Accidental animal crueltyI once invented a brilliant game - I'd sit at the top of the stairs and throw cat biscuits to the bottom. My cat would eat them, then I'd shake the box, and he would run up the stairs for more biscuits. Then - of course - I'd throw a biscuit back down to the bottom. I kept this going for about half an hour, amused at my little game, and all was fine until the cat vomited. I felt absolutely dreadful.
Have you accidentally been cruel to an animal?
This question has been revived from way, way, way back on the b3ta messageboard when it was all fields round here.
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rob, Thu 6 Dec 2007, 11:13)
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ScruffyThis is one of my ealiest memories. Detail in this memory is a little fuzzy - some parts more than others, but hey-ho. There are no deliberate mistakes in the account, but that's not to say it's exactly as remembered.
When I was little we moved house. The whole house had these astonishingly dangerous sash windows that opened up completely (2/3 ft square gap in the wall? 18" off the ground of a first floor* room? WTF?). My bedroom window was over a concrete path in the back garden.
I was unpacking/playing/skiving in my room on moving day when I saw one of our cats, Scruffy, sat on my windowsill with the window wide open. (I'm sure that by now the IQ required to guess where this story leads has dropped to around 3)
Now, I can't claim it was unintentional in the strictly literal sense as it clearly wasn't, but I know that I loved Scruffy and would never have wanted to hurt her - I can only conclude that I, being young enough, truly believed she was capable of the instructions I gave her as I happily pushed her through said window: "Fly Scruffy, fly!". I claim it to be unintentional on the basis of stupendous naivety.
There was a happy ending - due to the move there just happened to be a bed, complete with mattress, in the back garden in just the right place. My mum swears blind that scruffy bounced back to almost the height of the window she had just left, but I don't remember, and don't believe a word of it. I figure I'm a better judge of cat-bounce physics than her, memory notwithstanding.
PS: Yes, I am still suitably guilt-ridden and ashamed.
PPS: Yes, Scruffy forgave me, eventually.
PPPS: No, she died several years later of old age, not more of my idiocy.
PPPPS: Did I mention that my dad's a big cheese in the RSPCA?
Length was the height of a first floor window, minus the height of a bed, plus any bouncing that may have occured.
*That's a UK 'first floor', ie, a US 'second floor' or just plain ol' 'upstairs'.
(, Thu 6 Dec 2007, 12:17, 4 replies)
Whywould she be hurt falling out of a first floor window? It's two feet, three tops, to the ground.
(, Fri 7 Dec 2007, 6:11, closed)
.UK 'first floor' = US 'second floor'. We call the one at ground level the 'ground floor', then start numbering on the next. 'Twas an upsairs window, in short.
(, Fri 7 Dec 2007, 11:32, closed)
my kittie fell outof our kitchen window- about 3 1/2m to the ground, onto cement and gravel.
We found her happily playing in the next door neighbours yard......about 3 hours later
After running, searching, crying and screaming up and down the street for the entire time dragging her favourite toy behind me.
I even enlisted 4 17yr old boys to help search. They hated cats and hoped she was dead, I guilt tripped them into searching with me for over 2 hours.
Little shit!Love her though
(, Sat 8 Dec 2007, 0:11, closed)
WowI didn't know that. Here, ground floor = first floor. I was missing a vital piece of info.
Ok, now the story makes me laugh.
(, Sun 9 Dec 2007, 9:35, closed)
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