On one side, you have a holy animal, and on the other side, you try to kick the other one?

Exactly. It is an unpleasant contrast, and I was upset, especially because adults didn't explain to the kids that they were wrong. I have this Buddhist-like attitude that all creatures are equal living beings (even though some are less pleasant, like mice), so witnessing this "caste system" applied to animals (with sacred cows on one hand and cats you are allowed to kick in another) was weird to me.