54 BOMBAY DUCKS 



mighty springs of which she is capable. The best 

 manner of witnessing this is to throw a jug of cold 

 water over the cat when she is asleep in the garden. 



Observe how cunning pussy is when engaged in 

 shikar. Notice the crouching attitude she adopts and 

 the stealthy manner in which she advances towards her 

 victim. Mark the tail : the tip is raised and is slowly 

 wagged from side to side. This is the only sign given 

 by the cat of the intense excitement with which she is 

 thrilled. A sportsman in India may, if he be fortunate, 

 see a tiger do all this. 



The nocturnal proclivities of puss are nothing but a 

 survival of the habits of her ancestors. Most, if not all, 

 her cousins in the wild state hunt during the hours of 

 darkness. Their eyes are made for night-work. 



There is, however, one difference between the cat and 

 wild carnivora which it is important to notice, other- 

 wise he who watches pussy will entertain an exagger- 

 ated idea of the cruelty of beasts of prey. When a 

 cat catches a mouse she tortures her victim before she 

 actually kills it. I do not think that the mouse suffers 

 much pain while the cat is indulging in her cruel play 

 at its expense. The little rodent is, I believe, half- 

 paralysed, and its senses completely numbed. 



Men who have been carried off by lions declare that 

 they experienced no fright ; that, indeed, they scarcely 

 realized what was happening. Be this as it may, pussy 

 entreats her victim thus shamefully because she is not 

 hungry ; she indulges in shikar for pleasure, and not to 

 satisfy a craving for food. 



The wild carnivora, although they thoroughly enjoy 



