Animal charities slam YouTube video that shows you how to gift .

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Christmas present? This chilled out cat is absorbed in festive paper for the YouTube pictureAnimal charities have condemned a video which shows a cat being gift-wrapped like a Christmas present.The video, which has attracted 2,500,000 viewers on YouTube, has proven an online hit but animal welfare charities say such actions could cause 'suffering' to the animal.

he 1 minute 44 second video shows the cute black and white tabby lying on a living room floor while it calmly lets his owner wrap him in Santa-themed Christmas papeEntitled 'What's the most difficult thing you've ever wrapped?' , the crop ends with the owner putting a red bow on the feline's head. Web-users have so far revelled in the footage, but animal charities did not see the amusing side of the video.A voice for the RSPCA said: `Christmas can be a troubled and trying time for animals at the better of times.`Subjecting them to still more disruption to their routines can only solution in them becoming stressed and we would desire that responsible pet owners would need to avert this where possible.`Ryan Neile, an animal behaviourist for the Blue Cross, said: `Although the cat in the video seems quite tolerant, this could easily be sorry for other cats. Christmas kitty: The queen stands on the wrapping paper before letting his owner turn him into a present Willing participant: This particular cat calmly lies low to be wrapped, but animal charities have condemned the video`Why not make Christmas fun for your cat instead, by letting them work with the wrapping paper and empty boxes after you get finished unwrapping your presents?` But YouTube users so far have just seen the shady side of the video. One internet user wrote: 'That was cute' while another wrote 'Post him to me please.' `That's one chilled out cat,` claims one internet-user and another quips 'My cat would kill me if I tried that.''This is why cats are not good for Christmas.', concludes another.A follow-up clip, in which the same cat is wrapped up again, this sentence with a ribbon, has attracted 239,000 views on the video-sharing website. The television has attracted over 2,500,000 viewers on YouTube but animal charities say it could cause suffering to the catSelf-confessed cat-lover Bernard Hemming, 60, who owns five felines, said the videos were brought to his aid by an email from a friend.Mr Hemming, from Walsall, West Midland, said: `I remember it is appalling to address a cat like this for trivial entertainment purposes.`I would never do this to any of my cats. It cannot be effective for them in the slightest.`It gives the opinion that they are just play toys and at Christmas this is not the right message to be sending out.` source: dailymail