Man Charged in Bizarre "Kitty Penitentiary" Cat Abuse Case
Sunday September 19, 2010

Cats misbehave by nature. To punish them for it isn't just wrong... it could also be illegal and abusive.

Case in point: Mittens the Cat, a supposed inmate in a "kitty penitentiary, " an ordinary animal carrier transformed into a makeshift prison, complete with the inmate's name and marks representing the cat's supposed infractions. It even has a cell number: 666.

But Mittens' punishments didn't end with a night in the box... because the box was found floating in Tampa's McKay Bay, with the cat inside. She had been shot at least 30 times with a BB gun and left to drown, but was instead rescued by passers-by.

Police have arrested 19-year-old Giovanni Estrada and charged him with two counts of cruelty. But it's not his cat -- it belongs to Mildred "Missy" Marie Krack.

The kitty penitentiary lists "Missy" as the "jailer," but police are trying to determine whether she was involved, or is also a victim, according to MyFox Tampa Bay. Vets in Florida have renamed the cat Lovey and say the BBs cannot be removed.

Now, Estrada could go from putting Mittens into the "kitty penitentiary" to entering a real one himself. He's already halfway there -- he now has a permanent position in the Weird Crime Mug Shot Hall of Shame. (Dumb Crime du Jour)

Photo © Hillsborough County (Fl) Sheriff's Department  (about.com weird news)