The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-11-28
STRANGE ANIMAL FRIENDSHIPS.


Why married folk, so ill-mated as to
agree only to differ, should be said to
lead a cat-and dog life, is not very clear,
since those household pets, being intelli-
gent, affectionate, cheerful, and sociable
creatures, very frequently cOntrive to
live tremendously enough together.
The Aston Hall cat, that ate, associated,
and slept, with huge bloodhound, only
did what innumerable cats have done.
Such companionships are too common
to be reckoned among strange animal
friendships, such as that most singular
instance of attachment between two ami
mails of opposite natures and habits, re-
lated to Mr.. Jesse by a person on whose
veracity he could depend. The narrator
boosted the proprietorship of an alliga-
tor which had become so tame that it
would follow him up and down stairs;
while it was so fond of his cats society
that, when she lay down before the fire,
the alligator followed suit, made pill
low of puss, and went off to sleep; and
when awake the reptile was only happy
so long as puss was somewhere near,
turning morose and ill-tempered when
ever she left it TO its own devices.
Many equine celebrities have delight
ed in feline companions, following in
this the example of their notable ances-
tors, the Godolphin Arab, between whom
and a black cat an intimate friendship
existed for years, a friendship that came
to a touching end; for, when that famous
steed died, his old companion would not
leave the body, and, when it had seen it
put underground, crawled slowly to a
hay-loft, and, refusing to be comforted,
pinned away and died.
One of Miss Braddon's heroines says:
'It is so nice to see a favorite horse
looking over the door of bis lOose-box,
with big tabby-cat sitting on the win
dow ledge beside him." The big tabby
would probably prefer being on horse
back, for puss takes very kindly to the
stable, and the horse takes as kindly to
puss. Acat belonging to the royal stables
at Windsor made herself so agreeable to
one of the horses there that, rather than
put her to any inconvenience, he would
take his nights rest standing. This
was held detrimental to his health, and
the stable authorities, unable to hit up
on any other plan, banished poor pussy
TO a distant part of the country.
Mr.. Huntington, of East Bloomfield,
New York, owns a thoroughbred horse
named Narragansett and a white cat
The latter was wont to pay daily visit
TO Narragansett's stall, to hunt up the
mice and then enjoy a quiet nap. Mr..
Huntington removed to Rochester
xv;+h nc fap,;l,- 1oov;po 4ba aot ho
hind; but she complained so loudly and
so increasingly that she was sent on to
the new abode. Her first OBJECT was
now to get somebody to interpret her
desires. At last her master OWNED
them, and started off with her to the
barn. As soon rs they were inside, the
cat went to the horses stall, made her
self bed near his head, and curled her
self up contentedly. When Mr.. Hunt
ington visited the pair next morning,
there was puss close to Narragansett's
feet with a family of five beside her.
The horse evidently knew all about it,
and that it behooved him to take heed
how he moved his feet. Puss afterward
would 60 out, leaving her little ones to
the care of her friend, who would every
now and then look to see how they were
getting on. When these inspections
took place in the mothers presence, she
was not at all uneasy, although she
showed the greatest fear and anxiety if
any children or strangers intruded upon
her privacy.
A gentleman in Sussex had a cat
which showed the greatest affection for
a young blackbird, which was given TO
her by a stable-boy for food day or two
after she had been deprived of her kit
tens. She tended it with the greatest
care; they became irseparable compan-
ions, and no mother could show a great
err fondness for her offspring than she
did for the bird.
Lemmery shut up cat and several
mice together in a cage. The mice in
time got to be very friendly, and pluck
ed and nibbled at their feline friend
When any of them grew troublesome,
she would gently box their ears.-A Ger
man magazine tells of a NJ. Hecart who
placed tame sparrow under the protec-
ton of wildcat. Another cat attacked
the sparrow, which was at the most
critical moment rescued by its protect
or. During the sparrow's subsequent
illness its natural foe watched over it
with great tenderness. The same au-
thority gives an instance of a cat train
ed, like a watchdog, to keep guard over
a yard containing a hare, and some
sparrows, black-birds, and partridges.
A pair of carriage-horses taken to
water at stone trough, then standing
at one end of the Manchester Exchange,
were followed by dog who was in the
habit of lying in the stall of one of
them. As he gamboled on in front, the
creature was suddenly attacked by a
mastiff far too strong for his power of
resistance, and it would have gone hard
with him but for the unlocked for inter
vention of his stable-companion, which,
breaking loose from the man who was
leading 1t, made for the battling dogs
and with one well delivered kick sen
the mastiff into a cooper's cellar, anC
then quietly returned to the trough anC