Kansas City journal., 1898-11-20
HAVE RATS FOR PETS
WOMEN ARE NO LONGER AFRAID OF
RODENTS.
~ Least. nm Animal Dealer Says So
Monkeys Are Favorites Because
They Are Easily Taught
and Are No Trouble.
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
Talk about women and mice said Mr.
Conkltn, Its women and rats nowadays
and not that they hate 'em. they're fond
of them-have them for pets. Yes. you
wouldn't believe ii. would you? But it's
the truth. there are a number of women in
New York who have rats in their homes
for pets"
II was w 4. Conklin who was talking.
Mr.. Conkln was at one time in charge of
the city's animals at Central Park, but
now he looks out for smaller animals for
private individuals.
Il don't know whether ii is what you call
the new woman movement or what but
there certainly IS Il change in women. 1
don't believe one. of them would mind
meeting an ordinary. everyday rat out OF
a cage. OF course, 1 don't mean that it is
the regular gray rat that they are petting
or that they like them in their kitchens.
You are thinking. perhaps. of the prisoner
who made friends with little mouse
or was 1t toad?-and fed and made a
OF that kind Women to-day have too
much TO do TO try 10 tame an ordinary
domestic rat. and have il run around their
house, If they had a taste in that direc-
tion.
That would be too much natural history
for them; but they do like the little aIbinos,
little white rats, and they buying any
number OF them for pets. They are pretty
enough, with their soft coats and red eyes
the last things that / should want for pets
No, l am not making mistake when |
say rats, l mean rats. There are plenty
of white mice. but those are different.
The children buy the white mice, but Il
woman wants genuine rat.
Monkeys Are Good Pets.
Now. if i was going to have a pet
should take monkey every time. They
are affectionate animals; they learn
10 know people and they are not much
trouble to care for. Some people keep
wires in front. That will do for them, but
they should have as much room as pos
sible and a pole for climbing. They must
be kept perfectly clean and they are no
trouble about house.
DO many people have them. Yes. in
deed. Ringtails and Javas are the favor
ties There is one New York man who has
five or six OF them and he keeps them
in his bedroom. Every morning a little
zp and lets out the monkeys, goes back
10 bed, where the monkeys follow him.
scramble all around and have a resultr
rough-and tumble frolic. They are nice lit
tie animals. l know woman artist who
has six of them for which she would not
take great deal.
Some people are born with a love Of
pets. When they have real fondness
for them and considerable money-that is
essential In riding any hobby-they are al
ways on the lookout for something new.
They are like connoisseurs in old lace or
china. They will give anything for rare
different people and when see something
that | know they will like l get it and
send them word
II had humming bird the other day
These are rare in this country. l don't
know that ] have seen more than one be
fore in captivity here. This one went to
Brooklyn woman who ! knew would want
il. They are such tiny things. not much
larger than an insect. and il is difficult to
accustom them to taking honey in the
gross instead of slipping IL themselves
from the flowers. This one is dead now.
Possibly IL concluded that the dish of
honey was some kind of strange. oversweet
flower which il must perch upon. At any
rate that was what il tried to do. COW
cred the whole of its small body with the
honey and died. 1t might have been saved.
possibly. If any one had known enough 10
but they didn't.
Birds and Fish.
"Canaries. of course are more in demand
than anything else in the bird line by pco-
pie generally. Those are the people who
have only one pet. The connoisseurs buy
the more expensive English canaries. The
Java sparrows pretty little birds. and
they sing well and are not expensive, and
not difficult TO keep. The albnos with the
red bills are pretty. but they are an arti-
tiHciai product. They breed pure now. but
the white birds Were first produced by Sc
lect breeding.
There is a great change in the way OF
fondness for pets among the people. You
see, they are teaching natural history in
the schools now. and the children become
interested and keep up their interest out
of school. There are no pets in which the
children are not interested. And they want
everything just So too, and they know
pets they have. Why, there is one young
boy-a rich mans son-who spends from
SO to $40 a month.
Most of the aquariums go to schools.