I gotta agree with the people who think this is a big deal.
I knew a guy in high school who started out abusing dogs and cats. Then he blew up his sisters hamster with a fire cracker. Absolutely DEMENTED.
He eventually moved away from animals and onto humans. He was a scary scary dude.
I have even heard of boys tying a string to a cats tail attached to a pack of firecrakers about 4 feet behind the cat.