High School Science Experiments With Cats

The most difficult part about choosing a high school science experiment involving cats is deciding on the right experiment. Cats are very interesting creatures and studying them is very educational. Most high school science experiments that involve felines are divided into two main categories: behavioral and biological experiments. Many experiments fall into both categories, making those experiments an even better idea because of their versatility.

Experiments with cats, although tricky, are very interesting. Options for these experiments range from testing how a cat reacts to something or how its behavior changes after a series of events. Either of these experiments is done by testing, investigating and reporting on the action and reaction of cats through observation and experimentation. Many of these science experiments are preformed without any animal cruelty, making them a conservative option for high school science fairs.

There are many ways to test the behavior of cats. Studying a cat's reaction to recordings of different bird sounds is one idea. Play recordings of a few different birds — some local species, some exotic — and see which bird sounds the cat is most drawn to. Using a dangling cat toy is not just a fun game for a cat, it also helps an owner help distinguish whether a cat is left- or right-handed. By dangling a string, see how many times out of 20 the cat swats with each paw. Testing a few different cats expands the experiment to include an average of how many cats are left-handed versus how many cats are right-handed.

Using biology and zoology gives the opportunity to learn science from personal experience. An important factor when considering a high school science experiment that involves animals is the proper biology and scientific research method. Seeing as biology is the science of life, scientific method is used to study traits and variables. This involves anything from dissecting a cat or, more commonly, studying a cat's lifespan, organs and various biological elements.

There are numerous examples of high school science project ideas that involve the biology of cats. These include studying the process of digestion by using different cat foods, from dry to wet and fresh fish to tuna. Feed a cat (or a few cats) strictly one brand and type of food for one day each. Record the length of time between when the cat eats and when the cat uses the bathroom to test which food digests easiest for a cat. Measuring hair growth rates between various breeds of cats is another experiment. Using the same variables such as diet, exercise time and climate control, measure the hair of at least two different breeds of cats and see which cat's hair grows the longest over a set period of time.