Slightly. I thought the cat bouncing up and down inside the machine was hilarious. I feel bad for the poor cat, but, at the same time, it's funny and the cat is being scared, not hurt.
Frankly, I can see why they made the machine, I can see how it might be really useful, and I've had cats who would have absolutely loved it. Of course, the cats who would have absolutely loved it are not the ones I would have trouble bathing the old way, either.
Sure. In one, an immediate sensation of drowning is induced, in freezing water, with real danger of permanent damage, and continued until you say whatever the interrogators want you to say.
In the other, gentle jets of warm water, deliberately set up to give you room to keep your head out of them and at no time threatening your life, are sprayed on you, for the purpose of getting you clean, in a situation where the person doing it reasonably believes that you *might* enjoy it and you *most likely* will put up with it without spazzing out.
And when you spazz out, they stop the machine early, take you out, dry you off, and give you kitty treats. (and you like kitty treats. That part is important.)
Was this machine a bad idea? Maybe. Is it worse than hand-washing? Probably. Is it traumatic for the cat? In this case, probably, but not at all in many others.
Trying to call this torture, though, mistakes both the degree and the intention, badly.
Yah, i know they're not the same, which is why "compare and contrast". (I am trying really really hard not to start a huge long discussion based on "i didn't call it torture, you did" because yes, that was my implication, if not my outright statement, but i hate long arguments, so, uh, i swear this'll be my last word.) I am firmly in the camp of they should have stopped it *much* sooner, but i know that some people found it funny. I also don't understand the lure of "America's Funniest Home Videos", because i similarly think "Help that guy get his head unstuck from the dishwasher, don't point a camera at him and laugh!" Just call me overly-sensitive lass.
Oy. There's wank across at least three different communities over this thing.
I'm looking at my bleeding arms (Lulu fucked my shit up but good. How dare I bathe the Queen of the Universe?) and thinking that I wish my PSP had one of those.
At the same time, I feel bad for the kitty who flipped his shit in there. He probably would have been less upset if the spray came from the top.
I have never, in my life, been scratched or bitten by a cat while bathing them[1]. Not even strange cats, who had all their claws, who hated water. I can't figure out if I was lucky or cats just like me.
[1]: Once, when I made the mistake of wearing a shirt, I got a scratch from a par that grabbed my shoulder and tried to dig into the cloth to yank, but they never do that to bare skin.
Odd. I never get *in* the bath with them, and I always use the shower head. I've got a detachable one - lean into the tub, set the water to be nice and warm, run it over the cat's back, sides, stomach, and eventually throat from short range, soap and scrub, rinse, towel dry.
I once had a cat voluntarily sit in my bathtub with me. He was clearly confused, and didn't know why a human would enjoy sitting in warm soapy water, but he stayed there for several minutes.
What concerns me about the video is that they put a cat in there with his collar on. Who leaves a collar on when washing a cat? It can shrink or at the very least irritate the cat's skin after it gets soapy and wet. Plus a cat can freak out and slip on the slick floor and break something pretty easy, from what I can see. Just seemed like little or no thought went into the idea.
Well, given that Lulu has only been with me for a few hours, I'm not terribly surprised by her reaction. "Whoa, funny plastic box. Big rolling thing! Dude! This place has carpet! It's warm! Another cat! WTF? He doesn't like me? Fucker. HOLY FUCK IT'S A DOG OMGWTFBBQSHIT!!! Water?? WATER? BITCH I WILL CUT YOU!! Oooh, freeze dried chicken treat!"
I can't blame her, really. It's a lot to process in a few hours, but I really couldn't put it off. She had shelter stink so bad...
In general, I think it varies from cat to cat. Schiller didn't mind baths as long as there was the illusion that it was his idea. And even if there wasn't, he didn't freak, he'd just complain. Mohrle used to jump right into the tub with me, I had to lock her out of the bathroom. Mozart and Sydney would sort of give me the stink-eye, but let me get the job done. Bailey, OTOH, fights, spits, screams and bites. He digs around with his back claws, too. I'm really glad he doesn't have his front claws anymore!
Dogs are the same way - what works for one doesn't for another. I had to spell b-a-t-h in front of Murphy, or he'd drag me to the tub and make a big show of getting in. Jack, I have to pick up and carry to the tub. *shrug*
Ten bucks says I know what Monday's Two Lumps will be about.
That is a pretty interesting machine, though. I love cats, too, but fuckers can't be rolling around in shit all the time and not expect to get dropped in a bathtub for it.
If my cats liked it--and I'm not sure they wouldn't, I've just never had the chance to try them in one--I'd happily give them their bath in that thing.
I've always kind of vaguely wished that my cats were that kind of cat that doesn't mind being vaccuumed. It would permit a preemptive strike against hairballs and dust bunnies.
That's an incredibly fancy, expensive machine for doing something pretty awful to an animal.
As for it not hurting the cat, this is true physically, but I'm pretty sure it's psychologically damaging. It sure wouldn't be a nice thing to do to an infant!
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 03:04 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 03:14 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 03:26 am (UTC)Frankly, I can see why they made the machine, I can see how it might be really useful, and I've had cats who would have absolutely loved it. Of course, the cats who would have absolutely loved it are not the ones I would have trouble bathing the old way, either.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 04:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 05:05 pm (UTC)In the other, gentle jets of warm water, deliberately set up to give you room to keep your head out of them and at no time threatening your life, are sprayed on you, for the purpose of getting you clean, in a situation where the person doing it reasonably believes that you *might* enjoy it and you *most likely* will put up with it without spazzing out.
And when you spazz out, they stop the machine early, take you out, dry you off, and give you kitty treats. (and you like kitty treats. That part is important.)
Was this machine a bad idea? Maybe. Is it worse than hand-washing? Probably. Is it traumatic for the cat? In this case, probably, but not at all in many others.
Trying to call this torture, though, mistakes both the degree and the intention, badly.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 10:13 pm (UTC)Yah, i know they're not the same, which is why "compare and contrast". (I am trying really really hard not to start a huge long discussion based on "i didn't call it torture, you did" because yes, that was my implication, if not my outright statement, but i hate long arguments, so, uh, i swear this'll be my last word.)
I am firmly in the camp of they should have stopped it *much* sooner, but i know that some people found it funny. I also don't understand the lure of "America's Funniest Home Videos", because i similarly think "Help that guy get his head unstuck from the dishwasher, don't point a camera at him and laugh!" Just call me overly-sensitive lass.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 02:52 am (UTC)Very, VERY uncool.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 03:15 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 03:18 am (UTC)I'm looking at my bleeding arms (Lulu fucked my shit up but good. How dare I bathe the Queen of the Universe?) and thinking that I wish my PSP had one of those.
At the same time, I feel bad for the kitty who flipped his shit in there. He probably would have been less upset if the spray came from the top.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 03:28 am (UTC)I have never, in my life, been scratched or bitten by a cat while bathing them[1]. Not even strange cats, who had all their claws, who hated water. I can't figure out if I was lucky or cats just like me.
[1]: Once, when I made the mistake of wearing a shirt, I got a scratch from a par that grabbed my shoulder and tried to dig into the cloth to yank, but they never do that to bare skin.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 04:17 am (UTC)Never had a problem with it. Works for dogs, too.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 05:05 am (UTC)What concerns me about the video is that they put a cat in there with his collar on. Who leaves a collar on when washing a cat? It can shrink or at the very least irritate the cat's skin after it gets soapy and wet. Plus a cat can freak out and slip on the slick floor and break something pretty easy, from what I can see. Just seemed like little or no thought went into the idea.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 04:25 am (UTC)I can't blame her, really. It's a lot to process in a few hours, but I really couldn't put it off. She had shelter stink so bad...
In general, I think it varies from cat to cat. Schiller didn't mind baths as long as there was the illusion that it was his idea. And even if there wasn't, he didn't freak, he'd just complain. Mohrle used to jump right into the tub with me, I had to lock her out of the bathroom. Mozart and Sydney would sort of give me the stink-eye, but let me get the job done. Bailey, OTOH, fights, spits, screams and bites. He digs around with his back claws, too. I'm really glad he doesn't have his front claws anymore!
Dogs are the same way - what works for one doesn't for another. I had to spell b-a-t-h in front of Murphy, or he'd drag me to the tub and make a big show of getting in. Jack, I have to pick up and carry to the tub. *shrug*
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 04:13 am (UTC)That is a pretty interesting machine, though. I love cats, too, but fuckers can't be rolling around in shit all the time and not expect to get dropped in a bathtub for it.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 05:34 am (UTC)If my cats liked it--and I'm not sure they wouldn't, I've just never had the chance to try them in one--I'd happily give them their bath in that thing.
I've always kind of vaguely wished that my cats were that kind of cat that doesn't mind being vaccuumed. It would permit a preemptive strike against hairballs and dust bunnies.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 06:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 04:49 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-27 04:03 pm (UTC)As for it not hurting the cat, this is true physically, but I'm pretty sure it's psychologically damaging. It sure wouldn't be a nice thing to do to an infant!