they are just looking for a tax write-off and public karma

I'm actually really happy that our business practices are nowhere near as cynical as you portray, though it literally makes me sick to my stomach to even read this. If you want to know some background (so you don't have to make it up yourself), the Cinder wow gold farming Kitten was already being set up as a charity pet prior to the hurricane. Once Sandy hit we recognized that we needed to change our plans. But, by that time, it became difficult to do much to change the timetable for getting this pet in the game and on sale. Anyway, with that context, to your points:

1) Already have something available? Like, we should have backup "disaster" pets in the game just waiting to be sold when the next disaster strikes. Tell me how that would be any more difficult for you to spin in some cynical way.

2) I already explained why we announced it. While the pet isn't available yet and the Blizzard Store isn't prepared to take the transactions, we need people to know we're doing this. If an adorable little pet is going to encourage a greater number of donations, I don't see the value in presumptively tearing down Blizzard for cynical PR, nor do I see the value in some of the other posts in this thread belittling people for needing to get something in return for a donation.

It's a situation that's mutually beneficial for Blizzard, our customers, the Red Cross, and those who need disaster relief. If all you want to do is find a way to spin this into some cynical ploy on anyone's behalf, I seriously want you to leave this thread and not come back.