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.
(
rob, Thu 6 Dec 2007, 11:13)
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Everlasting BeetleFirst question in a while I've had the opportunity to answer so here goes..
As a nipper, I absolutely loved (and still do to some extent) riding my bike. One day as I merrily rode along the pavements getting in the way of OAPs and whatnot, the familiar sound of tyres on pavement were broken by a nasty crunching noise. I hit the brakes, stopped and retraced where I had come from to be faced with..
A beetle.
This wasn't an ordinary beetle though. To this day it is by far the largest beetle I have ever come across. Now obviously the thing was half squished but amazingly it was still alive and writhing around as well as a crippled bug could manage. On seeing this pitiful sight the words of my dad (bless him) came thundering into my little brain:
"Son, if you ever see a hurt animal that isn't going to get better, put it out of its misery instead of leaving it to die slowly"
So, back to the half disemboweled beetle. With the nugget of knowledge fresh in my head I decided to go forth and run the little bugger over again just to be sure it was dead. Crunch, crunch, wriggle.
Somehow it was still alive and it became clear to my young self that this beetle was not going to die as quickly as I wanted it to. Desperate measures had to be taken. Beetle is scuffed off the pavement into the lane. Even a direct hit from the tyre from a height didn't stop its squirming around.
By now I was getting frustrated. I wanted to go to the shop and get some sweets but I had told myself that this creature had to die before I moved another inch. Spotting half a brick nearby, I grabbed it and slammed it down onto Mr Beetle. That was it I thought. Nothing could take that.
Twitch. It twitched at me in some form of insect mockery. If you've managed to read this far, the next measure would be the death of the Everlasting Beetle. I scooped him up, put him in my pocket and took a short run over to the main road. Checking the coast was clear, I valiantly (or stupidly, depends how you look at it) ran onto the road, and placed the beetle where the car tyres liked to go over.
I retreated to the kerbside and watched in suspense. A few cars came by, but they all missed the potential roadkill offered before them. Suddenly the roar of a diesil engine rolled in. Shortly after the Everlasting Beetle had died, a victim of a travel coach.
Solemnly, I turned around and wandered off to get my sweets. I always get taken back to that day whenever beetles come up in conversation.
Length apologised for.
(, Fri 7 Dec 2007, 0:08, Reply)
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