254 "^he Book of Cats. 



deserted the parlour altogether, though he had been 

 always patted and caressed by every one there. 

 He would sit for hours mewing disconsolately at 

 my door ; and when he could, he would steal in, 

 jump upon the bed, testifying his joy at seeing me 

 by loud purring and coaxing, and sometimes licking 

 my hand. The very day I went down, he resumed 

 his regular attendance in the parlour," 



Another lady describes how her Cat awoke her 

 in the middle of the night. It sat down by the 

 bed-side and mewed, while it rubbed itself back- 

 wards and forwards against the bedposts. The 

 lady had no idea what was the matter, but felt sure 

 there was something, and lighting the candle, found 

 a dead mouse quite close to her. Satisfied that the 

 lady had examined its capture, Puss took it off, and 

 after playing with it for an hour, ate it up, leaving, as 

 usual, the tail and paws. In the countiy or in farm- 

 houses, the Cat will never fail to bring home birds 

 and mice, and, in Southern climes, lizards and even 

 snakes. She does this, however, very much in pro- 

 portion to the amount of kindness bestowed upon 

 her at home, and if this be altogether lacking, the 

 prey is only shown to other Cats living in the same 

 house, or to her own young, if she happens to have 

 any ; often indeed, she brings her trophy imme- 

 diately and only to her young. 



