The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-07
CONCERNING THE CAT
PROBABLE ORIGIN OF THE DOMEs-
TIC ANIMAL-DIFFERENT SPECIES.
Its Personal Traits Are Interesting
and Repay Study-Superstftions
Connected with Ii.

IkODCII btlSuls III NCW 4OLh HfCAAAAS Il
We have around the place a kitten OF
rather a blush color-what a disciple OF
Izaak Walton would call a ''blue-dun." Its
fur is perhaps a little more fluffy than
usual, and this, combined with its color,
makes it an object of discussion among the
ladies. One declares it is a Maltese; an
other is equally confident that it is a Per-
sian; another AYERS that 1t is an Angora;
one goes so far as to say that 1t is a
Prussian cat. When I am asked to decide,
and venture to suggest that the lady who
says Maltese" Is thinking OF dogs; that
Persian and Angora are the same, but
these cats are white when pure; that
"Prussian'' reminds me of carp, but they
should be called "Crucian' there is a howl
Of execration. However, I restore peace
by awarding the decision to no one, but
''speering.' as they still say in the isle
Of the tailless cats, whether 1t may not be
a Chartreuse. I am told that I am think
ing not OF animals at all. but OF what all
men are noted for l~iking-good dinners
but I am contented. for the discussion ends
just where it began, like so many debates
in dignifed assemblies. in every one hold
ing her own opinion.
Really there Is room for discussion about
the domestic cat. because its history is a
curious one. The animal belongs to that
genus Felis which supplies the most ter
rible and ferocious of animals. The MEM
bers of the genus are distributed over the
whole of the old world and new world, ex-
cept Madagascar and Australia The i'm
mediate relatives of the domestic cat in
the old world are the lion. the tiger. the
leopard or panther, the ounce, the serval,
and the many smaller animals called tiger
cats and wild cats. In the new world the
house pet claims kindred with the puma,
or cougar, or panther of the United States,
the jaguar, the ocelot and the pampas cat
What is called the American cat Is not
really a cat. but a lynx.
To which of the existing wild felidae shall
we ascribe the domestic cat? Man in the
distant past must have taken a wild ami
NAL and domesticated it, and it ought to
be possible still to trace the ancestry
among the cats which roam at large. 1t
certainly cannot be assigned to the wild
cat Of Europe. The greater size and the
peculiar shape of the tail. which is of uni
form thickness in this species, render II
impossible, so to speak, for it to be the
ancestor of the domestic cat. 1t was long
thought that the gloved cat Of Nubia,
which has been found mummifed in Egyp-
tan tombs, was the forefather. In size
and tapering tail Ii undoubtedly reminds
most insuperable difficulties in the ar
rangement Of the teeth. 1t has been sug-
gested that the form was arrived at by
crossing several species, but this is scarce
ly probable, for man would not perform
the crossing, but would take some animal
out of the forest. The most probable solu-
ton is that the domestic cat sprang from
one Of the wild cats of India called Felis
chaus. In tine middle ages cats were very
scarce, and were highly priced in Europe,
indicating a difficulty in procuring them,
although the wild cat was everywhere
| abundant. The domestication must have
taken place very early. in human history.
Monumental figures and mummies are met
with in the relics OF ancient Egypt and
Sanscrit writings of two thousand years
ago record the connection between man and
the cat.
FEW VARIETIES.
The animal is one which exhibits a strong
tendency to variation, and yet, although II
has been under domestication probably as
long as the dog, not a tenth OF the number
OF varieties OF dogs, which reach 1se, exist
among cats. This is probably due to the
nocturnal wandering habits of the cat. Still
there are some very strongly marked va
rieties. We may mention the tabby; the
tortoise-shell, with it's mixed coloring OF
black. white and yellow, found only OF che
feminine gender; the chartreuse, Of BLUSH
gray color; the Angora, with long silky
hair of a dusky white; the Manx, with a
'scut' like a rabbit, instead Of q tail; the
Madagascar. with twisted tail; the Chi
Will IOOplI6 CdlSt d444 LDC 1Ca-COl-
ored breed Of Tobolsk. OF all these the
gentlest and most domestic is the Angora,
which comes not from Ansora; put from
in Persia.
In Egypt of old cats were sacred to Isis.
the moon goddess, and were embalmed
with great care. Modern Egyptians may
look upon them with different eyes, but
thsy still value them, for in Cairo there
is a well-endowned institution where home
less cats are cared for
In the middle ages in Europe the cat was
associated with witchcraft, and one OF the
weird sisters who ruled the fate of the age
was not complete without her black cat to
| represent her master, or grimalkin-a gray
cat TO represent the familiar spirit" They
dren. and parents to this day carefully
keep cats away from cradles. A
black cat approaching the bedside
of a sick person was an unfail-
ing sign of approaching death. Lady
Wilde has an Irish story of the visit of a
great cat which invaded the house of a fish
best fish: 'The house suddenly became
quite dark. and the door was burst open
walked a huge black cat. who went straight
growled. Why, surely this is the devil
I'll teach you how to call me names said
the cat, and jumping. at her he scratched
when a gentleman comes to see you A
man with a club could not drive him
AdI dA4 AC u IAG uCL
but after being driven out of
the house by the black cats fury, the mis-
tress returned with a bottle of holy water
done than a dense black smoke filled the
place, through which nothing could be seen
but the red eyes of the cat, burning like
Goals of fire. Then the smoke gradually
cleared away, and she saw the body OF
the creature burning slowly till IL became
shriveled and black like a cinder, and final
ly disappeared" These demon cats are
frequently met with in the folklore of Eu-
rope. j presume they belong TO the old
world felidae.
LIVES OF THE CAT.
Cats are supposed to be very tenacious Of
life. and wonderful stories are extant Of
their temperance when they have been
thought to be effectually disposed of. They
are said TO have nine lives. but care is
stated TO be effective-"Care will kill a
cat" says the proverb.
There is a peculiar breed which is said to
be frequent in kitchens, but its natural his
tory is as yet uncertain. One striking Pc
culiarity is that it breaks everything and
eats everything, for when the mistress of
the household finds things missing she is
solemnly informed that 1.-The cat did it."
In this country we do not look upon cats
as a legitimate article of food, any more
than they do in England. But, according
10 Mr.. Samivel Weller, they are a delicacy
largely depended on in the mutton-pie shops
OF London, and. according to the Informal
| ton no imparfod m air piek uyiok NOT