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To prevent Cats killing Chickens. 



Chickens kept in coops covered with small meshed wire netting 

 are safe from cats, but chicks often are stunted by such con- 

 finement. 



Kittens brought up in the chicken yard or henhouse rarely kill 

 chicks. Where a kitten shows a chicken-killing tendency it may 

 sometimes be "cured" by shutting it in a small yard with a 

 spirited hen and her brood. The hen will administer the treat- 

 ment. If the offender is a grown cat the plan suggested by Mr. 

 Wm. Lawlor of Xeedham may be better, otherwise the hen may 

 come out second best. Mr. Lawlor suggests tying a cat up in a 

 bag with its head out and dropping it in the yard with a savage 

 old "setting hen." This would deprive the cat of some of its 

 natural weapons of offence, but the bag should be a strong one. 

 I have seen a cat confined in a pillow-case tear it open in a few 

 seconds. Some poultrymen tie a chicken killed by a cat around 

 the cat's neck and leave it there until it becomes offensive. 

 Several persons report good results from this method. 



LEGISLATION FOR THE CONTROL OF THE CAT. 



We now legislate to protect birds, but place no limit on the 

 increase and activities of their most destructive natural enemy. 

 A man is liable to a fine if he kills a bird, but he may with 

 impunity keep any number of cats to kill birds and bring them 

 to him, although he has no legal right to possess or use birds so 

 caught. Many people believe that a statute should be enacted 

 to limit the numbers and activities of cats, and that such a law 

 should provide responsible officers to kill surplus cats, and should 

 furnish the money to pay them for their services. 



]Mr. Winthrop Packard of Boston proposes the following plan 

 for cat legislation: (1) License every cat and make the fees — 

 male, $1; female, $2. (2) Make the license operative as a pro- 

 tection to the cat only while it remains on the owner's premises. 

 (3) Make it a misdemeanor punishable by fine to own or harbor an 

 unlicensed cat. (4) Require owners of licensed cats to keep a 

 collar on each such cat, bearing on a suitable tag or plate the 

 number of the license and the name of the owner. (5) Require 

 duly authorized oflacials to kill unlicensed cats in a humane 

 manner. (6) Pay such officials out of the money obtained for 

 cat licenses. 



These regulations would be excellent from the standpoint of 

 the cat breeder, most bird protectionists or that of the public 



