Is Assault With a Cat Funny?

Kenley Collins of "Project Runway" fame was arrested and charged in an assault case that involved her cat and fiance.

You see some strange stories on the Internet. One caught my eye today because it involved a cat and a minor celebrity — a former contestant on a reality show that I watch, “Project Runway.”

Kenley Collins, who was a finalist on Season 5 of “Project Runway,” was arrested Tuesday in New York after allegedly assaulting her fiance with their cat. According to the New York Post and the Daily News, Zak Penley told police that Collins woke him up by throwing their cat in his face, then pelted him with a laptop computer and several apples. Collins was charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

Apparently, the Internet and bloggers need news, and news from a minor celebrity — someone from way below the D list — is better than no news at all. Add in the "odd" factor — the cat — and the fact that Collins was one of the more outspoken, least liked contestants on “Project Runway” — and that makes it all the more juicy.

I’m sure the story had headline writers licking their chops; here are a few that I saw: “‘Runway’ Star Jailed for Cat-astrophic Assault” on TMZ.com; “That Darn Spat” on Gawker, and “Kenley Collins Arrested for Assault With a Deadly Cat” on The Inquisitr.

But think about it. Is it really that hilarious that Collins allegedly used her cat as a weapon?  Is it funny that the cat could have been seriously injured … not to mention Penley? We know that there is often a link found between domestic violence and animal abuse — is that funny, too?

According the New York Post, animal-control officials said that they will not pursue cruelty charges as long as the cat was not injured in the attack.

Perhaps one funny thing in the whole story is that  Penley, an artist and musician, wrote a song called “CAT?” for Collins’ finale on “Project Runway.” Strange indeed.