Concerning Cats 



ia nature. But little children are apt to squeeze the 

 pet too hard, and then out come sharp little claws, 

 a cry ensues, and perhaps a foolish mother or nurse 

 is angry with the kitten, and so gives a direct lesson 

 in cruelty and injustice to the infant mind. All inter- 

 course between young children and animals should 

 be guarded by judicious elders, or sufiFering on both 

 sides may ensue. A young child is naturally fond of 

 animals. If he is cruel to them it is because of igno- 

 rance or thoughtlessness at first. Educate him in 

 the belief that God, Who careth for even the sparrows 

 that fall to the ground, and Who " loveth all things 

 great and small," loves every creature, and that God's 

 children must be kind to them ; then we shall have 

 no more horrible stories of vivisection, or deliberate 

 cruelty, or even neglect. 



" ' No heaven for brutes,' you fancy that is clear ; 

 Then let us make a heaven for them here. 

 If immortality is thus denied 

 To any beast beyond the Stygian tide, 

 Then all the more incumbent doth it seem 

 To make their earthly life a happy dream." 



And yet, in spite of all that has been said and 

 done, there are still many people, some calling them- 

 selves Christians, who desert their cats and kittens, 

 or drop them on the street, salving their calloused 

 consciences with the excuse that " some one " will 

 care for the poor, forsaken creature and assume the 



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