66 



many rats have you known to be killed by cats in a day? " 

 Hence a reply may include two or a dozen cats. In a few cases, 

 however, it is stated specifically that one cat killed a certain 

 number. Only 147 out of 427 observers can say that they ever 

 knew cats to kill any definite number of rats in a day. In most 

 cases the maximum number of rats killed by cats in a day varies 

 from 1 to 3, but Mr. B. S. Bowdish of Demarest, N. J., records 

 5 small rats killed. There are a few cases where larger numbers 

 are given. Miss Grace E. Wilder of East Lynn has a cat that 

 has killed 4 rats in a day. Mr. Jonathan H. Jones of Waquoit 

 records 7 to one cat. IMrs. ]\Iary A. Wheat of Dorchester has 

 known a cat to kill 14. Mr. F. H. Mosher of Melrose has a cat 

 which killed 18 in one day, 15 of which were young. When grain 

 is being cleared out of a building, a good ratter occasionally 

 makes a great killing. Mrs. Florence G. Butler of East Charle- 

 mont says that she has known cats thus to kill 20 rats in a corn 

 barn. An enthusiastic friend of the cat wrote that she had 

 known 32 rats killed by a cat in one day, and that another aver- 

 aged 10 rats a night, which would amount to 3,650 rats per year; 

 she also speaks of another cat which was alleged to have killed 

 enough field mice nightly to "cover" the doorstep and the walk 

 leading up to it. Such destruction as alleged here would soon 

 solve the rat problem. The first of her stories was investigated, 

 with the following results: — 



A porter of a large dry goods house gave a signed statement, 

 saying that the first cat mentioned, which he had obtained from 

 the Animal Rescue League of Boston, killed 32 rats between 

 Saturday night and Monday night, and that another averaged 

 from 3 to 5 a night. An investigation of this statement showed 

 that in the first case heads, tails and other remains of rats were 

 counted, and that there were two cats instead of one. The man 

 who now cares for this champion cat has never known it to kill 

 more than 7 rats in one night. 



Miss Clara L. Hutchins of Groton has three cats that are re- 

 garded as excellent rat killers. At my request she kept a careful 

 record, with dates, of the rats killed by them from June 28 to 

 September 1. Teddy killed 4, 2 of which were full grown. Buster 

 killed 6, 2 of which were full grown. Binks killed 9 small rats. 

 By actual count, here were 15 small rats and 6 full-grown ones 

 killed by these excellent cats in a little over two months; and 

 it is quite possible that a few more may have been killed, as the 

 remains of 2 more were found. The record also gives 2 mice and 

 3 small snakes, all killed by Buster. It is probable that few actual 

 records carefully kept would show better results than this, except 



