81. 



enemies have become practically extinct in the greater part of 

 New England, its increase is bounded only by the limit of its 

 food supply and the activity of hunters and trappers, who have 

 no pecuniary incentive to destroy it, as its fur is of trifling value. 

 While the cat is not indispensable in buildings, and while 

 mice and rats may be held in check and locally exterminated 

 without a cat, an efficient mouser and ratter will often do more 

 to keep down the numbers of rats and mice than would the 

 ordinary miller, grocer, farmer or householder if he had no cat. 

 Unquestionably, then, selected cats are useful in the dwellings 

 and granaries of man, as a check to the increase of small rodents, 

 but when allowed to roam out of doors the species becomes a 

 serious detriment to the agriculturist. Even if we take no ac- 

 count of the birds that it destroys, the balance would weigh 

 against it, and when the results of its bird-killing habits are 

 examined, it becomes a decided evil. 



ANIMAL SUBSTITUTES FOR THE CAT. 



Both before and since cats were first tamed other animals 

 have been utilized to destroy rats and mice. Some have been 

 tamed and domesticated, others have been kept in confinement 

 except when in use, and still others have been merely tolerated. 

 Snakes have been tolerated or utilized in buildings and dwellings 

 as ratcatchers from time immemorial. The owl, weasel, stone 

 marten, polecat, ferret, mongoose, skunk and dog have been 

 made use of as ratcatchers. Weasels, as hereinbefore stated, are 

 admitted to be far superior to cats, as they can follow both rats 

 and mice into their holes, but, like the ferret, they must be kept 

 in confinement or under control, It is said that rats and mice 

 will not enter a building in which a weasel is kept, and that the 

 coming of a weasel to a building will drive out all rodents that 

 escape it. The ancients are believed to have used weasels and 

 stone martens to rid buildings of rats, controlling them when at 

 work by means of long chains, which allowed them to run into 

 rat holes, but the most successful animal rat hunters of the 

 present day are well-trained dogs and ferrets working together. 

 The muzzled ferret drives out the rats and the dog catches them. 

 Ferrets and dogs, however, must be trained, fed and accustomed 

 to work together, and must be attended and assisted by their 

 master. No dogs are better for this purpose than certain small 

 terriers, particularly the fox terrier. Such dogs, working with 

 ferrets and under the direction of their master, will kill enor- 

 mous numbers of rats, and will practically exterminate them from 



