It was probably at least a little like your training. Anyone who misbehaved or whose cantus wasn't developing properly was eliminated.

The adults smiled and acted as if everything was fine even when they sent tainted cats to kill us. Back then, my friends and I realized what was happening, so we tried to be sneaky... but they always found us out anyway.

[In many ways it's incredible that she's even still alive right now. So, yeah, a worrisome childhood indeed.]