The sun., 1894-04-29
STORY OF A CAT FAMILY.
AN ORPHANED PAIR NoBLY ATTENDED
BH an OLDER BRO1HER.

| snestteated Sauirret-A Shoeklng nouhls
Tragedy On the Railroad.
The cat Is said to have nine lives but this,
like many another common saying. will not
stand the test Of close examination. 1 have
| been an attentive observer Of the eat kind ever
since I realized the near kinshlp between our
selves and the entire vsrtebrated creation. and
| have failed to perceive in the cat any peculiar
tenacity OF life. or any special exemption from
| the accidents to which all flesh IL heir-eXcept
in so far az its extreme agility enables It to
land always on its feet
Ny observation Is that the cat IL the most
| fra aglle and the shortest lived OF all domestic
animals. and that the more intelligent and
| finely organized the individual Is. the more
likely II is to come to you at an early age for
| farewell caress. and then go OF Into the woods
to find for itself an unnotlced grave in the
dorbrush. Moreover. I have noticed that
| the young Of the cat Kind have less tenaclty Of
life and are more difficult to rear than the
young Of any other tame duadruDed. This
may escape general observation, because the
mother cat so jealousy guards her offspring
from all intrusions until II becomes necessary
that their feeble limbs shall be strengthened
by ex srcise. believe to be i'm possible to rear
| q kitten II II is deprived OF q mothers care
before 1t is a fortnight or more old. Its diges-
tive organs are then too weak to assimilate Its
food. Assimilation is induced only by the
massage treatment OF the mother cat and all
attempts that have known to substitute for
It the kneadinR OF the human hand have re.
suited in failure. The only course when the
very young cat is deprived OF its mother is to
call In another feline. and induce II to perform
a mothers part: but this 10 not easy to do. for
the female cat does not take kindly to another's
progeny. and It is the instinct Of the male to
destroy the young kitten. never knew OF
h,,N 10. 40, -hara In al fpota rad
to be lacking. and this case was so remarks-
BILE that 1t may be worth relating.
Our favorite cat-the Kitty Clover whose brief
biography some time ago gave to the readers
OF The SuN-had dlod leaving two sets OF
kittens: two male cats about O months old
whom we had ed Sam and Spotty. and two
little things OF unknown gender that had
opened their eyes early the day before. Icould
not see the gentle creature die. but my Wife
braver than Twas with her trying to relieve
her agony, and so was Spotty- watching her
with the tenderest solicitude. lavishing upon
her all sorts OF cat endearments. and. in her
more severe spasms. holding her body against
his own. as II he thought his young life
might iniuse itself into her veins aud
give reliof from her torture. But no help
could save her. she had to die. and
making for her q suitable coffin. We found her
In remote corner Of our garden. Spotty had
followed US to the grave. and when had
shovelled the last earth upon his mothers
body and had turned to 90 back to the house
he asked to be taken up In my arms and then
he ouddled down on my breast as II he felt
was the only friend he had left in the world.
As we walked on toward the house / said to
my wife: " 1t Is . great pity that We can't save
the kittens That little black and white fellow
Il the image OF his mother. and would give
anything to rear him
Let us Try Try 10 90 L. she trssi anSwerea a. VIII
be successful, 1t Is now about time they had
their supper"
Spotty down upon the floor. but no kept close
to my heels. and went with me into my den."
den. My wife had gone to tho kitchen to heat
some milk, but soon che came to my door. bot
Z. ,t IL band ssynE: "W0nsy0u go with me to
The house was an old time New Haven man
% w wes n srTs sns SsS
shs%Ssrs In one e these closets on the
dane eIistence. followed my wife pp staira.
Spotty stu at my heels. but when came 70
IL ny arms. lest he should harm the kittens.
and i1 my W wife. seating herself Spcn Il. 'iI door.
Ssr the f:p ss ,SsS nS SSe sE
spotty. sst Who f had ' never %4 seem @ ca. % any
younger. than himself, looked on in
sort Of blank a%aSsmsPt; The Espas1,
sell at full length upon the floor uttered the pc
Kittens had been put back by my wife to the
while the little fellows waddlsd toward spotty.
he " caught It 6stwssn his. paws paws gave gave It the
massage treatment and the ether necessary
assault cd bis breast for the sxpested noarish.
this ever: he shook them both OF. and, going
them again to him. aud bathed them all over |
from head & to foot every now and then looking
plainly said: ~, Are they not wonderfully line
From Fro that hour spotty devoted himself with
kittens. He shared their rug at night, and By |
except when they were asleep, and then only
at RAJ rare interval We kept them confined to
ssns that SAM or soSe es Do
,hsm ,r5 harm 4 hy they were psrmlttsd to explore
times did get as far as the upper land
!sSdsr!y back % shss sosst RHs' .es%sd @
were about dys weeks old. he must Rsy. slept
f9SusSSs 9 @ RSss Sa me s ana msreS
him. and crept down to within q dozen steps
of the foot OF the long. fashioned stairway.
! was sitting In my room with the hall door
open Mhsa my attention was arrested ny cry
two OF the balusters. and he looking at me
with pleading expression. Thinking he had
become Wedged In, and was asking me TO re-
lease him, hurried to his rescue. and then dis
covered that he was merely bsrricading The
Hs Drsbabl, ka skqasnt 1. Tss would sa' ht t0o
much OF q task for him to carry the kitten back
to the chamber and hence he had called for
my assistance. Instead Of giving it-aftsr
Vigilance took the kitten TO my room. and
then. going up stairs for the other. spread
their rug In an Alcovs near my desk. where
could have my eye upon them without any In
tsriersnee with my customary employment.
you and the kittens may have the freedom on
the whole house but you must lot let them go
out OF DOORS nor must you Interfere with Dick
In any way. II you modest him ! shall have to
shut : t,a you H out o. my room altSgethsE% This l
stand my words, but because knew from sx-