Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-05
STRAY CATS.
They Should Be Exterminated the
Same as Vagrant Dogs.

The average aldermanic boards in cities
are noted for their strange ideas about the
people and the things they govern said
DR.. E. D. Bowen Of Philadelphia to a Star
man this morning in an uptown hotel 'but
one of the Queerest freaks Of the times is
the habit we have OF collecting and ex-
terminating stray dogs found upon our
streets, and allowing the cats to roam at
Will
Every few days we read in the news
papers Of the death OF some person from
a cat bite The person is bitten and he
or she dies, but we accept 1t as common
place. No learned and angry discussions
arise as to the existence or not Of a dis
tinct and specific phobia, as catophobia, as
arises periodically upon the death Of a
person from the bite of a dog as to the
actual existence of hydrophobia.
Human beings bitten by their fellow
men have died from what is popularity
termed blood poisoning. and deaths OF
humans as a direct result Of the bite Of an
animal, such as horse, a mule or a hog,
are frequently reported. All of these in
stances. including death from cats bite,
pass unnoticed by the lay press and are
not sufficiently noticed by the medical
press.
but through popular sympathy or popu-
lar ignorance pussy remains immune from
the provisions of municipal ordinances re-
lating in any manner to stray animals.
She roams the streets. the back yards,
the roofs and the partition fences cata-
walls, fights and yells at night, starves and
freezes In winter. and develops Into a post
in large cities, especially in New York
and Philadelphia, at all seasons. But were
the dog catcher's net to entrap her, peo-
pie on the sidewalks, especially the ladies,
would sympatheaicaiiy exciaim, Oh. Door
puss; let her go, you horrid manr
The time Is destined to come, however.
when the feline tribe in the great centers
of population will have increased to such
an extent and will have become such q
nuisance that unlicensed cats found roam
ing the streets will be placed in the same
category with unlicensed dogs, caught in
the dog catcher's net and humanity exc
cuted at the city pounds.
"All persons, especially children, should
be warned not to play with cats 80 as to
lay themselves open to being scratched or
bitten by their pets. and strange cats
ours. The teeth and saliva of a cat, when
brought into contact with the flesh and
blood Of human being, are likely to pro-
duce bad wounds, and, perhaps, death. and
these wounds In all cases should be immedi-
ately treated by physician. as, indeed.
should the wounds inflicted upon the human
body by the teeth Of any animal; they
should not be passed by as unworthy Of
notice.
The cat. however. strongly appeals to
US ALL though she Is an animal much less
domesticated as compared with mans best
and most constant friend. the dog, and Is
far beneath him In intelligence Her wild
cunning instincts are still predominant.
her attachment to home, instead Of to the
person, as with a dog. indicative of the
wild animal and Its lair. Altogether, the
cat Is centuries behind the dog, which we
shoot, electrocute or suffocate at the pound
because we are all afraid Of his bite. The
cats bite may be as dangerous, and pussy
should be stroked the right way