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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I think thatOne area of cruelty that doesn’t involve strong feelings of wrongness are carried out by those with not much empathy.
Empathy is important for understanding why people are cruel – or not cruel - to animals. Someone who’s happy to put salt on a slug my baulk at killing a mouse for example. The person who sets a mouse trap wouldn’t kill a dog. Public opinion my accept brown foreigners being killed, but is more concered when nice white people are in the firing line. Etc.
People who have no more empathy towards a cat, dog or human than most of us has towards a slug can carry out acts of extreme cruelty without feeling particularly concerned, thrilled or empowered. Their acts may be driven by feelings of anger, boredom, lack of direction, curiosity…
The flip side to the lack of empathy is behaviour can become extremely regulated. Where there is no empathy driven boundary to guide what is acceptable behaviour, the person may set absolutes as a coping strategy, where all possibly cruel acts are prohibited.
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Ring Of Fire A petty, drooling belming butthurt retard., Tue 11 Dec 2007, 17:32,
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