The official charge is "cruelty to an animal that causes death", which is a felony.
Authorities say the stray kitten had been doused with lighter fluid and set ablaze.
The youth, standing 4'5" tall and weighing just 60 pounds, has been sent to the county's juvenile detention center after failing to post $4,000 bail.
Police and animal control officers are searching for two other children involved in the crime.
