The same afternoon that the cat was killed Shackleton also had one sickly dog and three pups killed. "We could not undertake the maintenance of weaklings under the new conditions." The next day they began their trek across the ice. The men were allowed 2 lbs of personal effects. Shackleton begrudged that weight but realized that "The journey might be a long one, and there was a possibility of a winter in improvised quarters on an inhospitable coast at the other end. A man under such conditions needs something to occupy his thoughts,....." I hardly think Shackleton was a cold blooded cat killer but rather that he was not afraid to make any hard choice to ensure the survival of his men in what he clearly recognized as a challenge that some might not survive.

Quotes are from South by Ernest Shackleton

Ed