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cruelty
n 1: a cruel act; a deliberate infliction of pain and suffering [syn: inhuman treatment] 2: feelings of extreme heartlessness [syn: mercilessness, pitilessness, ruthlessness] 3: the quality of being cruel and causing tension or annoyance [syn: cruelness, harshness]
Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University
Now most people here have argued that animals can not be cruel because they do not possess the necessary intellect or will. By definition they could therefore not act deliberately. Now, I don't totally believe that claim so I am not going to argue that way. The reason I don't believe that animals can not/ do not possess such will or intellect is because it is unprovable. There is no way to measure consciousness or self awareness with any amount of certainty. The best test to date has actually shown many insects and simians to be "self aware" by placing them in front of a mirror and then placing a red dot on their heads and watching their reactions of removing the dot from themselves once they saw it. It is contended that this shows the animals recognized that the image was themselves and not another being and that shows self awareness. Now that is clearly not the most scientifically valid test desirable so take that into account, but still thats the best we can do to measure consciousness at this time.
The reason I do not think animals can be cruel is that it is almost unknown for an animal to attack without justification. Animals generally attack for food (survival) or in perceived defense of their lives or their kin. What a human might perceive as cruelty is almost without a doubt a function of that species survival. The question of cruelty is then rather the act is done out of necessity or defense or if it is done out of malice, apathy, or vengence. At that most human violence against itself, the other species of this plant, and the Earth itself is generally unnecessary and frivilous while the alleged "cruelty" in nature is otherwise.
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"The courts that first rode the warhorse of virtual representation into battle on the res judicata front invested their steed with near-magical properties." ~27 F.3d 751
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