HINTS ON CARE AND MANAGEMENT 35 



Perhaps you may have noticed a decided partiality for 

 bottom drawers that your puss will display as the date of the 

 expected arrival draws near. I think in this respect a mother 

 cat shows her good sense, for certainly if a bottom drawer 

 can be spared, it is a very safe and convenient home for a 

 litter of kits. They are out of draughts and danger, and if 

 the drawer is left an inch or two open, they can get plenty of 

 air. Of course, whilst the mother is nursing them a larger 

 opening is necessary, so that she may jump in and out. 



Do not allow your cats to have their kittens in outside 

 catteries during cold weather. The mother is not able to 

 attend to them properly till all are born into the world, and, 

 therefore, the neglected ones are sometimes perished to 

 death before they can cuddle up to get the natural warmth 

 they so much require. 



When cats are in kitten great care should be taken in 

 handling them, and if it is really necessary to lift your pnss, 

 do so with both hands, placing one under her hind quarters. 

 It is very injurious to attempt to pick up a cat in this 

 interesting condition under the front paws, thus leaving the 

 heaviest part of the body suspended. 



It is most important that all female cats should be freed 

 from worms before being allowed to breed, or even to mate. 

 So o'ten young; kittens fall victims to these pests, having 

 sucked in the disease with their mother's milk. I highly re- 

 commend Ward's worm powders, but as all vermifuges are 

 weakening, a specially nourishing diet should be given at the 

 same time. 



After our puss has given birth to two, three, or four 

 kittens, we are often led ^y her size to suppose there are 

 more' to follow. Sometimes we may be right, but more 

 probably it is only a temporary enlargement, and in a day 

 or two we become, perhaps, concerned to find the mother's 

 sides very visibly decrease. Give hot milk and farinaceous 

 food to your puss just at first after the birth of kittens. 



Some pussies greatly resent being looked at during the 



