Certain Cat Characteristics 



as the society editor puts it, " modestly gowned " in 

 long night-dresses, the four cats not only came into 

 the room where they were, but got on their beds and 

 manifested the greatest friendliness, and even went 

 to sleep there! Was there not some process of 

 reasoning and observation involved in this obvious 

 discrimination ? 



All these instances go to show that cats have an 

 intelligence which is widely different from instinct 

 Indeed, sometimes we stand almost aghast before 

 their shrewd powers of reasoning, almost of thinking, 

 and ask ourselves if the old theory that the souls of 

 human beings who neglect to cultivate their souls, or 

 higher mental faculties, on earth, return to Uve again 

 on earth as cats? and if, indeed, in Thomas Eras- 

 tus, or the Pretty Lady, or some other remarkable 

 cat, we are not studying the disembodied spirit of 

 our ancestors ? 



My neighbor had a beautiful maltese coon cat 

 who was exceedingly friendly at our house. This 

 "Fluff" learned where we keep the catnip, on next 

 the top shelf of the china closet; and he used to 

 walk in, pry open the closet door, climb up, and help 

 himself. He walked about among the china and 

 glass without ever hitting anything, and for some 

 months kept up this custom, when the thought sud- 

 denly occxured to him, "Now, if they keep catnip 

 on the third shelf of the china closet here, they 

 probably do at home," and he went directly over and 



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