JACOB HUGHES OPINION OF CATS 307 
“Next to cats I’m most put out with red squirrels and 
English Sparrows. The first are sneaks; they take eggs, 
little birds, and all. They make free with young gray 
squirrels, too, and don’t spare their next-door neighbours 
even, while Sparrows hustle and do much likewise, taking 
the nesting-places of Swallows and Bluebirds and Jenny 
Wrens, and fighting and wrastling with anything smaller 
than themselves, breaking up nests and pitching out young 
ones until I just can’t stand it! Now it’s woe to any of 
these three that comes across my path. Maybe some 
folks will say I’m cruel. Will those folks let mice and 
rats eat their groceries and not kill them? and by them- 
selves rats and mice are decent, clean animals. 
“Not they; and to us that love our tree birds, cats and 
red squirrels and English Sparrows are hateful as are rats 
and mice, and I warrant you’ll not think I’m going too 
far when I say it, ma’am!” 
“No, Jacob, you are right, though I’m sorry to say so,” 
answered Gray Lady, still looking at the feathers. ‘‘ The 
eat tribe is by nature cruel. All animals kill for food, 
but the cat tortures before she kills. I used to defend the 
keeping of pet cats until one that I had trusted bit me 
through the hand at a moment when I was petting her, 
without the slightest provocation. I never knew a dog to 
bite his master unprovoked — unless he was ill — and 
even if we love our cats, we should be unselfish, for birds 
are of value to the country at large and cats are not. 
Only, I insist upon this, that the killing, even of vermin, 
is a matter for the grown up, and some one with authority 
should be appointed to do it. It should not be left to the 
young and irresponsible, just as the punishing of human 
