The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-06-27
A Chapter on Cats.
For the Citizen.l



Now, dear reader, if your eye, il
looking over the CITIZEN, should
fall upon the caption of this article
please do not pass us by, as a writer
and subject, unworthy to be read
We are going to tell you truths anc
cute things about cats.
The Egyptians worshiped cats as
gods; made lamentations over theiI
dead bodies, and buried them lac
cording to Herodotus) with pomp
In China the cat is INDUCED with a
bed of silk, covered over like a
child, decorated with a silver collar
and its ears adorned with precious
jewels.
The Turks have them attended TO
by servants, and their every want
administered to. In France they
enjoy still happier life, if history
speaks correctly. But here In
America how is iti No sooner do
these charming animals get up an
open-air concert under our win
dows than some miserable dys
peptic, "whose soul is fit only for
treason, stratagems and spoils,"
springs from his bed, rushing fran
tically to the window with an arm
full of old boots, shoes, junk bottles
and brushes, and hurls them pro-
miscuously at the serenaders
They are conceded by the supersti-
tious to have as many as seven
lives, and If they fall perhaps they
rise from beneath the rubbish and
come again, despite the war of the
dyspeptic. We have often wished
that such indignities and felonious
attempts at assassination under
cover of night could be dealt with
by the cat-laws of old Egypt.
We confess openly our great adj
miration for the mewing concert,
and have listened in the hush Of
night to the distinctness Of words
uttered by these vocalists. There
is no hot mush in the cats mouth;
no "chawing" of the words down "A
foot below the lips, but each word
comes distinctly upon our ears, as
music should be rendered, or we are
incapable of appreciation.
1t has been said they cannot be
and possess no gratitude.
Cur experience has taught US dir-
ferently. While they are resentful,
deceitful, insinuating, artful and
treacterous, they will show graft
tude and love for favors.
Each country, history tells us, has
It's peculiar species. That of Tobolsk |
is red; that of the Cape of Good |
Hope blue; those of Japan have |
pendant ears, and in Russia they |
.ell us the muzzle is small and |
pointed, and the tail is six times as
ong as the body. The Angora is
,he most beautiful species and the
most desirable for pets.
Long years ago we knew a NAL
,ese bobtail cat, extremely large,
With great yellow eyes, that was the
error of our life on our first ac-
laintance. He seemed TO look
at us, and no doubt in
lis mind we were nothing better
han Il usurper. He would come TO
he bed, leap upon it with n loud
new, and when satisfied il was oc-
.upied, rush under the cover and
lestle to sleep at his masters feet
In those days we believed fully in
he old superstition of cats inhaiiag
he breath, and importuned against
lis intrusion-to no effect, however,
s he chad long occupied his pres
mt place and was harmless" and a
-reat pet. One night Friday-that
gas bobtaiPs name-oversteppcd
he bounds of prudence and pa
fence. He awoke us sitting on his
upon our chest, talk
ng to some cat outside in such
ocIferous manner and with such
title regard for our comfort or re-
pect for our feelings that we then ,
nd there mentally passed sentence
I death or Punishment upon him.
o the old fellow was trapped fas I
Don as his protector had gone into !
own tied into a bag and sent off !
en- miles with instructions 70 a
ind old servant 20 say nothing and
eep Friday as her own property, ,
nd she should be paid well for it.
Cats are shrewder and more in
,lligent than we give them credit ,
Or.