252 Wild Bird Guests 



female cats and consequently a reduction in the 

 number of unnecessary cats brought into the 

 world. As a result of a similar tax on dogs, 

 there is just one female dog in our own village; 

 there are scores of female cats. 



The writer fails to see any legitimate objection 

 which can be made to imposing such a tax. 

 All humane persons, and especially cat lovers, 

 should welcome such a measure, first because it 

 would at once give the cat a legal status which it 

 does not now enjoy, and at the same time prevent 

 the misery now suffered by hundreds of thou- 

 sands of unnecessary and sadly neglected cats, 

 many of which get their revenge on thoughtless 

 humanity, in the country by destroying useful 

 birds, and in the city by preventing peace- 

 ful slumber. And surely all dealers in cats 

 should be favorable to such taxation because 

 the demand for the high-grade cat? which they 

 breed would be increased owing to the great 

 reduction in the supply of common cats, and 

 because there would be a tendency to own a cat 

 worth paying a tax on. Then from the money 

 derived from this tax there might be employed 

 in each town an officer or officers whose duty 

 it was to be informed of the number of cats 

 owned by each family and to humanely destroy 

 all cats not licensed according to law. It would 



