1909-1910-] 1^^^ Common Cat, 217 



lift one for a moment, are most touching. We have all 

 known of cats which have dug up the bodies of their drowned 

 and buried kittens and have taken them back to their homes. 

 One poor cat saw her kittens thrown into a river, and boldly 

 plunged in, seized one, and bore it to the bank. Again she re- 

 turned and rescued a second, and gave up her own sweet life 

 in attempting to rescue a third. In another case a cat had 

 her family at the back of the 'stage in a theatre. The stage 

 caught fire, and pussy carried one kitten to a place of safety, 

 tlien returned a second and a third time and brought two 

 more ; but the flames were too powerful for her on the fourth 

 occasion, and her little charred body was found along with 

 the remaining two kittens. Could human love be stronger 

 than this ? So powerful is this maternal love, that a cat, 

 if deprived of her kittens, will adopt the young of almost any 

 animal. Thus they have been known to nurse chickens, rats, 

 leverets, squirrels, or puppies. How intensely cruel it is of 

 any one to deprive a cat of all her kittens. One or two 

 should in every case be preserved, and from experience I 

 know that there is little difficulty in providing them with 

 good homes. 



There is a mixture of timidity along with bravery in the 

 cat which circumstances alone evoke. As a rule, our little 

 friend is shrinking, reserved, and bashful. If, however, a 

 female cat is attacked when guarding her kittens, no animal 

 can be so fierce. She will fight to the death rather than 

 leave her offspring. 



Homing Instinct. — This wonderful power, which is common 

 to many animals, is often remarkably shown by cats. In 

 country districts they often travel miles from home, but this 

 sense of direction has been manifested in many instances 

 where cats have found their way back to their former homes, 

 distant hundreds of miles. One cat, taken from Huddersfield 

 to London by train, travelled the whole distance of 200 miles 

 back in four days. 



Conversational Powers, — Cats, like many other animals, are 

 able to transmit their thoughts or feelings to other cats, or to 

 other animals, by unvocalised transmission. How this is done 

 none can tell, nor can we tell how cats and dogs are able to 

 understand our unspoken thoughts. This they are able to 



