• ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net
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    18 days ago

    I’ve read that cats were used commonly in labs in USSR because they are smaller than dogs. I remember reading that they were used for example to study sleep deprivation. They would put a cat in a container with water so that he would have to stand or he would drawn and see how long would it last.

    On a related note, there’s a parakeet species spreading in Europe. I’ve read that some researches form my local university wanted to study them but they were complaining those bastards are very sneaky and impossible to catch. They finally managed to capture one but it figured out how to open the cage and escaped. For me that’s quite uncooperative.

    • LetThereBeNick@lemmy.zip
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      18 days ago

      At a scientific conference I saw someone presenting a cat study poster. Japanese guy studying the neural control of bowel movements. His prep had a balloon inflated up a cat’s ass to measure peristaltic contractions.