THE CAT 



93 



In the first place, mice do not 

 afford sLifificient nourishment, 

 and the hungry hunters will 

 soon learn to go after birds 

 and chickens ; or they will seek 

 other food, often very injurious, 

 and so fall ill and die. 



The patience of a cat when 

 watching a mouse is really un- 

 speakable, but as soon as the 

 favorable moment arrives it 

 moves forward, its belly to 

 earth, gently shaking its hind 

 quarters, that the elasticity of 

 its hind legs may be in com- 

 munion with the rest of the 

 body ; then the spring is made, 

 and it never misses its stroke. 

 Trainers, bow your heads ! 

 Here Nature has trained, and 

 the pupil has absorbed the 

 science in its blood, in its mar- 

 row, and in every muscle. 



XI. The Cat's VV.av of 

 Climbing and Falling 



Young cats love to climb, a 

 pleasure readily granted to 

 them, for however hazardous 

 their performances may appear, 

 there is usually little danger. 

 Thanks to its sharp claws a cat 

 can climb a tree very rapidly, 

 as can tigers and other felines ; 

 the taste, however, among tame 

 animals seems confined to kit- 

 tens and young cats. Old cats 

 apply this faculty only to attain 

 some purpose, — to reach the 

 top of the garden wall or the 

 gutter of the house. When cats 

 fall from a considerable height 

 they come down safe nine times 

 out of ten ; but it is an exag- 

 geration to say that they always 

 fall on their feet, that is to say, 

 without any accident, for we 

 could cite many instances in 



Climbing 



