CATS TAKE NOTE OF TIME. 9 



They all had a sad ending, coming to an untimely death 

 through being caught in wires set by poachers for rabbits. 

 I have ever regretted the loss of the gentle, Lillah. She was 

 as beautiful as she was good, gentle, and loving, without a 

 fault. 



It may have been noted in the foregoing I have said 

 that my cats were always awaiting my coming. Just so. 

 The cat seems to take note of time as well as place. At my 

 town house I had a cat named Guadalquiver^ which was fed 

 on horseflesh brought to the door. Every day during the 

 week he would go and sit ready for the coming of "the 

 cat's-meat man," but he never did so on the Sunday. How 

 it was he knew on that day that the man did not come I 

 never could discover; still, the fact remains. How he, or 

 whether he, counted the days until the sixth, and then rested 

 the seventh from his watching, is a mystery. A similar 

 case is related of an animal belonging to Mr. Triibner, 

 the London publisher. The cat, a gigantic one, and a pet 

 of his, used to go every evening to the end of the terrace, 

 on which was the house where he resided, to escort Mr. 

 Triibner back to dinner on his arrival from the City, but 

 was never once known to make the mistake of going to 

 meet him on Sundays. And again, how well a cat knows 

 when it is luncheon-time ! He or she may be apparently 

 asleep on the tiles, or snugly lying under a bush basking in 

 the sun's warm rays, when it will look up, yawn, stretch it- 

 self, get up, and move leisurely towards the house, and as 

 the luncheon-bell rings, in walks the cat, as ready for food 

 as any there. 



Most cats are of a gentle disposition, but resent ill- 

 treatment in a most determined way, generally making use 

 of their claws, at the same time giving vent to their feehngs 

 by a low growl and spitting furiously. Under such condi- 

 tions it is best to leave off that which has appeared to 

 irritate them. Dogs generally bite when they lose their 

 temper, but a cat seldom. Should a cat dig her claws into 

 your hand, never draw it backward, but push forward ; you 

 thus close the foot and render the claws harmless. If 



