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Pampering is not an Act of Kindness

After a casual chat at Teh Tarik, we were walking back to my friend's place when we spotted a stray cat near her block. It was standing in a distance, at close proximity to a stack of wooden planks that were arranged haphazardly.

Just then, my friend who is usually apprehensive in the presence of cats, surprised me by stomping her foot so hard that the cat withdrew from the planks and stared at her.

Thinking that she was being playful, I asked her the reason for deliberately attracting the attention of the cat that was minding its own business.

I realised my folly when my friend explained that the cats are fed regularly by one of the nearby storekeepers. Since the store is closed, the cats have no food. She was afraid that it might try to chew on the plank and hurt itself due to the splinters.

I am not sure about a cat's defense disposition. Whether it mistook the planks for food or not, I was moved by my friend's concern and notion to save the cat.

She felt strongly that strays should be allowed to survive on their own and if care givers do want to feed them, they should be committed. The animals suffer as a result of the dependency.

The incident instantly transported me back to Oklahoma as I recalled a story told to us by Nick, the guide of Wichita Mountains.

He reminded everyone not to feed the animals in the reserve and related a personal account on how he had learnt it the hard way.

Once, while on duty, he became aware of a family of racoons that were watching him from their hideout. They acted on their natural defense to keep away from humans. He lured them with food and fed them. It became a regular practice and soon, the racoons became accustomed to his presence. They came out of their hideout regularly and expected to receive food from him.

Then, on a fateful day, he was replaced by a colleague. Later, he overheard the colleague boasting to another that he had put down a family of racoons that showed up before him. Nick was very upset and he felt responsible for the death of the racoons. They trusted another human being, believing that he would feed them like Nick did. From that day onwards, he chose not to interfere with the survival of animals.

Everyone wants to be nice but it helps to be mindful that there is a fine line between helping and hindering.

Other than animals, this reference could also be made in nurturing children. When everything is done for a child, he/she grows to become useless to himself/herself. Hence, I hope to convey through my account the importance to teach to fish, rather than to fish.

Thachayini Coffee Talk at 9:39 PM