The cats are out of the bag!
For five weeks or so students have been dissecting cats in their human physiology class taught by Ms. German. This experiment has run for many years in our school. Sadly, many people know very little about it. This assignment typically runs for three to four weeks at most and usually takes place in mid April and beginning of May. It is scheduled during these times due to weather conditions, that way if the smell in the room gets too much we can open a window without it being too cold.
Some people may find this unethical but it’s important to know that there is a large amount of cats put down yearly due to them not getting spayed.
Anatomy and
physiology of cats
Kiara Steward‘19
ReporterThis causes lots of cats with no place to call a home which eventually leads to them being put down. No cats are harmed in this experiment: they use cats that were put down and now are used for research and new discoveries.
“I’ve been running this project since about 2004,” Ms. German, the human physiology teacher, said. “This project alone costs about $500 per year.”
The students have two diffferent reactions about this experiment. Some students feel that it is too drawn out and gross, while other stduents feel that it is fun and very informal. Either way, it definitely gets a reaction from the students and gives them something to look forward to.
“This project has a big impact on the students. Many of my past students have come back saying that this was the thing that helped them to decide that they wanted to go on to be doctors,” German continued.
This experiment is a great hands-on opportunity for students to see what happens inside of bodies similar to ours. It gives the visual learners a chance to experience things themselves, which some students don’t get.