Animal charities slam YouTube video that shows you how to gift wrap a CAT

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Christmas present? This chilled out cat is wrapped in festive paper for the YouTube video


Animal charities have condemned a video which shows a cat being gift-wrapped like a Christmas present.

The video, which has attracted 2,500,000 viewers on YouTube, has proved an online hit but animal welfare charities say such actions could cause 'distress' to the animal.

The 1 minute 44 second video shows the cute black and white tabby lying on a living room floor while it calmly lets his owner wrap him in Santa-themed Christmas pape

Entitled 'What's the most difficult thing you've ever wrapped?' , the clip ends with the owner putting a red bow on the feline's head. Web-users have so far revelled in the footage, but animal charities did not see the funny side of the video.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: ‘Christmas can be a disruptive and stressful time for animals at the best of times.

‘Subjecting them to even more disruption to their routines can only result in them becoming distressed and we would hope that responsible pet owners would want to avoid this where possible.’

Ryan Neile, an animal behaviourist for the Blue Cross, said: ‘Although the cat in the video seems quite tolerant, this could well be distressing for other cats.


Christmas kitty: The tabby stands on the wrapping paper before letting his owner turn him into a present


Willing participant: This particular cat calmly lies down to be wrapped, but animal charities have condemned the video


‘Why not make Christmas fun for your cat instead, by letting them play with the wrapping paper and empty boxes after you have finished unwrapping your presents?’

But YouTube users so far have only seen the funny side of the video.

One internet user wrote: 'That was cute' while another wrote 'Post him to me please.'

‘That's one chilled out cat,’ claims one internet-user and another quips 'My cat would kill me if I tried that.' 'This is why cats are not just for Christmas.', concludes another.

A follow-up clip, in which the same cat is wrapped up again, this time with a ribbon, has attracted 239,000 views on the video-sharing website.


The video has attracted over 2,500,000 viewers on YouTube but animal charities say it could cause distress to the cat


Self-confessed cat-lover Bernard Hemming, 60, who owns five felines, said the videos were brought to his attention by an email from a friend.

Mr Hemming, from Walsall, West Midland, said: ‘I think it is appalling to treat a cat like this for trivial entertainment purposes.

‘I would never do this to any of my cats. It cannot be good for them in the slightest.

‘It gives the impression that they are just play toys and at Christmas this is not the right message to be sending out.’


source: dailymail