The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-11-02
A HOME FOR POOR PUSSY.
Where Cats Find Refuge and Safety from
Boys and Dogs.

A HOME FOX POOH FOoors
Where Cats Find Refuge and Safety from
Boys and Dogs.
In Pottstown, Pa, where broad
brimmed theology still casts a benevo-
lent shade, refuge for cats is one Of
the charitable institutions. In this
establishment all sorts and conditions
of pussies are nursed and cared for,
irrespective of age, sex or religion. A
comics table middle-aged woman is the
matron and physician in charge, while
a small girl is employed as assistant
Bows are not allowed; they excite the
cats.
So sympathetic is the matron's ma
ture, so tender and skillful her hands,
that she has large outside practice in
addition to her hospital work. The
worst MANNED cat is carried in basket
softly lined; little kittens are conveyed
to the institution in the pockets OF the
superintendent, while the wounded are
bound up with magic salve spread on
rags. Broken legs are set in splints,
while the animals whose backs are
broken, are put out of their agony
with chloroform and decently inferred.
Shy kittens are held by the nape Of
the neck while dab of butter is put
upon each of their feet. Then they
are set down in corner to lick their
paws and reflect. BY the time the but.
ter and cheerful reflections are alb.
sorbed, the little ones show renewed
confidence in human nature by trotting
up to the matron and demanding more
butter.
One room is entirely given up to the
hospital ward. Ingenious little ham.
moclcs rest the broken bones and suffer.
ing bodies, while strong odor of cat.
nip fills the air. But catnip is by no
means the only medicine employed. In
fact, the matron asserts that 1t serves
rather as tonic than as an absolute
cure She processes to know much Of
herbs and decoctions of mysterious
properties. The kittens too young to
lap milk, are fed by means Of glass
eye-dropper. In the same manner cat.
nip tea is administered to them. 1t is
plan to be recommended for use by
persons who are obliged to bring up
motherless cats by hand from extreme
infancy. Convalescents In the institu-
ton described are cared for on a sunny
porch, wire netting preventing excl
ting visits from strange and healthy
cats in neighboring yards.
Through all this kind treatment the
cat nature seems foreman unchanged,
Notwithstanding the matron's asser.
ton that her patients are very "huming
in their feelings" From time to time
they make their escape into the outside
world through hole in the back fence.
Some times such adventurers are re-
turned in the hospital basket, one-eyed,
no-tailed, and In one instance lackinga
paw. With tears in her eyes the mat
ron told of the tragic end Of one hand
some Maltese, which she had brought
up from kittenhood. Said she:
eft were a beautiful cat, but bad.
When he got big enough he would
squeeze out under the gate and stay
away nights. There were sick lady
about block away, and Tom would go
and yell under her window. One night
her husband got mao ana unreW roch
at him. 1t knocked him off the fence,
and he died"
The institution takes in boarders,
though with some reluctance, because,
as the matron says, the boarding
pussies "gives themselves airs and stirs
up the other cats" But the boarders
pay we'll, and good mousers are rented
out, while many cat lovers relieve the
home of pretty kittens The estab-
lishment was originally endowed by an
old lady with sum of money sufficient
for It's support, and it receives occa-
sional donations. Small sums are con-
tributed by little girls, who have been
bereaved of beloved pussies, but the
small boys seem to send their pennies
further on.-Washington Star.