Cat Microwave Question More Explicitly Stated

[Vraket]

At first you think, yes, stop it and let the cat live!

But on the other hand, If I one day read in the newspaper that a guy was judged in court to have his hand cut off for torturing a cat, I'd prolly go "WTF didn't we leave the medievil system ages ago?".

Will the dude know that he loses his hand if he proceeds?

[DavidC]

Yep.

That hand wasn't doing him any good anyways.

[DavidC]

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surely the punishment of losing a hand for for torturing an animal is way out of line

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why is that out of line?

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Furthermore, I hadn't considered this punishment... just the consequence of stopping the microwave action. I recall the question saying that he was "about to" do the microwave thing.

[drunkencowboy]

Ok. This should be the last post on this thread as I am all wise and decided upon the correct answer. Like all wise men I will answer with a question.

What would happen if a 3rd man stumbled upon this scene and found you cutting off the hand of a man he had never met: should he then cut a limb of yours off?

[durron597]

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1) If you think chopping the hand is fine then:
1a) What about making the guy into a quadriplegic?
1b) What if the animal was a chicken?



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1a)Not sure. Probably wouldn't unless it was my own cat.
1b) I don't think my answer would change if it was a chicken (for the hand scenario) as long as his purpose was still to torture the chicken.

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What if you knew for absolute certain that if the chicken was saved by you chopping the hand that it would be killed painlessly and used for food in less than a week?

[TxRedMan]

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Didn't mean the first question to be ambiguous. And the vast disparity of answers makes me wonder if that would continue if the question was clearer.

An adult, non mentally retarded person is about to gleefully torture and kill a random cat by frying it in a microwave. You can stop it, but if you do, the person somehow loses his hand. How doesn't matter. Would you stop the execution?

I phrase the question this way because I believe I am right at the line for most people. Almost no one would kill any human to save a cat that wasn't their pet. Very few would kill an innocent human, even painlessly, to keep a random cat from dying painfully. Most would not maim even a scoundrel to keep a random cat from dying peacefully.

On the other hand most people would subject themselves or others to moderate discomfort to keep a cat from dying tortuously. And most would subject the actual prospective torturer, to serious discomfort or pain, to stop his deed.

The question I asked is in between those parameters.

PS I don't think it is useful to bring up the fact that the torturer may one day be a neurosurgeon or that he deserves maiming. I'm really only asking what lengths you would go to, to save the cat, if there is a non innocent human hurt in the process.

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i grew up with cats. i had one cat, his name was emmitt. emmitt was a bruiser. black and white and big. really sweet cat. not terribly smart though. i loved emmitt. he was the kind of cat that would want to curl up with you and would make you laugh at the spots he would choose to spend his time in. i really love animals in general, and am very sympathetic/sensitive to animal issues. i refuse to go hunting though i own an arsenal of firearms.

back to the question at hand, no pun intended.

if i were in the presence of an aquaintence or a complete stranger and they were about to put a cat in the microwave i would without a doubt willfully lose all self control and become very violent and aggressive.

that being said i'd cut off his hand myself if i had the option.

people who torture animals are called psychopaths, and most serial murderers (like 90+%) tortured animals at some stage of their life.

FTR- emmitt was killed by a speeding driver late one night on my very residential street. i'll save the rest of the story given today's events.

[El_Hombre_Grande]

I would not save the cat. A psychopath loser's hand is more important than a cat, as is "the rule of law."
Oddly enough, this is a much, much closer question for me if its a dog. It's not that I hate cats, but for some reason they are less valuable to me than dogs. I wouldn't blink at the lobster, and the chicken is -EV to the cat.

PS: Is there a clinical name for individuals who delight in demented hypotheticals?

[Nonononono]

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save the kitty

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[Spence]

Somebody should explain how a human's hand is so much more precious than an animals life.

And for people who said human's are more important, are you religious?

Do you not believe in evolution?

[fluorescenthippo]

does cat taste like chicken?