Murder Most Feline

I have never, ever in my life wanted to smack someone across the face so hard. Shame on him. Shame on his parents. And shame on the other commenters who think that ANY part of these heinous crimes should be even at part the fault of the pet owners. And let's also send our condolences to the families who lost their beloved kitties and I hope so hard that one day everyone will value the life of every living creature.

hlgns763...
Maybe it's poor parenting that is to blame for this little opportunistic sadist's actions, rather than poor pet parenting....which is irrelevant here. Criminal behavior is criminal behavior. You are correct that cat owners should be responsible - many let their cats roam. I have four and all are trained to stay in the yard. It can be done, no matter what the cat haters claim.

FYI...secure the yard with fencing, provide shelter/food/water, plant catnip close to the house (under the eaves up against the foundation is perfect), place bird baths/feeders in yard....if they stray next door, they come in for the day. In a few weeks, they learn that if they want to stay outside, they have to stay in the yard.

If this youngster committed these crimes, he should fess up to it...but he's too scared and pampered to do that. He needs about 4 years in the Marine Corps. Semper Fi.

Snapnhiss, there is some logic in what you say. If I lost a cat to violence I would probably keep my remaining cats in for some time. However, we must consider that your logic, by extension, would say that if a girl in the neighborhood was attacked, all girl children should be kept home from school or play in order to provide them with protection. Our society does not subscribe to that. Blame belongs to the perpetrator, not to the victim. In the final analysis I believe this to be as true in the case of feline as it is in the case of human victims

The woman lost four cats in quick succession... did she ever consider keeping her cats inside after the first one went missing? Idiot.

The propensity for violence toward animals, combined with the description of his personality makes this young man a prime candidate for serial killer. 2 shrink visits a week will only reinforce his resolve to move on toward human targets. The laws must be changed to allow for not only greater protection to companion animals, but also to allow psych. incarceration indefinably for such offenders, until it can be determined that they are safe. Further, typically the most dangerous of these people tend to act the least so, not to be freed, but to get on with the killing that they feel is their purpose. Therefore, some of these people should never again see the light of day. It is my feeling that this is one such offender.

For all the commenters who call for him to receive the same death - an eye for a n eye makes the whole world blind. I know you cannot hear what I say but violence begets violence. We become the offender when we do the same to him. There are jails and mental institutions for these offenders. Examine your own need for violent retaliation. You will never soothe your anger until you take a look at what is making you angry. Sorry if I offend but just the simple truth. Peace be with you.

UpstateNewYorker, I'm with you, and Florida is the last place I would be letting my cats roam outside! But a lot of them were strays who had been adopted after they showed up at a house. A lot of people think it's cruel to bring such cats indoors. Truth of the matter is that they actually do quite well indoors usually. My own semi-feral cat only ever had one mess in the house over the course of more than a decade and has no desire to be outdoors ever again. Switching direction a little, I'm totallyl freaked out that this guy was ever in a position that allowed him access to younger children. I freely admit that I am an armchair psychologist, but the fact that he seemed well-adjusted to all around him (being caught with marijuana isn't exactly the crime of the century) while allegedly committing these abuses indicates to me that he is most likely a garden-variety psychopath - but a highly intelligent one. He's not doing this because he was horribly abused as a child or suffered trauma, but because he can.

It sounds as though the victims of these horrific crimes were outdoors. My vet always tells me to keep my cat indoors. Outdoor cats have a shorter life expectancy. Besides the possibility of a sick person harming them, they can be attacked by other cats or predators; come across a poisonour pllant or food; and pick up parasites, ticks, and oter cat-borne illnesses. Keep your cat indoors, and you wll know where it is at all times. If your cat likes to roam, he should get used to being kept indoors after a while (yes, he may drive you crazy for a while, but he'll probably adjust soon.)

IIt sounds like these horrific crimes were done on outdoor cats. My vet always tells you "keep your cat indoors at all times"; it is not just because of the harm that could befall them in different ways--although often they can be attacked by dogs or other predators. It is also because a cat kept outdoors has a lower life expectancy than an indoor cat. THey can get parasites from feral cats, for example; pick up fleas or ticks, or get into a plant or something else that makes them ill. The best solution: keep your pets indoors! Even if they like to roam, they will get used to it eventually. You will know where they are, and that they are safe.

The article does not indicate if the cats were all outdoor cats, and he is being charged with 4 counts of burglary. If the person who did this broke into someones home for the purpose of killing and maiming an animal (in this case cats) that is a very cold blooded and planned act.

George W. Imbecile used to blow up frogs as a kid: http://www.all-creatures.org/aip/nl-3nov2000-frogs.html
and he went on to destroy the entire western financial system, and maybe civilization itself.

Karl Rove should start work on this Weinman kid now; he may be ready to enter the Republican primary in maybe 6 years.

I agree with eire on one point, certainly... for people who love their critters, the death of one is like losing a member of the family. This kid (or whoever committed these crimes) is a scary individual, lacking in the kind of empathy that makes civilization possible, by leading MOST of us take account of the well-being of others... but there is something wrong with this person beyond simply lacking concern for other people or other creatures... this one evidently derived some substantial PLEASURE from inflicting pain. THAT is certainly a serious pathology.

The kid is likely a psychopath. This behavior isn't uncommon in them. They often graduate to doing similar things to humans. Psychotherapy and medications have not been shown to help. Probably best to put them away for 20 or 30 years. They sometimes lose the violent tendencies.

There are many perspectives on this matter that change with the persons location, (urban/rural/eastern/western/etc.) I live a mile away from my nearest neighbor and my cats and dog roam at their own discretion. But, when I lived in the city I kept them inside. In that urban setting there were people that flipped out if there was a cat in their yard or on their car so I kept them in to protect them from harm. The thing is, people don't take other people seriously when they proclaim themselves to be "cat haters."

So I am all for keeping cats inside if your neighbors obviously hate them. (and you should talk to them about it to take the break the ice on the subject) It is the only way to keep your cats truly safe.

Smacked:

Oh Gosh you think? Or to put it another way: Well Duh.

However the point was that NEITHER the mentally deranged freaky neighbor boy or the wild animal just doing what comes naturally if going to be able to kill your domesticated cat if the owner was just smart/responsible enough to keep it indoors where it belongs instead of treating it like it???s disposable.