272 



Handbook of Nature-Study 



Cats Should be Trained to Leave Birds Alone 



Every owner of a cat owes it to the world to train puss to leave birds 

 alone. If this training is begun during kittenhood, by switching the 

 culprit every time it even looks at a bird, it will soon learn to leave them 



severety alone. I have tried 

 this many times, and I know 

 it is efficacious, if the cat is 

 intelligent. We have never 

 had a cat whose early training 

 we controlled, that could ever 

 be induced to even watch 

 birds. If a cat is not thus 

 trained as a kitten, it is likely 

 to be always treacherous in 

 this respect. But in case any 

 one has a valuable cat which 

 is given to catching birds, I 

 strongly advise the following 

 treatment which has been 

 proved practicable by a friend 

 of mine. When a cat has made the catch, take the bird away and 

 sprinkle it with red pepper, and then give it back. One such treatment 

 as this resulted in making one cat, which was an inveterate bird 

 hunter, run and hide every time he saw a bird thereafter. Any persons 

 taking cats with them to their summer homes, and abandoning them 

 there to prey upon the birds of the vicinity, and to become poor, half- 

 starved, wild creatures, ought to be arrested and fined. It is not 

 only cruelty to the cats, but it is positive injury and damage to the com- 

 munity, because of the slaughter of beneficial birds which it entails. 



This cat has been trained to be friendly 

 with birds. 



LESSON LXIV 

 The Cat 



Leading thought — The cat was made a domestic animal before man 

 wrote histories. It gets prey by springing from ambush and is fitted by 

 form of body and teeth to do this. It naturally hunts at night and has 

 eyes fitted to see in the dark. 



Method — This lesson may be used in primary grades by asking a few 

 questions at a time and allowing the children to make their observations on 

 their own kittens at home, or a kitten may be brought to school for this 

 purpose. The upper grade work consists of reading and retelling or writ- 

 ing exciting stories of the great, wild, savage cats, like the tiger, lion, 

 leopard, lynx and panther. 



Observations — i. How much of Pussy's language do you understand? 

 What does she say when she wishes you to open the door for her? How 

 does she ask for something to eat? What does she say when she feels like 

 conversing with you ? How does she cry when hurt? When frightened? 

 What noise does she make when fighting? When calling other cats? 

 What are her feelings when she purrs? When she spits? How many 

 things which you say does she understand? 



