I am a bird lover and have had several parakeets. Dogs and tropical fish are also among the animals that I favor.
However, those pesky emaciated cats in the neighborhood seem to think that I own them and that it is my duty to put food into the bottomless pits that are their bellies. They can be cute, but I suspect it is only to influence my opinion about feeding their hungry guts.
I have noticed over the years that dogs and cats are extremely different in their attitudes toward humans. Generally, dogs come meekly before a human with a body language that says, “Love me. Please love me.” Cats, on the other hand, seem to consider themselves as above humans in importance. Their body language seems to say, “I don't care whether you love me or not. Just bring out the food.” Now which of those two messages from animal body language should appeal to us humans?
I live in a developing subdivision. The number of houses increases each month. This means that empty land that had been the home of rodents and snakes is no longer available. The rapidly multiplying cats in the neighborhood are finding less to eat from their hunting endeavors as time goes by.
One old crippled mother cat discovered that I throw out left-over cooked meat each day. She stole my heart, but only for a little while, because of her crippled condition. Then, it seems that she started a rumor among the many other cats in the neighborhood that the old man in the blue house feeds cats. Now, every morning there are several cats waiting outside my front door, ready to attack if I go out to the porch. They howl, demanding food.
Since my yard is fenced, the neighborhood dogs are too large to get into my place, but the cats are always here. They can climb or squeeze through small openings to get to where I dump my extra food.
I did not cause the cats to overly multiply. I am not responsible for the many kittens they must feed. I do not feel that it is my duty to keep their skinny bodies in good condition so they can produce sustenance for their offspring.
Since they are not actually my cats, what is my duty toward all those stray felines that irritate me so badly?
