374 DOMESTIC ANIMALS 
by washing them with her tongue from the end of the nose to 
the tip of the tail. When their bed does not suit her, she 
carries them to another by the nape of the neck without ever 
hurting them. She frolics with them and lets them bite and 
tease her as much as she deems proper, but if they take too 
many liberties she gives them a lesson in manners by holding 
their head in one paw and cuffing their ears with the other. 
She brings them mice that are half dazed so that by actual 
practice they may learn the art of catching them. . 
A Born Hunter. — Being a flesh-eating animal, the cat is 
by nature a hunter, and is endowed for that mode of life with 
wonderful instincts and powers. Her body is exceedingly 
lithe and strong. She does not chase her prey, as the dog 
does, but lies in ambush for it and springs upon it when it 
comes near. She has five sharp claws on the front feet and 
four on the hind feet, and when attacking her victim she uses 
them with good effect. When not needed for business, she 
draws them back into little pockets so that she may walk 
noiselessly on the padded toes. 
The Eyes. — Much of her hunting is done at night, and 
Nature has fitted her eyes for that purpose in a remarkable 
way. In broad daylight the pupil is only a narrow slit, but 
at night it is expanded to almost the size of the whole eye and 
thus admits as much of the dim light as possible. At the back 
of the eye is a reflecting surface which catches all the light that 
enters and throws it upon the object in front after the manner 
of a searchlight. It is this flashlight effect that gives a cat’s 
eyes the peculiar green glare when seen in the dark. 
Use of Cats. — Cats have been of great service to agri- 
culture by checking the excessive multiplication of mice, 
rats, and other rodents. that are a menace to the stores of 
grain and groceries that the farmer may have on hand. It is 
