Re: [GZG] A number of scientists respond to Hawking's

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My cat was a stray, but we suspect he was a dropped off house pet. He
has
the 'grab your foot' or 'grab your laces' instinct of a hunter, and
he'll
put the teeth or claws on you, but he doesn't seem to have the
'finishing'
instinct.

And his version of hunting is meowing and climbing in your lap until you
get
up to open him a can.

I'm not sure he could kill a mouse or would. But I'm not sure he
couldn't
either. I am fairly sure he was never taught to by his mother.

I once heard a biologist specializing in cats remark "You don't have to
teach a wild animal to be wild, you just have to facilitate the
situation..." She was talking about recovering wild animals who were in
shelter care, but her point was that even young brought in would revert
to
their wired-in genetic disposition and be capable of seeing to
themselves
fairly easily without much help other than getting them up to snuff
before
turning them out.

Tom