Concerning Cat Language 



Most of us would prefer to accept St. George Miv- 

 art's conclusions, that the difference between all ani- 

 mals and human beings is that while they have some 

 means of communication, or language, we only have 

 the gift of speech. Among the eighteen distinct active 

 powers which he attributes to the cat, he quotes : 

 " 1 6th, powers of pleasurable or painful excitement 

 on the occurrence of sense-perceptions with imagina- 

 tions, emotions; " and " 17th, a power of expressing 

 feelings by sounds or gestures which may affect 

 other individuals, — emotional language." 



Again he says : " The cat has a language of sounds 

 and gestures to express its feelings and emotions. 

 So have we. But we have further — which neither 

 the cat, nor the bird, nor the beast has — a language 

 and gestures to express our thoughts." The sum of 

 his conclusions seems to be that while the cat has a 

 most highly developed nervous system, and much of 

 what is known as " animal intelligence," it is not a 

 human intelligence — not consciousness, but "con- 

 sentience." 



Elsewhere St. George Mivart doubts if a cat dis- 

 tinguishes odors as such. Perhaps a cat starts for 

 the kitchen the instant he smells meat because of the 

 mental association of the scent with the gratification of 

 hunger ; but why, pray tell, do some cats evince such 

 delight in delicate perfumes.' Our own Pomp the 

 First, for instance, had a most demonstrative fondness 

 for violets, and liked the scent of all flowers. One 



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