‘Cats not used in research since 2012’

CARDIFF University has abandoned its use of cats in scientific research.

The institution hit the headlines in 2012 after it emerged that experiments had been conducted on kittens in which their eyes were sewn up and newborn litters raised in darkness.

Minutes of a meeting of the Cardiff University Biological Standards Committee show an application to conduct research on cats was refused.

It said: “The vice chancellor of the university had taken the decision not to support the use of cats in the university and had discussed this with the applicant.”

The information appeared in a document dated March 14, 2017. It is understood this position is unlikely to change while the vice-chancellor is in post.

Cardiff University said it had not used cats in experiments since 2012.

A spokesman said: “Cardiff University does not currently hold any project licences which authorise research on cats.”

The university said its approach “reinforces our commitment to providing open and transparent information about our research involving animals and our standards of animal care and welfare”.

“An application was received by the Cardiff University Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body to include the use of cats to research Sleep and Absence Epilepsy,” the spokesman said.

“Cats are often used due to the similarity between the circuitry of the cat and human brain; however, the application was refused as valuable and similar research can be done with mice and rats.”

Cardiff Animal Rights was “pleased” Cardiff University was not using cats in its research. It hoped the institution would “extend this to all the animals suffering in their labs”.

Dr Jarrod Bailey is senior research scientist at Cruelty Free International.

He said: “While we are pleased that Cardiff has responded to the public’s outcry and no longer subjects cats to cruel and unnecessary tests, the university still experiments on tens of thousands of animals every year including mice, guinea pigs, birds and fish.

“No species deserves to suffer or die in painful experiments.”

Understanding Animal Research chief executive, Wendy Jarrett, said: “Most of us have friends or family whose lives have been transformed by medical treatment and nearly all these treatments involved some research using animals such as mice, rats, fish and birds.”