Leader comment: A whodunnit with cats in the frame
Those who don’t share their passion for all things feline would do well to keep their own counsel on the matter. The writer Mark Twain’s view that if a man could be crossed with a cat, it would improve the man but deteriorate the cat is, we suspect, one that is shared by many who choose to share their homes with these most peculiar creatures. Some, such as conservationists working in Aberdeenshire, go so far as to indulge themselves with the idea that cats can be understood (we remain highly sceptical). Sadly, the theft and vandalism of equipment being used to monitor endangered wildcats has set back the quest to find out what makes them tick.
The mystery of who is behind the sabotage has gripped locals living near Clashindarroch forest, close to Huntly. The finger of suspicion points at poachers who don’t fancy being captured by night-vision cameras. We wonder if, perhaps, there might be another explanation. The sudden, random destruction, the strike against people actively trying to assist cats. Surely the cats, themselves, must be the prime suspects.