ANECDOTES ABOUT CATS 263 



cat of the twain ; the other is most probably a vulgar 

 plain plebeian with its original shyness still strongly 

 present in it. 



"Of my three cats two I reckon as parlour cats, and 

 the third has been by kind usage and encouragement 

 coaxed into a degree of the same familiarity. Still, how- 

 ever, the natural timidity seems unconquerable. If you 

 make a rapid motion towards the creature she bounds 

 away like a wild thing. Her two comrades, on the con- 

 trary, are frightened at nothing. 



" The room, the occupants, the whole locality seem 

 their own special sphere and natural dwelling-place ; and 

 the only period of the day when the three appear to be 

 merged into a common character, is as the hour for the 

 visit of the cats' meat man approaches, when they are sure 

 to be waiting at the door, and set up their sweet voices 

 as soon as they hear that of the vendor of the food. 



" It is to be remarked that they take not the slightest 

 notice of the daily cry of a rival practitioner who peram- 

 bulates the street at nearly the same time, and that on 

 Sundays, when no such visit takes place, they never appear 

 to expect the weekday ceremony, but are perfectly aware 

 of a double quantity of their accustomed food being 

 stowed away in a certain cupboard, round which they 

 cluster with arching backs and waving tails." 



People sometimes complain that kittens are pretty 

 playful things, but that they lose the gentleness and 

 piquant prettiness of their youth when they mature and 

 grow into adult cats. 



The complaint is most unreasonable, for the fact is 



