Would you donate your cat’s body to science? I had never given it consideration until today. It is a tough decision. On the one hand, do we have the right to make this sort of decision? A cat cannot provide consent. Alternatively, if you are sure the body will be used well, in a good cause, then cats in the future may benefit.
One difficulty I have is thinking about my cat’s body in some laboratory somewhere being treated with disrespect. What I mean is, mishandled. It is the thought of it that puts me off. Although, I would like to help other cats. It may be difficult to ensure the body is used properly. That uncertainty also puts me off.
Perhaps people who have donated their bodies to science in their Wills are more likely to do the same with their cat. It is a mentality. Personally, I am a bit squeamish about it. We give instructions for these things when we are alive with emotions. Logically it does not matter what happens to a body so it makes sense if it is used productively. However, the emotions take over and logic goes out the window.
I am not sure I could trust anyone to treat my cat’s body decently. For that reason I am not in favour of donating my cat’s body to science.
If you want to do it, the person to ask is your veterinarian. I can’t be sure but some euthanized shelter cats probably end up in a laboratory for scientific purposes. This makes me think that where there is a high shelter kill rate, I’d be surprised if there was demand for the bodies of cats owned by individuals. The supply is plentiful.
Do you have an opinion on this rarely discussed topic? I would expect that most cat guardians will not have given it much thought but perhaps they should.
Good for you Suzanne. My love to your cat. It made me sad to read your comment. Thanks for commenting.
My cat is terminally ill. I may have him euthanized tomorrow if he makes it through the night. The vet thinks he either has cancer or FI? . It just occured to me today that perhaps his body could be helpful for studying his disease, or whatever. I will ask the vet about this.
Anthropomorphizing or not, it’s still not right. Yes we have to consent on their behalf for things for their own good and I don’t even like doing that. It feels wrong to have the power over another living creature and be able to make decisions for them, whether good or bad. Look at declawing, no cat would consent to that. I don’t suppose they would consent to neutering either come to that. We have taken them from their wild independent lives and forced our will on them, they are no longer free spirits and that makes me sad and there’s nothing I can do about it except do my best to help all cats in any way I can.