“Dock Cats” Often Epitomize “Cruelty to Animals”
Anyone with a heart has to feel for them. They are everywhere, technically called “feral” cats … domestic gone wild.
They are only “wild,” however, because some jerk made them that way. Or, just as often, they are the products of released predecessors, unsprayed animals that continued to make more.
Being a hunter, I hear about “cruelty to animals” on a pretty regular basis. I’m beyond arguing with people about the mindset and philosophy of true-blue hunters. We know that life on this planet is essentially one big food chain. We happen to stand on the top of it. We feel compassion for animals of all sorts, and most of us will readily admit that there are times when “nongame” animals present more exciting situations than the species we are after.
Every year, at least one fully-fledged cardinal lands on the window ledge of my deer stand while I’m resting in the chair inside the 4×4 box blind by an oak tree. If I sit still as a stone, he’ll flit about a mere two feet away from me (and I do mean “he,” as it is invariably a crimson-colored male).
Not many people get to look a songbird in the eye.
That kind of up-close-and-personal interaction gives the hunter a literal perspective on wild animals that none but the most avid of wildlife photographers and viewers can share, understand and appreciate. It also gives us great empathy for the animals that don’t belong there … specifically, the “stray” cats that wander about searching for something … anything … to eat.
Often, that meal happens to be a songbird. If it’s a “lucky” cat, like the one I met at a Coastal Bend boat ramp last summer, it gets handouts. Try feeding a fresh-cut trout ribcage to finicky Morris. He’ll have none of it. The guy pictured here, however, went after that uncooked cut like he was starved. Unfortunately, that’s because he virtually is.
The SPCA (not to be confused with the “animal rights” group HSUS) is committed to spaying projects that can save the lives of a great many animals, and prevent the creation of creatures that are forced to live in grueling circumstances.
If you know someone who expresses dismay about “cruelty to animals,” you’ll do well to steer them toward the nearest chapter.
Howdy. I am 
