The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-05-01
Queer Cats.

lherc are very many anecdotes told o
horses, dogs and birds, but very few abou
cats; and as this is hardly fair to the ca
creation, the following instances at least de
serve a menlion: There is Il certain truck
man residing In New York, wko owns s
cat with some very uncatablc peculari,ics
She is Malta, and about three years old
ller feature Of attraction Is the manner In
when She greets every person that enters
her owners abode. No dog, on the return
| OF long absent master, could appear moro
joyful or frisk and caper about with greater
agility than this extraordinary cat on tho
appearance Of u visitor. If her dancing
and frisking about do not at once attract
their attention, she gives u succession ol
calls peculiar to her kind, that are certain
to have the desired effect. These strange
actions and cries she generally keeps up for
Ten or 11ftccn minutes and then quietly re.
tires to her place under the stove. He,
owners say that she differs in no other way
from the generality of cats, but that she
VIII leave her dinner or her kittens on tho
appearance OF stranger and never cease
until TO her thinking the rather noisy wei
come Is complete. And should twelve diff
fcrent persons call in one day, twelve times
would pussy go through her peculiar greet
my. Among other ''quccr cats" that have
come under the writer's notice, was an Isle
OF Wight or taillcss cat. Dick, as he was
called, was not only afflicted with an cx-
tremcly sensitive disposition, hut with tho
faculty OF expressing his feelings in hls
lace. lie never had been what is termed
sociable cat, no one save his master ever
vcHured further than to gently stroke his
back, and not even from him would Dick
I,,n
breakfast his master ordered him, rather
Grossly, from the centre of the hearth -rup :.
ana his own description of the look that
Dick gave him in return, rs he SLOWLY re-
tired from tho room, was that 1t haunted
him for days after. Some time after this
he again had occasion to scold the cat. and
he disappeared for more than week and
presented most detected and fororn ap-
pcarance on his return. \ month later the
same gentleman, on entering his breakfast
room perceived Dick with his paws on the
table and his whiskers i'll the milk. for
which lie gave him box on the ear.
Dick, unlike cats when caught stealing,
slowly walked from tho table to the one !
door, and after giving his master long, re-
proachful look, walked out Of the house
ana towards the woods, and was never
again seen or heard of. Another New
Eng land cat, known as Debby, formed a
lifelong attachment to canary bird, and
at one time actually fought and chased
away another cat that was meditating the
bird for dinner. Incrcdulous persons
were allowed to place the bird ,ge on the
floor, with no other company than Debby,
and watch the proceedings from chink in
the door. She would generally sit down
by the cage as If on guard, but never in
any way modest hor helpless little compan-
ion. Another cat in the ncighborhood
used to annoy her mistress by constantly
catching pigeons, young chickens and birds,
and bringing them directly to her feet.
No matter ii she were receiving d roomful
Of company, puss, with peculiar purr of
satisfaction, would lay her prey before the
lady and there leave it. Another of the fe-
line tribe, with wonderful persistence, fol-
lowed beneath his owners carriage, after
tho manner of the Danish carriagc-dog.
This cat would never be touched by any
one but his master, and by whom he was
taught a number of little tricks.