THE CAT 



93 



In the first place, mice do not 

 afford sufficient nourishment, 

 and the hungry hunters will 

 soon learn to go after birds 

 and chickens ; or they will seek 

 other food, often very injurious, 

 and so fall ill and die. 



The patience of a cat when 

 watching a mouse is really un- 

 speakable, but as soon as the 

 favorable moment arrix-es it 

 moves forward, its belly to 

 earth, gently shaking its hind 

 quarters, that the elasticity of 

 its hind legs may be in com- 

 munion with the rest of the 

 body ; then the spring is made, 

 and it never misses its stroke. 

 Trainers, bow your heads ! 

 Here Nature has trained, and 

 the pupil has absorbed the 

 science in its blood, in its mar- 

 row, and in every muscle. 



XI. The Cat's Way of 

 Climbing and Falling 



Young cats love to climb, a 

 pleasure readily granted to 

 them, for however hazardous 

 their performances may appear, 

 there is usually little danger. 

 Thanks to its sharp claws a cat 

 can climb a tree very rapidly, 

 as can tigers and other felines ; 

 the taste, however, among tame 

 animals seems confined to kit- 

 tens and young cats. Old cats 

 apply this faculty only to attain 

 some purpose, — to reach the 

 top of the garden wall or the 

 gutter of the house. When cats 

 fall from a considerable height 

 they come down safe nine times 

 out of ten ; but it is an exag- 

 geration to say that they always 

 fall on their feet, that is to say, 

 without any accident, for we 

 could cite many instances in 



Climbing 



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