Taxpayer-Funded Mizzou Lab Accused of Abusing Cats in Cruel Experiments

Nonprofit group uncovers evidence of animal cruelty at University of Missouri-Columbia, funded by NIH grant

Mar. 12, 2026 at 5:20pm

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The non-profit White Coat Waste (WCW) has uncovered disturbing evidence of animal abuse at the University of Missouri-Columbia (UMC), where taxpayer dollars are funding barbaric procedures on cats, including former pets sourced from local shelters. UMC has received $528,052 in NIH funding for experiments that involve cutting open cats' skulls, forcing hyperventilation, and delivering electric shocks to their voice boxes. Despite promises to phase out animal testing, the NIH has allowed the cruel experiments to continue.

Why it matters

This case highlights ongoing concerns about the use of taxpayer funds for animal experiments that many consider to be inhumane and unnecessary. It also raises questions about the oversight and accountability of government-funded research programs, especially those involving vulnerable animals like former pets.

The details

According to records obtained by WCW, UMC maintained a colony of homeless cats acquired from a local shelter, using them as blood donors in ways that risked anemia and dangerously low blood levels. These cats, many likely lost or abandoned pets, could be confined for up to two years before potentially being euthanized. UMC also purchased four additional cats from a company that breeds thousands of cats for research, and plans to use them for the painful NIH-funded experiments.

  • In May 2024, UMC obtained three cats from a mid-Missouri shelter.
  • In October 2025, UMC purchased four additional cats from Marshall BioResources.
  • The NIH grant funding the cat experiments was first awarded in 2022, during the Fauci era.

The players

White Coat Waste (WCW)

A non-profit organization that uncovered the evidence of animal abuse at UMC.

University of Missouri-Columbia (UMC)

The taxpayer-funded university accused of conducting cruel experiments on cats, including former pets sourced from local shelters.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The government agency that has provided $528,052 in funding for UMC's cat experiments, despite promises to phase out animal testing.

Nicole Kleinstreuer

The NIH Deputy Director in charge of the agency's animal testing programs since April 2025, who has allowed UMC's cat testing to continue despite claiming she would work to end it.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

The Secretary who promised to drastically cut NIH animal testing, but has not been able to stop the cruel experiments at UMC.

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What they’re saying

“Taxpayers should not be forced to bankroll the barbaric abuse of pets in wasteful experiments. Yet the NIH has betrayed both pets and the public by allowing Mizzou's mad scientists to continue crippling and killing cats with our tax dollars—more than eight months after NIH's Nicole Kleinstreuer said she'd end it. The solution is simple: Stop the money. Stop the madness.”

— Anthony Bellotti, President, White Coat Waste

“Thanks to Nicole Kleinstreuer's lies and inaction, Mizzou is openly bragging about wasting more taxpayer money to buy, maim, and kill healthy cats, in defiance of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s promises a year ago to drastically cut NIH animal testing. NIH is failing taxpayers, animals, and RFK.”

— Anthony Bellotti, President, White Coat Waste

What’s next

The NIH and the University of Missouri-Columbia are facing growing pressure to end the cruel cat experiments and redirect taxpayer funding to more humane research methods.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing struggle to end the use of taxpayer funds for animal experiments that many consider to be unethical and unnecessary. It underscores the need for greater transparency, accountability, and a shift towards more humane research practices in government-funded programs.