Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-08-12
4 CATS CHICKENS.

Mrs. Thomas Leonard, wife of Il brick
layer living at % Fifteenth street, South
BROOKLYN, has very maternal cat and a
very supplemented brood of chickens
The chickens were left motheress before
they cracked the she'll. by the cruel deser-
ton OF the hen to whose care the eggs had
been consigned. The cat Immediately
took possession Of the nest. hatched ont
the chickens and is now educating them
according to her lights. Mr.. Leonard,
who is very proud Of the queer family.
said to reporter. yesterday, II put six
eggs under my old hen. and she took care
of them until about three days before the
chickens were expected to come out One
evening | noticed that she was not acting
like Il sitting hen and went to the barrel,
thinking that my eggs would be spoiled.
The barrel was lying on its side with the
mouth towards the fence and only far
enough from it to allow the hen to pass in
and out. put my hand into the barrel
and was surprised and scared to feel soft,
warm fur. Then heard cat new
and called 'Tibbic. The cat mewed
again and | found it was my own.
tried to coaN her out, but she wouldn't
come. She was lying with the eggs gath
cred under her. and concluded to let her
stay there. She stuck to the nest for three
days, coming out occasionally to get some
thing to eat, and scampering back As soon
as she had satisfied her appetite. y week
ago last Sunday morning | went into the
yard and heard the peep of some chick
ems. looked into the barrel and there
saw five chickens which the cat was lick
ING. The sixth she'll was broken. but the
chicken had not come out. ran i'm and
told Tom-that'S my husband-of my dis
coverv, but he laughed at me and said
was trying to fool him into getting up ear
~ Of a Sunday morning. That evening
the eat brought five chickens up into the
kitchen. The sixth had died I carried
the barrel in and put it in the front room.
and they took possession of it and seemed
comfortable. But within dav or two so
many people came to see them that Tibbie
got uneasy and carried off her family. She
hid them under an old closet down stairs.
where found them. | brought them up
again and put them in this cage in an out
ot-the-wav- v-corner. and there YOU see how
contented they are
Tibbie was lying curled up on feather
pillow in the cage with her foster family
around her. Two OF them were straddled
ovci her back and two more were nestled
between her legs. The fifth was absent.
having been purchased by lady of Brook
lNu Heights. Mrs. Leonard took the
chicks in her hand and carried them into
the back room. The eat lay perfectly
quiet until She heard their cries of dis
trcss: thcn she ran out of the cage, bound
ed over the board which Mrs. Leonard had
placed across the foot of the doorway to
conlime the chicks to the limit of the front
room. and hurried out. She mewed gent
~ and the chickens ran Ia her. Putting
her paw under one. she seized it with her
mouth and carried it gently to the nest
When she reached the board at the door
she did not jump over hastily, as com
monpacc eat would, but rose on her hind
legs with maternal genteness. placed her
forepaw> on the top, and with Il swift hut
easy motion slid TO the floor on the other
side without iarrng TIE chicken. She
laid ii in the nest and repeated the opera
ton until all four were brought back, when
she lay down con,entcd. Tibbie is about
eighteen months old and is a real tortoise
shelby. } TI0rd.