220 The Common Cat. [Sess. 



rubbing the cat's tail on them ; and even now the senseless 

 idea prevails that it is dangerous to allow a cat to sleep along 

 with children, as it will probably suck the child's breath and 

 kill it. Even at this present time, a black cat is considered 

 to bring luck to a house. No statement is so fallacious as 

 that " the cat has nine lives " — in other words, that the cat 

 is difficult to kill. The reverse is true, and common experi- 

 ence tells us that the cat is an extremely delicate animal, 

 and prone to die from apparently trivial affections. I have 

 already referred to the association of witches and cats. In 

 the old dark days, a cat, especially a black cat, was thought 

 to be one's " familiar," meaning that the person had Satan as 

 a companion. It was supposed that the devil took greatest 

 delight in assuming the form of a sable cat, on which the 

 witch rode. Black cats, when they had attained mature age, 

 were also thought to become transformed into witches. 



The Gat in Mythology. — Amongst the Norsemen it was 

 believed that the chariot of the goddess of love, Freya, was 

 drawn by two cats. She was particularly worshipped in 

 Sweden, and has given her name to all women of rank or 

 wealth {frouwa, frau). The goddess Holda was attended by 

 maidens who rode on cats. In Teutonic mythology, the cat 

 was sacred to St Gertrude, the goddess of departing souls. 



Economic Value of the Cat. — Has any one ever really tried 

 to reckon up the immense sum of money which the cat is the 

 means of saving ? Think of the amount of grain which it 

 saves to the farmer, miller, maltster, grocer, and others, by its 

 slaughter of mice and rats. All who deal in provisions have 

 to bless the domestic cat for added wealth. Were it not for 

 the presence of cats on board ship and in wharf depots, the 

 trader would in many cases find the cargo either unsaleable 

 or greatly lessened in value. The various governments set 

 aside a sum each year for the maintenance of "government 

 cats " in the public offices under their charge, and in so doing 

 they give an official dignity to the worth of Grimalkin, — a 

 word, by the way, said to be derived from Gray-moll (Mary). 

 One would hardly think that there was any connection between 

 cats and clover. If we state it thus, however, it will become 

 obvious : The fewer cats, the more field-mice. The latter 

 destroy the nests and comb of the humble-bees. The fewer 



