That's right, cats are used in medical experiments: intubation procedures, specifically, where hard plastic tubes are forced down cats' windpipes. Ferrets, too.

It's part of a course in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and was once practiced by many hospitals or universities but is now frowned upon by the American Heart Association.

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/work-connect/hospital-still-using-cats-in-pediatric-health-experiments.html

Another procedure involves forcing air into cats' chest cavities, and course participants practice inserting a needle to remove the excess air.

St.Louis Hospital Uses Kittens as Experiments - For No Reason.
http://www.tinygreenbubble.com/eco/environmental/animal-rights/item/629-stlouis-hospital-uses-kittens-as-experiments-for-no-reason

Help Cats and Ferrets Used in Training at St. Louis Hospital
https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1686&autologin=true&c=weekly_enews

Please Sign the petition so that we can bring an end to these cruel procedures.

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This petition is Copyright of Borg Drone.
Any Duplication or re-posting of this petition will result in Copyright Violations
and will be dealt with accordingly.

• Lee Fetter
• Joseph Gunn
• Robert Kennedy

https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1686&autologin=true&c=weekly_enews

St. Louis Children's Hospital Contact Info
https://www.stlouischildrens.org/inTouch/FormGenerator.aspx?form_id=4&site_id=1&page_id=28&major=1&minor=1

Dear  St. Louis Children's Hospital,

instead of embracing the technological advances that we're all lucky enough to enjoy, It has been brought to our attention that St. Louis take little kittens and ferrets and teach intubation by shoving tubes down their throats. Does this cause discomfort to the animals? Yes. Not only discomfort, but can result in bleeding, swelling, collapsed lungs, scarring of the throat tissue, and, you guessed it -- death.
Not only are you testing your intubation skills on the kittens, you're also forcing air into cats' chest cavities so that students can practice inserting a needle to remove the excess air.

The American Heart Association, which sponsors the PALS training course, has stated that it "does not require or endorse the use of animals in PALS courses" and that "the AHA recommends that any hands-on intubation training for the AHA PALS course be performed on lifelike human manikins."A Survey of  hundreds of PALS facilities across the country, and nearly every one of them uses non-animal methods for intubation training. Research shows that in addition to saving animals, these simulation methods better prepare medical professionals to treat seriously ill or injured children because they more accurately replicate human anatomy and allow people to practice these skills repeatedly. One of the original developers of the PALS course has even stated that she is "adamantly opposed to the use of live or even dead animals in the American Heart Association PALS curriculum."

St. Louis Children's Hospital continues to use cats and ferrets for intubation training in its Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) course, even though the animals involved experience a great deal of suffering and even though the course's sponsor.
The American Heart Association, does not require or endorse the use of animals.
Nearly every other PALS facility across the country uses exclusively non-animal methods for these exercises.

Please immediately put an end to the use of animals in the PALS course and in any supplementary airway training and replace them with one of the humane, effective, non-animal alternatives that are available.

We thank you for your time and co-operation in this urgent matter.