I take it that Sungirl's great sin is that she opposes using cats for target practice? After a quick look at your profile, I wouldn't think that you would favor such behavior either. Indeed, I would have expected somewhat greater compassion.
First of all, the hunters that I've known have genuine contempt for pseudo-hunters who go out and kill animals for no purpose other than seeing blood splatter. Or am I in error on that point? Is a proper hunter someone who makes a clean kill, and then makes use of the animal for food? Or, is the correct model someone who shoots with reckless, joyful abandon, and then lets the game targets crawl away to die over the subsequent days?
Second, you mention that you are a Christian. I was under the impression that Genesis 1:26 gave man rulership (but not ownership) of animals. Therefore consuming animals for food would be in accordance with scripture. I find it difficult to believe that killing lots of cats for no particular purpose (other than the joy of killing) is in accordance with the concept of "rulership". Or were Stalin, Pol Pot, and their ilk exercising rulership in the proper, biblical sense?
I don't favor target practicing on neighbors' cats. I do favor allowing people to carry out pest control in a quick and efficient manner. If a cat is a pest and feral, that quick and efficient manner might be a .22. I think it would be terribly rude to shoot at a cat if you know someone owns it. Call animal control and make a complaint, in that case. If the person wants to rehabilitate/tame a feral cat and turn it into a "good feline citizen," that is their choice, they will probably feel pretty good about it. I might even do that myself if I had the chance, but people around here are pretty responsible. I almost never see roaming pets.
However, in the story Sungirl quoted, I put the blame on the person who let the cat loose in the first place, not the person who shot it (unless they were trying to *wound* it and not kill it). I would scold the person who shot it for not making a good shot and for making the animal suffer. And just about anyone I associate with would feel guilty about making a poor shot.
"First of all, the hunters that I've known have genuine contempt for pseudo-hunters who go out and kill animals for no purpose other than seeing blood splatter. "
You are absolutely right, I haven't ever talked to a hunter, that I can think of, that kills because he likes to see blood and suffering.
"I find it difficult to believe that killing lots of cats for no particular purpose (other than the joy of killing) is in accordance with the concept of "rulership". "
Killing feral cats does serve a purpose. I don't think it's fun, I don't think I would do it myself, like I said in previous posts, unless the cat was a real problem. Too much emotional connection for me. But I don't have a problem with people that do choose to dispatch pest animals on their premises, as long as they are not deliberately prolonging suffering.
Here is Genesis 1:25-28
"Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
Also there is a provision which illustrates the higher place we have over animals:
Gen 9:5,6
"And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man."
Since the fall into sin death has become an inevitable part of life. Animals were not hard to manage or rule over, before that, I imagine. We got a lot more than a nice fruit when Adam took that bite. We are continually trying to figure out how to rule responsibly a fallen creation.
Death may be abhorrent, but it is a part of what we must deal with as human beings. We should not relish it, but for us to live healthily, we have to learn when it is allowable. To kill an animal, the threshold is of course much lower, since they are as illustrated in Gen 9:5 lower than humans. To kill another human - well it is a hot debate in Christianity whether it is ever justified.
Just so you know, I did appreciate your post. You are trying to discuss the matter, which is a breath of fresh air to me, even if we find out we can't agree.