198 ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 



in the search, and he dragged out a cat from the close 

 stove (for it was in Germany), which had taken refuge 

 there, and been wholly unperceived by the man-servant. 

 This gentleman's daughter inherited the same antipathy ; 

 and neither the tenderest feelings towards other c dumb 

 creatures/ nor the strongest efforts of a mind of unusual 

 strength, could subdue the uncomfortable and distress- 

 ing sensation which thrilled through her when a cat 

 was in her presence. 



Where every house has a cat, many two, where every 

 female cat at least twice in each year brings forth a 

 litter of from three to five kittens, which are not all 

 drowned, some idea may be formed of the untellable 

 number of cats in London ; but it is only the dwellers 

 in what is called a quiet out-of-the-way street in the 

 metropolis who can form any notion of the noise and 

 caterwaulings of this part of the population. All cats, 

 on first taking possession with their owners of a house, 

 are obliged to enter into an alliance offensive and de- 

 fensive with the older inhabitants of the neighbourhood. 

 In some instances the amicable arrangements, though 

 less noisy, are the most troublesome ; of which I was 

 convinced in one of my dwellings. The back overlooked 

 a number of gardens, some of which were large ; and 

 to enjoy these sufficiently, a small, leaded terrace was 

 thrown out from the back drawing-room window. 

 Here all the cats of all the gardens, the street, and 

 the opposite square, used to hold their conversazioni; 

 and I presume that my cats were particularly amiable, 

 for often, if the drawing-room window had been left 

 open during our absence, we found a select few, per- 

 haps five or six, sitting within its precincts, as if ia 

 friendly talk. 



