The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1901-07-19
flora ana Her Kitt.ns.

flora Is maltese car without q
white hair, in yher furry coat from the
end Of her nose to the tip of her tail.
She received sthe name sof Flora from
circumstances attending her discovery.
She was found last SUMMER hiding be-
hind The. thick blades ora bed Of tiger
lilies, slender, shy young thing with
wild yellow eyes and as her captors
were made to know, gallf claws. She
was fed literally morning. and evening.
at the kitchen door. 4 bed in snug
sbox in the wopdshed was provided for
sRer! Asstimeawent on she became ac-
quainted with the. several; members Of
sthe family and would permit her back
to be stroked and sher Shead to be
scratched. When the Weather became
colder her fur sthickened and length
ened She was an out-of- door cat and
had never been inside the house. Az.
ter time she began to. show great
desire to get into the house, and
whenever a door was opened it was
necessary to close it pronptly to pre-
vent her coming in. She forsook the
bed in the woodshed and took lodg-
ings elsewhere She was so careful in
her 'disappearances that no one could
follow her. One morning; she did not
come to her breakfast. The next morn
ing she appeared, and was fed as usual.
Two days later, a very cold morning,
she came to q side door and mewed
piteously. She was taken in. Then
this cat that had never before been
within the house became a marvel Of
feline audacity and inpudence. She
roamed through all the rooms inspect
ing all the corners, Finally she went
Into front room, In which there was
couch, She popped under this, and
was with some difficulty dislodged by
means Of broom. The next day,
watching her opportunity, she lodged
in by way Of the kitchen, made the
tour OF the house and again went un-
der the couch. She was coaxed out.
the door was opened and she disap-
peared. Early the following morning
new was heard at side door. It
was opened and in popped Flora a
kitten In her mouth. How proudly she
held her head! Looking neither to the
right nor to the left, she traversed
three rooms into the one in which was
the couch. Under the couch she went.
There she left her kitten, and, return
ing to the door, was let out Two
minutes later she appeared carrying
another kitten. She was again admit
ted, and again, until four kittens had
been deposited under the couch. Stand
Ing on the porch she seemed in a
brown study. Evidently she had lost
the count of her kittens. She was let
IN and having looked them over again
set out and soon returned with a fifth
This time there was no hesitancy. She
would make sure that none of her off
spring was left behind. She set out
again. She was followed. It was
found l that she had made her nest un-
der the steps OF a house 200 feet away
She came back this time without any
kitten in hermputh. Five was the
total and they were all comfortably
bestowed under the couch in q room
with good fire. The little mother
euddied her kittens and seemed salts
fed .S+s But the kittens were quiet, sin
gularly quiet; al butsone and that ono
apparently the mnatsrobust in the lot.
He twas ntinuaJay mewing. The
doogso pening upon the porch was left
ajarssAhats nik Ats so that Flora might
go out and come fn The next morning
only one kitten was found under the !.
couch. It was the robust one, the one
that had made 80 much noise. He 4
was suiet now. What had happened i
Who're Yerasstfsa ether four kittens?
q nhce had been cold under the 4
EHbs ad they ND been brought to the
WARMER place too late to save them.
They had died in the night and the
mother cat had taken her dead, one
at q time and carried them away. She
9 now trying to save the surviving
S4a 3ha p sstout and healthy and
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