The teacher, Li Feng, was apparently demonstrating an “angular momentum conservation experiment”, which he did twice. The animal could be clearly heard squealing when it was dropped.
“It is fine to do this with a cat but we cannot do it with a dog,” Li tells his students in the video.
After receiving an avalanche of online criticism, Li apologized for his treatment of the cat, called Laifu, which belongs to him.
“As the owner of Laifu, I ignored the physical and mental harm to it brought by the experiment. As a teacher, I behaved controversially without considering that it would have a potential negative impact on my students and others,” Li said.
Li said he took Laifu for a veterinary check-up after the experiment. He also donated NT$50,000 (US$1,500) to the Taiwan Homeless Animal Rescue Association.
His pet was adopted from a charity and he sleeps on his bed every night.
Li said he understood Laifu was scared during the experiment and he hoped the cat would forgive him.
Addressing his cat, he said: “I will buy you the best feline food to show how sorry I am.”
However, many people on social media have remained enraged by his actions.
“As the cat’s owner, did your heart not think for it when it hit the floor?” one online observer asked.
“You are a cat abuser. You are teaching students to do bad things,” said another.
The ill-treatment of cats often makes headlines in Taiwan.
Last year, a court in New Taipei City sentenced a man to seven months in jail and fined him NT$250,000 (US$8,000) for killing his pet cat with boiling water in an attempt to force his girlfriend to return to him.
Tags: Taiwan teacher social media doghouse dropping squealing cat floor class experiment promises feline pet food compensation
