She also clarified an important detail that had influenced many people’s opinions: the child was not 10 years old, as she originally described, but 13. She said he looked younger than he was, which led to the initial wording of her post.
That clarification changed the framing for some observers. A 13-year-old is generally expected to have a stronger understanding of empathy and appropriate behavior than a younger child.
While developmental differences still exist, many people felt that a teenager should clearly know better than to deliberately disturb someone’s pet for amusement.
Importantly, there is no verified evidence suggesting the water caused any physical harm to the cat. There were no reports of injury, veterinary visits, or lasting distress. The core of the debate was therefore not about physical damage, but about principle and reaction.
