Regruntled.com

A feral cat stalks a bird. Either the cat is fast enough to catch the bird, or the bird is fast enough to get away from the cat. Very simple. Evolution in action.

Or is it? The bird is an endangered species, and an ornithologist with a gun has the cat in his sights. He fires. One less feral cat in the world. Very simple.

Or is it? Depends on what ‘feral” means. This is a true story, and the cat lived under a toll bridge near Galveston, Texas. Ornithologist and birder Jim Stevenson shot the cat as it was stalking endangered birds. Under Texas law, it is illegal to kill a cat belonging to another person, and the maximum penalty is two years in prison. Tollbooth employee John Newland placed food under the bridge for feral cats, including the one killed by Stevenson. Does accepting food qualify as “belonging to”?

Believe it or not, this case went to trial, and the jury deliberated for two days before becoming deadlocked. The judge declared a mistrial, and the prosecution dropped the case.

(Thanks to Mr. Bill for the story.)