Well I think it's safe to say cruel is worse than mean and therefore it in itself is on a higher level. I would think the more harm done, the more cruel it is. I would use the definition as a starting point. I would also keep in mind that distress is in there, not just physical harm. I also wouldn't get caught up in other people's definitions with out keeping in mind the actual one, because they may see something as cruel when in fact it's the opposite. It's hard to say exactly how cruel that was with the cat as well because I doubt anybody but a veterinarian could accurately gauge that. And Mattmx is right. I also fully believe that just because somebody does cruel things, doesn't necessarily make them evil or a bad person. However I also believe that doesn't give you a copout and cruel acts should be easily justified.