The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-02
WILDCATS AS PETS.
Friendly Enough to Their Masters
and as Good as WatchdOgs on "a
Ranch.

From the San Francisco Examiner.
A sheep rancher near Ash Fork, Ariz,
]. H. Abshire, has discovered that wild
cats can be domesticated, and are then
as nice pets as any purring Maltese or
tortoise shell tabbies. He has one that
follows him everywhere acting as both
protector and companion. 1t is a big,
striped and spotted animal. with glaring
yellow eyes, whiskers like porcupine
quilts, and a tail as glossy and sinuous in
its wndings as any jungle tigers.
How did I happen to take a wildcat
for household pussy?" repeated Mr.. Alb
shire during a recent interview. I'm tell
you about Ii.
II was herding sheep one day, and was
standing on the top of a cliff. Looking
down on a ledge of rocks projecting from
the cliffs below / saw a very large fero-
cious looking wildcat. She had tassels on
her ears, and was flashing her tail from
side to side and glaring at me and grow
ling angrily. | stood spellbouid for a min
ute, and not having any gun, l was at a
loss to know what to do. 1 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
ii and lodged. When l looked down again
she had disappeared.
II concluded there must be a cave. and
perhaps nest of kittens, so / lay in wait
a few minutes to see if the cat would
make her appearance again. / was ready
for her this time, as / had secured . 10y aTt
of rocks, and intended to shower them
upon her. | did not have very long to
wait, for out she came, looking fiercer
then before. let the rocks go, and that
time there were too many for her to
dodge. One struck her on the back and
broke it. and after that I easily put an
end to her.
81 then crawled down the cliff a short
distance and peered over as far as I
could, and discovered there were two
very small kittens in the cavern. Their
eyes were not vet open. 1 made up my
mind | would have them. 1t took me
some time to plan how / could get ~
them as the cliff was almost perpendicn
lar. 1t was with great difficulty that 7
captured my prizes.
Il took off my coat and wrapped il
around them and started home When
reached there I laid them down at fhe
base of a big juniper tree. Ny large
hound, Adam, came bounding up. and. fo
my surprise, seemed as pleased over NV
kits as l was. He at once began to lick
kittens crawled over him, and Seemed
to think he was good substitute for
their mother.
II gave them Sleeps milk, which they
seemed to thrive on. They would lie ali
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 much attached to my
strange pets.
,"At strengthening time we drove the
sheep into Ash Fork. packed the bur-
ros, and made a box for the wildcats and
dashed them on top, When we reached
town that evening / let them out to RIM
around the sheep she'd While Adam
was eating his supper a large dog came in
and killed one of the cats, Next morn
ing, as we We're passing down the street
with Adam and the wildcat following
we created quite sensation. Some De6
pie were afraid of the cat-others were
anxious to pet him. seeing me caress hin.
but he objected to strangers and would
arch his back and spit furiously.
while we were at a saloon near tbe dc.
pot the passenger train came in Several
of the eastern tourists came rushing over
to the saloon for a drink They had inst
poured out whisky all around when thev
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.
II shall try to keep him out of sipbt
of the tenderfoot after this. | don't wsnt
to scare them TO death. but the cat is ali
right and the finest pet 1 ever had.
wouldn't part with him at any price He
is death on coyotes, and keeps all those
sheep-killing rascals away