{At the scene of a murder}The cats' bloodthirst was normal; it was the way God had made them. They were hunters, they killed for food and to train their young--well maybe sometimes for sport. But this violent act by some unknown human had nothing to do with hunting--for a human to brutally maim one of the own kind out of rage or sadism or greed was, to Joe and Dulcie {the cats}, a shocking degradation of the human condition. To imagine that vicious abandon in a human deeply distressed Dulcie; she did not like thinking about humans that way.
The scene of a murder reveals a stark contrast between the natural instincts of cats and the brutal actions of humans. For Joe and Dulcie, the cats, hunting is a fundamental part of their existence, done either for nourishment or training their young. They understand this bloodlust as part of their nature, but when faced with the gruesome act committed by a human, they are confronted with a profound moral degradation that disturbs them deeply. The cats find it difficult to reconcile their view of humans with such senseless violence.
The violent and sadistic tendencies displayed by the human perpetrator unsettle Dulcie, challenging her perception of humanity. While cats may kill instinctively, the motive behind this crime—driven by rage, greed, or cruelty—is unimaginable to them. This realization causes Dulcie significant distress, as it forces her to confront a darker aspect of the human condition that starkly contrasts with the nature of her own species.
