The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Emotions in a Beginning Hunter: Doing the Hard Thing

briandg · December 1, 2011, 01:23 PM

Lemme pass on some things. first, a little background. I am a cat person. We have four indoor cats, and I spend half of my day with one, or even all four of them piled on my lap, shoulders, or even head. they sleep with us. I love dogs, too, but I don't want them. Cats are low maintenance pets that are more like a wife than a child. People who love cats tend to love all animals, including dogs.

People who love dogs tend to dislike or even hate cats, because they are so different. People have fun hating cats. Heck, when I talk about my cats, there's always one person that says something like "cats are a waste of fur" or "they're worth $3 a pound in korea town." People love to hate cats.

I bagged maybe a half dozen ferals in my lifetime, before I got attached. It was nothing. Feral pests, I shot possums, skunks, snakes, and snapping turtles during that year, and it didn't make any difference to me.

Since I grew to like cats, we take in strays, give them medical care, feed and care for them, and do more for the neighbor's cats than they do themselves. You really get attached, and the are, all the same. Ferals look the same as housecats. There was a video posted here that showed a cat being shot, and that thing looked exactly like the one that was in my chair with me while I watched it.

I think that most people should compare shooting a feral cat to bagging the neighbor's golden retriever, irish setter, or border collie. Emotionally, at least to me, it's the same.

I could never kill another feral. We have one in my area that has been the bane of my existence for several years now, and I can't make myself pull the trigger on that varmint. In my twenties, that thing wouldn't have survived 5 minutes after our first encounter.

Frankly, you're more of a man than I am. You did what you had to do and you were able to set aside your feelings somewhat. I know how hard that was.

December 1, 2011, 01:23 PM	#46
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	Lemme pass on some things. first, a little background. I am a cat person. We have four indoor cats, and I spend half of my day with one, or even all four of them piled on my lap, shoulders, or even head. they sleep with us. I love dogs, too, but I don't want them. Cats are low maintenance pets that are more like a wife than a child. People who love cats tend to love all animals, including dogs. People who love dogs tend to dislike or even hate cats, because they are so different. People have fun hating cats. Heck, when I talk about my cats, there's always one person that says something like "cats are a waste of fur" or "they're worth $3 a pound in korea town." People love to hate cats. I bagged maybe a half dozen ferals in my lifetime, before I got attached. It was nothing. Feral pests, I shot possums, skunks, snakes, and snapping turtles during that year, and it didn't make any difference to me. Since I grew to like cats, we take in strays, give them medical care, feed and care for them, and do more for the neighbor's cats than they do themselves. You really get attached, and the are, all the same. Ferals look the same as housecats. There was a video posted here that showed a cat being shot, and that thing looked exactly like the one that was in my chair with me while I watched it. I think that most people should compare shooting a feral cat to bagging the neighbor's golden retriever, irish setter, or border collie. Emotionally, at least to me, it's the same. I could never kill another feral. We have one in my area that has been the bane of my existence for several years now, and I can't make myself pull the trigger on that varmint. In my twenties, that thing wouldn't have survived 5 minutes after our first encounter. Frankly, you're more of a man than I am. You did what you had to do and you were able to set aside your feelings somewhat. I know how hard that was.