Wildlife torture

You know, I used to be a vicious, little boy. I threw a cat out of a tree. I forced the neighbor's dog to give me horseback rides. I'd find colonies of ants on the sidewalk and press my shoe into the mass just to watch them scatter in terror.

That was years ago, and much of it I now regret. These days, I'm probably one of the kindest people toward animals that you may meet. I've been known to gently usher bugs onto a piece of paper or into a cup, then release them outside just because I see no overt reason to kill them. If it's an insect that will bite or sting me when cornered, then I'll consider killing it just to defend my home. This is fair, as many species will do the same in the wild. But even spiders and bees are given a fair escape if I can arrange it.

Several years ago, while visiting my girlfriend at her college apartment, there was a soaking thunderstorm. Afterward, the sidewalks outside her complex were littered with snails enjoying the puddles, as snails are wont to do. My girlfriend told me that a lot of the people in her building liked to stomp on the snails just because they can. I was horrified. The snails had no reasonable defense against the might of a human. So later that afternoon, as the heat began to dry the puddles, I went outside and moved a lot of the snails into the grass where they'd be safer. My girlfriend said it was nice but kind of silly too; they'd only come back after the next rain. Regardless, I did feel better knowing the snails were safe for another day. What can I say? I like snails.

One of the worst abuse stories I've ever heard came from a friend of mine in elementary school. He found a stray cat in his neighborhood and coaxed it to his home with some food. He then seized the cat and crazy glued its ass shut.
He said he let it go and didn't give it too much thought until, a week later, he found the cat lying in the road, bloated and on its side, presumably dead. He claims to have fetched a knife and cut it open. Upon doing so, piles of shit poured out of its abdomen. Unable to defecate, the cat's organs likely burst. This was, of course, fatal, but also excruciatingly painful leading up to and after the hemorrhage, no doubt.

My friend didn't seem too remorseful over what he'd done. Shortly after this, he and his family moved to Texas. I didn't miss him much.

Jam it back in, in the dark.