[calex59]

How is this different from branding cattle, clipping a dogs ears/tail, de-clawing cats, testicle removal on bulls, etc... I guess I don't get it.

Me either. I guess it is alright to cut the nuts off of a male dog or cat "to make him a better pet", but for gosh sakes don't pierce the kitty's tail! Allowing your teenager to pierce his/her tongue, ears, nose and lips is just fine, but don't pierce that cat! Hypocrites.

[allmost]

This guy was punching holes in kittens in his basement to sell them on ebay. The equivalence issue is a bit of a stretch.

[Fawn]

A dog inside the home was also found with pierced ears, Morrison said.
The kittens also had submission rings placed in their tails, Morrison said, explaining that the rings would prevent blood flow, causing the tails to fall off.

Same to you....tie a rubberband around your arm so it will die and fall off and tell me if it was painful.