Concerning my Other Cats 



I do not pretend to say that this is entirely natural. 

 They are taught these things as kittens, and since 

 cats are as great sticklers for propriety and gentle 

 manners as any human beings can be, they never 

 forget it. Doubtless, this is easier because they are 

 always well fed, but Thomas Erastus or Jane would 

 have to be on the verge of starvation, I am sure, 

 before they would " grab " from one of the other cats. 

 And as for the Pretty Lady, it was always neces- 

 sary to see that she was properly served. She would 

 not eat from a dish with other cats, or, except in 

 extreme cases, from one they had left. Indeed, she 

 was remarkable in this respect. I have seen her sit 

 on the edge of a table where chickens were being 

 dressed and wait patiently for a tidbit ; I have seen 

 her left alone in the room, while on that table was a 

 piece of raw steak, but no temptation was ever great 

 enough to make her touch any of these forbidden 

 things. She actually seemed to have a conscience. 



Only one thing on the dining table would she 

 touch. When she was two or three months old, 

 she somehow got hold of the table-napkins done up 

 in their rings. These were always to her the most 

 delightful playthings in the world. As a kitten, she 

 would play with them by the hour, if not taken away, 

 and go to sleep cuddled affectionately around them. 

 She got over this as she grew older ; but when her 

 first kitten was two or three months old, remember- 

 ing the jolly times she used to have, she would sneak 



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