Since December 2000, The Humane Society of the United States has received literally thousands of complaints about a "Bonsai Kitten" web site—subsequently determined to be a hoax—that describes how to stuff kittens into glass containers to warp their bodies into the shape of the container. The site's creator describes and illustrates in detail the method for abusing these animals. Most of the illustrations, which appear to have been altered with photo-editing software, depict live kittens being jammed into glass containers.
The HSUS investigated these complaints and found that the site was a joke created by a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), who had registered it at his school under a false name. Encouraged by all the negative attention, the student cited his right to free speech in an attempt to keep the site online, but M.I.T. sided with the animal protection organizations and citizens who complained, and removed the site on December 22, 2000.
The following month, the site resurfaced on a new host, WEB2010.com. We contacted this company to voice our concerns, and the company removed the site on January 17, 2001.
While we were grateful to these hosts for removing the site, history tells us that creators of offensive web sites often seek out new hosts until they find one that has either no User's Agreement or allows all content, no matter how offensive, permitted under the First Amendment. The creator of the Bonsai Kitten site followed this pattern, and the site is currently hosted by a new company that refuses to remove it.
The Massachusetts SPCA and the FBI initiated an investigation of the site's creator, but discovered no evidence of actual animal abuse or the sale of bonsai kitten "products," though the investigation remains active. If the creator is not e-mailing the obscene materials to an unwilling audience, violating a User's Agreement, committing the abuse depicted on site, or actually selling products involving animal cruelty, then the site is considered free speech and is protected by the First Amendment.
How You Can Help
Please do not e-mail or otherwise contact the person running the site. The negative attention he's received has fueled the posting of the site in several locations and the formation of a group of supporters. One course of action is to contact the Internet Service Provider (ISP) that hosts the site. There are some exceptions, but in most cases, ISPs have removed sites because they determined that the sites' content violated their User's Agreement. For information on how to determine the ISP that hosts a particular site, see our page on What You Can Do about Web Sites that Promote Animal Cruelty.
A more effective response to web sites that depict animal cruelty is to submit information about them to the "Animal Cruelty Action List." The list's goal is to coordinate the efforts of the online community through targeted legal and time-sensitive methods, so that such sites are removed quickly, thus frustrating the purpose of the sites' creators to draw attention to themselves and their site. For more information, visit the Hugs for Homeless Animals web site.
The numerous complaints we have received about the Bonsai Kitten site have made us aware of the many good-intentioned people eager to make a difference. Every day animals are deliberately set on fire, beaten, tortured, drowned, dragged behind cars, stabbed, or otherwise abused. We need your help to put an end to the abuse of all animals. You can start making a difference for animals in distress today!
