Cat Hospitals and Refuges 



turbed by those of the other. In the dog-house 

 \here are rows of pens on each side of the middle 

 aisle, in which from one to four or five dogs, accord- 

 ing to size, are kept when indoors. These are of all 

 sorts, colors, dispositions, and sizes, ranging from 

 pugs to St. Bernards, terriers to mastiffs. There 

 are few purely bred dogs, although there are many 

 intelligent and really handsome ones. The dogs are 

 allowed to run in the big yard that opens out from 

 their house at certain hours of the day ; but the cats' 

 yards are open to them all day and night. All yards 

 and runs are enclosed with wire netting, and the cat- 

 house has partitions of the same. All around the 

 sides of the cat-house are shelves or bunks, which 

 are kept supplied with clean hay, for their beds. 

 Here one may see cats of every color and assorted 

 sizes, contentedly curled up in their nests, while their 

 companions sit blinking in the sun, or run out in the 

 yards. Cooked meat, crackers and milk, and dishes 

 of fresh water are kept where they can get at them. 

 The cats all look plump and well fed, and, indeed, the 

 ordinary street cat must feel that his lines have fallen 

 in pleasant places. 



Not so, however, with pet cats who may be housed 

 there. They miss the companionship of people, and 

 the household belongings to which they have been 

 accustomed. Sometimes it is really pathetic to see 

 one of these cast-off pets climb up the wire netting 

 and plainly beg the visitor to take him away from 



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