198 OUR HOME PETS 



ingly fond of his friends, and generous in his 

 conduct to other animals. He is, to be sure, 

 not demonstrative, nor does he kiss the hand 

 that beats him ; and, as we go about in our 

 blundering way, unless we are made uncom- 

 fortable by a show of affection, fairly forced 

 upon us, as is done by the dog, we do not 

 notice it, and conclude it does not exist. Puss 

 does not express his emotions by barking, 

 prancing about, and knocking one down ; but 

 his quiet rubbing against his friend, his gen- 

 tle touch of the tongue, mean quite as much 

 as the more noisy greeting. 



The cat-mother's kindness to the young of 

 other animals is notorious. She will adopt 

 into her family and bring up with all the love 

 and care she lavishes upon her own little ones, 

 creatures so incongruous as chickens, ducks, 

 foxes, squirrels, puppies, hedgehogs, and even 

 rats. Moreover, she forms friendships of the 

 warmest sort ; not only with dogs and horses, 

 but with turkeys and fowls, readily giving up 

 her warm bed by the fire to share the cold 

 quarters of her friend. 



It has been commonly supposed that be- 

 cause a cat will not learn to do tricks like a 



