Why do some people think it's okay to treat animals terribly?

Evil lurks in the hearts of men.

There are plenty of people in the world that are still from the school of thought that animals are just animals. Thinking of them as part of our family, as living creatures with rights, is a relatively new social development. I would venture a guess that for the majority of human history, the way that we treat and care for animals now, would have been considered absurd.
I wouldn’t consider abandoning kittens to be cruelty, either. Neglectful, sad, irresponsible, yes. Not really cruelty, though.
Some people are just a little bit slow to evolve.

I also think it is important to mention that in many cases, people who do view animals as “just” animals, often have a certain rationale behind it that makes it difficult to shake. Consider people who live on farms. Making a conscious effort not to elevate an animal on an emotional level can be an important coping mechanism for someone that may end up chopping off chicken little’s head next week.

You can really tell about a persons integrity by how they will treat an animal. I can’t understand someone who mistreats animals.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way that its animals are treated” -Ghandi

@noelleptc legally speaking, I mean. It is neglect. Not cruelty. He isn’t deliberately torturing, confining, starving, or otherwise doing something abusive.
It is neglectful in that the kittens will most likely die if they are not rescued.

After all, they’re “only animals,” right? : ((

It goes back to basic respect for all life, or lack thereof. Some people are just miserable assholes.

Having volunteered in rescue for quite some time, I think I learned the hard way that you simply can’t save them all. Life isn’t fair, and that’s a hard truth. Overpopulation is a way bigger issue than cruelty.
There are plenty of people out there with serious issues, that simply don’t respect life, but there are thousands more that just can not wrap their head around what a bad idea it is to encourage designer pets, and breeding, and NOT getting their pets spayed or neutered, while hundreds are being put to death every day because there just aren’t enough homes.

@Adirondackwannabe

Exactly. Even more unfortunately, many of those people were abused themselves. It’s a viscious cycle. I wish I knew the answer to it. : (

Leaving those kittens on the side of the road is cruelty because it is starving them purposefully.

@noelleptc

You have a good heart, hon. God bless you. : )

You’re very welcome! : ))

I agree with the idea that people can be cruel. We had a cat once because a friend found her around his apartment. She had been

shot, and she was pregnant.
Another of our cats we found
by a Rally’s restaurant,
shivering in the cold… People
can

shot, was pregnant, and was
under a year old. Another one
of our cats was huddled by a
Rally’s restaurant shivering in
the cold… People can be
downright nasty to animals
because animals can’t fight
back. It must make them
believe that animals don’t
matter.
@noelle, if you do open that center, can I work for you? :o)

I apologize for the way that answer read. My phone went “batty” and wouldn’t let me fix it.

@Adirondackwannabe FTW.

Crippled empathy.

Because they are ridiculous, good-for-nothing lost souls, who believe that they, as human beings, are better and more important than all other life forms on earth. This is why i hate humanity sometimes, because they have the insight and intelligence to treat other innocents with decency, yet refuse to do so. They suck and i hope they get what’s coming to them.

Because there are so many people that still have the attitude “It’s just an animal” ..like that justifies anything.
Many, if not most of these people, believe that animals do not feel pain or think. They believe animals are so much lesser than the human variety.

And the ones that do know these things? They are morally and intellectually stunted; and should refrain from reproducing.

@noelleptc Your dream rescue is a lovely idea. You have to be very careful about setting your own limits as @TheOnlyNeffie said and realize you can’t save them all.
Unfortunately, I’ve been involved in a few rescues from “hoarders” who started with great intentions.

@noelleptc there are still restrictions, of course. Even those with permits can be considered hoarders. Unless you’ve ever had to choose which animals live and which die. Or which are rescued and which aren’t, it might be difficult to really understand how easy it is to take on more than you can handle. It happens to no-kill shelters and rescues all the time.
Not that I’m trying to discourage your dream, I think it sounds like a beautiful idea. Wish you the best of luck with it. Just know that sometimes rescue can be a heartbreaking, though rewarding, task.

@noelleptc I definitely support your dream also and there are some excellent models for making it work. Dreamers can change the world – or at least make a difference in their part of it – ideally, I’d like to see more free neuter clinics than rescue shelters. :)

@noelleptc

I honestly think you should go for it. Let me know. I’ll donate! : ))

There are many reasons why people do terrible things to animals.
Some people do it because they can’t afford their pet. They adopt a pet and they love it to death but then financial problems hit. They can’t afford to feed it and they can’t give it to a shelter because shelters in many places charge you to have them take the animal.
Then there are the lazy people. They get a pet and decide a while later they don’t like it so they neglect it.
Then there are the sick bastards who torture animals because they get some sort of sick thrill from it. They just love seeing pain in the innocent eyes of the creature.

Great! I don’t have a lot of money. The gov’mint keeps us old veterans on a rather short leash. But I would be able to help you a bit. : )

@noelleptc Your idea for an animal shelter is similar to the one I have :)

It is my dream to do that ..some day. Just that it costs so much to get started (here in Canada anyways). For my next home, I want an acreage that I can start building shelters for temporary and perminant animals in need. The biggest worry though ..I want to save them all and, logically, I know I can’t do that.

I agree with a comment from above. You usually can judge people by how they treat animals. Cats make loyal pets and I can’t understand why someone would do this. Unfortunately this is common everywhere and many people do much worse than abandoning them.

The Ghandi quote you used is one of my favorites :)

It seems that people who start out hurting animals (and that is reprehensible!). Often go from that to harming people. Even people who look at hurting animals as “no big deal” have to look at that as problematic!

A lot of times, the abusive people are those who were abused by their parent/s when they were children. Abuse breeds abuse unfortunately. I try not to think about it because it’s too depressing to me, however, if I see or suspect abuse or neglect to animals, children, or elderly inparticular, I notify the proper authorities immediately. Making a simple phone call and not looking the other way can make a big difference; doesn’t cost anything; and could save a life. At least put an end to a cruel situation where even the pound and the inevitable that goes with it are still sometimes a comparable blessing. High on the list of course, is education, and spay/neuter awareness.