The times., 1898-11-20


too much of them l sweep them out.
| They dislike the broom. as you can see
| by the way they briStle at the sight of
| it, but they haveano fear of me.
What sort of, cats are the easiest to
| train? Well. that is a difficult question to
answer. II depends more or less on what
you wish to teach them. Some time ago
| great turn on the variety stage was
done by pair OF boxing cats. great
many people went to see II and thought
that it was a wonderful performance in
deed, and marveled at the c!everness of
the owner of the cats in being able to
teach them the manly art. But. do you
know. boxing is one of the easiest things
in the world you can teach cat? / saw
one of the bouts between these stage cats
and Immediately went to work to study ii
out. That was long before cats We're in
such demand and | had to sell all kinds
of other animals to make living. I no.
ticed that the cats the Snowman used
We're the fighting kind-square cats. we
call them in the trade. They have broad
faces, very short noses and heavy, stocky
shoulders. with plenty of muscle in their
hind legs. This was hint. so | took a
couple of square kittens which were gen.
orally on the still hunt for trouble and
wrapped soft rags around their forepaws
OF course not understanding my game
al
while, and they spent their time trying
to get rid of them. as sensible animals
would. But in short time they became
used to them, and when | held them by
the scrum OF the neck. and faced them so
they would have to knock against each
other. 1t was no time before they were
striking and punching at each ether as
hard as they could. Soon they were WILL
ing to go 1t alone. and within two months
ha.l "A
held a mill
THE AngOra cats are very difficult to
train. although they are now in demand
and bringing excellent prices. The white
Angora is especially stupid and there is
not a brinde running about the back
| fences and singing to the moon which
| hasn't more sense In a minute than II has
| in a year. But. then, II is beautiful TO
| look at and makes a fine parIor orna-
| ment. so / suppose 1t will always b, pop
/ ular with those persons who go in mora
for feline show than they do for feline
| intellectual gifts
| Now here Is a cat whose character
| Is at present the subject OF some seienti-
| fic dispute. so | understand says the
proprietor. as he produces a PECULIAR
looking animal from a topmost cage. 1t
| is unusually large. with coat of varying
| light gray and dark gray stripes. tas a
| long black nose and a thick, bushy tail.
| which is marked with alternating black
| and gray rings.
This is the coon-cat" continues the
| proprietor, and there are very few of
his kind in New York. In West Virginia
| and some parts of Pennsylvania there are
plenty of them, and. in fact. any place
| where raccoons and common cats abound
there should be a great many coon-c IFS.
| But several scientific cat men have come
out and claimed that the coon-cat is ntS
cross between the raccoon and the cat,
but is a distinct species in itself Besides
| this, one fellow has gone up the State
| somewhere TO start farm for the iais-
ing OF coon-cats. which. he says. are not
| coon-cats The father Of this beauty was
a raccoon. and | owned him. His mother
| was a cat. and she also belonged 10 me;
| 50 | have the documents to prove my
| case.
..Coon-cats are worth from s. to So on
account Of their rarity. They can o-
| taught many tricks. for there is nothing
In the animal kingdom with more brains
| ,ron a coon. and the cross between the
coon and eat seems to scoop In all TIE
mental attributes OF both progenitoFs.
Are people willing TO pay Tor raiatd
cats? Certainly. Many person "ho
/ rtZ
for his home becomes interested IN the
,rtics and tricks OF my expert stock and
goes away with i high-prie5d puss N h's
h,sket Not only that. many pers ms
| b,ve called in to price my monke!
| ,u,bicb l keep more because they are mi
| tstive and unconscious!y INSPIRE suSu
rraits In the kittens. but have pecoue
| more IMPRESSED By the cats ana h''1
| hought then. instead.
..come OF my Maltese STOCK ha'
,r,Ired as ratters. and they can CIV,
.ards and spades TO terrier dogs ahe
| ,aat them at the game. sell ga
| many of them every month 10 pis ihei
| cautile houses. which the FeFni'h '4a'
infested. Our prices Anywhere .ior-
to sI5 for experts. Maltese cats trained
10 Tricks and parlor things, comt
| much higher. ~,
| .Cats are the cieanest animals in the
world l can keep 100 of them in the EN-
| noriu,n without their becoming a pupii'
nuisance, such as one-tenth as many uos'
| would be- They are clean about their eat
| ing which certainly cannot De SAID o.
any dog that breathes. and under no cir
| cumstances will they permit their coats i'
become soiled Twice a month WASH my
cats in lukewarm water-that is, haNt
tbem washed. for il would not do for {
| | trainer or naHhlsF WIZ ~ $1,000
| their affections to put any such punish
men, upon them as water In any shape
| we have Hat, shallow tubs. in which they
are pIaced and secured by straps Theil
| coats are rubbed with carbolic soap ant
water to prevent the accumulation o
| para sitical insects Wash day Is a perioe
of tribulation around here. The cats know
| lust as well as | do when it comes. anc
| then you ought to hear the agonized walls
which go up in anticipation of the dread
ed wetting.
Underneath the emporium l have {
| spacious cellar In this the cats are al
lowed to exercise twice a day in small
| parties. They do not like to travel abou
| in packs like dogs. but select one or two
tellow-creatures as companions. and stici
to them. When they are turned into tht
cellar in full force there is apt to be 6
good deal of fighting. not to mention cat
erwauling. which can be heard half
| mile away.
| at seems remarkable to see the affec
ton which seems to exist between the
| cats and the monkeys" concludes the
proprietor. the visitor rises to depart
1.-THE old simians are constantly nursing
the kittens. and never do them the slight
est harm except that they cannot resis
the temptation at times to tweak thei
tails. and then look away in an innocen
fashion. The old monkey and the cat IL
the show window are inseparable friends
and generally take their afternoon siesta
in each others arms
Kept His Vow.
(From the San Francisco Chronicle)
Edward j. Cunningham was released from Sar
L in ,i1y