1909-1910-] The Common Cat. 219 



parents. To the ear educated in music, the variety of tones 

 in the cat's cry is a constant wonder. 



The cat is a "mighty hunter." Either the male or the 

 female cat will attack and usually kill a rat almost as large 

 as itself. It kills rabbits, and in many cases brings them 

 home, so that cats have been known to keep a household 

 supplied with these rodents. In India they frequently kill 

 snakes. Cats are often asserted to be cruel in the manner of 

 killing their prey. This is judged by the way in which they 

 play with a mouse or bird, allowing it to escape for a short 

 distance and then pouncing on it again. If you watch a 

 kitten with a piece of paper, you will see the same actions 

 gone through. The paper ball is driven along, and then the 

 kitten pounces on it, kicks and bites it, and then hurls it 

 away, and so on. The whole object of the game is to teach 

 itself exactitude in jumping and in catching prey. Only a 

 young, energetic, and well-fed cat will play thus with a mouse ; 

 as George Herbert quotes, "An old cat sports not with her 

 prey," A hungry cat never will do this. It is illogical to 

 attribute cruelty to a cat or any of the lower animals. To be 

 cruel connotes the idea of inflicting unnecessary pain. No 

 one would dream of thinking that the cat desires to inflict 

 pain on the animal it is teasing. The cat is simply playing 

 itself, and at the same time educating itself. Constant 

 practice is necessary to enable him to adapt eye and muscle 

 to the required leap. I deplore the fact that the cat has to 

 kill mice and birds for its sustenance, but I still more deplore 

 the fact that we ourselves are carnivorous, and that our killing 

 of animals is so commonly attended with great cruelty. 



Superstitions connected with the Cat- — It is well known that 

 if the cat, in washing her face, also washes her ears, we affirm 

 that it will probably rain, and this very often comes true. 

 In this country, and especially in recent times, the cat could 

 hardly fail to prognosticate truly. In other countries the 

 same coincidence has, however, been noted, and doubtless 

 the oncoming rain has some effect on the atmosphere, which 

 in turn affects the cutaneous nerves of the cat's ear, so induc- 

 ing her to rub them. The same may hold true for the frolic- 

 someness of the cat before the advent of windy weather. It 

 used to be thought that warts or sore eyes could be cured by 



