Russian Blue
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I certainly understand your reference to animal like behavior and have said similar things myself, without thinking.
But, in fact we are very wrong because even animals do not stoop to such behavior. Following is a quote from the psychologist Eric Fromm:
“Man differs from the animal by the fact that he is a killer; he is the only primate that kills and tortures members of his own species without any reason, either biological or economic, and who feels satisfaction in doing so.* It is this biologically non-adaptive and non-phylogenetically programmed ‘malignant’ aggression that constitutes the real problem and the danger to man’s existence as a species….” P 26
Eric Fromm, The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness
(Except, I have heard that domesticated cats will play with mice before eating. I guess that is torture. Wonder why that was not considered in Mr. Fromm's statement? Maybe some cat owners have more information. I have always had dogs.)
Regarding your cat and mouse question, he said "members of his own species"