The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1902-02-21

Cats-at least, some cats-are either
president or have a reasoning compre-
hension Of human speech-witness
these two cases in point. The first
concerns Tangle-Eye, a white kitten.
sole salvage from a litter of nine,
which grew to lusty cathood, the pet
Of a young woman. It's home was a
big plantation house, where its moth
er had been for years an honored and
successful ratter. She was a big tor
toise-shell, and, except when there
were rats about, the moral and pattern
Of feline g%entleness. Her son, who
had one blue eye, one yellow, was not
deaf, as is common with blue-eyed
cats. Contrariwise, he had a wonder
fully fine ear, particularly sensitive to
the hitteringa and hutterings of 1edge-
lings crowded out Of the nest. He
would dash from the piazza at the
faintest rustic Of wings to pounce up
on the luckless birdlings, and devour
them forthwith. For this his mistress
rated him %soundly, and after a while
whipped himl HE feelings were deep.
" wounded. The next day, after he
had killed seven chickens, she decided
to make him prisoner. She stopped to
rub his head, when he stood rigid, spit
at her, caught her finger, bit it to the
bone, and as the door was opened at
her cry Of pain, dashed out Of it. and
was never again seen about the house.
though for a year at least he kept up
his depredations. He harbored in a
wooded swamp, more than a mile
away, where, like the thief and migrate
he was, he made a bad end in battle
with a genuine wildcat. But to this
day his mistress is undecided as to
whether his change Of conduct was due
to divination or e~avesdropping. So is
another woman who talked with a
cat doctor concerning her cats health,
In the presence of the cat herself. It
was a very meek animal, thoroughly
hou~se-trained, and the i~nseparabIe
companion Of its mistress. Though she
was too wise for indiscriminate feed
ing, she permitted the silky maltese to
sit upon a cricket beside her at meal
times, and receive an occasional harm
less tit-bit from her own plate. There
had been some trifing ailment. After
the doctor had looked the animal over.
he prescribed a simple powder, taste
less and odorless, as far as human
senses discern. This the cats mistress
bought and put in very small quanti-
ties inside tiny bits Of raw meat,
gashed to receive It. After the medi-
cine was in place the bits were rolled
tight and covered with fresh, raw
meat, scraped fine. But the cat nosed
the meat pills languidly over, and
would have none Of them. Starving
even would not make him eat them.
That, however, was less strange than
the fact that for a whole week he re-
fused to eat anything whatsoever from
the hand Of his mistress, even things
taken from her plate. 1t wal all Of
six weeks, indeed, before confidence
was fully restored. Cats have long
memories. also a taste for something
approaching h~istrionics. A visitor In
a country house noticed one winter
day the family cat, a very fine animal,
walking about In evident distress. The
weather was very cold-cold enough to
AANHeG 16AA al NMN OAuAnaAy Watering
places-so It occurred to him that the
animal might be thirsty. He called 1t,
invited It to perch upon his shoulder,
went up to his own room with the cat
perched there, put II down on the bed,
then half-hlled a basin, and was re-
warded by seeing the cat drink as
though water famished. He left the
next day. thinking no more Of the
matter. Six months later he was
again In the house. Notwithstanding
warm weather ana water In plenty, the
cat. at sight Of him. leaped upon his
shoulder, purring and maiouing, until
he again took IL upstairs and gave Il
a long drink. This performance has
been repeated at each succeeding visit
"a dozen times in all, and always the
cat shows the same delight.-Philadel-
phia Record,