Victory was won for animal-lovers in America when the United States Department of Agriculture announced on April 3rd they’d cease their testing on kittens. This comes just weeks after an organization called White Coat Waste Project released disturbing documents of what was going on behind the scenes in a lab in Beltsville, Maryland.

  For thirty-seven years, the USDA had been breeding and experimenting on kittens. These kittens, once eight weeks old, would be fed parasite-infected hearts, brains, and tongues of other cats and dogs. The meat from these animals were purchased from China, Brazil, and Vietnam.

  These animals were killed and processed in factories that the U.S. government had openly called cruel and “would breach anti-cruelty laws in the United States.” Puppies were crammed into metal cages together, unable to move. Cats were stuffed into mesh bags. Although press were told that the cats and dogs were killed according to Chinese law standards, China has no public laws on ethical animal killings.

  The organs were purposely contaminated from the researchers with a type of parasite known as Toxoplasma godii.

  The kittens were continually fed these infected body parts until they become immune to the parasites, which took around three weeks. Instead, they were put down and incinerated by USDA. None of these kittens had the chance to be adopted. USDA claimed it was a threat to public safety to do so.

  Revolting. Cats and dogs have been domesticated for companionship and assistance, not torture.

  Experimenting on animals has been something we have done for decades. However, just because it is tradition does not mean it’s right, especially with the changing times.

  The remaining cats in the lab, fourteen in all, will be adopted, thanks to mounting pressure from the public. Hopefully the government has seen America’s disdain for using federal and taxpayer funds and will cease these operations altogether.