Bonsai Kitten
Encyclopedia
Bonsai Kitten was a satirical
website which contained instructions on how to grow a kitten in a jar, so as to mold the bones of the kitten into the shape of the jar as the cat grew, much like a bonsai
plant is shaped via trimming. It was made by a university student going by the alias
of Dr. Michael Wong Chang. The website generated furor after members of the public
complained to animal rights
organizations, who stated that "while the site's content may be faked, the issue it is campaigning for may create violence towards animals", according to the Michigan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA). Although the website in its most recent form was shut down, it still generates (primarily spam) petitions to shut the site down or complain to its ISP
. The website has been thoroughly debunked by Snopes.com and the Humane Society of the United States
, among other prominent organizations.
BonsaiKitten.com is mirrored
by many sites today, for example ding.net/bonsaikitten. The nature of the site is such that BonsaiKitten.com was put forward as real, with many animal rights activists still taking issue with the context of the website. Reportedly, petitions for removal of the BonsaiKitten.com web address are more widespread in countries where English is spoken as a second language, and therefore, people may only see the content of the website's photos, which, in its most up-to-date format, consists of several photographs of a kitten inside of a jar.
and the Humane Society of the United States
. Animal welfare groups made statements saying that Bonsai Kittens were not real. The URL drew criticism, which caused the initial host, MIT, to remove it.
BonsaiKitten.com's pictures are the source of its controversy. They show kittens in jars, presented as real examples of the "lost art" as described on the Bonsai Kitten web page. The pictures of the kittens are, of course, naturally created, because a very young cat has supple bones, and can fit into tiny spaces with only a small amount of encouragement. The spoof, according to "Dr. Chang" is that the world increasingly sees nature as a commodity, so such a site may well be in demand. The spoof came to large-scale attention as The Cruel Site of the Day for Dec. 22, 2000, and was continually heavily condemned by most animal rights organizations, and after hundreds of people complained daily to them, they stated that even if Bonsai Kitten was a spoof it "encourages animal cruelty".
The webpage being featured on the cruel.com website was significantly controversial and it was quickly removed. Initial humane society statements decrying the website as "encouraging abuse" caused local investigation, along with an FBI announcement that it was to investigate the hoax. The prosecution of the site by the FBI was welcomed by animal activists, but decried by web authorities. The FBI backed up its investigating of Bonsai Kitten by using a law passed by Bill Clinton in 1999. The attacking of the BonsaiKitten.com website had the effect of displacing the website, which found a new ISP two more times, before being permanently hosted on Rotten.com
servers. Because the website is still kept on some mirrors, it continues to receive complaints from animal activists.
The furor over the site triggered by animal rights organizations has been off-set by their continued statements that the site itself is a fake. They have been stating this since 2001.
and The Humane Society of the United States have received hundreds of complaints. Animal welfare groups declared the site as fake but stated they did believe it was potentially harmful. Other animal rights groups have stated that the site creates an atmosphere of cruelty to animals. There is no evidence to date that the site is anything more than satire. Numerous authorities have advised people to stop sending complaint forms via email
.
Bonsai Kitten has been further up-dated from other servers, but infrequently and slowly, with recent additions to the site being research indicating that kitty litter causes brain damage
. The website states that this enhances the Bonsai Kitten art-form's practical value.
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
website which contained instructions on how to grow a kitten in a jar, so as to mold the bones of the kitten into the shape of the jar as the cat grew, much like a bonsai
Bonsai
is a Japanese art form using miniature trees grown in containers. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penjing from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ...
plant is shaped via trimming. It was made by a university student going by the alias
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Dr. Michael Wong Chang. The website generated furor after members of the public
General Public
General Public were a band formed by The Beat vocalists, Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger, and which included former members of Dexy's Midnight Runners, The Specials and The Clash...
complained to animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
organizations, who stated that "while the site's content may be faked, the issue it is campaigning for may create violence towards animals", according to the Michigan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA). Although the website in its most recent form was shut down, it still generates (primarily spam) petitions to shut the site down or complain to its ISP
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
. The website has been thoroughly debunked by Snopes.com and the Humane Society of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, among other prominent organizations.
BonsaiKitten.com is mirrored
Mirror (computing)
In computing, a mirror is an exact copy of a data set. On the Internet, a mirror site is an exact copy of another Internet site.Mirror sites are most commonly used to provide multiple sources of the same information, and are of particular value as a way of providing reliable access to large downloads...
by many sites today, for example ding.net/bonsaikitten. The nature of the site is such that BonsaiKitten.com was put forward as real, with many animal rights activists still taking issue with the context of the website. Reportedly, petitions for removal of the BonsaiKitten.com web address are more widespread in countries where English is spoken as a second language, and therefore, people may only see the content of the website's photos, which, in its most up-to-date format, consists of several photographs of a kitten inside of a jar.
Start of the website
On October 30, 2000, BonsaiKitten.com was a focal "Cruel Site of the Day" on the website Cruel.com. When this attracted complaints, Cruel.com removed its links to BonsaiKitten.com. Afterwards, however, when links to the BonsaiKitten.com website then spread across the world, many concerned animal lovers sent complaints to the Animal Welfare InstituteAnimal Welfare Institute
The Animal Welfare Institute is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1951 with the goal of reducing pain and fear inflicted on animals by humans...
and the Humane Society of the United States
Humane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States , based in Washington, D.C., is the largest animal advocacy organization in the world. In 2009, HSUS reported assets of over US$160 million....
. Animal welfare groups made statements saying that Bonsai Kittens were not real. The URL drew criticism, which caused the initial host, MIT, to remove it.
Description of the spoof
The webpage being featured on the cruel.com website was significantly controversial and it was quickly removed. Initial humane society statements decrying the website as "encouraging abuse" caused local investigation, along with an FBI announcement that it was to investigate the hoax. The prosecution of the site by the FBI was welcomed by animal activists, but decried by web authorities. The FBI backed up its investigating of Bonsai Kitten by using a law passed by Bill Clinton in 1999. The attacking of the BonsaiKitten.com website had the effect of displacing the website, which found a new ISP two more times, before being permanently hosted on Rotten.com
Rotten.com
Rotten.com is a United States-hosted shock site with the slogan "An archive of disturbing illustration" it is operated by Soylent Communications....
servers. Because the website is still kept on some mirrors, it continues to receive complaints from animal activists.
The furor over the site triggered by animal rights organizations has been off-set by their continued statements that the site itself is a fake. They have been stating this since 2001.
Controversy post-2000
Since 2000, groups such as the Animal Welfare InstituteAnimal Welfare Institute
The Animal Welfare Institute is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1951 with the goal of reducing pain and fear inflicted on animals by humans...
and The Humane Society of the United States have received hundreds of complaints. Animal welfare groups declared the site as fake but stated they did believe it was potentially harmful. Other animal rights groups have stated that the site creates an atmosphere of cruelty to animals. There is no evidence to date that the site is anything more than satire. Numerous authorities have advised people to stop sending complaint forms via email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
.
Bonsai Kitten has been further up-dated from other servers, but infrequently and slowly, with recent additions to the site being research indicating that kitty litter causes brain damage
Brain damage
"Brain damage" or "brain injury" is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. Brain injuries occur due to a wide range of internal and external factors...
. The website states that this enhances the Bonsai Kitten art-form's practical value.
History of the controversy
The controversy started soon after the creation of the BonsaiKitten.com website. It has continued since and has been a mutually accepted target of numerous spam email pleas. These pleas rely on the audiences, often not knowing English, to spread them. Consequently, these petitions are often spread via the Internet in non-English-speaking countries. Blues News also provided a link, which was shortly thereafter removed from the site, as complaints against the website's existence and its content began to surface.See also
- Bonsai tree
- ComprachicosComprachicosComprachicos is a compound Spanish neologism meaning "child-buyers," which was coined by Victor Hugo in his novel The Man Who Laughs...
- Foot bindingFoot bindingFoot binding was the custom of binding the feet of young girls painfully tight to prevent further growth. The practice probably originated among court dancers in the early Song dynasty, but spread to upper class families and eventually became common among all classes. The tiny narrow feet were...
- HoaxHoaxA hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
- ManBeef.com