feels cruel

Thank you for pointing that out. It is cruel. Once one has made a decision to kill and animal, for any reason, at a minimum one obliged to kill it mercifully, with as little pain as possible.

Imagine if a giant monster were to put us in its mouth and eat us alive. The whole question of animal sentience is debated but there no question about animal suffering. Plus, squid are intelligent, many believe on par with a dog. Can you imagine?

This is not a matter of culture. It's a matter of conscience. You apparently have one 😇