Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-03-26
PET WILDCATS.
They are Tame Enough to Their Mas
tiers and Act as Ranch Watch Dogs.

tiers and Act as Ranch Watch Dogs.
A sheep rancher near Ash Fork.
Ariz., J. H. Abshire, has discovered that
wildcats can be domesticated, and are
then as nice pets as any purring NAL
tese or tortoise-shell Tables. He has
one that follows him everywhere, act
ing as both protector and companion.
1t is a big, striped and spotted animal,
with glazing yellow eyes, whiskers like
porcupine quilts, and tail as glossy
and sinuous in its windings as any
jungle tigers.
How did | happen to take a wildcat
for household pussy?" repeated Mr..
Abshire during a recent interview. "Fn
tell you about it.
j was herding sheep one day, and
was standing on the top of a cliff.
Looking down on a ledge of rocks pro-
jecting from the cliffs below l saw
very large, Notwithstanding wildcat.
She had tassels on her ears, and was
flashing her tail from side to side and
glaring at me and growing angrily
l stool spellbound for minute, and,
not having my gun, was at loss to
know what to do. l spied a huge
boulder on the edge of the ledge right
over this, cat, and, using all my
strength, pushed it over. She was too
quick for it and lodged. When l
looked down again she had disap-
peared.
Il concluded there must be a cave,
and perhaps a nest OF kittens, so l lay
in wait a few minutes to see if the
cat would make her appearance again.
l was ready for her this time, as l had
secured lot of rocks, and intended to
shower them upon her. | did not have
very long TO wait, tor out she came,
looking tercer than before. | let the
rocks go, and that time there We're TOO
many of them for her 10 dodge. One
struck her on the pack and broke it,
and after that | easily put an end to
her
Il then crawled down the cliff a short
distance and peered over as tar as |
could, and discovered there were two
very small kittens in the cavern. Their
eyes were not yet open. | made up my
mind l would have them. 1t took me
some time to plan how L could get to
them, as the cliff was almost perpen-
dicular. 1t was with great difficulty
that | captured my prizes.
Il took off my coat and wrapped it
around them and started home. When
[ reached there l laid them down at the
base of a big juniper tree. My large
hound, Adam, came bounding up, and,
to my surprise, seemed as pleased over
my kits as | was. He at once began to
lick them, and lay down beside them.
The kittens crawled over him, and
seemed to think he was a good sub
stitute for their mother.
Il gave them Sleeps milk, which
they seemed to thrive on. They would
lie all day under the trees with the
hound, and he would never let my
shepherd dog come near them. They
grew very fast, and we all became very
mucn attached to my strange pets.
AT strengthening time we drove the
sheep into Ash Fork. | packed the
burrOs, and made a box for the Wild
cats and dashed them on top. When
we reached town that evening, | let
them out to run around the sheep shed
While Adam was eating his supper a
large dog came in and killed one of
the cats. Next morning, as we were
passing down the street, with Adam
and the wildcat following, we created
quite a sensation. Some people were
afraid of the cat-Others were anxious
to pet him, seeing me caress him, but
he objected to strangers, and would
arch his back and spit furiously.
while we were at saloon near the
depot the passenger train came in.
Several of the Eastern tourists came
rushing over to the saloon for drink.
They had just poured out whisky all
around when they turned and saw the
wildcat sitting there looking at them.
They started for the train on the run,
their whisky standing and not getting
their change.
Il shall try to keep him out of sight
of the tenderfoot after this. | don't
want to scare them to death, but the
cat is all right and the finest pet | ever
had. | wouldn't part with him at any
price. He is death on coyotes, and
keeps all those sheep-killing rascals
away.''-San Francisco Examiner