Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-10-29
A BARKING CAT.
Nurscd by Foster Mother, He Has
Traits of the Dog.

Nurscd by y Foster Mother, He HAS
Traits of the Dog.
James II. Maddox, superintendent OF
The Missouri District Telegraph Com
oany, has a cat. Besides the usual fe-
line complement of nine lives, this cat
has a past, and unless all signs fail, a
future which falls to the lot of few
cats, says the st. Louis Republic.
His name is Towser, and, although
his mother was well-bred lady, Tow
ser has all the characteristics, habits
and frailties of dog. In early kitten
the deadly cat rifle of a small boy and
Mr.. Maddox found foster mother for
the kitten in a kind-hearted pet dog,
with young family and troubles of
her own. The canine mother took
kindly to the little founding and Tow
ser, the kitten, grew fat and sassy with
litter of puppy foster brothers and
sisters.
When the kitten was weaned he
showed no tendency to abandon the
dogs life which he had learned to lead
and began to exhibit all the canine
characteristics which he had nursed
with his adopted mothers milk. In
stead of mewing and caterwauling like
q melancholy orphan cat he began ia
bark like the other puppies and growl
like they did, and he became the won
| 4 ne f,;a dc OF ot Ia
Maddox home. He was named TOW
ser" and responds to the whistle of his
master like a sure enough dog. Per-
haps the oldest trick Towser has learn
ed is that of wagging his tail, which he
does, not in the serpentine manner OF
his ancestors, but from side to side, in
the vigorous and uncompromising style
of a dog. Towser expresses fear, too
as he has seen his foster brethren do
and runs to cover During the hot
weather Towser suffered considerably
from the heat and might have been
seen sitting about in the shade, pant
ing with his tongue out, in the manner
supposed to be peculiar to the dog.
He has none of the sinister traits OF
his tribe, does not parade along the
narrow edge of back fences in the dead
of night, and gets from place to place
in dog trot or a real gallop instead OF
in the soft-footed and obsequious nan-
ner of other cats. Towser has master
ed that mysterious 'frae-Tnasonry Of
dogs which has been the wonder oil
naturalists for all time, and seems tC
have but little trouble in forming the
acquaintance of strange dogs which he
meets on the street corners and about
the bases Of friendly lamp-posts and
telegraph poles. Occasionally he has
run across an ugly terrier, which, ac-
cepting no overtures, would attempt tC
rend Towser on the spot, and it is only
on such rare occasions that Towser's
feline propensities come to the surface
When dog attacks him he will clint
tree or fence, where he will sit
growing and barking at the enemy
until he satisfies him that he is moi
really cat, but dog in all but ply.
steal conformation.
Towser is very fond of a run through
the streets with his master, and from
long jaunts over the granitoid pave.
ments and rough streets his once vel.
vet paws have been covered with cal.
ious corns until his football is no long.
err inaudible, and his toe-nails are as
rough and strong as those of dog.
Towser has pronounced antipathy
for women, and will rush at them
barking furiously and growing as if he
would bite them; his bark is worse
than his bite, however, for he has new
err been known to bite any one and has
earned for himself the reputation oil
being very docile and intelligent dog
or cat, as the case may be.