Whaddya mean, I gotta learn all this stuff?

It can't be all fun and games. During class we do have to identify the structures we are dissecting and try to remember their locations. Often the diagrams in the packet, the book and the cat in front of us don't match up.

After nearly a week working on the muscular system we finally cut in to the abdominal cavity of our cats. The liver, stomach, small and large intestines were readily visible. Hidden or more difficult to find a this point are the reproductive organs and the urinary system.

After removing the intestines we exposed the kidneys. They are pushed up against the back muscles.

JP holds a kidney he and Titus just removed from their cat.

Here is the same kidney bisected.

And, in what has become part of the daily ritual with our cats, DeMarco sprays his cat with Carosafe. We use the preservative mainly to keep the cats from drying out. The muscles start to get sinewy after being exposed to the air for this long. Additionally, it helps prevent any rot or mold from happening.