at the beginnning of the story did Rainsford have any feelings for the animal he hunted?

No, Rainsford does not have any empathy for the animals he hunted. He shows us this when he says, "Who cares how a jaguar feels?" He says this in response to Whitney's comment that hunting is only fun for the hunter. Rainsford also says, "The world is made up of two classes--the hunter and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are hunters." This comment shows us that, because he is a hunter, he has no concern for the "huntees."