Concerning Cats 



Twenty-five years might certainly be termed a ripe 

 old age for a cat, their average life extending only 

 to ten or twelve years. But I have heard of one who 

 seems to have attained even greater age. The mother 

 of Jane Andrews, the writer on educational and juve- 

 nile subjects, had one who lived with them twenty- 

 four years. He had peculiar markings and certain 

 ways of his own about the house quite different from 

 other cats. He disappeared one day when he was 

 twenty-four, and was mourned as dead. But one day, 

 some six or seven years later, an old cat came to 

 their door and asked to be let in. He had the same 

 markings, and on being let in, went directly to his 

 favorite sleeping-places and lay down. He seemed 

 perfectly familiar with the whole place, and went on 

 with his life from that time, just as though he had 

 never been away, showing all his old peculiarities. 

 When he finally died, he must have been thirty-three 

 years old. 



Although in other days a great many noted men 

 have been devoted to cats, I do not find that our men 

 of letters to-day know so much about cats. Mr. Will- 

 iam Dean Howells says : " I never had a cat, pet or 

 otherwise. I like them, but know nothing of them." 

 Judge Robert Grant says, " My feelings toward cats 

 are kindly and considerate, but not ardent." 



Thomas Bailey Aldrich says, " The only cat I 

 ever had any experience with was the one I translated 

 from the French of Emile de La B^doUidrre many 



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