TANSTAAFL

I recently completed a rather cruel learning experience with my youngest daughter. She adores cats, and upon finding kittens outside the vacant house next door, she wanted to feed them. I agreed, knowing full well the outcome, but hoping that this would teach where my words failed to sink in.
She started putting food out, and stray cats showed up. Now more food needed to be put out, otherwise the kittens wouldn’t get any. Then a momma cat took up residence with her new brood, seeing that here’s where the food is. She was going through a large bag of cat food every week. I pointed out that the cats would hiss, scratch and demand food, but not give anything in return. I pointed out that our yard was smelling bad and looking worse, as stray cats sprayed and defecated, and that still more cats were piling on.
With a concrete example in front of her, my daughter realized that she was making these cats and future generations of cats dependent upon her, that they were destroying our place in gratitude, and that we would eventually not be able to support all the cats that would come and demand food. From that, came “Do people act like animals?” “Far more often than we would like to admit, girl.”
She snagged a kitten that she’d managed to tame, and we closed up the free cat food stand. I caught a bunch and turned them in to the local pound along with a donation for their upkeep and probable destruction. A cat-killing dog passed through the neighborhood and scattered the rest. A couple still come by to see if there’s any food, but soon leave.
It was cruel and costly. I believe that the lesson she learned was worth it. There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch! This works from both sides.