DISEASES AND REMEDIES 83 



beginners I would tell them to be suspicious when they 

 find their pussies have ravenous appetites and yet seem to 

 be none the better or fatter for their food. Again, the 

 appearance of the coat is very tell-tale, the fur is " spiky " 

 instead of fleecy and fluffy, and I have found no surer sign 

 of worms than when the corners of the eyes come up in a 

 sort of white skins. This betokens tapeworms, which are 

 really even more serious than wire-worms. 



A pinch of salt in pussy's food is an excellent thing. I 

 believe it is a preventive against worms, and it is good for 

 the blood. Be careful, however, not to give too much, as 

 this would cause skin trouble, and when a cat is in kitten 

 extra care should be taken, as I have known a too lavish 

 use of salt under such circumstances bring on a miscarriage. 



If it is necessary to administer a dose for worms to your 

 cat, do not give an aperient at the same time. Wait about 

 an hour, and then the vermifuge will have done its work, 

 and the aperient will cause evacuation of the worms. It is 

 generally considered a bad sign if these pests are vomited, 

 and denotes the presence of still more to be got rid of. 



A very common cause of worms in cats is eating decom- 

 posed food. There are three kinds of worms the small 

 thread worm, which resembles a piece of crochet cotton, the 

 long round worm, and the tapeworm. It is the last named 

 that works most serious havoc. 



There are several remedies for worms to be obtained of 

 the leading veterinaries and cat specialists, but I am greatly 

 against the " worming " of young kittens. It stunts their 

 growth and interferes with their digestive powers. If 

 delicate kittens are dosed, it sometimes finishes them off. I 

 recommend all fanciers so to feed and nourish their young 

 kits that they can have strength enough to resist these pests, 

 which are more or less present in every animal. It is just a 

 matter whether the worms or the creatures are the stronger. 



It is always a bad sign if a cat or kitten in being sick 

 brings up a worm. You may be very certain that there are 



