Evening star., 1895-04-13
BOsTON.s UNATTACHED CATS.
Turned Out of Homes They Live VIII
ON the Back Bay FenS.

| Turned Out OF Homes They Live WIZ
| ON the Back Bay Fens.
From the Boston Evening Transcript.
| If a sharp lookout be kept by visitors
driving or walking through the Back Bay
| fens numbers Of cats will be noticed. more
| especially now at this leafless season. Some
will be seen summing themselves in pro-
| tected corners. others securing the fenny
marshes for food and still others watching
in the honeysuckle and among the shrub
berry for the root and bark eating field
mouse. The great majority are optcasts
from happy homes and comfort and plenty.
Now they are homeless, hungry wander
ers over bleak park with only the COM
fortress bushes or holes between rocks for
shelter, and an occasional sparrow or mole
or the little they can otherwise pick up for
food.
many there are) several have a home in
the rock work of the Fen bridge, where
when the water is exceptionally high they
are imprisoned until 1t recedes. Several
drifted in, but each time succeeded in dig
ging out. They probably procure food from
convenient dumps during night time, as
the workers on these dumps during the day
frighten them off. Fifteen find shelter near
Agassiz bridge, and family of three
Maltese live in peace and contentment with
the seventy or eighty ducks, and are regI-
larly fed. Another bevy live in the thick
collection of evergreens just north of the
railroad bridge, and another between Com
monwealth avenue and Beacon street, and
so all over the fens small colonies of cats
of all kinds, colors and conditions may be
found.
Quite a large number took up their resi-
deEce in the fens last spring. A few were
caught and good homes provided for them.
But unless cat is caught the first few
days 1t never can be, for it becomes es
wild as a hare after leading wild life for
awhile. Others may possibly later have
found their way back to old, homes, still
others may have found homes, not a few
have died and quite a good number have
lived a most miserable life this past cold
winter. And it is also quite possible that a
few take up this life Of their own volition
and forget they ever had a home.
The king of the park is a six-year-old
black and white cat that came as a kitten
in May. 1890. For quite a while he ate
kind. Presently some one rolled a barrel
in the bushes, placed some grass in 1t and
regularly put food near by. Soon the kit
ten acknowledged the kindness and allowed
its feeder liberties. In time the kitten
grew into large, heavy-coated cat, able
and willing to fight cat and dog kind.
One day a lady named him "Booser,"
from the peculiarly boosy look when not
watching game Booser is now we'll known
Of many. and has been fed, photographed.
sketched and petted. The air of proprie-
torship never leaves Booser for an instant.
particularly in his own section about the
small dog caught In his dominion Barring
q slight attack Of rheumatism now and
then. Booser is in good trim. OF course
this is owing to the best care.
The Maltese found with the ducks have a
small history, too. Three years ago last
winter little Maltese cat took up her
abode in the fowl house, and soon there
were three. At first there seemed much
discomfort on the part of the ducks, but,
the weather being SO unfavorable, they
either relented or the Maltese was afraid
of the outside cold and persisted. At any
rate they remained, and from that day to
this every cold or wet night you will find
all three Maltese cuddled up in the midst
of group Of thirty or more mallards,
sheldrakes and blacks.
Although these latter are not as well
off as their more fortunate brethern of
warm quarters and regular food, vet
they are far in advance Of the (alasD too
many in the fens who get neither food,
shelter nor sympathy from man or fellow
Creature.