Trained Cats
That cats may be trained to respect the lives of other animals, and also
birds on which they habitually feed, is a well-known fact. In proof of
this I well recollect a story that my father used to tell of "a happy
family" that was shown many years ago on the Surrey side of Waterloo
Bridge. Their abode consisted of a large wire cage placed on wheels. In
windy weather the "breezy side" was protected by green baize, so
dr
no charge for "the show," a box was placed in front with an opening for
the purpose of admitting any donations from those who felt inclined to
give. On it was written "The Happy Family--their money-box." The family
varied somewhat, as casualties occurred occasionally by death from
natural causes or sales. Usually, there was a Monkey, an Owl, some
Guinea-pigs, Squirrels, small birds, Starlings, a Magpie, Rats, Mice,
and a Cat or two. But the story? Well, the story is this. One day, when
my father was looking at "the happy family," a burly-looking man came
up, and, after a while, said to the man who owned the show: "Ah! I don't
see much in that. It is true the cat does not touch the small birds [one
of which was sitting on the head of the cat at the time], nor the other
things; but you could not manage to keep rats and mice in there as
well." "Think not?" said the showman. "I think I could very easily."
"Not you," said the burly one. "I will give you a month to do it in, if
you like, and a shilling in the bargain if you succeed. I shall be this
way again soon." "Thank you, sir," said the man. "Don't go yet," then,
putting a stick through the bars of the cage he lifted up the cat, when
from beneath her out ran a white rat and three white mice.
"Won--der--ful!" slowly ejaculated he of the burly form; "Wonder--ful!"
The money was paid.
Cats, properly trained, will not touch anything, alive or dead, on the
premises to which they are attached. I have known them to sport with
tame rabbits, to romp and jump in frolicsome mood this way, then that,
which both seemed greatly to enjoy, yet they would bring home wild
rabbits they had killed, and not touch my little chickens or ducklings.
When I built a house in the country, fond as I am of cats, I determined
not to keep any there, because they would destroy the birds' nests and
drive my feathered friends away, and I liked to watch and feed these
from the windows. Things went pleasantly for awhile. The birds were fed,
and paid for their keep with many and many a song. There were the old
ones and there the young, and oft by the hour I watched them from the
window; and they became so tame as scarcely caring to get out of my way
when I went outside with more food. But--there is always a but--but one
day, or rather evening, as I was "looking on," a rat came out from the
rocks, and then another. Soon they began their repast on the remains of
the birds' food. Then in the twilight came mice, the short-tailed and
the long, scampering hither and thither. This, too, was amusing. In the
autumn I bought some filberts, and put them into a closet upstairs, went
to London, returned, and thought I would sleep in the room adjoining the
closet. No such thing. As soon as the light was out there was a sound of
gnawing--curb--curb--sweek!--squeak--a rushing of tiny feet here, there,
and everywhere; thump, bump--scriggle, scraggle--squeak--overhead, above
the ceiling, behind the skirting boards, under the floor, and--in the
closet. I lighted a candle, opened the door, and looked into the
repository for my filberts. What a hustling, what a scuffling, what a
scrambling. There they were, mice in numbers; they "made for" some holes
in the corners of the cupboard, got jammed, squeaked, struggled,
squabbled, pushed, their tails making circles; push--push--squeak!--more
jostling, another effort or two--squeak--squeak--gurgle--squeak--more
struggling--and they were gone. Gone? Yes! but not for long. As soon as
the light was out back they came. No! oh, dear no! sleep! no more sleep.
Outside, I liked to watch the mice; but when they climbed the ivy and
got inside, the pleasure entirely ceased. Nor was this all; they got
into the vineries and spoilt the grapes, and the rats killed the young
ducks and chickens, and undermined the building also, besides storing
quantities of grain and other things under the floor. The result number
one was, three cats coming on a visit. Farmyard cats--cats that knew the
difference between chickens, ducklings, mice, and rats. Result number
two, that after being away a couple of weeks, I went again to my
cottage, and I slept undisturbed in the room late the play-ground of the
mice. My chickens and ducklings were safe, and soon the cats allowed the
birds to be fed in front of the window, though I could not break them of
destroying many of the nests. I never NOTICED more fully the very great
use the domestic cat is to man than on that occasion. All day my cats
were indoors, dozy, sociable, and contented. At night they were on guard
outside, and doubtless saved me the lives of dozens of my "young
things." One afternoon I saw one of my cats coming towards me with
apparent difficulty in walking. On its near approach I found it was
carrying a large rat, which appeared dead. Coming nearer, the cat put
down the rat. Presently I saw it move, then it suddenly got up and ran
off. The cat caught it again. Again it feigned death, again got up and
ran off, and was once more caught. It laid quite still, when, perceiving
the cat had turned away, it got up, apparently quite uninjured, and ran
in another direction, and I and the cat--lost it! I was not sorry. This
rat deserved his liberty. Whether it was permanent I know not, as
"Little-john," the cat, remained, and I left.
The cat is not only a very useful animal about the house and premises,
but is also ornamental. It is lithe and beautiful in form, and graceful
in action. Of course there are cats that are ugly by comparison with
others, both in form, colour, and markings; and as there are now cat
shows, at which prizes are offered for varieties, I will endeavour to
give, in succeeding chapters, the points of excellence as regards form,
colour, and markings required and most esteemed for the different
classes. I am the more induced to define these as clearly as possible,
owing to the number of mistakes that often occur in the entries.
More
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Poison
It is not generally known that the much-admired laburnum contains a strong poison, and is therefore an exceedingly dangerous plant. All its parts--blossoms, leaves, seeds, even the bark and the roots--are charged with a poison named cytisin, which w... Purgative
Nothing like castor oil for purgation; half the quantity of syrup of buckthorn, if necessary, may be added. ... Puss In Boots Le Chat Botte
Is from the "Eleventh Night" of Straparola's Italian fairy tales, where Constantine's cat procures his master a fine castle and the king's heiress, first translated into French in 1585. Our version is taken from that of Charles Perrault. There is ... Puss In The Corner[l]
[L] The Boy's Own Book. This is a very simple, but, at the same time, a very lively and amusing game. It is played by five only; and the place chosen for the sport should be a square court or yard with four corners, or any place where there are f... Remedies And Strengthening Medicines
Aconite, 1^{x} tincture. Arsenicum, 2^{x} trituration. Antimonium tartaricum, 2^{x} trituration. Belladonna, 3^{x} trituration. Mercurius biniodatus, 3^{x} trituration. Hydrastis canadensis, [Greek: phi] tincture. Sulphur, 2^{x} ... Royal Cat Of Siam
POINTS HEAD 10 Small, broad across and between the eyes, tapering upwards and somewhat narrow between the ears... Self-colour Black Blue Gray Or Red Short-hair
POINTS HEAD 15 Small, broad across and between the eyes, rounded above, below tapering towards the lips, nose ... Short-haired Spotted Tabbies Of Any Colour
These to be the same in all points of head, eyes, fur, form, colours, tail, size and condition as those laid down for the judging of short-haired tabby cats in general, with the exception, in whatever colour the markings are, or on whatever ground, ... Siamese Cat
Among the beautiful varieties of the domestic cat brought into notice by the cat shows, none deserve more attention than "The Royal Cat of Siam." In form, colour, texture, and length, or rather shortness of its coat, it is widely different from ot... Signs
D'Urfey, in his poem on Knole, speaks of "The Cats" at Sevenoaks. "The Cat" or "Cats" is by no means a common sign. The subject is well alluded to in "The Cat, Past and Present," from the French of M. Champfleury, translated by Mrs. Cashel Hoey,... Sleeping Places
I much prefer a round basket filled with oat straw to anything else; some urge that a box is better; my cats have a basket. It is well to sprinkle the straw occasionally with Keating's Powder or flour of sulphur, which is a preventive of insect anno... Spotted Tabby
For spotted tabby the best brown are those got by mating a spotted red tabby, the darker the better, and a brown and black spotted female. These should be carefully selected, not only for their ground colour, but also for the roundness, distinctness... Superstition And Witchcraft
A very remarkable peculiarity of the domestic cat, and possibly one that has had much to do with the ill favour with which it has been regarded, especially in the Middle Ages, is the extraordinary property which its fur possesses of yielding elect... The Abyssinian
I now come to the last variety of the tabby cat, and this can scarcely be called a tabby proper, as it is nearly destitute of markings, excepting sometimes on the legs and a broad black band along the back. It is mostly of a deep brown, ticked wit... The Angora
The Angora cat, as its name indicates, comes from Angora, in Western Asia, a province that is also celebrated for its goats with long hair, which is of extremely fine quality. It is said that this deteriorates when the animal leaves that locality. T... The Black Cat
It is often said "What's in a name?" the object, whatever it is, by any other would be the same, and yet there is much in a name; but this is not the question at issue, which is that of colour. Why should a black cat be thought so widely different... The Black-and-white Cat
This is distinct from the white-and-black cat, the ground colour being black, marked with white; while the other is white, marked with black. The chief points of excellence for show purposes are a dense bright brown-black, evenly marked with white... The Blue Cat
This is shown often under a number of names. It was at first shown as the Archangel cat, then Russian blue, Spanish blue, Chartreuse blue, and, lastly, and I know not why, the American blue. It is not, in my belief, a distinct breed, but merely a ... The Brown Tabby Cat
The tabby cat is doubtless one of, if not the most common of colours, and numbers many almost endless varieties of both tint and markings. Of these those with very broad bands of black, or narrow bands of black, on nearly a black ground, are usual... The Cat As A Tormentor
Shakespeare, in "Lucrece," says: "Yet foul night-waking cat, he doth but dally, While in his holdfast foot the weak mouse panteth." In an essay on "The Art of Ingeniously Tormenting" (1753), the cat is alluded to in the frontispiece--... The Cat Of Shakespeare
Shakespeare mentions the cat forty-four times, and in this, like nearly all else of which he wrote, displayed both wonderful and accurate knowledge, not only of the form, nature, habits, and food of the animal, but also the inner life, the disposi... The First Cat Show
On the day for judging, at Ludgate Hill I took a ticket and the train for the Crystal Palace. Sitting alone in the comfortable cushioned compartment of a "first class," I confess I felt somewhat more than anxious as to the issue of the experiment.... The Law On Cat Killing
An "Articled Clerk," writing to The Standard with regard to the illegality of killing cats, states: "It is clearly laid down in 'Addison on Torts,' that a person is not justified in killing his neighbour's cat, or dog, which he finds on his land, ... The Manx Cat
The Manx cat is well known, and is by no means uncommon. It differs chiefly from the ordinary domestic cat in being tailless, or nearly so, the best breeds not having any; the hind legs are thicker and rather longer, particularly in the thighs. It... The Persian Cat
This differs somewhat from the Angora, the tail being generally longer, more like a table brush in point of form, and is generally slightly turned upwards, the hair being more full and coarser at the end, while at the base it is somewhat longer. T... The Russian Long-haired Cat
The above is a portrait of a cat given me many years ago, whose parents came from Russia, but from what part I could never ascertain. It differed from the Angora and the Persian in many respects. It was larger in the body with shorter legs. The ma... The Short-haired White Cat
This of all, as it depends entirely on its comeliness, should be graceful and elegant in the outline of its form and also action, the head small, not too round nor thick, for this gives a clumsy, heavy appearance, but broad on the forehead, and ge... The Tortoiseshell
POINTS HEAD 15 Small, broad across and between the eyes, rounded above, below tapering towards the lips, nose ... The Tortoiseshell Cat
I now come to the section of the short-haired domestic cat, a variety possessing sub-varieties. Whether these all came from the same origin is doubtful, although in breeding many of the different colours will breed back to the striped or tabby col... The Tortoiseshell-and-white Cat
This is a more common mixture of colouring than the tortoiseshell pure and simple without white, and seems to be widely spread over different parts of the world. It is the opinion of some that this colour and the pure tortoiseshell is the original... The White-and-black Cat
This differs entirely from the black-and-white cat, as just explained, and is the opposite as regards colour, the ground being white instead of black, and the markings black on white. For exhibition purposes and points of excellence, no particular... The Wild Cat Of Britain
The wild cat is said to be now extinct in England, and only found in some of the northern parts of Scotland, or the rocky parts of the mountains of the south, where I am informed it may yet occasionally be seen. The drawing I give above was made f... Tip-cat
Is a game played with sticks of a certain length and a piece of wood sharpened off at each end, which is called the "cat." A ring is made on the ground with chalk, or the pointed part of the cat, which is then placed in the centre. One end being sma... Tortoiseshell And White
POINTS HEAD 10 Small, broad across and between the eyes, rounded above, below tapering towards the lips, nose ... Tortoiseshell-and-white
If tortoiseshell-and-white are desired, then a black-and-white male may be selected, being bred in the same way as those recommended for the pure tortoiseshell, or one without white if the female has white; but on no account should an ordinary tabby... Tortoiseshells
I place these first on the list because, being an old pigeon fancier and somewhat of a florist, I deem these to be the breed wherein there is the most art and skill required to produce properly all the varied mottled beauty of bright colours that a ... Trained Cats
That cats may be trained to respect the lives of other animals, and also birds on which they habitually feed, is a well-known fact. In proof of this I well recollect a story that my father used to tell of "a happy family" that was shown many years... Usefulness Of Cats
In our urban and suburban houses what should we do without cats? In our sitting or bedrooms, our libraries, in our kitchens and storerooms, our farms, barns, and rickyards, in our docks, our granaries, our ships, and our wharves, in our corn marke... Various Colours
Those who have had much to do with breeding, and crossing of animals, birds, or plants, well know that with time, leisure, and patience, how comparatively easy it is to improve, alter, enlarge, or diminish any of these, or any part of them; and lo... Washing
Most cats have a dislike to water, and as a rule, and under ordinary conditions, generally keep themselves clean, more especially the short-haired breeds; but, as is well known, the Angora, Persian, and Russian, if not taken care of, are sure to req... Weather Notions
"Signs of Foul Weather," by Dr. Erasmus Darwin. In a poem, the well-known relative of the eminent Charles Darwin describes the various natural indications of coming storms. Among the animals and birds he notes the cat: Low o'er the grass th... White
Of English, or short-haired cats, the best white are those from a tortoiseshell mother, and as often some of the best blacks. These whites are generally of soft yellow, or sandy tint of white. Although they have pink noses, as also are the cushions ... White And Black
For white and black choose evenly marked animals, in which white predominates. I have seen three differently bred cats, white, with black ears and tails, all else being white, and been informed of others. I failed to notice the colour of the eyes wh... White Long-haired Cat
POINTS HEAD 10 Round and broad across and between the eyes, of medium size; nose rather short, pink at the tip... White Short-hair
POINTS HEAD 15 Small, broad across and between the eyes, rounded above, below tapering towards the lips, nose ... Worms
For a full-grown cat give 3 grains of santonine every night for a week or 10 days; it might be administered in milk, or given in a small piece of beef or meat of any kind. After the course give an aperient powder. MANGE. The best possible rem... Worms
Two or three grains of santonine in a teaspoonful of castor oil, for two or three days. ...