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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An actual story nowI grew up with two cats - males from the same litter, born around the same time I was. One was a little grey one called Splott (not, surprisingly, after the area of Cardiff, but after the noise two pounds of wet cement makes landing on a pavement, this being what he looked like as a kitten... I digress) and a big ginger called Orlando (from the children's books). When I was about eight, I was going through a phase of listening to compilation tapes of rather camp 60s pop, and one night I was in bed, sleepy, and listening to one of the above. Unfortunately, Orlando had found his way into my room, and wouldn't stop nuzzling me when I was trying to sleep. I kept pushing him away, but he was persistent, so I ended up throwing him forcefully to the other end of the bed. Emotional karma was, however, instant... at the exact moment my poor adoptive feline brother stared back at me from the end of the bed, his big green eyes full of hurt and mournful reproach, Cilla Black sang the following accompaniment into my callous young ears:
{stirring strings, anguished scouse warble}
"Anyone who had a heart would take me in his arms, and love me TOO!"
I'd never felt so guilty in my life. Thankyou, our Cilla, for teaching me the error of my evil, cat-throwing ways.
P.S. Orlando passed away at the age of 14, and Splott went a few months afterwards - they were the best cats ever, and are still sorely missed over six years later.
(, Mon 10 Dec 2007, 10:20, Reply)
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