Viral YouTube Video: Kitten with 9 Lives Survives Microwaving; 2 Maine Teenagers Face Animal Cruelty Charges
The saying that cats have 9 lives appears to be true for an 8-week-old kitten in Maine which allegedly was microwaved by two teenage girls, but survived.
The video of the microwaving was posted initially by the two teens in Twitter, but was reposted on YouTube and it has more than 1 million hits.
Some of those who have seen the video called the South Portland Police on Friday, which led to the filing of charges for animal cruelty against the two 15-year-old females who are students at South Portland High School.
Police Lieutenant Frank Clark said the kitten appeared to have no injuries. While there are questions if the microwave was plugged, the video showed the kitchen appliance light up which is an indicator that it was switched on. He said owners of the kitten, aptly named Miracle, agreed to hand over the pet to the Portland animal control officer so it could be examined.
Lynne McGee from the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland said the check-up was done and Miracle is eating normally and seems to be in good shape. She used the incident to campaign for animal rights with the following message:
"If this story leaves you upset and frustrated, please think about supporting your local shelter by adopting, attending events and donating. Animals like Miracle need us."
The case will be reviewed by the Cumberland County district attorney's office.
This is not the first incident involving the microwaving of kittens. Another similar incident was posted in YouTube in 2010 and the feline victim was not as lucky as Miracle.