The USDA Forced Kittens to Become Cannibals for Research, Watchdog Report Says

A shocking watchdog report alleges that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) spent $22.5 million conducting “unnecessary and unjustifiable” research that involved killing cats and forcing “kitten cannibalism,” among other unsavory practices. The report — from the non-profit White Coat Waste Project, which opposes animal testing by the government, and former USDA scientist Jim Keen — says a large chunk of this research relates to toxoplasmosis, an illness spread by exposure to the Toxoplasma gondii parasite. As recently as 2015, the report says, the USDA purchased and killed cats and dogs from countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and fed their body parts to lab-bred cats and other animals for research, effectively forcing what the watchdog reports refers to as “kitten cannibalism.” Cat remains purchased in China were also injected into mice, according to the document. “Dog and cat meat represents an abnormal diets for cats, dogs and mice so it is likely irrelevant to natural toxoplasmosis biology,” the report says. “Their scientific relevance and justification is questionable, at best, as is their relevance to American public health since we do not consume cats and dogs, and the practice is now outlawed in the U.S.” A USDA Agricultural Research Service spokesperson did not specifically comment on the accuracy of the report when asked by TIME. “The Agricultural Research Service continues...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized onetime Research Source Type: news