54 BOMBAY DUCKS 
mighty springs of which she is capable. The best 
manner of witnessing this is to throw a jug of cold 
water over the cat when she is asleep in the garden. 
Observe how cunning pussy is when engaged in 
shikar. Notice the crouching attitude she adopts and 
the stealthy manner in which she advances towards her 
victim. Mark the tail: the tip is raised and is slowly 
wagged from side to side. This is the only sign given 
by the cat of the intense excitement with which she is 
thrilled. A sportsman in India may, if he be fortunate, 
see a tiger do all this. 
The nocturnal proclivities of puss are nothing but a 
survival of the habits of her ancestors. Most, if not all, 
her cousins in the wild state hunt during the hours of 
darkness. Their eyes are made for night-work. 
There is, however, one difference between the cat and 
wild carnivora which it is important to notice, other- 
wise he who watches pussy will entertain an exagger- 
ated idea of the cruelty of beasts of prey. When a 
cat catches a mouse she tortures her victim before she 
actually kills it. I do not think that the mouse suffers 
much pain while the cat is indulging in her cruel play 
at its expense. The little rodent is, I believe, half- 
paralysed, and its senses completely numbed. 
Men who have been carried off by lions declare that 
they experienced no fright; that, indeed, they scarcely 
realized what was happening. Be this as it may, pussy 
entreats her victim thus shamefully because she is not 
hungry ; she indulges in skzkar for pleasure, and not to 
satisfy a craving for food. 
The wild carnivora, although they thoroughly enjoy 
