132 The Book of Cats. 



growled with a sound resembling the miniature 

 roar of a lion. When thus excited she used to 

 present a strange appearance, owing to a crest or 

 ridge of hair which then erected itself on her back, 

 and extended from the top of her head to the 

 root of her tail, which latter member was marvel- 

 lously expanded. Gentle as she was in her ordinary 

 demeanour, Pret was a terrible Cat when she saw 

 cause, and was undaunted by size or numbers. 



She had a curious habit of catching mice by the 

 very tips of their tails, and of carrying the poor 

 little animals about the house, dangling miserably 

 from her jaws. Apparently her object in so doing 

 was to present her prey uninjured to her mistress, 

 who she evidently supposed would enjoy a game 

 with a mouse as well as herself, for like human 

 beings she judged the characters of others by her 

 own. This strange custom of tail-bearing was carried 

 into the privacy of her own family, and caused 

 rather ludicrous results. When Pret became a 

 mother, and desired to transport her kittens from 

 one place to another, she followed her acquired 

 habit of porterage, and tried to carry her kittens 

 about by the tips of their tails. As might be sup- 

 posed, they objected to this mode of conveyance, 

 and sticking their claws in the carpet, held firmly 



