ST. LOUIS (AP) — Washington University in St. Louis said Monday that it has stopped using sedated cats to train medical students how to insert breathing tubes down babies' throats, effectively ending the practice in the U.S., according to a medical ethics group.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a medical ethics nonprofit, applauded the decision, saying the practice was cruel to animals and unnecessary for students.
Washington University's use of cats has drawn criticism in recent years, with critics contending that the animals suffer pain and injuries ranging from cracked teeth to punctured lungs.
