Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-11

III HuNIHS no Uall, anu bne lack UnereOI Is
the insoluble puzzle to naturalists. Since
it has become the fashion to explain every
thing by the principles of evolution two
theories have been offered-one that owing
to the limited range and lack of dense for
ests the original cats had no use for tails,
and consequently they (the tails, not the
cats) gradually atrophied for lack of use
and became rudiInentary; another, that
the primitive Manx cut off all their cats
tails and in course of time developed a tail
less. breed. One thing is certain-the cats
are there, and they have no tails.
The high bred Chinese cat is splendid
proof of what may be done by kindness
and culture. If you were to repeat to a
well to do but untraveled Chinaman the
current saying with us that cats are selfish
creatures, utterly devoid of affection, he
would be very much astonished, and, if the
owner of thoroughbred, probably in
dignant. The Chinese cat appears capable
of intense attachment to one person, and
ages of selection and careful breeding
have brought the species up to high
standard. The Chinese claim that one of
these cats (and any cat to some extentl is
valuable clock. In the morning the pupil
of its eye is broad band; it contracts
regularly till noon, when it is mere hair
ine and expands again as regularly till
night. So when a Chinaman wants to
know the time of day he picks up his cat
and looks.
The prettiest cat in the world probably
is the royal cat of Siam. 1t is of a beauti-
full fawn color, with black muzzle and
liquid dark eye, and is of a most affection
ate disposition. For centuries they were
seen nowhere save in the palace of the ST
amese king, and to take one away was a
capital offense. At length some were
stolen and taken to Europe, but they are
so delicate, probably as a result of centu-
ries of careful petting, that it is doubtful
if the breed can be perpetuated. Many
other fine breeds are known to the public,
especially in England, where annual cat
shows have been held for many years.
The United States government is the
proprietor of some 300 cats, for which
regular allowance is made in the postoffice
department. They are distributed among
the larger postoffices where much mail is
likely to be stored. They are taught to
live among the mail sacks, and are fed
only when the supply of rats and mice
runs out. By the way, it is a fact not so
well known as it should be that cats are
unsafe creatures to keep in any part OF
city where all the ground is paved or
otherwise covered by stone or brick The
instinct of the creature warns him that his
necessities are dangerous to his kind rs
well as to human beings and whenever
possible he improvises an earth closet, but
where this cannot be done the result is un-
doubtedly bad.
This is one of many reasons urged by
that peculiar band of women who traverse
the streets of New York rescuing homeless
cats. When this band, which now consists
of seven women, was first mentioned in
the press, the article was thought to be
joke, but they are now a recognized section
of the Henry Bergh association. They go
out late at night, each with basket of
clipped liver, chickens feet and other ref
use meat, also bottle of chloroform and
some catnip. The vagrant cats of the back
alleys soon learn their voices, and at their
call come in joyous groups to roll in the
catnip and feed on the scraps All the
sick and wounded are put to final sleep
with the chloroform. The last report of
the cat and dog refuge at 704 Eighth
avenue showed that the band is now using
seven gallons of chloroform per month,
and in ten months had "treated' 4,0S9
homeless cats and seventy-one dogs. Six
wounded sparrows, one rabbit and one
opossum were also cared for.