TallyMan wrote:
............ This summer a feral cat managed to find its way into our attic where it gave birth to a litter of kittens - we just left her to it ....
b9 wrote:
it is kind of astounding how arrogant humans are. you just "left her to it" did you?. that is good.
at least you did not exercise your "human right" to deny her of her heritage.
should i applaud your restraint or merely acknowledge that you are smart enough to know you have no real authority?
No need to be nasty.
i am sorry. my post does seem rather terse i suppose. i did not mean to seem nasty. i perceived what you said about "leaving her to it" as equivalent to "i did not exterminate it". i then perceived that it is arrogant to feel self righteous for merely allowing another animal to live it's life in your "territory".
i tend to tar everyone with the same brush, and i have long felt that humans have a self appointed ownership of the whole of the earth, and that all that is done is for the greater good of humanity in their minds. i too often speak at individual people as i would speak through a microphone to the whole human race.
TallyMan wrote:
I meant I simply resisted the temptation to put down any food or water as that would encourage them to become dependent up me instead of them fending for themselves, as they will need to do, especially during the hard winter when food (mice) become more scarce.
yes i understand now. i also had this dilemma when i had my 8 mice. i was not prepared to give them any more food than would sustain only 8 mice. after a while, there seemed to be more than 8 of them, and they got reasonably cranky with each other fighting for the food.
i knew that just another hand full of cereal would calm them down and promote peace, but i knew that if i went down that track that i would eventually be feeding hundreds of them if i always increased their food supply to keep them calm.
nature forces even the most caring of hearts to acquiesce to the logic of supply and demand.
so i will say i am sorry again.