ELECTRICITY OF THE CAT. 205 



of the same house. In such a case the Cat usually behaves in a tyrannous manner to- 

 wards her canine friend, and treats him in a most unceremonious manner. She will 

 sit on his back and make him carry her about the room. She will take liberties with 

 his tail or bite his ears, and if he resents this kind of treatment she deals him a pat on 

 the nose, and either sets up her back at him defiantly, or leaps upon some elevated 

 spot where he cannot reach her, and there waits until she supposes his ire to have 

 subsided. 



The attachment of the dog and the Cat is sometimes curiously manifested. 



In a large metropolitan household there had been a change of servants, and the new 

 cook begged as a favor to be permitted the company of her dog. Permission was 

 granted, and the dog took up his quarters in the kitchen, to the infinite disgust of the 

 Cat, who thought her dignity insulted by the introduction of a stranger into her own 

 special domain. In process of time, however, she got over her dislike, and the two ani- 

 mals became fast friends. At last the cook left the family, and took away her dog with her. 



After an absence of some length she determined on paying a visit to her former 

 companions, her dog accompanying her as usual. Pussy was in the room when the dog 

 entered, and flew forwards to greet him. She then ran out of the room, and shortly 

 returned, bearing in her mouth her own dinner. This she laid before her old friend, 

 and actually stood beside him while he ate the food with which she so hospitably en- 

 tertained him. This anecdote was related to me by the owner of the Cat. 



The extraordinary electrical character of the Cat is well known. On a cold, bright 

 day, if a Cat be stroked, the hairs of the fur bristle up, and electrical sparks issue there- 

 from, accompanied with a slight crackling. 



It appears, too, that the animal may be so surcharged with electricity that it will give 

 a severe shock to the holder. In order to obtain this result, the Cat should be placed 

 on the knees, and one hand applied to its breast while the other is employed in strok- 

 ing its fur. Cracklings and sparkles soon make their appearance, and in a short time, 

 if the party continues to stroke the animal, he will receive a sharp electrical shock 

 that may be felt above the wrists. The Cat seems to suffer as much as the experi- 

 menter, for on giving forth the shock she springs to the ground in terror, and seldom 

 will permit a repetition of the same process. 



This electrical endowment may probably account for the powerful effects which are 

 produced upon Cats by slight means. For example, if a hair from her mistress' head 

 were laid upon " Pret," the Cat would writhe about on the floor and twist her body into 

 violent contortions, and would endeavor with all her might to shake off the object of 

 her fears. Even the mere pointing of a finger at her side was sufficient to make her 

 fur bristle up and set her trembling, though the obnoxious finger were at six inches' 

 distance from her body. On account of the superabundance of electricity which is de- 

 veloped in the Cat, this animal is found very useful to paralyzed persons, who instinctively 

 encourage the approach of a Cat, and derive a gentle benefit from its touch. Those 

 who are afflicted with rheumatism often find their sufferings alleviated by the presence 

 of one of these electrically gifted animals. 



It is worthy of notice that Cats do not invariably display the same amount of 

 electricity, but give out more or less of that marvellous power, according to the person 

 who handles them. This phenomenon is evidently caused by the different amount of 

 electricity which resides in different individuals. 



There are some persons who are so highly electrical that whenever they take off an 

 article which they have worn next the skin, slight crackling is heard, accompanied with 

 little electrical sparks. This outpouring of electricity becomes more powerful if the 

 person drinks some exhilarating liquids, such as wine or spirits. Many delicate ex- 

 periments have been made on this interesting subject, but as yet with few and unsatis- 

 factory results. It has, however, been elucidated, that healthy men generally are 

 positive in their electricity, while women are negative ; in both cases there is an augmen- 

 tation of power, electric or otherwise towards and during the evening. Without warmth, 

 the electrical phenomena are not shown, so that in winter a warm atmosphere is 

 needed for conducting the experiments properly. Rheumatic affections seem to absorb 

 or destroy the electricity, for during their presence the phenomena cannot be obtained 



