THE CAT 



89 



milk enough for the little ones. 



Milk, bread, a little meat (but 



never the first three da}'s), 



and by the end of the week 



her usual food, with an ample 



supply of milk, is a good diet 



list. When the time comes to 



wean the kittens the mother 



should be taken away, and the 



kittens taught to lap sugared 



milk from a saucer ; a little 



limewater added to the milk 



is beneficial. At the end of 



five weeks, when the teeth 



have come through, a little 



soft bread should be given. 



They should be allowed to 



be in the open air as much 



as possible, to pla)' with their 



mother, and to make acquaintance with the 



mice which she will present to them. It is 



very droll to see her watch their proceedings 



with that hereditary enemy. 



The maternal instinct is so strong in cats 

 that they have been known to suckle puppies, 

 rabbits, and even rats. In a certain stable 

 was a stall in which five young rats were play- 

 ing. A mother cat had five kittens, three of 

 which were taken from her and drowned. 

 Pussy went to the stall, caught two of the 



Celebrated Persian Cat, "Fulma Zaidee" 



From painting b}- E. Lander 



Bkow.n Axt,(iK.\ Cat (Male) 



Cats are much more cleanly in their wa}'s 

 than dogs; and kittens can easily be taught 

 clean habits. 



Fish, from time to time, is a great treat to 

 healthy cats ; and it is well to give them either 

 raw or cooked meat every day, in reason- 

 able quantities. It is to be remembered that 

 they feed themselves with mice, and in the 

 country with moles, squirrels, birds, and even 

 rabbits. Greediness, the cause of most of 

 their ailments, is much de\'eloped in cats. 

 Punishment does not cure it, 

 but they will sf)metimes pa}- at- 

 tention to a stern order given 

 in a loud \oice. 



VIII. DisE.vsES OF Cats 



Although in cases of actual 

 illness it is necessary, as in the 

 case of dogs, to call in a \'eteri- 

 narian, if the life of the patient 

 is valuable, )'et there are man)' 

 little ailments easil\- curable 

 with very simple remedies. In 

 case of diarrhea, for instance, 



little rats, suckled them and brought them up, from which cats very frequently suffer, rice 

 which was all the more remarkable as she was with a decoction of sorghum, and as little 

 a noted enemy and hunter of rats and mice. food as possible, will effect a cure. Diarrhea, 



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