Is piercing a kittens ears and back, putting submission rings through the skin on the back of its neck and tying off the blood supply to the tail so it will fall off, cruelty? In my mind there is no debate. It is definitely animal cruelty.
Holly Crawford is facing animal cruelty charges for doing these things. She is a 35 year old woman who is into Goth and she had a brainstorm that it would be a good idea to pierce kittens, without anesthetic I must add, then sell them on E-Bay.
This woman is supposed to be an animal groomer. I do not know what kind of test for animal knowledge you must pass in Pennsylvania where she lives, to become an animal groomer. But it whatever she was taught, it was insufficient.
First you must understand that the nape of a cats neck is a sensitive area. Putting submission rings through this area would definitely cause the cat pain and could harm them.
Second, the cats tail is an integral part of their balancing mechanism and the bones in the tail are an extension of their spinal column. Just watch any cat, wild or tame, run and watch how they use their tails as rudders. They also use their tails for balance when jumping both up and down.
Third, piercing the ear tips then hanging little barbells in them will impede the cats hearing. Cats use their ears like radar dishes to pick up sounds from all directions. I doubt these cats could swivel their ears to hear what is happening around them with these weights attached to them.
Can the cats survive with these disfigurements…yes. Is there a need to do this to them or for them to have to survive this maiming …no. Is this cruelty…yes.
In my estimation, this woman should be given the maximum penalty the law allows and that might not be enough. It seems fashion in her mind came above the good health and well being of the animals she came in contact with.
It is one thing to dress your pets up in tutus and carry them around as fashion accessories. It is another thing to understand that they are living, breathing beings who feel pain and yes, humiliation. These animals are pets and companions, not an extension of their humans ego and it is time everyone became aware of that.
Watch the Times Leader video about the kittens.