Expressions of the Cat 189 



from side to side. The hair is not erected — at least it was not no in the 

 few cases observed by me. The ears are drawn closely backward., and 

 the teeth are shown. Low, savage groAvls are uttered. We can under- 

 stand why the attitude assumed by a cat when preparing to fight with 

 another cat, or in any way greatly irritated, is so widely different from 

 that of a dog approaching another dog with hostile intentions; for the 

 cat uses her forefeet for striking, and this renders a crouching position 

 convenient or necessary. She is also much more accustomed than a 

 dog to lie concealed and suddenly spring on her prey. No cause can 

 be assigned with certainty for the tail being lashed or curled from side 

 to side. This habit is common to> many other animals — for instance to 

 the puma when prepared to spring, but it is not common to dogp or to 

 foxes, as I infer from Mr. St. John's account of a fox lying in wait and 

 seizing a hare. We have already seen that some kinds of lizards and 

 various snakes, when excited, rapidly vibrate the tips of their tails. It 

 would appear as if, under strong excitement, there existed an uncon- 

 trollable desire for movement of some kind, oAvins: to nerve force beingr 

 freely liberated from the excited sensorium ; and that as the tail is left 

 free, and as its movement does not disturb the general position of the 

 body, it is curled or lashed about. 



All the movements of a cat, when feeling affectionate, are in com- 

 plete antithesis to those just described. She now stands upright, w^ith 

 slightly arched back, tail perpendicularly raised, and ears erected ; 

 and she rubs her cheeks and flanks against her master or mistress. 

 The desire to rub something is so strong in cats under this state of 

 mind, that they may often be seen rubbing themselves against the legs 

 of chairs or tables or against door posts. This manner of expressing 

 affection probably originated through association, as in the case of dogs, 

 from the mother nursing' and fondling her young; and perhaps from the 

 young themselves loving each other and playing together. Another, 

 and very different gesture, expressive of pleasure, has already been 

 described, namely, the curious manner in which young and even old 

 cats, when pleased, alternately protrude their forefeet with separated 

 toes, as if pushing against and sucking their mother's teats. This 

 habit is so far analogous to that of rubbing against something, that 

 both apparently are derived from actions performed during the nurs- 

 ing period. Why cats should show affection by rubbing so much more 

 than do dogs, though the latter delight in contact with their masters, 

 and why cats only occasionally lick the hands of their friends, whilst 

 dogs always do so, I can not say. Cats cleanse themselves by licking 

 their ow^n coats more regularly than do dogs. On the other hand, 

 their tongues seem less Avell fitted for the work than the longer and 

 more flexible tongues of dogs. 



