New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-11
WHEN CATS WERE SACRED.
PUSSY AS SHE WAS TWO THOUSAND
YEARS AGO.
THE MYSTERIOUS CHARM SHE EXERCISES =
GREAT MEN WHO WE'RE PARTICULARLY
FOND OF THE HOUSEHOLD PET.

The Cat Show continued the even tenor OF its
way yesterday, undisturbed by the frigidty OF the
atmosphere outside. Mrs. NJ. Horns Segfried
pure white samese 3 feet long, Az inches high
Weighing IS pounds and valued at 500 whose cage
was deliberately decorated with pink ribbons and
evergreens, continued to be the centre OF an admir-
ing crowd Euata. longer high-born lady,
but the acknowledged "ornery cat OF Brian y
Hughes. still attracted attention by reason OF tho
remarkable nerve OF her owner. while all the otner
cats apparently rejoiced to the pretender van
quished Ella Wheeler Wilcox was represented by
n beautiful fluffy Table. who looked askance AZ
her vis-a-vis whose owner proudly asserted she
keeps all other cats out OF our yard.
Our country knows Pussy only since she was
brought over like most good things. in the May
flower but her name occurs in some Sanscrit
legend over two thousand years old. Indeed long
before that the old Egyptians had learned 10 ap-
preciate the little quadruped whose instinct mace
II the enemy OF the destructive mouse thus
protecting their immense granaries against the
dangerous and sharp-toothed robber So Pussy mad
her claims to reverence in common with the Ids
and the ichneumon; and her image appeared IRE
quently In temple and crypt. Here she sts shusy
ensconced under a womans chair and there she
stands upright between the feet OF King Hama TOT
example.
Cats came In time to be regarded the living
form Of the goddess Bubastis the deihcauon OF
the moon or the Egyptian cat. and in the city
called for her cats had their own temples ana
hosritals during life and after death they were
gorgeously mummihed and entombed
II is we'll known that the more recent masters
of the land OF the Nile the Arabs. regard the cat
with almost equal reverence. The great Prophet
himself when meditatng on the inspirations that
came to him from on high communed with his pet
On the other hand the Occident knew much less
OF such strange veneration paid to cats partly
perhaps because Holy writ never once even men
and fly
Roman seems to have been alive to their good
qualities Cats we're sacred 10 the Goddess Of Wis
dom In Greece. It is true but for the same reason
as ows-they could In the Oakland there was
in this half-sacred character strong touch or
irony
In Northern mythology also cats appear 10 nave
heen considered as the favorte companions OF evil
doors and In the day OF witches they were merci-
lessly tormented and prosecuted They were burned
in goody numbers. and frequently thrown from
church steeples and towers. In the town OF Ypres.
in France the barbarous customs continued until
the year 1913, Since witches have out Of
fashion however. cats have recovered something
of their former good reputation.
There must be something mysterious and almost
supernatural about Pussy. or she would never have
inspired people at one time with such dread, and
at another with such marvellous affection The
young girl, still fancy free and overlooking with
vague love- the sorrowful old maid. with all her
love wasted: even the thoughtful housewife, sur
rounded with thousand cares-all pet and spoil
Pussy, who somehow or other manages 10 become
dear their hearts
Nor are men less subject 70 the mysterious charm
she exercises Who does know Tassos sonnet
to his cat one OF the brightest among his smaller
gems? Petrarch IL said 70 have loved his cat only
less than his Laura. Rlchelieu's grim humor
quired the constant presence OF a number Of kit
tens whose merry gambols alone could soothe his
temper and draw from him smile. Cardinal
celor without having two OF his favorlte
cats sitting by his regal throne Chateaubrand
was so desperately fond OF cats that when he went
as Ambassador the Pope the successor OF St.
Peter could not find for the devout son Of the
Church a more suitable and acceptable present
than his predecessors pet cat. Hoffman has intro
duced cats into all his fantastic tales; Edgar Allan
Poe was not dead TO their fascnations. and bore
cheerful witness to their strange. attraction; the
poet OF Guernsey was seldom without his
beautiful Angora. Canning and Gray and Cowper
have left their own special tributes to their velvet
ike little friends. .,,s
Not long ago an English publication entitled
THE Cat and the city purported 10 give an .ap-
mate was four hundred thousand. OF which mum
Der half unattached" This half I've largely aii
known TO be one Of the most wasteful cities In the
world" observed the English writer o.o - tho
But London is also well known 70 De one VI 1llc
ceanest In the world one might ada so IL Is soni
what doubtful If the waste tood comes "O However
Pussy catches numberess pigeons sparro"s, T' 70
and mice so that after all the cat may be sald 20
appropriate the waste food In the more conDsiere
form OF cold sparrow or mouse. All city CATS are
likely 10 be sleepy and quiet all day, because cir
cumstances make them early risers, or AT any
rate. prevent them from having their morning
sleep. The explanation of the anguor ana ennul
of the city cat Is be found in the fact that long
before people are busting about he has haa long
mornings sport and sometimes a deilghttul break
fast 800 .,-A.
In summer mornings from 10 O'Clock one might
saw the metropolitan centres cease TO DelOng 70
the world OF men, and AT this really bewtchins
hour the cats may be seen, as at no other Time
monarchs OF all they survey and masters or the
town for at tina, hour all the dogs are smut up
all the boys, and grown-up people. TOO are iast
asleep and the city IS theirs. Their demeanor az
such times is absolutely changed. They stroll
about the streets with air of asserted indie
pendence They converse In the centre OF high
ways They walk with A certain feline abandon
and momentary magnifcence over gardens ana
fences and cutters and squares.
The latest possession Of the bachelor girl VINO
likes TO pose Is the cat. She seeks for good
ratured handsome cat that will not scratch and
when visitors call she draws soft silk drapery
around her and twists the cat-which must he
plan and manageable one-into an attractive pO-
sition The proper thing for the visitor TO do Is 10
saw he is Struck with admiration"