Author: Mr. Breeze

I do be a kitteh. I haz a blog.

Why Animal Testing is Illogical

~ Mr. Breeze ~ 1 Comment

Animal testing is illogical. Although humans and many other species have similar DNA, and though most organ systems are similar, subtle differences make using animal models to test food, drugs and cosmetics unreliable. Here are just three ways animals don’t react the same as humans.

Rats are known to be more resistant to a certain mushroom toxin than humans. Some mushrooms, notably the Fools webcap, contain a nephrotoxin called orellanine. Rats can eat mushrooms that are deadly to humans.
Feeding a food to animals is not a valid test.

In 2006 a new immune system boosting drug, TGN1412, which had been successfully tested in animals, went to human trials. The subjects were only given the equivalent of 1/500th the safe dose for “non-human primates,” macaques. A single amino acid difference between macaque and human DNA caused violent immune system reactions in humans. Within 90 minutes of the injection, the test subjects suffered searing pain. Within a few hours they suffered multiple organ failure. On a positive note, all the test subjects survived.
Giving a drug to animals is not a valid test.

Dogs and cats don’t usually get poison ivy. Most humans are highly allergic to the active ingredient, urushiol oil. Non-primate species can walk through poison ivy and at most get some irritation.
Applying cosmetics to an animal’s skin is not a valid test.

Fortunately, modern medicine has a number of alternatives to animal tests. One promising technology is Organ Chips, tiny devices about the size of a USB memory stick that contain living human cells.

Lots of drugs don’t make it through the animal trials, but who knows whether the drug companies have thrown away the Magic Bullet simply because it didn’t work on animals?

How to Use Social Media Safely

~ Mr. Breeze ~ Leave a comment
Evolution of online communication
Evolution of online communication
by ChatGPT and @kittehboi

A Guide for Anipals

  • Pick the Right App
    Use apps you understand, preferably recommended by trusted friends. Read the app’s Privacy Statement and if you disagree, don’t sign up! Despite what you see on Facebook, it’s not possible to unilaterally override a binding contract by posting that you disagree.
  • Keep Your Info Private
    Don’t share your full name, address, or phone number. Don’t share your email address or your workplace. Make your account private. There are millions of people globally on social media and they aren’t all nice. Most apps have a Settings section where you can pick your privacy, enable or disable notifications, allow AI to train with your posts, manage advertising preferences, and maintain your block list.
  • Use Strong Passwords
    Pick a password no one can guess. Don’t reuse old ones. If you use something obvious like your spouse’s birthday or your pet’s name, anybody who can find that information can guess your password, log in to your account, lock you out, then post terrible things in your name.
  • Think Before You Post
    Never say anything on the internet you wouldn’t want to see spray-painted on the front of your house. This goes for private messages too. Companies may change their privacy policies and expose DMs and profile info. A corollary to this is that unless you delete your posts then your entire account, your posts may show up 5, 10, or even 40 years later.
  • Be Kind
    No name-calling or threats. A reputation can be gone in a minute with a single post. You never know whether deleted posts are really deleted, or whether somebody is screen-capturing conversations. The obverse, of course, is to BLOCK rude people. It’s not worth the aggravation.
  • Don’t Fall for Fake News
    Check before you believe or share a story. Look up the original source on a legitimate, well-known web page. BTW, Wikipedia itself isn’t a reliable web page, but the References at the bottom of the article often are. Bad actors can generate false videos- deepfakes – using AI. Avoid biased pages. Remember, Snopes is your friend.

Links for Further Reading

The Cat Who Ate the Sun

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The Cat that ate the Sun
The Cat who ate the sun.
by @kittehboi & Nightcafe Studio.

“The Cat Who Ate the Sun” is a mythical story explaining the origin of tortoiseshell cats.  According to the legend, the sun became a black cat to visit the Earth. When the sun left, it left behind its fire in the patches of red and orange in the torties’s coat.

This is why Tortoiseshell cats are so popular, because they seem to carry a spark of the sun itself.