The Feather's Practical IMi'eon Book 



properly constructed they can find no entrance ; but once 

 they find a vulnerable spot they are sure to make an 

 entrance, and I have known rats in a single night to kill 

 as many as forty high-priced birds. Mice eat the eggs 

 and food and occasionally, though seldom, will attack 

 the squabs. A good preventive against such attacks is 

 to bring up a kitten in the loft, and when well grown 

 it will keep out all the rats and mice, and being reared 

 among the pigeons will never molest them and the pig- 

 eons in turn never seem afraid of the cat, although she 

 may walk all about the nest-pans and young birds. 

 Taken very small and kept always in the loft they seem 

 to enjo}' the company of the pigeoms, and when full 

 grown seem rather to prefer the loft to any other 

 place. I have seen properly-educated cats quietly sleep- 

 ing in a vacant nest, with the pigeons sporting all about 

 it as unconcerned as though there were nothing but pig- 

 eons in the room. I was forcibly reminded of the scrip- 

 tural prophecy of how the lion and the lamb should lie 

 down together, and interested to note what training and 

 association would do. 



JS4 



