The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-17
pITTsBURG CATS.
A New Breed Which Thrives i'm Cold
Storage Warehouses.
Pittsburg Chronicle Telegraph.

Pittsburg Chronicle Telegraph.
The fame of ~Pittsburg's cats has spread
to the far E1t and it is now proposed to
import some sof a special breed into the
Philippines. The immense cold-storage
depot just finished at Manila is in need of
cats, and ii is proposed to supply that es-
adjustment with Pittsburg animals.
For many years cold storage managers
were at a loss to find a way to rid their
warehouses of rats and mice. These YER
min found their way into the warerooms in
cases of goods. AT first they confined their
depredations to the goods in the milder
climate of the general storage rooms, but
finally they entered the cold storage rooms.
Here nature came to their aid and in a few
generations the rats and mice became so
clothed in thick fur that they seemed i'm
previous TO cold and could stand a tempera-
ture of zero or lower. To rid the ware
rooms of these pests was a troublesome
task for the owners of the storage houses.
They could use cats in the general ware
rooms all right and with success. but when
they placed the eats in the cold storage
rooms they soon contracted pneumonia and
died.
The damage done by the rodents was
very great and about five or six years ago
the Union Storage Company experimental
with a view to finding some breed of the
feline tribe which could live in the cold
climate OF the storage rooms. Ii tried a
pair of high-bred eats. but they soon sick
ened and died. Finally a pair of white
fellnes without a pedigree were obtained
and placed in the general storage rooms for
a time and then taken into a room where
the temperature was gradually lowered
until 1T was below freezing point. Here
they were kept until they became accus-
toner to the low temperature. Then they
were placed i'm the cold storage rooms. the
temperature of which is always 30 or lower.
The cats showed no i'll effects and soon
could stand a temperature almost as low
as zero. The offspring of these cats could
stand a temperature much lower than their
parents, and their fur was much thicker
than their predecessors. A few generations
later a distinct breed of cats resulted, able
TO stand the lowest temperature ever main
tanned in the storage rooms. The question
or killing off the rodents was thus solved,
and since the establishment of the cats
OF this kind thousands of dollars worth of
merchandise has been saved. The Union
Storage Company has five warehouses, in
the cold storage rooms of which are stored
hsh, butter, cheese. eggs, hams, meats and
other periShable commodities.
The company now has about fifteen OF
these cats, and it ships them to such of it's
warehouses as need them. The cats are
very tame when within the confines of the
cold storage vaults, but when they are
permitted to come out into the sunlight
they act like wildcats or tigers. In shipping
them it is necessary to place them in boxes
before they leave one warehouse to go to
the next.
Very often the number of the cats kept
by this firm is as high as thirty, and at
other times as low as ten. This is due to
accidents. None are now affected in the
least by the low temperature in which
they live. TIL cats are we'll cared for. A
special man has charge of them, whose
duties are to see that they are fed every
day. No cat can thrive on a diet of mouse,
nor does 1t neglect its duties when other
food is provided. Milk is served to the
cats in liberal quantities and meat is given
them once a week.
The cold storage cats are short-tailed,
with long and heavy fur, the hair fire.
quently being over an inch long. Their
eyebrows and whiskers are long and
thicker and stronger than the ordinary
cats. The cold storage cat looks much
like the Angora, but does not thrive when
taken from its accustomed atmosphere.
On account of the scarcity of these cats,
it is very likely that the Manila firm will
not be able to purchase any of those
owned by the Union Storage Company,
for, while all its warehouses are prac-
tically free from rats and mice, these
rodents are brought in very often con-
cealed in merchandise. ...ss.tr
This one firm is the only firm which has
resorted to such measures 10 secure this
kind of an animal.