Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-09-13
PRINCE kEAPT0ksN ON CATS.
cats That Recognizes Themselves in q
Mirror and Are Fond Of Music.
From the Pail Mill Gazette rs

From the Pail Nall Gazette isi
see (says the Prince by reading some in
teresting notes in the Revue that there vet exists
doubt as to whether a cat can see its reflection
in glass. / have cat about fourteen months
Old, which have brought up in prison. and as
regards it. at least there can be no doubt upon
this subject. When it was little 1t amused us
much by seeking cat behind the glass; even
when showed ita very small one. l have Just
repeated the experiment by showing it small
oval mirror twenty centmeters long When il
saw its own reflected image it Immediately as
sumed serious air. 1t endeavored to touch ii
with its paw, but finding that there was glass
interposed it peeped behind the mirror If
drew the mirror backward itpursued until being
quicker than l was in its movements, it dis
covered there was no cat behind and then 1t
went away and did not concern itself about the
reflection any more
| should add that my little pupil is as a general
thing very intelligent. For instance. when il
wants my door opened 1t does not new. il
stretches Itself to its full length and shakes the
latch with its paw. If the door had another
kind OF fastening it would certainly open it by
raising the latch. 1t knows perfectly well the
meaning OF oil the bells whichring in the prison
that to bid the inmates rise in the morning
that which sounds before soup is served
Its dictionary is very limited, but it understands
perfectly the meaning of the words it knows
mus. in the evening when | walk in nv room
IL l,cilorhls ali soItS OF gamOoiS and by making
certain special sounds endeavOrs to make me
play with 1t at hde-and-seek Git plays this game
exactly as do children and insists that each marty
should hide in his turn) or to draw string along
for it to turn after If in reply to its invitations
to play say to it, 'What do you want? Food:
drink" it is displeased and goes with sulk,
air to sit behind my little stove. But when
say 1.-The string?' it replies Immediately by two
sounds. concerning the affirmative tone ofwhict
there can be no doubt. l could relate other
instances of sagacity; but I do not wish to appear
to impose upon the credulity of your readers
There Is, however an interesting point which il
would be well to have cleared up--are cats sus.
ceptiDle to music? Without being able to affirm
positively. believe that they are. When my
cat was little it several times seemed to us that
1t found real pleasure in listening to some all
OF pleasing cadence-for example, the waltz
from 'Faust'-provided that it was sung BY a
very high and pure voice. We even thought
that music caused it to assume almost a senti-
mental air. 1t is unnecessary to say that nv
cat like oil Others is very susceptible to caresses
and-for must confess its fauts-to fattery.
In general cats are less intelligent than d.. 8,
but by care and attention their intelligence can
be highly developed. l am sorry that l have
not sufficient time, or I should undertake the
education OF my cat by system of cards, as
proposed by Lubbock.