Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-06-02
A PARADISE FOR CATS.
The Peculiar Regard for the Feline Race
i'm the Orient-The Numerous Cats
of Persia.

neighbor's fence. IN Mohammedan
countries the cat is IN object of con
sideration and respect, amounting IN
some parts OF Islam TO veneration. For
this worshipful regard among the faith
full, the cat is indebted TO Mohammed.
Rather than disturb u sleeping cat
which had curled itself upon his coat
one day, Mohammed deliberately cut
away that portion of the garment on
which the eat was reposing. From
that day to this the Mussulman world
has regarded the cat with ycncration.
The Pcrsians, particularly, are def
~ercntial in their treatment or the eat.
/ have seen cats in Persia treated with
an exalted consideration that would
have made the famous SHn office cat
spit with envy.
One day | was the guest OF Ali Khan,
the hoikim Of Khoi, a large city in
Western Persia. Soon after my ar
rival the noontidemeal was announced.
'Bismillah Sahib," said the hoikim, and
followed 10y several counselors in long
gowns and snowy turbans, he led the
way into the dining-room. Ihedining
cloth was spread in the center OF the
floor. The R0ikim and his venerable
uSSDillltS etllCi lltiilStlN - OAiNHlil
fashion, on the floor; l was provided
with Il little stand table ut one end.
So far there was nothing rcmarka-
bic; it was merely an ideal Asiatic
dining-roOm scene. The remarkable
part was yet to come; and come il did.
very promptly, too. 1t came in the
shape of five times as many cats as
there were human guests. In the
room were many open doors u win
dows, rs is usual in u Persian house.
As we entered | noticed that several
Of the famous ~long-haircd cats Of the
country were lowering cXpectantIy ut
thes .,cntranccs. Already the number
was Sufficient TO arrest my interest.
Nobody took any particular notice Of
them, however, but me.
Every moment another cat or two
jumped airily up on II of the
window stills, and walked right in. In
less time than it takes 10 tell it the
number had swollen to twenty or more,
and before we were half through cat
ing | should -hink this number was at
least doubled. The room, outside the
dining space. was literally alive with
eats. Whenever n s|eryitor brought in
y new dish. or took anything away, he
was followed across the room by a
swarm of eats that trottcd in noiSCiesS
confusion at his heels.
Not a meow was heard, however
nor n quarrelsome sound during the
meal time. Every eat held its tail
aloft, and they passed the time in si-
lcntly moving about. They were the
most orderly and decorous lot of ats
imaginable. There was little or no
disposition to oYcrstcp the bounds of
proprietics. They seemed 10 have ac-
quircd the statelincss and politencss of
the people with whom they were asso-
ciating.
Neither the hoitjnr nor the counsel
ors seemed to regard this remarkable
scene as anything unusual. Whenever
one of the eats ventured TO invade the
edge of the dinner cloth he would be
gently, almost apologetically showed
back. The eats were fearless and IA
m:liar. Some of them strOkcd and
purred against the venerable diners
backs. 1t was very evident that they
never knew what it was TO receive II
blow or a rude rebuff Mt the hands of
man.
After dinner the scryitors promptly
removed the remnants. The intrudcrs
promenaded the apartment awhile
after the food was removed, and then
gradually dispersed rs silently rs they
bad collected. This was moro cats
than ! had ever seen together outside
a ca show, Owing 10 linguistic short
comings. | could never make out
whether thcy were all pensioners of
the municipal k2uab, or merely neigh
borho0d eats attracted 10 IN, Official
rcpast in this manner every day.
After this extraordinary introduce
ton to the cats Of Persia, the reader
would naturally expect to hv2r equally
extraordinary things about their mid
night r~cyclings. For, sad to say, the
ycrSian cat Is not always as circum-
.SFect in his behavior rs he is when
towering around the outskirts of d
h0tk{mS b~anqucting board. Nor does
he always wait for the setting OF the
sun To tune himself up. Not less than
for It's wealth of hair is the Persian eat
on It's native heath celebrated among
terenghi travellers for It's early matt
nee concerts. At all hours of the day,
when the fplincs of other lands are in
duling in dolce far HicHte and saving
their vocal organs for the mystic
Seances of the night, the eats Of Persia
are promeDading the walls and house
tops, uttering plaintiff mc!o-.i.. t.:
sound ike the wailinG of ios' rNuta.
There is msrc genuine zitherish p<lios
q $hc OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
blabbabl-owwrr" ola Persian IN ". )
cat than there is in II muczziu's cal A..
prayer.
The unfortunate tendency Cf thu
Persian cat to carol in the IA Ni}.rc "
wei, as in the night is ,n- na"' %
many little unplrasautncsSr~ 80 s'%,n
the European colony ia Trhrran ant
the natives. Fifty cats might wa-blc
on a Pcrsian's ROOF day and night, and
owing to their being under ia" sp",iuI
protection of Mohammcd they won>s
never bc motestcd. This, of course,
Fcrcnmhi cannot be expected To cndt re.
When | was in Tchcran a biz white AT
took 4 fancy to perch himself on 1he
wall Of Our bondh, and looking do IN
into the yard, favor Us with i muSl"al
mclnngc ut any hour ct the day ~
piaht u IDfprpDcp =, fhp nrpiull, -