As NEAVS revealed in late 2018, the number of cats used is down over 48% from 1991 and down over 10% in the last decade alone.

However, this progress is uneven. Some facilities are making progress at reducing their numbers of cats while others are failing by increasing the number of cats. As such, here are the 5 U.S.-based facilities have have the dishonorable distinction of having most sharply increased the population (or percentage) of cats being cruelly used as test tubes in their facilities:

1. University of New Hampshire – Sadly, the biggest increase

• In 2015 this Durham, NH based university had 0 cats in 2015, but 380 by 2017.
• This is the largest increase in that time period as measured by number of cats for facilities that reported data to USDA for 2015-2017.

2. Auburn University – Cat use up 49% since 2015

• This Auburn, AL based university had 315 cats in their custody in 2015. By 2017, Auburn University reported having 617 cats under their control. This is an increase of 302 cats since 2015.

3. AHED of Ohio, Inc. – Up 50% since 2015

• American Higher Education Development (AHED) Corporation in Cleveland, Ohio, Inc. had 289 cats in 2015 and by 2017, they had 581 cats in their custody. This is over a 50% increase since 2015.

4. Elanco Animal Health – From 0 to 162, including tests with zero pain relief.

• This Greenfield, Indiana (near Indianapolis) corporation had 0 cats in 2015, but 162 by 2017.
• Sadly, Elanco also wrote “30” for the number of cats they used in “Category E” experiments, which means the cats were put in significant pain, yet offered no pain relief.

5. Lincoln Memorial University – Up 92% since 2015

• The Harrowgate, TN-based private liberal arts university had 16 cats in 2015. This jumped to 226 cats in 2017.

We hope the leaders of these institutions will consider how their involvement in cat experimentation runs afoul of not only public opinion, but of the Animal Welfare Act’s mandate to pursue reduction in animal testing.

While federal law gives us useful data on the number of cats being used in experiments, we need legislation like Rep. Calvert’s FACT Act to be signed into law. Doing so would force federal government agencies to be more transparent about their efforts to replace animal tests with more effective non-animal testing methods for assessing the safety of chemicals, drugs, foods, cosmetics and other substances. Please take a moment to email your representatives and ask them to support the FACT Act.