Another reason to accept evolution.....

[paulpablo]

I just realized how much I hate the word "instinct". So I am outside smoking a cig, and notice my friend's cat with something long and furry in it's mouth, couldn't tell what it was at first, but as I came closer I saw that it was a squirrel. I really could not be mad at the cat, but I was, shouted at it to drop it. Moreso because of the potential diseases, but admittedly emotionally I like squirrels. It ran and hid from me in a shed, but I followed, chased the cat away, again, moreso because of disease. Grabbed a garbage bag and picked it up and put it in it.

I can't stay mad at the cat because of EVOLUTION, not "instinct". There is a reason we call them cats, like we do tigers and lions. 

Humans kill too, and even just in sport, like this cat did. It didn't do that for food, my friend feeds that family of cats very well. It hunted that squirrel just like a kid plays an arcade game, or a family member goes shopping for a gift for you. It is quite common for cats to bring home dead animals because they are saying, "Hey, look what I did for you."

It is evolution. Life seeks resource, even in play, just like we humans like high scores in video games or "likes" on Facebook. Emotional reward to an animal can be merely capturing and killing, but not eating. Just like a arcade shooting video game you are not really killing anyone.

In young animals especially there is a lot of play interaction, just like kids. That play isn't real adult critical thinking of course, but the play stalking and fighting is how animals learn to survive and fend for themselves. This is not "instinct" this is evolution.

 Cats do have instincts.  Instincts and evolution go hand in hand rather than being mutually exclusive.  Animals have evolved instincts for survival.