CARE OF THE CAT 75 



themselves, and meet a fate of selection, when 

 the one or two are to be kept and the rest to 

 be drowned. 



In the city arid large towns it is different. 

 The cat in the environment of civilization must 

 be fed, looked after, and guarded in its mo- 

 ments of freedom; and a guide to the care of 

 the cat applies rather to city cats than country 

 ones, except such portions as are needful for 

 the finer-bred cats, which require special care 

 at all times. 



In towns the cat should wear a collar on 

 which the name of the owner is engraved; 

 although there is the serious objection to a 

 collar that it breaks the hairs and marks the 

 neck. In New York the Society for the Pre- 

 vention of Cruelty to Animals is empowered 

 with a most satisfactory law for the protection 

 of cats and is most liberal in its care of them 

 (vide Appendix). 



HOUSING. 



The cat is an excessively cleanly animal, 

 and when housed should be provided with 

 means for remaining so. A small box, or 



