Concerning Cats 



\3t life, and he should have the full benefit of the re- 

 fining and educating influences of the home. Conse- 

 quently the cat must not be put apart with animals of 

 exactly the same appearance, as dogs are. He should 

 have the fullest and freest personal liberty consistent 

 with the well-being of his neighbors. In that case 

 he usually divides his time equally between human 

 society and his own species. He then becomes an 

 tgreeable, intelligent, and useful companion, cunning 

 in all the ways of the cat family. He leams to open 

 the back door, to find the most comfortable places in 

 the house, to keep an eye on mice holes, and to be on 

 hand before, during, and after meal-times. 



I am much concerned about the way the ordinary 

 family cat is treated. In too many households the 

 cat is relegated to the shed and yards, or, if allowed 

 in the house at all, it is never fed or petted, and then 

 is railed against as a thief. Worse yet are those homes 

 where growing children are allowed to abuse and tor- 

 ment the cat for amusement 



I shall never forget visiting a fine house some years 

 ago, the mistress of which claims to be a devout Chris- 

 tian. The one child of the family, a delicate girl of 

 five, was sent for to come in and see the visitors. 

 When she came, she was swinging a miserable, 

 stunted kitten by its ears. It was dripping with soap- 

 suds, the child having been giving the poor creature 

 a bath when called ; and when the child had spoken 

 vrtth us, she sat down and poked her fingers into its 



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