DOGS AND CATS 107 



(in 1909) the old man at the cottage died, 

 and the home she had chosen for herself was 

 broken up. Then of her own accord she 

 returned to us as a matter of course, and up 

 to the day of her death (in November, 1911) 

 was as friendly and affectionate as possible. 



It is odd that a cat should thus deliberately 

 have chosen to leave a home that was her 

 birthplace, and where she had been more 

 than kindly treated. We thought at the time 

 that it might have been through jealousy of 

 her own kitten, that she often found in the 

 study, but if of so jealous a disposition, why 

 should she go to be one of a family of cats 

 in which as the last-comer she could hardly 

 hope to take the first place? 



The man she went to sometimes worked 

 here, and as he was fond of cats might have 

 taken a fancy to this one, and possibly did 

 something to entice her away. If this was 

 so, it is clear that a cat's affection is not 

 always for places rather than people. 



The strangest part of it all is to me not 

 that she should have left us for the cottage, 

 but that at the same time her whole behaviour 

 towards us should have so entirely changed 

 that she wouldn't let us touch her, and 

 couldn't be induced to set foot in the house. 



The old man to whom this cat betook 

 herself was quite a character in his way. He 

 could neither read nor write, having been put 

 to work on a farm when he was eight years 



