Concerning Diseases of Cats 



sweet-fern scattered about will keep them away, as will 

 pennyroyal, both of which herbs the fleas detest. A drop 

 of oil of pennyroyal rubbed into the cat's fiir is a good 

 preventive. 



The mange is in reality caused by a small insect and is to 

 the cat much what the common " itch " is to mankind. Taken 

 in time, the mange can be easily cured ; but a dose of chloro- 

 form carefully administered is about the only thing for severe 

 cases. When the cat first shows symptoms of mange, dust 

 its fur thoroughly with flowers of sulphur. Give it sulphur 

 also with its meat. There is very little taste to it, and if 

 rubbed into the meat the cat will not notice it. A cerate 

 of sulphur may be made by rubbing a teaspoonful of the 

 flowers of sulphur into two ounces of vaseline, and with this 

 anoint the sore places. The cat will probably lap it off, but 

 that will do no harm. If these remedies fail, go to a reliable 

 veterinary. 



Cats are sometimes afflicted with " Job's comforters," and 

 show the same patience, too. Our Mr. McGinty and 

 Thomas Erastus have both had large boils, which were 

 exactly like the ones that afflict human beings. These are 

 sometimes a week or two in gathering and usually " break " of 

 themselves. There is not much that can be done for these, 

 as no self-respecting cat will wear a plaster or a poultice for 

 one minute : and he cares for the abscess himself after it is 

 broken. In case the swelling continues for several weeks 

 and does not break, a veterinary practitioner should be 

 called. Sometimes these gatherings become fatty tumors, 

 in which case the cat can be etherized, and the tumor 

 removed by a professional veterinary surgeon. One of the 

 Pretty Lady's sons, a beautiful and intelligent fellow, weigh- 



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