No I agree with you LL, I don't think they feel any less pain. It's rather that I don't give the same imortance to an animal being mistreated or injured as I would to a child. Not to say I don't feel sorry for it or want the perpetrators punished but I think I just don't put animals on the same level as humans. I also don't think you should be punished as much for hurting/mistreating an animal as you would a human. I also thought that the woman putting the cat in the bin was blown ridiculously out or proportion.I'm not saying I am right or wrong at all, just my opinion is all.
Mind you, no red mist appears for me regarding cruelty to children either. I think perhaps I am a bit more detached in my attitude. Again, not saying this is a good or a bad thing.
I think animal cruelty and how we approach it is very much like marmite, you either get very upset about it or you're more like jno and I, I don't think there's any middle ground at all.