The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-04-29
About Cats.

1t is doubtful whether the London cat
is in the least degree more dGcih OF HID
dable than his country cousin, says the
London Spectator. He is more dependent
on many, for no one ever hears ola Lon:
don cat going of to live wild life Will
ingly, though country cats do this fire.
quent1y. 1t has been observed of the
whole race, at least I'M this country, that;
though they will often obey the order
Come" they absolutely refuse to enter
tain the command Co. and as most use
full service involves this as the initial
idea, the animal which refuses obedience
to it is practically useless, except as a
volunteer. The admirable sporting quail
ties, even Of the London cat should make
him most useful and amusing aid in
sport, if he could be induced to cooperate
with his owner. There is only one piece
of evidence that, III ancient times, the cat
was SO trained-an Egyptian painting
showing a cat bringing wild fowl to its
master from papyrus bed-and very
few instances are on record even OF its
being trained to retrieve in our day.
A visitor to one of the monasteries on
Mount Carmel states that when several
Of the monks went out, gun on shoulder,
to shoot game for the pot. he saw their
cats marching out after them, to aid as
retrievers: but he did not witness the
be trained to follow, like dogs. A work
ingman in the North Midlands recently
owned a small cat, which followed him all
day, and when tired was carried in a
large pocket in its masters coat. So also
navy some years ago owned a cat
which had followed or accompanied him
to work in most parts of north and west
ern England, sometimes following him on
foot and sometimes carried in the white
washable bag in which navyieS keen their
Sunday clothes.
But, as a rule, it is much easier to
teach them not to do things than to do
them. Recently in large London en-
gineering works there was some regret
that the "best foundry cat was dead.
foundry is mixed with -four. Mice come
to eat the flour. and spoil the "mculds."
1t is not desirable that rats and mice
should be about in this loft, so cats are
kept there. The cats have to be taught
not to walk about on the moulds or
scratch them up, and this ''best foundry
cat was absolutely perfect in this re
spect. In these works most departments
have a special cat. There is even one in
the galvanizing shop, which knows quite
well that the hot metal spurts when
plates are dipped in. and has learned to
get under cover at that juncture. 1t
need scarcely be said that the London
cat is a worse enemy to Gagged birds even
than the country pussy, as in the day
it lives more indoors. Whether it ever
catches goldfish out of bowl we do not
know; but there are no complaints of it's
robbing fshmongers' shops to crafty it's
taste in that line. On the whole, we I'M
aagine that the cat is happy in London.
far happier. for instance. than the dog
Even if lost, he has far more SAVIOR faire
than the latter. The stray dog attaches
himself to some one in the street, who
has at once the uncomfortable feeling
that the dog is trying to make out that
he has stolen him. The lost cat comes
to house. and asks relief where it can
most readily be given.