Do cats have emotions and/or souls? Many believe they do, myself included - many believe they do not. For that matter, the existence of a "soul" in humans also has its believers and non-believers. Unless one is writing for a theological forum, these issues are generally considered taboo and/or controversial topics - like discussing religion, sex, and/or politics (Is there much difference between sex and politics?) - in the workplace. Far be it from a li'l ol' Southern gal to go where few writers dare to tread. As an aging child of the 60's, I'm into peace, love, and "can't we all just get along?" - without the naiveté to believe this will actually happen in my lifetime. Now there's a bummer…

That said, science classifies human beings as warm-blooded mammals. Cats, dogs, horses, monkeys, goats, etc. all fall into that same broad category as well. So, we all have that in common. We're one big warm-blooded mammal family with many sub-species, kinda like red-headed step-kids and thrice-removed cousins.

So why are the penalties for abandoning, abusing, neglecting, or murdering a cat, dog, horse, etc. so much less severe than the same atrocities visited upon a fellow human adult or child?

A young woman gives birth to an unwanted child and dumps the infant in a trash can. If the child dies, mommy dearest is charged with murder and a gazillion other felonies and becomes jailhouse toast. The same woman tosses a kitten into a dumpster and - nothing.

Psycho-parents leave their little darling alongside a busy highway in frigid temperatures, they'll be hunted down and their WalMart shopping privileges revoked for a very, very long time. Do that to a cat - may as well go out and have a beer - you're not likely to become the target of a massive man-hunt.

A twisted serial killer murders dozens of people just to get his jollies; he faces the death penalty or life in prison. A disturbed person who tortures dozens of cats, just because she doesn't like cats, might get fined and sentenced to psychiatric counseling (for a brief period of time).

Those who abuse a cat (and actually get caught) generally get fined an insultingly low fine, a slap on the wrist, and an injunction not to adopt any animals for a year. Whooppee! That sure makes the animal community safe for a short while - assuming these abusers are even monitored to insure they comply. Martha Stewart had to wear a monitoring device after prison and she didn't even kill or maim anyone!

Am I the only one seeing something wrong with this picture? If you accept the premise that we're ALL warm-blooded mammals -where's the equality? Have we as humans - especially those in the justice system who hand down the penalties for crimes and create the laws - not evolved enough to recognize that our warm-blooded cousins deserve the same rights and dignities that we do? Don't tell me it's "JUST" an animal - so are WE!

Mahatma Gandhi said "The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated". I agree (and have a t-shirt with that saying on it that I proudly wear quite often). It's a proven fact that animal abuse shows a lack of appreciation for the value of life and violence against helpless small critters often leads to violence against human beings.

I love my country, but folks, we ain't lookin' so good in this area… Did you know that declawing a cat is illegal in most developed, civilized countries in Europe - but not in the US? Best not to get me started on THAT right now…

There's even some folks out there who want to give an animal abuser an award for courage! Michael Vick was involved in a barbaric dog fighting club (this IS the 21st century, not ancient Rome, no?) where dogs were abused, neglected, and many died. He spent a really short time in jail and then returned to his multi-million dollar football career. He says he's sorry - but he knowingly allowed a lot of dogs to be abused and to die - and made money off doing so. Sorry doesn't cut it or bring back lives lost, or mitigate the suffering those animals endured. Forgiveness is Christian concept I can accept (IF he's truly sorry, and I have doubts) - but an AWARD - get real!

So, what can we do about this sad state of judicial inequality in the animal kingdom? ROAR! If you're reading this, you probably have a computer. If you have a computer, you have unlimited access to many sites promoting animal welfare. Sign on-line petitions (and pass 'em on to your fellow animal lovers); send messages to your congressional and senate representatives. Check out animal causes on Facebook and Care2 - there's a lot of them out there! Signing an on-line petition takes merely a click of your mouse and a few seconds of your time.

The Powers That Be can ignore one voice or a hundred- but not millions! You don't have to be some radical protester - "radical" just makes animal lovers look bad anyway if they resort to the same violence they're protesting! I'm a behind-the-scenes, low key kinda gal. But, I can sign petitions and write letters (and the occasional article or two - and so can YOU)! Work within your own small town communities or big cities to bring awareness of abuse and neglect in your neighborhood (it's probably there - not spoken of aloud, but there) - and the need for stiffer penalties to help prevent it. Adopt, foster, and volunteer at a rescue shelter. Offer to help your local feral colony caretaker - there's probably one in every town across the country!

Someone might just think twice about abandoning a cat or kitten; starving their pets; abusing/torturing a cat or dog - if they faced the same penalties they would face if they committed such acts upon a human.

Need further inspiration to get involved? Look into your own cats' eyes - see there the love and trust they have for you - and imagine how you'd feel if the horrible things you hear about animal abuse were to actually happen to your own beloved cat or dog. Would you not demand justice for the crime? REAL justice?

Aside from my better half, The Raz, most cats can't speak up for themselves and need us to do it for them. Let's ROCK and ROAR people!

Visit The Fab Five and diana at http://www.geocities.com/newagecatcare. diana is a pet sitter in Carroll County, MD; Vice President of the Howard County Cat Club, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, no-kill cat rescue/adoption agency http://www.howardcountycatclub.org; freelance pet photographer, and Catnip Chronicles columnist and consultant.