Animal Friends and Helpers [ 149 



has had no coaching may reach the top of a tree and then be too 

 terrified to descend. Often a fire company or the S.P.C.A. must 

 come to the rescue! 



CHILDREN AND CATS 



When a cat and this is even truer of a kitten is brought 

 into the home, training is usually desirable in more than one 

 respect. Not only must we teach the little animal how to fit into 

 the family program; we also need to instruct the children of the 

 family how to handle and treat their pet. 



A frightened cat or one that has been excited or angered by 

 teasing, may inflict serious scratches on a child. It is not difficult 

 to teach even a small child to pick up a cat properly by approach- 

 ing it from the back or side and placing one arm under the cat's 

 forelegs and the other around its body underneath the abdomen. 

 The best way to pick up a little kitten is by placing your hand 

 under its body. Grasping the scruff of its neck will not hurt a cat, 

 but it is not a sensation that the animal enjoys; it is best to resort 

 to it only for disciplinary reasons. 



CAT LANGUAGE 



Children will quickly learn something of the cat's own 

 language: the happy purr, the soft mew of contentment, the 

 begging meow of hunger, the frightened yowl, the shrill battle 

 cry when the cat is involved in a fight. The cat's body is just as 

 expressive as its voice. A lashing tail (in contrast to a dog's happy 

 wag) is a sign of angry excitement. At such times the cat's ears 

 lie back and if it is badly frightened, its hair stands on end 

 over its entire body and tail. 



WHERE CATS CAME FROM 



Though we can trace back the cat family millions of years 

 to prehistoric times, there is much about the ancestry of domestic 

 cats that remains a mystery. Many conflicting theories have been 

 advanced from time to time regarding their origin. 



The striped tabby pattern is a strong indication that the fore- 

 bear of our pets of today was either the European wildcat or the 

 African wildcat, for both of these species have a striped pattern. 



