News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-02-28
A SMART CAT.
" Nap" Makes Friends With a Can
airy and a Gander.

A man in West Twenty third street,
New York, who owns five cats, seven
canary birds, two crows, n snake. a
parrot, three white snico with pink . yes
and monkey, wants somebody to get
up a cat show.
81 agree with Sir Walter Scott" he
said to a reporter the other day, " that
cats are very mysterious kind of folk.
Time was when 1 didn't like 'em, but
my respect for 'em has been greatly
enlarged since I made their more init
mate acquaintance. In this matter OF
intelligence think cat is not far be-
hind dog. 1t is unreasonable prejudice
that keeps a cat down. Ninety-nine
women in a hundred believe they are
treacherous-why, L can't say. Oi
course cat possesses the highest car
nivorous propensities, but that is nc
reason why it should not be endowed
with intelligence and affection.
Give the cat chance-the same
chance that you give the horse and the
dog. You will be surprised at the rapid
progress of its development. One OF
my cats, that big tortoise-shell, Napo
leon, follows me just as a dog would
wherever L go. I had him in Fifth
avenue yesterday trotting along>at my
heels as contentedly as any pug. When
go to the country always take Nap.
He is an expert hunter He doesn't Sci
quail or point 'em either, but I've seen
him catch many one. He does hate tc
give 'em up, though, worse than any.
thing you ever saw. He generally hunts
with me, but sometimes goes it alone.
In October, while / was spending two
weeks near Greenwood Lake, in New
Jersey, he went out on his own hook
and caught no less than three rabbits,
fetching every one of 'em to the house.
81 think Nap has got more sense
than all the dogs in New York put to
getherr. Let me show you some queer
things about him. See that big black
bearskin ON the floor by the door2 You
can't get into the room without walking
on it. Now watch Nap. I'll take him
out in the hall and let him follow me
back in
He went out with Nap in his arms
quickly, the cat following at slow trot
until reaching the bearskin, when,
crouched like a tiger, he gathered him
self together and sprang clear over.
landing in the centre of the room.
"That fellows four years old, con.
tinued the owner, and I've had him
him since he was kitten, but I've
never been able to get him to touch that
skin. He'd jump over it if it was mile
wide. The other cats dod't mind it.
Amt that curious2 Lee me show you
something else. I'll convince you of q
remarkable triumph of trained intelli-
gence over instinct.
Taking one of the canaries from cage
he placed it on Maps back, where the
little creature nestled down in perfect
contentment. By and by Nap got up
and began to caper softly about the room,
being careful not to unseat the bird. No
nurse ever handled baby with such
tenderness.
ever seen the beat of that2 Out at
my country place I've got an old gander
that is one of Maps best friends. It's
the funniest sight in the world to see
Nap riding around on his back. You
know, l suppose, that cats have horror
of water; well, you can just imagine
poor Maps distress when one day, as he
was half asleep, the gandel
waded slowly out into the pond and
swan off. 1 thought 1 should die of laugh
ing. He kept Nap out there in torment
for n half-hour and then landed him
high and dry with q sqneak that sound
ed like laugh. Nap didn't go about
him for several days, his feelings were
so hurt, but they made up pretty soon
and were better friends than ever.