206 The Coimnon Cat. [Sess. 



every one likes, or at least professes to like, the dog. Every 

 one agrees in testifying to its sagacity, constancy, love, and 

 other attributes. Yet every one knows that in many cases 

 the dog is aggressive, pugnacious, and even fierce. I do not 

 intend to discuss the relative merits of the dog and the cat. 

 Each is in its own way perfect, and fulfils exactly its place in 

 nature. The cat, however, even at this late day, seems still 

 to require a champion, — not, indeed, to defend it or its char- 

 acter, but rather to rouse a proper feeling towards it — to open 

 the blind eyes of those who, without knowledge, decry this 

 most lovable little feline. It is a matter of the greatest 

 wonder why a champion should be necessary. The cat is, ipar 

 excellence, the household pet, just as the dog is most fitted to be 

 man's companion out of doors. Can we picture to ourselves a 

 really cosy room, parlour or kitchen, without the " comfort- 

 able cat " ? What can add greater pleasure to a quiet seat 

 round the fireside than the soft purring of pussy ? What 

 better appetiser could we have than the presence of pussy at 

 our elbow, reminding us that every little scrap will be thank- 

 fully received ? It is a remarkable fact that a cat will so 

 entwine itself into one's affection that folks who previously 

 did not care much for the animal soon become not only its 

 admirers, but to all intents its devotees. In the words of the 

 poet, however — 



" To those who know thee not, what words can paint ? 

 And those who know thee, know all words are faint.'' 



The Cat's place in Natural History. — Very briefly we shall 

 consider the cat's place amongst the animals. Our domestic 

 pet is closely related to, and in fact belongs to, the same genus 

 Felis as does the lion, tiger, panther, leopard, jaguar, &c. 

 This genus includes some fifty-one distinct species. The 

 whole group is characterised by beauty of form and colour, 

 agility, and gracefulness of movement. The cat genus in- 

 cludes the most highly specialised of the carnivora. The 

 domestic cat is not believed to be descended from the wild 

 cat. The latter {Felis catus) was common in England up to 

 the Middle Ages, and indeed we find an enactment dated 

 1127 in which it was forbidden that any abbess or nun should 

 wear any other fur than that of the lamb or the wild cat. In 



