The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-19
BOsrON's UNATTACHED CATS.
Turned Ont of Homes, They Live wild
on the hack BAY Fens.

From the Boston 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 sea
son, Some viii be seen summing them
selves in protected corners, others scour-
ing the fenny marshes for food. and still
others watching in the honeysuckle and
among the shrubbery for the root and
bark eating field mouse. The great ma
jority are outcasts from happy homes
and comfort and plenty. Now they are
homeless, hungry wanderers over a
bleak park, with only the comfortIess
bushes or holes between rocks for shell
ter, and an occasional sparrow or mole
or the little they can otherwise pick up
for food.
OF the fens cat mo one knows Just how
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 IL recedes. Sew
eral times during the winter past they
We're drifted in, but each time succeeded
in digging out They probably procure
food from convenient dumps during night
time, as the workers on these dumps
during the day frghten them off. Fifteen
find shelter near Agassiz bridge, and
contentment with the seventy or eighty
ducks, and are regularly fed. Another
beVy live in the thick collection Of ever
greens just north of the railroad bridge,
and another between Commonwealth aV-
enlle ana 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-
dence in the fens last spring. A few were
caught and good homes provided for them.
But unless a cat is caught the first few
DAYS IL never can be, for 1t becomes as
wild hare after leading wild life for
awhile. Others may possibly later have
cfi
others may have found homes, not few
have died and quite a good number have
lived a most miserable life the past cold
winter. And il 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 6-year-old
black and white cat that came as a kitten
in May, 1890. For quite while he ate
crickets and lived without help of human
kind. Presently some one rolled a barrel
in the bushes, placed some grass in it and
regularly put food near by. Soon the kit
ten acknowledged the kindness and allow
ed it's 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 new well known
of many, and has been fed photographed,
sketehed and Detted. The air of proprie-
| torship never leaves Booser for an instant,
/ particularly in his own section about the
7 Roylston arch, and woe be unto the cat or
/ small dog caught in his dominion. Barring
/ a 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, ana soon there
were three. At first there seemed much
! discomfort on the part of the ducks, but.
! the weather being unfavoFable, they
/ either relented or the Maltese was afraid
/ of the outside cold and persisted. At any
rate they remained. and from that day 10
/ this every cold or wet night you will find
/ an three Maltese cuddled up in the midst
/ of a group of thirty or more mallards
/ sheIdrakes and blacks.
! Although these latter are not as we'll
! off as their more fortunate brethren of
| warm quarters and regular food vet
/ they are far i'm advance of the (alasn TOO
/ many I'm the fens who get neither food.
| shelter nor sympathy from man or fellow
! creature.