The Bonsai Kitten Wars

Every so often (as happened this week), I get a rash of forwarded emails from people who have just discovered the Bonsai Kitten site. This site created such a furor when it was first created in December of 2000, that dozens of animal advocates, myself included, persuaded the people at MIT to take it down. Undaunted, and encouraged by the traffic we were sending the site, the creator(s) just moved to another server, and another, and another, becoming a moving target that was frustrating and time-consuming to follow.

Eventually, the site settled in with a server that promotes that kind of material, described by its fans variously as "satire," "black humor," or just "innocent fun." I ultimately decided that the best course of action was to "accept those things you cannot change," and moved on.

The last article I wrote about the Bonsai Kitten site is the one linked to the title. Because I refuse to send any more traffic directly to the site in question, you'll have to find it on your own. Most readers will find that they have better uses for their time, but for those who enjoy it, please don't email me to tell me about it. I have a hearty and sometimes sinister sense of humor, but I don't find the topic of animal abuse funny in any shape or form.