CATS AND DOGS 373 
of America, and this group of animals is accordingly known 
as the cat family. But none of these wild animals is as small 
as our domestic cat, and none resembles it closely enough to 
be considered its ancestor. 
Races or Types. — We have two great types of cats, the 
short-haired and the long-haired. Our common cats are 
short-haired, and the Angora and 
the Persian are long-haired. The 
Angora, Persian, and other long- 
haired varieties have been so in- 
terbred for years that they can be |g 
no longer recognized as distinct |f 
breeds. But the difference between 
the short-haired and the long- 
haired races is so radical as to in- 
dicate that they may be descended }f 
from different wild ancestors. The [f 
famous Manx cat of the Isle of 
Man, an animal without a tail, j 
may have still another origin. i i 
Feeding and Care. — Cats are A Younc Persian Cat 
flesh-eating animals, and meat 
should be their chief diet. To this should be added some 
green vegetables, but starchy foods, as potatoes, rice, and 
oatmeal, should not be given them, and it is also said that 
they cannot digest milk and should not have much of that. 
They should have a clean and dry place in which to stay as 
they are naturally very cleanly animals, and they are subject 
to distemper, pneumonia, and other diseases that are brought 
on by dampness. 
The Cat and Her Kittens. — Puss is an affectionate and 
intelligent mother. She keeps her kittens scrupulously clean 
