流浪的權利
最近在想，自己根本不是愛貓之人，甚至不是一個尊重動物生命的人。
首先，我是吃肉的。弱肉強食，本來就是大自然定律之一，但我並非單純為生存或健康而吃肉，所以不算 。
第二，我曾經養貓。我給牠吃的玩的, 但剝奪了牠選擇自由的權利。對，把牠放生可能等於把牠送死，因為我們假設牠已失去求生技巧, 而且在香港這個石屎森林搵食是很困難的。但我聽過不少活生生的例子，是貓兒嘗過自由的滋味後不願回「家」的。現在的我認為，除非肯定動物本身已不能靠自己覓食，如傷了腿、盲了眼等，否則應盡量讓牠們以最自然的方式存在於世上。作為人類，我們不應為了找個「朋友」或自以為充滿愛心，而把牠們拿回家中飼養。
有一次，我家附近的兩隻流浪貓躲在一角瞄瞄的叫，像快要在寒風中凍壞的樣子。我立即跑回家中，弄來兩個紙盒及分別舖了舊毛巾，給牠們避寒，心想牠們必定會很感激我、愛死我了。現實是牠們不敢向我或紙盒走近半步。一位嬸嬸路過，說：「不用試了，牠們是很怕人的，但正因如此牠們才能生存啊。」原來她是每晚都來餵貓的善心人，美孚一帶的流浪貓她都瞭如指掌！那天晚上，我邊協助她預備貓兒的晚餐 (其實每天只得一餐)，邊聊了很多。例如她說，她從不以身體接觸這些流浪貓，不是怕不乾淨，而是要讓牠們保持一貫的對人類的警覺性。
有人說過：「兔子看見人應該躲起來而不是跑過來要食物，鸚鵡不該學人講話而是求偶的曲目，如果你去觀察野生動物在自然棲地的行為，你就會發現人類養動物還自以為愛他，是多麼野蠻的行為。如果你不想被別種生物養，就不該養別的生物。」 也有人說：「遵守大自然的法則維續生物鍊的構成，才是真正意義上的愛護動物。」
至於以教育為名，把動物放在動物園裡飼養，是否可取？有人認為只要「人道」地對待這些動物便可以了。Sorry, 我未能苟同！
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Cats are unique as they are the ONLY species that chose to live with humans.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/science/29cat.html
"Unlike other domestic animals, which were tamed by people, cats probably domesticated themselves, which could account for the haughty independence of their descendants. “The cats were adapting themselves to a new environment, so the push for domestication came from the cat side, not the human side,” Dr. Driscoll said."
My boy cat, who came (people asked him if I "found" him, I said no, he came to and found me) to my third floor residence the evening I came back from an overseas trip, is very clingy. And he is very stupid in a lot of ways. I said to myself, it must be 觀音送子! He needs me more than I need him. For that reason I feel like his uncatlike dependence on me is just another sign of cat's paradoxical independence--he chose to be dependent on me. There are numerous other stories like that. Clinton Socks had jumped into Chelsea Clinton's arm one day and his fate as America's First cat was sealed.
最近我為家裏兩頭懶貓煩惱。以前牠們還能治鼠的，現在完全不理會，貓糧被老鼠當面吃著也放顧不理，我已經忍無可忍。
作為家貓，牠們的生存模式已不可免地受到寵養而改變了。以往養的貓還沒有閹掉，如今這一雙，是我家的首例。
然則我家的貓畢竟就比城市家貓享有更自由的環境，跳出窗外就是廣闊的土地，要麼伏在樹椏乘涼，要麼跑到田野和竹林躲貓貓，要麼在草叢裏撲蝶，累了或餓了才回家，要寵有人寵，要躲沒阻欄。
但就是吃住無憂，以及被閹了，有被寵過，已經失去了野性，或者說，只是作為主人所期望的野性，亦即是會治鼠的功能吧？說穿了，治鼠的本質，其實是貓咪的殘酷遊戲，而不是生存法則。
我們想像貓有甚麼自由，有甚麼權利，作為貓的，也只是在人為環境下適應和生存，貓本身去改變和影響環境、影響人的能量很少，若不是人改變了環境，就是自然界其他部份在主宰改變，而貓也隨之改變。
要是說不去干涉流浪的貓，或去忍耐不捕鼠的家貓，愚以為，這都是個人本身的修養和抉擇，不見得貓會覺悟到權利。畢竟，城市太冷漠、太侷促、太規範了。能容得下流浪的貓，總算讓人多點藉慰，抵消那人堆之中的煩悶和孤寂。
唉，我家的貓，也許莫名其妙地，也太孤寂了⋯
治鼠的貓，現在還有? 我以前隻貓，見到曱甴就逃跑!
"若不是人改變了環境，就是自然界其他部份在主宰改變，而貓也隨之改變" <--有道理, 但改變環境很大程度是人類養寵物這行為造成吧?
以前養過的大貓小貓，不下於一百隻（因為沒絕育嘛⋯），基本上都會治鼠捉雀捉蛇，尤其貓乸生完貓仔後，格外熱衷於教育下一代，一天跑跑老遠的捉小動物回來幾遍也會有。有教育跟沒教育分別很大的⋯
@Alan I'm no expert and it's hard to know who's right or wrong ;) Wouldn't it be easier if we just let the cats choose? I've known cats which would never return after escaping into the wild. How would the experts explain that? :P
見到曱甴就逃跑 <--- 原來已不可靠貓捉曱甴
interesting thoughts!
現在的流浪貓，我諗主要都係執垃圾食 :(
我有時覺得垃圾係好過貓糧，尤其係貓餅乾，仲恐怖過千年薯條。
Hmmm... I think domesticated cats are highly adaptive and intelligent, so it's common they can thrive when they fend for themselves. There are three kinds of feral cats: totally feral, semi-feral, and reverted feral. These descriptions, as you are aware, are man-made and useful to the extent that it could help us treat them more humanely. I just have a problem on defining what is natural and unnatural, since cats for a very long time participated in our cultural world (see the last comment). I agree with your reflection for the most part! Well articulated.
My cat once got into my friend's car without him knowing and she (my cat) managed to find her way home from 20 mins drive away. So I believe she chose to be with me ^_^.
@Honnie poor cat! must have walked a long way :)
@ryanne I was just too happy to see her made it home ^_^
正是「子非魚」的哲學問題了
好喜歡這文章，能分享嗎？
歡迎 :)
Like 大道理：「牠們是很怕人的，但正因如此牠們才能生存啊。」
@River: 是的, 人類才值得怕...
其實素食者才有立足性說出這些觀點
人不吃動物肉也可以活,但他們就是會吃
可見要捨棄人的立場,完全站在動物的立場是不可能的
才會有人道對待這種折衷的作法
至於寵物...
冠上''放生、自由''的美麗之名,行棄養之實的人也很多
與其思索這些事
現階段的流浪動物情形擺在眼前
飼主的心態與做法,才是必須先著手面對的課題
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