Definition of pet : (first definition) "any domesticated or tamed animal that is kept as a companion and cared for affectionately."
I've yet to hear or see that farmers treat livestock affectionately. Someone once told me, "When you live on a farm, you never name the stock."
And no, cuteness doesn't come into it at all. Consider the Sharpei; some people think they're ugly, yet they're also considered as a "pet". If the guy was willing to do that to a helpless kitten, imagine what he would do to a helpless child.
I'd have the perp be made into a eunuch, done medieval style. Then if he survives the process, he'll have to live with the fact that he won't be able to have any more children.
