Bonsai Kitten was a satirical website which claimed to provide 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 how a bonsai plant is shaped. 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.
As of June 2012 bonsaikitten.com redirects to a novelty plush toy available from online retailer Think Geek. The original bonsaikitten.com is mirrored by many sites today, for example ding.net/bonsaikitten. The nature and presentation of the sites content is such that many animal rights activists still take 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.
Read more about Bonsai Kitten: Start of The Website, Description of The Spoof
Famous quotes containing the word kitten:
“Why does not the kitten betray some of the attributes common to the adult puss? A puppy is but a dog, plus high spirits, and minus common sense. We never hear our friends say they love puppies, but cannot bear dogs. A kitten is a thing apart; and many people who lack the discriminating enthusiasm for cats, who regard these beautiful beasts with aversion and mistrust, are won over easily, and cajoled out of their prejudices, by the deceitful wiles of kittenhood.”
—Agnes Repplier (1858–1950)