Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1894-08-09
cHIvALRv. EVEN IN A CAT.
wea't Attack Rat which Is Helpless ID
r~r

- Trap
VIII q cat attack a rat i'd a trap,
Of wait atound until the captive ia
lilerated?" Ninety-nine people Out
Ut hund ed asked this question
would reply without hesitation: 'Of
course, it will do either or both"
Two ST Louis gentlemen were dis
cussing this question few days ago,
says the ST. Louis Globe Democrat,
and, finding it impossible to agree,
made a small bet, and decided to
leave the decision 10 an expert in
natural history. The referee de.
clined to act, and finally a number OF
dealers in pet animals were con-
suited. All who had seen cat
tenn ted by u captive rat agreed that
for come reason best known TO itself,
the best feline rat-catchers kept as
much space as possible between them
selves and their natural enemies
when Che latter were handicapped by
being imprisoned in trap. 1t was
only those who had not had an op-
portunity OF judging from actual ex-
perience who laughed at the question
as foolish and said that IA cat would
certainly tight trap as viciously as
tc rieE One dealer, who had been
in the business for thirty years. SAID:
"Rats are ag eat nuisance to us,
ami we fre uentIy catch them ia
I aps That old cat you see there
has caught dozens OF frats in his time,
though he is getting too old and
toothless now for anything bigger
than q mouse. But he would never
70 near trap with rat in it, al.
though ] have tried him again and
again. know Of no reason for this,
but it is an actual fact, and / quit
trying years ago. Not only would the
cat refuse to watch the trap but 1t
could not be held while the rat was
liberated. 1t may he that the cat
was afraid OF the trap, but ] don't
see why, because he never noticed 1T
when 1t was empty.
An old river man who was loung.
ing in the store when the question
was asked, added:
"No cat will face rat in trap
have seen it tried again and again On
boats and wharves. Down south l
have known rats to destroy hundreds
of dollars worth Of cargo, and have
seen many a cat drag in rat hale as
large as itself. When We found one
OF the gnawers in trap we would Of
ten hunt up a favor!te cat and give
it chance for some sport. But 1t
was never any use The best OF them
would fight to get away, and would
refuse TO even look a second time at a
trap which had done its work salts.
factorily"
An old menagerie hand, who was
appealed to, not only confirmed the
statement hut advanced somewhat
Of philosophical theory to account
for it. The cat. he explained, not
only belongs to the same tribe as the
tiger, but resembles it 10 many ways,
notably in stalking its victims.
springing upon them from ambush,
waiting patiently for hours for cov-
eted prey, and playing with its prize
before killing and eating it. A cat
refuses to attack an imprisoned rat.
not from motives Of fear. but from
something more like chivaly or pride.
Just the same as the tiger would not.
Unless pressed by intense hunger, eat
an animal not k lied by itself. In.
stances were on record he stated,
in which men lost in tiger-infested
regions had escaped being torn to
pieces by Stimulating death, and he
doubted very much whether cat
would attack a rat out OF trap il 1T
appeared to be disabled or seriously
in lirel