In Mediaeval Europe, they were persecuted. In Victorian England, cats were portrayed in human clothing doing human activities and drowned kittens were made into toys or ornaments. Today, cats are popular pets. They do not take up a great deal of room or need to be taken for walks and are not greatly expensive to keep. Despite their popularity, their basic needs are often obscured by common fallacies, leading to neglect or cruelty.
Cats fend for themselves'.
Some cats are good hunters and virtually self-sufficient. Made to fend for themselves, cats may scavenge and eat bone splinters or stray a considerable distance seeking food. Strays picked up by animal control may be destroyed if unclaimed or unadopted after a period of time. Hungry cats hunt better'. Some cats are kept as mousers and their owners believe that cats become 'soft' if fed.