The Dickinson press., 1889-03-30
THE TRICKS CT PJSS.

THE TRICKS (.E PTSS.
A MAN WHO TRAINS CATS TO DO
MANY AMUSING THINGS.
The Feline Pets Are Creating Quite Sen
sation i'll Ensland-Climbins Poles and
Walking Ropcs-Eratcrni.inS with Birds
and Mice.
Cats have generally been regarded as es-
pecially and only useful for the purpose of
catching rats and mice. The cat has never
been supposed to be an Intelligent animal;
nothing like as intelligent as tho dog
But as a sportsman the cat is cmincnty
successful. How a four legged animal
can catch winged bird, who has nothing
to do to get away except to tly up
i'll the air, where the cat can't follow
it, is remarkable. Nevertheless, pussy may
be seen almost any time in summer stealing
through the long grass, crouchins, slowly
whisAins her tail from side to side. now
crawling forward, and ut last pouncing on
the u.suspectiaS bird before it has time TO
get its wings going and rise III the mir. Then
| ~ cat will watch the parent bird till it goes to
Its nest, thus revealing It's locality, when pusS
will mount the tree and eat up the young
birds When q bird is seen hopping about
over fences and shrubs chipping all the time,
making q great fuss and evidently distressed,
| the chances are that somewhere near u cat is
watching to see where the bird goes. But the
bird at such times is usually too sharp for the
Il r
bctraying its birdlings
PROFESSOR FEEDERlCKS PETS.
Lately Il man i'll England has trained cats.
lie Is Il professional trainer OF animals. such
as the Lorsr, the dog, the goat or the pig.
lie las large number OF cats and has given
them considerable attention He is Professor
Eredericks. and is un exhibitor of his pets
He exercises them i'll the morning i'll the
back garden of his Lou,c, and feeds them OF
cats meat bread and milk. They are no,
easily trained, and are not reliable i'll n per
tormamcc. being Il good deal like chiidrcn,
VINO will ne:er show Of when expected.
They get obstinate every nuv and then. and
III" only way to treat them a N this con
d!i!un Is 20 let them resi- .,s>ii lrce:er
lcHS never uses '!f'v IA tral.;:!.5 .iIein, AKA
never thinks Whipping u, kittens
can't be .raiac,i y, ;:st all ei.urt thus tar
has failed, and substantial middle aged cats
are us!!;:, i...;eH ior the purpose, Tie
trouble e, t.li;ru, Is that they are too
playful. ~, trained they think the
trainer =. play atl,l don't consider The
matter serious ,.vcry toy or llrl
l:nows ,splls ran l.c learned without
SERIOUS ~. lion. but Us the kitten doesn't
realize ,.., u never can learn
AT Professor Ire,.eli,'k, performance the
cats first climb pole Unc would suppose
that here woui! he ,.v,'l to teach Il cat To
climb Il lol. that it would bc.ionc naturally
Eui 1t is not simply the climbing, hut the
control ot t4e cat, movements after IL gets
oit of Its masters reach 1t ,c. pcctcd To 20
To the top OF the pole, but whether II reaches
that point depends entirely un lis Inclination
ihcn cat is made to walk u tight rope
Considering the elevated peaks "i roots and
gitidy cutters i! ca, Will TRAVERSE III i. dark
ui.,!ii. "ac wouldn l sui,pos>. wal..in. Il IL, ut
rope la DC very ,i..iru!t job lo. 1t. In t..ls
';i.c III r!i!li'i.ie, tAe truiilli!,, is III the
r!t wtl..lns the rope under special las;rur
| lions
Ono ,i Professor Freterie..;;s' cats, called
Slul,cr, !, trained to walk IT, AT rope s;re"n
With nliee anl canary bird, lir ll.ts III, feet
deity over tc mice and tlc birds, and
!l;tNe, the return journey with IL mouse on
| AS back.
Ii Is generally supposed that all cat, are
io.s.l oI mice and birds. This i, not true
&c cal lii eight doesn't care tor either y
y.:!iuis incident occurred at one OF tic pro,
.cssol exhibitions recently. y cat who was
t.e.i'r.ans. yielding tn IL temptation quite
-, ural to cats bent III, head and caught Il
i-.t in III, mouth y word to the vie is SUI
i.,lent, and. the cat beng wise, upon Il word
iro!n the professor dropped tue rat. The
tossing cat, are an attractive feature. They
| stand on Their hind les faclns cne another,
ontwo chairs, and fight quite scientifically,
CAT, uAvl. No AFFECTION.
.',.tu1ucSc cats lu;,nc the best performers.
J., !-!:;j.n they l;.;;. ;,rca! interest III c;,i,
tvsn il.cli l., IN; tue means vi hecpin. Tue
.,!tets cir:tr Of Luicc, which would Otherwise
,.t.., iet I. pot.iold there All the cats il,
.!,n,.. laveu lean appearance, from benz,
-::.;t- III l:!lcc hunting. Black cats learn
-,i. 1t, ;.d only oIc cat III Three can ue
,.....l4,l ,.t ali. i'roi,s-ur rc,!crichs' first
..l"He i, To leach the cat to sit up and be-
I .vn they must creep through chairs and
'-if,y over the backs. After that they walk
I ;,cIus-, the Stage on ci:;tlaiIasne bottles.
lie professor holds Tue view OF uluny pco-
! ;..1 ,,t cats Euve 10 affection at all, thous!.
10 at times show signs OF affection, though
i.pthins like the dog OF the horse. Still, u
eats affection Is largely dependent on being
l.'l regularly To make cat perform in u
lg."ate room Is quite another thing from
making ii perform before an audience. Still,
cats can be trained to care little about ail
| audience and to get over stage fright and,
! like actors and ACTRESSES, they very easily get
used to applause, though it is cot asserted
! that the cats, +" hen once used to II, pine tor
! 1t, and Slunblc about want OF appreciation
when they don't set il.
| But il Il stranger crosses the boards when u
cat is performing the animal viii pause and
lock round at him n!qulsitively, like Ihco-
| ,lore Thomas, ii interrupted when leading lis
orchestra Professor Fredericks' influence
over animals is a natural gift He once oc-
longed to a circus company One day ;Ee
! lion ta,ner, "..en about TO enter the lions
| Gaze Tor Il performance, scratched his face On
ii nail, wilic. drew L!ocd. KNOWN. the
/ eject Of blood on lions. lie declined to enter
the cage and 10 thc lions through their
| PAGES. Tie cu,.l2nce We're c!anlorous, and it
";4s necessary TO provide sonic one to atnl,.e
them w'!.i tle .io!s.
Ireee..c..s, wi.o bad never tanned lions OF
/ Eu,! anything to 10 with them, entered tho
| cage ana =" tHt t!ini.e! WITH the per! ornlaice.
i..o SAID ;lft.g"aru that lie was only nervous
| upon opcal'i5 the '.cyI ct the cage. Unco
| i:s!ir Et .....,. he bad control When asked
What lie sel4l,I ave done tad tue ous at
t.,r.c.! Lt.:. L" rci..,-!, Nothing. could
oily stand at!u and tc eaten till somebody
| oj.tsl.:e Lad ct the rcd hot irons ready"
lie protea-4.r however. gave UP having any
thing to do w.iu ll0.ls. Las wile naturally
..l,.u,- b.A
| tt..,..eu lis attention to Cts AID find, his
ic..ine performances very prolitable.-PLila-
dolphin Gail.