Simple, Paul — they’re in trouble because they didn’t eat the cat. That’s why you can slaughter livestock and hunt rabbits, as you suggest. It’s also why nobody notices that restaurants routinely use the featured food animal as a mascot (Chick-fil-a’s cows being a notable exception lobbying for eating the other species).

Or maybe because they used a mean ol’ gun instead of a nice clean needle … like the more enlightened executioners.

(Wonder if they took the gun out of store stock, and if so, will they put it on clearance now?)