48 BOMBAY DUCKS 



lightly on her feet and strolled off in a most dignified 

 manner. 



The cat is an ungrateful creature ; she attaches her- 

 self to localities, not to persons. Cat-lovers will prob- 

 ably take exception to this assertion ; but let them for 

 a moment compare their cats with their dogs. How 

 many cats have they possessed that would follow them 

 about wherever they went and refuse to leave them 

 unless tied up, or held back by force ? How many cats 

 have they owned that would receive them with great 

 demonstrations of joy after a short absence? How 

 many cats have they known that would invariably 

 come to their owner when called ? These are all attri- 

 butes of even a poor pariah dog. 



The cat is selfishness personified. It is a discon- 

 tented creature, and manifests its discontent by emit- 

 ting that most abominable of sounds — a miau. It is 

 sly, cunning, and not over-valorous. It dislikes a bath, 

 and is, as a rule, incapable of real affection. It is a 

 savage, which has lost few of its ancestral traits. It is 

 the most contemptible member of the most cruel 

 family of mammals. 



"No creature," writes Lockwood Kipling, "is more 

 independent than the cat. Its more complete domesti- 

 cation in the West is in reality mainly due to its love 

 of warmth. For the sake of comfort it will tolerate 

 humanity, and blink amiably at the fireside, but a 

 serene selfishness is at the basis of its character. The 

 Indian domestic cat is not bound to the family circle 

 by the need of warmth ; there is no fireside to speak of, 

 and it lives its own life." 



