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Cruelty is all relative and can only be defined by something/someone with a certain level of situational awareness. By this I mean, if something knows that what it's doing causes pain/suffering and there is no other goal in it, that is cruelty.
I absolutely think that animals can be cruel. Cats have been used as an example and there's little doubt in my mind that they can be cruel. I've seen cats torture mice and other small animals. The shrieks from the mouse most certainly told the cat that it was causing pain. The cat was not killing for food or to defend its territory or to please its human masters or any other reason. It was enjoying itself.
Allegedly, a male lion when taking over a pride will hunt down and kill the offspring of the previous Alpha male. Theories say that it's to preserve its own bloodline. Now, if a human had the same goal and killed his new wife's child from another marriage, would this be cruel? Absolutely.
Cruelty is a human defined term. Some situations will be labeled cruel in one culture/situation while not in others.
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Strive to be more curious than ignorant.
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