The Cat Mammals 
The long, strong, supple body of a cat, covered 
with soft, sleek fur, is graceful and sinuous in its 
motions; her step is stealthy, for her claws are re- 
tracted above her toe-pads, and make no noise; when 
hunting she assumes a slinking gait; her eyes are 
fitted for seeing in daylight or in semi-darkness; 
the pupils are contracted to mere vertical slits during 
the day, but at night they expand over almost the 
entire eye. At the back of the eye is a reflecting 
surface which catches such dim light as there is, and 
by reflecting it, enables the cat to use it twice. The 
cat’s nose is moist, and her sense of smell is excellent, 
but not so keen as that of the dog. However, she 
has a very keen sense of hearing. Her whiskers are 
of great use to her; these long hairs about the face 
are connected at their roots with sensory nerves, so 
that when moving in the dark, if one of them touches 
an object, pussy at once receives warning. . 
Puss has a wide range of expression in her voice 
and gestures. She can mew questioningly, cozily, 
affectionately or entreatingly; she can squall when 
hurt, and emit heart-rending mews when she is 
lonely, and growl when you interfere with her food. 
She can purr, which is a very soothing noise indeed; 
but when she sings for the entertainment of her lover, 
or howls defiance at her enemy, she wails in a manner 
that sends chills down the spine of the listener. She 
can also ‘“‘spit,’’ a performance most: expressive of 
defiance or contempt. When angry, she switches 
her tail threateningly; when feeling pleasant and 
companionable she carries her tail upright; and when 
frightened, the hairs of the tail stand out, making it 
three times its natural size. 
The cat is a night-prowler by nature, for it is then 
she most easily finds her prey. She is especially a 
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