This is sad and pathetic as far as I am concerned. As a cat owner you don’t impose your attitudes about your preferred appearance on your cat especially when it relates to tattooing. This bloke is obsessed with dark, gothic tattoos. That’s fine. He can do what he likes to his skin provided it does not break the law. However, he has no right to impose his views about what is a good look on his cat. This is very poor cat ownership. Yes, the cat looks okay but that’s not the point. On principle this should never happen.

 
Is it animal cruelty? Would it be in breach of the criminal law in the West? It might be. Tattooing is painful for the recipient. We don’t know how it was done. I presume the cat was sedated and given pain killers. I would argue that it is a minor crime. In the UK there’d be a good chance he’d be picked up by the RSCPA and charged under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The objective of cat ownership is to provide an environment where the cat feels relaxed and at home and where he or she can express her natural drives. It is about naturalness and not being forced into satisfying the extreme behavior of a self-indulgent rocker who likes anarchistic tattoos.

Note: I am not against anarchy. And I am not against having the confidence to bold self-expression. Animal welfare is about asking what is right for your cat and not using your cat as a vehicle for extended self-expression.