Certain Cat Characteristics 



grudge for days toward the person guilty of offence. 

 Cats are exceedingly irritable by temperament, sensi- 

 tive to changes of the weather, frost, or thunder, and 

 usually afraid of the latter; they are excitable, and 

 naturally disposed to bite and scratch when at play ; 

 there is a tendency in them, as in ill-balanced human 

 beings, to lose their heads when in high spirits, and 

 the self-command most of them show when full-grown 

 in resisting these impulses, is a striking proof of con- 

 scious responsibility. A full-grown pet cat scarcely 

 ever scratches a young child, no matter how much 

 he is mauled by it, and, indeed, one often notices the 

 same thing in kittens. Besides being irritable, cats 

 are subject to depression, probably a physical reac- 

 tion from, their former condition. Their instinct 

 when ill or sad is to be alone, but this may be neu- 

 tralized by petting; they become as dependent on 

 caresses and sympathy as children, and much wiser 

 than children when ill or injured, for they ask relief 

 with the most unmistakable suggestions, sometimes 

 indicating plainly where they are in pain, and pre- 

 senting the suffering member for treatment. They 

 are not so patient as dogs in taking medicine or sub- 

 mitting to surgical care, but they show recognition 

 of its benefit by coming back for it under similar 

 circumstances. 



Cats have a commercial importance in certain lines 

 of trade. Marine insurance does not cover damage 

 done to the cargo by rats, but if the proprietor of the 



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