Posted 2:37 PM by hx

this is the sort of thing that makes me disgusted with the human race.

(warning - animal cruelty-type post. some people can't stand reading about this sort of thing; if so, please avoid reading this link and entry :)

when i was a child, i came out from classes one day to find a bunch of schoolboys clustered around a tree just outside the school. up close, it turned out to be a half-grown kitten, not quite an adult yet. they were stoning it, shouting at it, and kicking it. i ran up and pushed them all aside, picked up the bleeding, terrified kitten, and carried it home on my lap on the schoolbus.

when i got home, my mother refused to allow me to bring it into the house. i wanted to clean it up and treat it, maybe give it something to eat. she was horrified that i'd brought a "dirty cat" home and forced me to leave it outside in the field. i crouched there stroking it as long as i could, but my mother made me come home to "wash the lice off". when i was finally able to go to the field again the next day, it was gone.

of course it probably died. in that condition, if it didn't die of exposure it would have been attacked by some other bigger animal before long. i think i've never forgiven myself for not insisting on keeping the kitten inside where it would be safe. i've probably not forgiven my mother for kicking it out, either... :)