Iron County register., 1888-01-12

looked at the little stick held out for
them to leap over, and then at Mr..
Bonnetty without bud ging Frequently
they appeared not to understand what
he meant and that too. after much
instruction in the sound of the word,
and what he wanted them to do when
he pronounced it He never lost his
temper, but when a hitch occurred
stroked the cats back and fondled
them until they became anxious to
learn what he desired He was firm
at all times, and never gave up until
he succeeded. In the end the cat COM
pretended what was desired of him,
and he jumped.
That first result obtained. the work
of education became more rapid. BY
degrees the animals learned to walk
up the backs of chairs anu over the
necks of bottles. These, of course,
are not difficult feats for cats, as every
body knows. but the wonder is in max
ing them to order. By and bv he
taught them to leap through flaming
hoops and ride on the backs OF
monkeys. There was yet, however, a
last and more important feature re-
naming. and it was a question wheth-
er he would ever be able to accom-
plish that Mr.. Bonnetty had trained
his cats at home and brought them to
perfection. He had no idea whether
or not they would stand the footlights.
the band and the audience. He tried
them and they refused to act. They
| SbraDk ba cly in q corna,. oS thoir b,, e.o
cage in lump in a veritabl fit of
savage fright No amount of coaxing
would have brought them out.
The more he urged the closer
they crowded together, and fol
all he could do they refused to bulge.
Driven too far, the training dis
appeared, they became once more
savage and made wild dash for lib
erty. He had much trouble in secur-
ing them, but he did so finally. with
assistance. and then he had to 60 over
the training again from the Begin
ming. They could not be treated like
dogs or other animals. Whipping was
ont of the question, as was, indeed, all
violence or chastisement. H. could
only count on their willingness or dis
position ITO oblige, and when he had
got them into a thoroughly good
humor they were very good The ap-
petite, too. had much to do with their
affability. Mr.. Bonnetty rarely fed
his cats until after the show, and then
mostly in accordance with their per-
formance, and being intelligent ami
mails, they came to know that good
work would be rewarded with choice
supper, and plenty of it
| In the course of the second training
Mr.. Bonnetty accustomed his cats to
music and an audience, and at last he
had the pleasure of seeing that they
would act just as if there was no one
in the place. He exhibited them
throughout Holland and some cities in
Germany, and finally came to Paris.
where he is making fortune.
He has cats now that walk slack
and tight rope and go through n whole
series of circus tricks by themselves.
| He has likewise accustomed them to
live in cage with canaries. white
mice, rats, rabbits, hares and guinea
pigs When he opens the doors of the
cage and says "March!' the cats file
out slowly and solidly, taking no no.
tice of any thing but Bonnetty. The
birds fly about and often light on their
backs, but the cats move on as if una
ware of the intrusion. The rats and
mice run under feet but the cats keep
! marching on to the music without
once deigning to look down.
In the ten years that Bonnetty has
been training and exhibiting cats he
has lost number. but only regrets
one. That was cat the like of which
he will never SEQ again. he thinks, and
he disappeared at Brussels. A large
reward was offered for his recovery,
but no word or sign of him has ever
been heard or seen. Mr.. Bonnetty
thinks that he was stolen by Ouch
ess, who offered large sum of money
for him, and taken to England. N T.
Morning Journal.