230 Animal Life ’ 
the morning only. Drinking-water must always be handy, but must not be kept inside 
the cage, as it would get spilt and thus render the cage uncomfortable. A shallow 
earthen pan, filled with dry earth, should be kept in one corner of the animal’s cage, 
and if will generally be found that the lynx will make use of it. Young lynxes 
are very easily tamed, so that they may be permitted to run about without any fear 
of losing them, and may be handled just like a dog. When allowed their freedom 
in this manner they are most inquisitive animals, and the frequency and persistency 
with which they sniff any strange person or object frequently becomes embarrassingly 
troublesome. Domestic cats, however, cannot be allowed loose in a house wherein a 
young lynx, or for the matter of that any other foreign wild cat, is kept. Some 
lynxes, especially the tamer ones, are very liable to die of excessive obesity. Caracals 
have been bred in captivity, but only very rarely. 
The cages for the foreign small cats must be large, with the fronts most securely 
fastened in, as all cats, and most especially wild cats, have a habit of suddenly 
springing forward, whenever annoyed, on to the wire fronts of the cages, with the 
result that, if the front be not firmly put im and properly fixed, it comes bodily 
away, thus releasmg the animal at an inopportune moment of savage annoyance into 
the room wherein its cage may be situated. The best front for a cage for the 
foreign wild cats is one made of 3-1n. rod or bar iron, with cross-bars every foot or 
eighteen inches. If galvanised wire netting be used, it must be the very strongest 
obtainable used double, and placed so that the meshes do not coincide. When placing 
the second layer of netting over the first, care must be taken to put it on in a 
regular and even manner in order to make the meshes of an even size, otherwise 
the appearance of the front will be slovenly and displeasing to the eye. A retiring- 
compartment must be placed in one corner of the cage for the cat to shield itself 
from observation. This should be filled with the best sweet hay and provided with a 
door capable of bemg opened and closed from the outside of the large cage. This 
will be found a great convenience whenever it is found necessary to clean out the 
cage, as the animal can be driven into the sleeping box or compartment, the door 
closed, and the scrubbing-out of the cage or such other necessary cleaning operation 
commenced. Cats—wild ones, that is—unless kept in scrupulously clean cages, are 
very odoriferous animals; if, however, their cages are well scrubbed out with boiling 
water and disinfectant soap, the strong and to some people offensive smell is kept 
under. All the cats are extremely impatient of dampness, and they must not be let 
out of their sleeeping-box until the floor of the maim compartment has become 
thoroughly dry. The floor should be plentifully strewn with sawdust, this acting in 
the two-fold nature of absorbent and deodorant. 
All “wild” cats must be kept in cages, although some may be allowed partial 
freedom temporarily. The practice of allowing these pets to play about the house at 
will is dangerous, as, whilst readily agreeing that many of them can be tamed to an 
astonishing degree, there are moments when their natural ferocity becomes uncontrolled, 
with disastrous results to any living creature, either in the way of domestic live stock 
or even the owner, which’ might cross their path at these inopportune moments. These 
cats, when put out, generally attack the head and face, so that every person who 
goes in for foreign cat-keeping must exercise every care and precaution against any 
accidents sinilar to that hinted at; even an ocelot,—which is one of the quietest—if 
not kept in strict subjection, would clear out a poultry-yard and kill the house dogs 
in about five minutes if it got its unobserved liberty during that time. 
a a a a at 
