Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1893-04-12
A Paradise for Cats.

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and warble on your neighbor's fence
I'm Mohammedan countries the ca
is an object of consideration and re
spect, amounting in some parts Of
Islam to veneration. For thi
worshipful regard among the faith
full the cat is indebted to Moham
med. Rather than disturb a sleep
ing cat which had curled itself up
Oh his coat one day, MohammeC
deliberately cut away that portion
of the garment OIL which the cat wa
reposing. From that day to this
the Mussulman world has regarded
the cat with veneration.
The Persians, particularly, are
deferential in their treatment ol
the cats. | have seen cats in Per,
sia treated with an exalted consider.
alton that would have made our pei
cats split with envy.
One day l was the guest of All
Kahn, the Hoikim of Koi, a large
city in Western Persia. Soon after
my arrival the noontide meal was
announced. "Bismillah, Sahib, '
said the Hoikim, and, followed by
several councillors in long gowns
and snowy turbans, he led the way
to the dining-roon.
The dlning-cloth was spread in
the middle Of the floor. The Hoik-
i'm and his venerable associates
seated themselves, Orient fashion,
on the floor; was provided with a
little stand table at one end.
So far there was nothing remark
able; it was merely an ideal Asiatic
dining-room scene. The remarkable
part was yet to come, and come it
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 and windows, as is usual
in a Persian house. As we entered
| noticed that several of the fam
Gus long-haired cats of the country
were lowering expectedly at these
entrances. Already the number
was sufficient to arouse my interest.
Nobody took any particular notice
of them, however, but myself.
Every moment another cat Jump
ed airily upon one of the window
sills and walked III. In less time
than it takes to tell it the number
had swollen to twenty or more, and
before we had half finished eating
| should think the number was at
least fifty. The room, outside the
dining space, was literally alive
with cats.
Whenever servitor brought in a
new dish, or took anything away,
he was followed across the room by
a swarm of cats that trotted in
noiseless confusion at his heels.
Not new was heard, however, not
a quarrelsome sound during the
meantime. Every cat held it's tail
aloft, and they passed the time in
silently moving about. They were
the most orderly and decorous lot
of cats imaginable. There was lit
tie or no disposition to overstep the
bounds of propriety. They seemed
to have acquired that stateliness
and politeness of the people with
whom they were associating.
Neither Hoikim nor the council
lors seemed to regard this remark
able scene as anything unusual.
Whenever one Of the cats ventured
to invade the edge of the dinner
cloth, he would be gently, almost
apologetically, showed back. The
cats were fearless and familiar.
Some Of them stroked and purred
against the venerable diners backs.
1t was evident that they had never
known what it was to receive blow
or rude rebuff at the hands of man.
After this extraordinary intro
duction to the cats Of Persia, the
reader would naturally expect to
hear equally remarkable things
about their midnight revellings.
For, sad to say, the Persian cat is
not always as circumspect in his
behavior as he is when lowering
around the outskirts Of Hoikim's
banqueting board. Nor does he
always wait for the setting of the
sun to turn himself up.
Not less than for its wealth Of
hair is the Persian cat on its native
heath celebrated among Feringhi
than for it's early matinee
At all hours of the day, |
when the felines of other lands are
indulging in dolce far niente and
saving their vocal organs for the
mystic seances of the night, the
cats of Persia are promenading the
walls and housetops, uttering plain
= 4 IL