GAMEKEEPERS AND CATS Aberdeen Press and Journal, 5th August 1935
Sir, –I wonder if anyone could tell a little about a subject which I am very sore about–the killing of cats by gamekeepers when they come across them in the course of their duties. I would like to know if they are really entitled to kill them, or if it is their own inhuman natures which make them do so. Surely it would be more generous to free the beastie from snare or trap than thrash it murderously till it dies. I have never seen a cat take anything more valuable from a wood than a rabbit, and everyone knows the damage rabbits do to crops, etc. A cat is not a very valuable animal, I admit, but there is always a little sentimental value attached to them by any animal-lover, and why they should be destroyed it beats me to know. I wonder what the keepers themselves would think if they got their dogs destroyed as ruthlessly. Besides, we can’t chain up our cats nor keep them in confinement, nor do the poor creatures know to keep out of the woods; and how can keep down vermin such as rats and mice when every cat we may keep gets killed every chance there is? There must surely be a more humane way of doing, and I for one would gladly welcome it. God made the cats as He made the people, and I don't think He would like to see innocent an animal destroyed so wantonly. One wonders which is the more animal-like –the cat or the gamekeeper? –Yours, etc., Cat Lover.

INNOCENT FELIX. Aberdeen Press and Journal, 9th August 1935
Sir, - "Cat-Lover" wonders why we gamekeepers kill cats in the course of our duties. If he saw the destruction done by cats every year amongst partridge nests would have a different opinion about Felix. "Cat-Lover" says that the only thing he has seen a cat take is a rabbit from a wood. May I inform "Cat-Lover" that once a cat starts hunting in the woods it is of no use for rats and mice. I have lost one partridge nest this year through a cat catching the mother bird on her nest. I also came upon a cat in the middle of a grass field having a meal on young partridges a few days old. "Cat-Lover” says God made cats. I say He also made the partridges, but not to feed Felix on. I wonder what would happen if gamekeepers' dogs were allowed to roam like "Cat-Lover's" cats. Mr Farmer would have something to say. "Cat-Lover" says we can't chain up our cats (agreed); but they can be kept in a shed all night, and not always put out of doors all night to take their chance, as I have seen over and over again. If "Cat-Lover" had one summer in charge of a shoot I know he would have a different opinion of Felix. The only thing I can say that I don't like Felix when he goes from home.–Yours, etc., FELIX.

CATS ARE PRIVATE PROPERTY. Aberdeen Press and Journal, 14th August 1935
Sir, - l thank "Felix" for his views on cats, but I must confess that in none of them can I find a reason to justify the poor cats being killed. As far as I know, partridges are bred only to provide sport for the privileged few, and if a party can afford to shoot, with all accessories, he won't be hurt much by the loss of a few partridges. Moreover, who feeds the partridges and all game if not the farmer off his crops, etc.? Yet he gets his cats killed if they venture in the woods after any of the game he has fed. Perhaps "Felix" is afraid he will lose his job unless he kills the cats for taking his partridges, but I wonder if he knows that gamekeepers are not allowed to kill a cat unless the owner has been previously warned. A cat, you know, is really private property, a fact which gamekeepers appear to forget. We got no warning and we have got several killed, but I know that if any gamekeeper or trapper had been beside me when came across the battered body of one my favourite cats I would have meted out justice swift and sure, whatever the consequences. What harm did that cat do, or could that cat do, to get such a death? I don't know if their employers condone such a practice, but surely no right-thinking person would. As to shutting the cats in a shed all night, as "Felix" suggests, I ask you, how can they kill vermin? No, no; a gamekeeper has no excuse for killing our cats, and he only shows his ignorance and brutality of nature when he does so. –Yours, etc., CAT LOVER.

SHOOTING OF CATS Aberdeen Press and Journal, 20th August 1935
Sir, –I am very interested in "Cat Lover's" opinion of gamekeepers in regard to the shooting cats, and I agree with it, as a gamekeeper should be severely punished for shooting a cat, just as a non-privileged person is for shooting any game or vermin. Why should any person be prohibited from shooting game which does not particularly belong to anyone, when cats are being shot on their owner's ground without permission being given. Perhaps gamekeepers are the kind of people that would eat a cat in preference to a partridge, and that is how they lay themselves out to shoot poor innocent pet,–Yours, etc", PORTER.

KILLING OF CATS Aberdeen Press and Journal, 21st August 1935
Sir, - I have read with interest "Cat Lover's" letter, as I sure many more have done; and I should like to assure him he but voices the opinion of very large number in country districts who have likewise been deprived of their private property, who have suffered heartache times without number, not only at the loss of their pets, but even more over the cruel fate meted out to them. "Cat-Lover" says, "I do not know if their employers condone such a practice.” I should like to say with regard to that statement that a number of years ago, in a district well known to the writer, the gamekeeper profited by as many shillings as the number of cats' tails he was able to produce at the end of the day. I wonder, does the practice still exist in any part Aberdeenshire? –Yours, etc., “ONE OF THE MANY.”

CATS AND PARTRIDGES. Aberdeen Press and Journal, 23rd August 1935
Sir, –By "Cat-lover's letter, i see he has no love for gamekeepers. Is he aware that if it were not for the privileged few lie mentions, a good many homes with large families would have far less income a year; there if there was no partridge, no extra labour would be required to drive the birds over the guns, so every nest is precious. I will not believe "Cat-lover" got his favourite cat 's battered body lying killed by a gamekeeper or trapper. Could it not have been done by someone else? If he has proof that it was done by the first-mentioned, then I think he has a case for court, or did he just imagine it was done by them? I am surprised at "Cat-lover" laying more trouble at Mr Farmer's door, as he has plenty already. All farmers like to see the partridges as they are quite harmless to crops. Partridge food consists mostly of insects. "Cat-lover" says he is afraid I will lose my job if I don't kill cats. He is far mistaken, my employer takes no notice what kill as regards “vermin,” but if I had no birds to show then I am afraid there would be something to say.–Yours, etc., FELIX.

SHOOTING OF CATS. Aberdeen Press and Journal, 26th August 1935
Sir,– I have read with interest the letters regarding shooting of cats, and as a gamekeeper with many years' experience I should like give those lovers of pussy a few words of advice. There are many kinds of cats, but first of all comes the cat whom its owner really does love, feeds well during the day, and when night comes sees to it that he has a nice bed indoors, or that he is securely shut up in an outhouse where he can come to no harm. Next we have the cat whom its owner pretends to love, gives it little or food, and when night comes kicks it outside and shuts the door, expecting poor, innocent pussy to find his own food and return safely home next morning well fed. Now this is the sort of cat that the cruel keeper often has to deal with, simply because he has become a poacher, and each night he is kicked out means a loss to the keeper's employer of one or more head of game. Cat-lovers may now realise the damage only one poaching cat can do on any estate during a whole year. If dozens of these cats were allowed to roam will, I am afraid the lovers of game would have none to love, and the persons who think keepers eat cats would themselves be eating nice, fat. plump cats, all skinned ready from the butcher, and thinking they had a rabbit. Now let all those innocent cat-lovers give pussy plenty of food and not expect the keeper to feed them, and his pocket won't hold many of those so-called shillings at the end of the day –Yours, etc., A KEEPER.

FEEDING CATS Aberdeen Press and Journal, 27th August 1935
Sir,–Those who are in distress about their cats hunting and being destroyed should try feeding them well, and give variety in their food, and they will find no well-fed cat will trouble to hunt but will lie lazily and contentedly in the sun. I have often noticed the indifference displayed at farms to the feeding of dogs and cats. The latter may get a saucer of milk, but beyond that are expected to hunt mice or rabbits or birds. What can they do? They must live. –Yours, etc.. A LOVER OF ALL ANIMALS.

CATS AND GAMEKEEPERS Aberdeen Press and Journal, 27th August 1935
Sir, –"Porter” is evidently very ignorant regarding the duties of a keeper if he is under the impression that they lay themselves out to kill cats. As regards the eating of them, I pass that as a huge joke. Let me inform "Porter" that, any cat shot by a keeper has, in the majority cases, been driven to the woods through starvation. A pet cat which is well nourished would not, in most cases, leave home. "Porter" ought to take an estate and allow all sportsmen to shoot over it. According to his views he would not. have the power stop them. –Yours, etc., EX-GAMEKEEPER

CAT SHOOTING. Aberdeen Press and Journal, 28th August 1935
Sir, - It used to be my hobby to photograph wild nature, and on one occasion I was asked by the head keeper to come and photograph an owl's nest near his pheasantry, down a rabbit hole, before he destroyed it. I assisted him and we got five dead rats, all fresh killed, blood uncongealed but not a trace of young pheasant or even rabbit. The keeper admitted that pheasants and all game birds roamed only in day time. Now anyone who has watched pussy will know she will kill weasel, rat or or rabbit, the two first deadly enemies of chickens or young; pheasants. As my keeper friend had killed off the cats and owls, I could easily see traces rats around. No wonder his pheasant chicks had suffered. On our waste heaps at the works here, rats are poisoned regularly, but they have been seen in broad daylight to seize young starlings and drag them to their holes. No; the night-hunting cat should be protected to keep down rats and rabbits if need be, then we will have less carriers of disease, and mother pheasant or partridge, lying so close the ground as she does, can protect her young from cat prowlers but not rats weasels.–Yours, etc.. THOMAS TAIT.

CATS DEFENDED Aberdeen Press and Journal, 29th August 1935
Sir, - I read “Felix's” letter with contempt. He says I have no love for gamekeepers. As everyone knows, someone has to be a gamekeeper, and I daresay they are rather awkwardly placed between tenant and laird, but they would certainly be far more popular as a class if they destroyed more rabbits, etc.. in the tenants' interests, and were, perhaps, not quite so ready kill said tenants' cats for the lairds' interests. I know quite well by how much many families are benefited through beating, but the cats don't get a chance to eat so many partridges as really seriously deplete those resources, so there is no earthly excuse there for killing the cats. “Felix” can believe about my cat or not, just as he thinks; everyone is entitled to his own opinion. I have my opinion about my cat-killer, and if I had known earlier it was a case for court I would have seen to and got justice. In the meantime I wonder if “Felix" could give me any idea how to rear a few blind and helpless kittens whose mother has been another victim of a "Felix” or of someone like him. It is a perfect disgrace to think that one's cats are so wantonly killed. It apparently doesn't matter whether we look after our cats badly or well, they are all the same to a gamekeeper in case he loses his job. The poor cats got life from God as well as the gamekeepers, and He who sees the sparrows fall will no doubt note how the poor cats fall too. I still say their killers are the more animal-like of the two. Your etc., CAT LOVER.

SHOOTING OF CATS. Aberdeen Press and Journal, 2nd September 1935
Sir, –"Ex-Gamekeeer" is evidently labouring under a false impression as to the heartfelt sympathy of cat-lovers. While on holiday in Perthshire I had occasion to watch a gamekeeper perform a most cowardly act. Instead of releasing a cat, which he had trapped, he stood back a few paces and fired two shots, and blew it to pieces. Does "Ex-Gamekeeper" pass this as huge joke? This gruesome happening completely marred my holiday. –Yours, etc., PORTER

KINDNESS TO ANIMALS Aberdeen Press and Journal, 9th September 1935
Sir,–Being a lover of all kinds of animals, I have read with interest your correspondents' letters on the "Shooting of Wild Cats," including that from “Porter," in which he writes about the gruesome happening and cowardly act of a gamekeeper. I think if the animal he refers to was badly hurt it was the most humane thing for the 'keeper to shoot it. In my experience I have not found the gamekeepers to be the worst offenders. As regards the destroying of cats, I have never forgotten incident which occurred in my early childhood. One of our cats had got trapped in a plantation near our farm steading and my father came unexpectedly on the laird's son stoning the poor beast to death. My father told him there and then exactly what he thought him. Last autumn one of our favourite cats disappeared and I knew the 'keeper was not to blame but servants on a neighbouring farm, one of whom was heard to brag about soon doing away with the cats he found, with a stick. Such men are quite void of all kindly feelings, and I think that kindness to all dumb animals should be installed into all young children by their parents and teachers. –Yours, etc., COUNTRY WOMAN.

KILLING OF CATS Aberdeen Press and Journal, 17th September 1935
Sir, - I read "Country Woman's” letter with interest. She says she has not found gamekeepers to be the worst offenders as regards cruelty to cats. Quite possibly not in her district. I am afraid I have no mistaken ideas about it in my district. From farms within a radius of a mile, within this last year, eleven cats have disappeared; I lost five myself. Judging from one of their bodies which I came across they weren't even humanely shot, but battered to death either with a stick or a stone. They were all well fed, well looked after cats, only following their natural instinct for hunting and having their respective homes cleared of vermin. I would fain be back in the old times when torturing was practised, and with some gamekeepers in my hands for half hour or maybe longer. –CAT LOVER.