Cat Anatomy Lesson Plan Amount of time Demo takes: ​
5-7 mins.
Don’t try this at home!
Materials
● 1 dead, dissected cat
● 1 dissecting kit
● Gloves for facilitator
● Box of Latex-free disposable gloves for students
Set-up Instructions
1. Take the lid off of the bin and place it on the table with the “inside” facing
upwards. This will be where you will lay the cat for display.
2. Take the cat out and lay it on the lid. Ensure that its organs are neat and
visible.
3. Place box of latex-free disposable gloves so that they are available to
students.
SAFETY!
● Anybody that physically handles the cat needs to wear latex or nitrile
gloves.
● People with ​
latex allergies​
should be aware that there is latex in the
arteries and veins.
● Note​
: If anybody asks (but you don't need to announce), the cats are
purchased from a commercial source that collects them in a humane
manner.
Lesson’s Big Idea
● Students can see the digestive tract of a cat (basically the same as in a
human). The digestive tract has three main organ groups: Those for
ingestion (bringing food into the system), digestion (breaking it down and
pulling valuable nutrients from it), and excretion (the elimination of
wastes).
● Students can compare the major organs and structures of a cat with those
of various sea creatures.
1/2 Instructional Procedure
1. Show the students different structures on the small animals (there is
another lesson plan for this, if you’re interested) and ask them to find the
similar structure on the cat.
2. Explain the digestive tract to them. We chose this process because it is a
simple process that most students can grasp. We eat food, it travels
through us, we excrete it through bowel movements -- many other
organisms follow a similar digestive pattern.
3. If you are adventurous and knowledgeable about anatomy, feel welcome
to discuss other organs and systems with the students. For example, the
wrist has been exposed to show two different muscle groups that
flex/extend his paw.
Assessment/sample questions you can ask
1. How many parts are in the small intestine? Large intestine? Why are the
intestines so long?
Clean Up
● Place the cat back in the box. Moisten it if needed -- the cat should remain
damp at all times. You may need to dampen it throughout the day.
● Clean off the lid of the box and place it back on the bin.
References
● http://legacy.owensboro.kctcs.edu/gcaplan/anat2/notes/APIINotes8%20D
igestive%20Anatomy.htm
Next Generation Science Standards
● MS-LS1-3
● 4-LS1-1
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