat. Cats also need a place to hide when they feel threatened. In laboratory settings, these basic requirements are often impossible to meet. Signs of aggression and stress are frequently seen in cats kept in laboratory settings.
Cats deserve every consideration to reduce the number of them used in experiments. Procedures must be refined to limit their suffering, and to replace the use of live cats with humane alternatives wherever possible. Research institutions should discontinue any use of random-source cats for the sake of animal welfare.
