ELECTRICITY’ OF THE CAT. 205 
proverb, these two animals will generally become very friendly if they are inhabitants of the 
same house. In such a case the Cat usually behaves in a tyrannous manner towards her 
canine friend, and treats him in a most unceremonious manner. She will sit on his back 
and make him carry her about the room. She will take liberties with his tail or bite his 
ears, and if he resents this kind of treatment she deals him a pat on the nose, and either 
sets up her back at him defiantly, or leaps upon some elevated spot where he cannot reach 
her, and there waits until she supposes his ire to have subsided. 
The attachment of the dog and the Cat is sometimes curiously manifested. 
In a large metropolitan household there had been a change of servants, and the new 
cook begged as a favour to be permitted the company of her dog. Permission was 
pranted, and the dog took up his quarters in the kitchen, to the infinite disgust of the Cat, 
who thought her dignity insulted by the introduction of a stranger into her own special 
domain. In process of time, however, she got over her dislike, and the two animals 
became fast friends. At last the cook left the family, and took away her dog with her. 
After an absence of some length she determined on paying a visit to her former 
companions, her dog accompanying her as usual. Pussy was in the room when the dog 
entered, and flew forwards to greet him. She then ran out of the room, and shortly 
returned, bearing in her mouth her own dinner. This she laid before her old friend, and 
actually stood beside him while he ate the food with which she so hospitably entertained 
him. This anecdote was related to me by the owner of the Cat. 
The extraordinary electrical character of the Cat is well known. On a cold, bright 
day, if a Cat be stroked, the hairs of the fur bristle wp, and electrical sparks issue therefrom, 
accompanied with a slight crackling. 
It appears, too, that the animal may be so surcharged with electricity that it will give 
a severe shock to the holder. In order to obtain this result, the Cat should be placed on 
the knees, and one hand applied to its breast while the other is employed in stroking its 
fur. Cracklings and sparkles soon make their appearance, and in a short time, if the 
party continues to stroke the animal, he will receive a sharp electrical shock that may be 
felt above the wrists. The Cat seems to suffer as much as the experimenter, for on giving 
forth the shock she springs to the ground in terror, and seldom will permit a repetition of 
the same process. 
This electrical endowment may probably account for the powerful effects which are pro- 
duced upon Cats by shght means. For example, if a hair from her mistress’ head were laid 
upon “ Pret,” the Cat would writhe about on the floor and twist her body into violent contor- 
tions, and would endeavour with all her might to shake off the object of her fears. Even the 
mere pointing of a finger at her side was sufficient to make her fur bristle up and set her 
trembling, though the obnoxious finger were at six inches’ distance from her body. On 
account of the superabundance of electricity which is developed in the Cat, this animal is 
found very useful to paralysed persons, who instinctively encourage the approach of a Cat, 
and derive a gentle benefit from its touch. Those who are afflicted with rheumatism often 
find their sufferings alleviated by the presence of one of these electrically gifted animals. 
It is worthy of notice that Cats do not invariably display the same amount of electricity, 
but give out more or less of that marvellous power, according to the person who handles 
them. This phenomenon is evidently caused by the different amount of electricity which 
resides in different individuals. 
There are some persons who are so highly electrical that whenever they take off an 
article which they have worn next the skin slight crackling is heard, accompanied with 
little electrical sparks. This outpouring of electricity becomes more powerful if the 
person drinks some exhilarating liquids, such as wine or spirits. Many delicate experiments 
have been made on this interesting subject, but as yet with few and unsatisfactory results. 
It has, however, been elucidated, that healthy men generally are positive in their 
electricity, while women are negative ; in both cases there is an augmentation of power, 
electric or otherwise, towards and during the evening. Without warmth, the electrical 
phenomena are not shown, so that in winter a warm atmosphere is needed for conducting 
the experiments properly. Rheumatic affections seem to absorb or destroy the electricity, 
for during their presence the phenomena cannot be obtained. 
