Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-06-08

1t has also learned to box. AT boxing
time it stands against the wall on its hind
legs and when time is called makes a
scratch at the masters left ear.
The schooner Paragon, of Searsport,
had tame rat. When finally the cat
Rosy was adopted on board there were
fears that she would eat up the rat. The
cats intelligence was well developed, and
| it evidently saw that the rat was pet not
to be molested, for it never disturbed its
natural victim. On the contrary the cat
and rat became friends, and played to-
gether, and for fifteen nights slept in the
same berth.
ABelfast cat brought squirrel to her
kittens which quarreled over it. She
boxed the ears of both her offspring and
bit the squirrel in two, giving to each
half. Then she retired and watched the
kittens as much as to say, "now see il you
can get along without quarreling.'
| A Poor Mills cat has been the mother of
forty eight kittens during seven years, the
only record of the possibilities of popula-
ton in cats. The only other remarkab BILE
trait of this cat seems to be that it also
can count. Each Saturday night the
father OF the family brought it some meat,
until the animal came to watch for the
father on that night only.
A Bucksport lady, who drowned all Of
the offspring of her cat, was surprised at
the remarkable sagacity of the animal at
one time. She gave birth to three kittens
which were drowned. After the kittens
were destroyed she gave birth to another,
which she seemed to think no one would
be so heartless as to destroy. She reasoned
that there was such thing as human
kindness If appealed for intelligently.
"Coonien was a Belfast Angora. She
learned to come in each night at 9 when
the bell rang and on the following morn
ing to jump on the beds and awake each
one of the children when told to do so.
Coonie had one remarkable trait. She
would go to a window when covered with
steam and wipe a place in order to look
out as she had seen others do. She was al
low but one kitten out of each litter,
the rest being drowned. After a few trag-
edes of this kind she began to take the
matter in her own hands. She selected
her own choice and abandoned the re-
mainder of her kittens to their fate. Her
selection showed wisdom, because the
kitten thus saved had the longest hair,
and was best fitted to survive.
winnie was Belfast cat, which
learned to drive the poultry from the gar
den, and to watch for any encroachments.
She would be ''set on to the hens exactly
as is dog, and spend most of the day up
a tree on the watch.
"SpinkumH was an Islesboro cat that
could turn the knob of door and gain
entrance like any member of the family
and in short order. She asked for her
meals by begging first with her forepaws,
and then rolling over three times. In the
morning she awakened her mistress by
tapping her lightly with her paws. If one
stood up and held something in the hand
over the floor she would climb up the body
and walk along the arm. take the object,
walk out on the other arm, and place the
object in the other hand. When the per-
son said, "thank you, kitty" she would
hold up her paw to indicate that, 'you are
welcome.
Tabby was a Boston cat, which raised
and weaned brood of chickens. 1t was
great amusement to see her try to assist
them over rough places, by taking them
in her mouth. In trying to keep them
clean, she licked the feathers the wrong
way until the chicks had decidedly ruff
fled appearance. Her efforts continued
for some six months, when the chicks
emancipated themselves by ignominious
desertion.