A friend of my daughters told her about "bonsai Kittens". Kittens put in a jar to mold them to a shape. Has anyone heard of this? Please tell me this is a hoax? I can't believe some sicko would actually do this. Gloria

-- gloria Mullinax (mullinaxclan@webtv.net), August 25, 2001

Answers

Response to Bonsai Kittens

It's a website hoax. And a really stupid and sick one at that.

-- Susan (smtroxel@socket.net), August 25, 2001.

Response to Bonsai Kittens

Its a hoax, however, there was some merit to the story at one time. The ASPCA researched the story and website. It appears that every time the ISP's are notified they find a new one that will host their sick site. By the way, got the hoax/research information from a animal rescue organization.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), August 25, 2001.

the overreaction from that site was crazier than the site itself. Even the FBI investigated it. Although the site was well made, it was pretty easy to figure out it was a hoax. There's many hoax sites out there like it, it doesn't take much common sense to realize it's a spoof.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), August 26, 2001.

Of course they're not real. The website tells you plainly they are not real, and strongly suggests to people who have too much time on their hands that they get a life rather than e-mail them hate mail.

I thought it was hilarious. I can't remember whether I showed it to my son, or he showed it to me.

-- Sojourner (notime4@summer.spam), August 26, 2001.

The sad part is some idiot will actually try it and end up killing an innocent defenseless animal. There are more sick people out there than anyone can imagine.

Case in point, some neighbor boys were catching bugs and small creatures recently and sticking needles in them to see what would happen. Well, I went OFF on them and told them if I ever saw them hurting a creature again I would be putting a hurt on them they'd never forget.

-- debra in ks (windfish@toto.net), August 26, 2001.

ummmm deb, catching bugs and small critters is what boys do! just the facts m'am

-- paul a coleman (wormfarmerone@yahoo.com), August 26, 2001.

Paul- catching them yes, torturing them NO!

-- debra in ks (windfish@toto.net), August 26, 2001.

Oh get real. Kids do stuff like that all the time. When I was a kid, boys my age routinely caught fireflies and mashed them on rocks to make the rocks glow - for a little while.

Is it ok? Of course not. But "going off" on them is not the way to get that message across.

-- Sojourner (notime4@summer.spam), August 26, 2001.

GLORIA, I REALLY CANT BELIEVE YOU WOULD EVEN ENTERTAIN THE THOUGHT THAT THIS COULD POSSIBLY BE REAL. COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CODY

-- CODY (URBUSTED@ALLTEL.NET), August 29, 2001.

the whole purpose of the site is to show how quick people become reactionary and act silly. Within weeks of the site becoming public, 1000s of people were up in arms immediately, totally losing common sense and rationality, calling their congress reps, the FBI and anyone else they could get to listen. There's 100s of hoax sites like this, many much much worse. I think it's interesting that anyone could take a site like this serious.

http://www.bonsaikitten.com/gray.html

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), August 30, 2001.

To Bernice and Susan, thank you for anwering my post politely. To Dave who was a little "bitey" about it, sorry I don't have enough "Common sense" not to come where I felt comfortable to ask. And to Cody, who has to yell to make someone else look small-I imagine to TRY and make himself look big - sorry I wasted your time. You didn't even need to answer if you thought it so silly.For everyones info, I didn't even bother going to the website, I came straight here where I thought people were nicer than that. Gloria

-- Gloria (mullnaxclan@webtv.net), August 30, 2001.

Sojourner, I remember catching fireflies and pulling their lights off to stick on my ears for glow in the dark earrings. I didnt do it anymore once an adult told me that was unkind to the fireflies. We as adults have a responsibility to communicate our values to our children, and to do it in a passionate enough fashion so that they get the message that it is an important issue. Every time a child does something, our reaction to his action instills a value into him. Children DO grow up to reflect the values which were instilled into them, even if those values were nothing but a lack of response to the suffering of others.

I am not saying we should fly off the handle when a child does something wrong. But we can and SHOULD communicate a strong compassionate emotion in case of anything being tortured.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), August 30, 2001.

Gloria, I assumed you didn't see the site which so my 'common sense' comment was not directed at you at all. Rather I was referring to the people like the ones at PETA who screamed bloody murder thinking the site was real. Regardless, I'll try hard to not be so 'bitey' in the future ;)

I saw in the newswires last night that there's a new kitten/internet uproar going on. This time it's a site with a video of a kitten being prepared for cooking, in Asia I guess. I saw the video, not much different than a chicken being butchered but I can sure see how it'd upset people who'd never think of eating cat.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), August 30, 2001.

I'm with you, Debra.

As for a video of a kitten being butchered and cooked, well, it turns my stomach. And why would anyone think a kitten would make a good meal? There isn't much to a kitten but fur and bones. Unless it's because the person didn't care to try to do in a full-grown cat. I really don't care if it isn't rational -- I find it totally loathsome on at least 4 different levels.

-- Joy F [in So. Wisconsin] (CatFlunky@excite.com), August 30, 2001.

well, I doubt I'd be very compelled to eat a dish like that either, but people eat all kinds of things, and for example there's not much meat on frog legs but many like them. I guess people have eaten dogs and cats for 100s of years so it shouldn't really offend anyone just for the reason they personally happen to look at the particular animal as a pet. I wonder why people would want to eat lobster and crabs. Not many seem to mind throwing them live into boiling water though. It's all relative.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), August 30, 2001.

aren't cattle, pigs, chickens "innocent defenseless animals" also? Really, is there really a difference between eating a steer or a horse? A chicken or a cat?

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), August 30, 2001.