A history of lab animals and the fitful attempts to provide them some modicum of protection. Rats and mice, by far the most widely used animals in laboratory experiments, are afforded no protection under the Animal Welfare Act (i.e., they don’t count as “animals” for the purpose of the law). Now, rats don’t exactly elicit sympathetic feelings from most people, but, objectively speaking, there’s good reason to think that they are just as susceptible to pain and suffering as dogs and cats.