The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-28
Two Cats Of Intelligence;
Their Tricks and Manners
Incidents Showing Not
Only Possession of II
Brains, but an Afec-
ton for Their Owners
That Bellies ISLANDERS
Against Feline Race

N1NE might suppose the traditional
statements about cats had been
Ey9z] written by dogs, so unjust are
IESs4Hk they. Cats have no intelligence:
- cats care only for places, not per-
sons; cats are incapable of affection-such
are some of the ancient ISLANDERS still be-
lieved. An experienced animal trainer says,
on the contrary, that the cat has great in
teliigenee, she might learn anything within
the capacity of any animal, but she abso-
lutely refuses to surrender her will TO any
body. The truth is that while the cat is
an intense conservative and cannot bear TO
have anything in her surroundings changed,
she is capable of deep and lasting affection
for persons; giving love only for love, how
ever; incapable of loving an unloving own
er. as a dog does. And she does surrender
her will to one whom she loves, and tries to
learn the ways and understand the thoughts
of the beloved one. The illustrative anec-
dotes here given are derived partly from
incidents reported at first hand, by those
who saw them.
Cats often seem TO understand what is
said about them. A family, something
more than a hundred years ago, were pre-
pairing for the long and difficult pioneering
journey from Connecticut TO central New
York. The mother OF the family remarked
one light: 1--WE must kill the old cat. 1t
would be impossible to take her and will
not leave her to suffer and s~tarve." The
cat, which was basking on the hearth be-
fore the open fire, got VI, walked over to
the door, asked to be let out and was never
seen as~ain-apparently having her own
views as TO the comparative deSirability OF
being killed, or left to find for herself.
AS to memory: A young man was ac-
customed to allow the family cat to sit
on his shoulder while he was reading-a
liberty she never took with any one else.
He went West, and was gone for three
years. The cat never offered to sit on any
body's shoulder during his absence. When
he came back, the first time he sat down
TO read the paper, Madam Puss climbed
up the back of his chair, and sat on his
shoulder, purring for joy.
a young girl went away to school. re-
turning home only for the vacations, at
intervals of several months. Each time
she came home, as the carriage got within
cat would start out to meet her, in great
excitement, running till she met the car
riage, and then racing around II, wild with
joy, till she was picked up and handed to
her mistress, whom she kisesd daintily,
Rugged enderly and then fell TO more fe-
line demonstrations of joy and affection
by rubbing her head and purring.
Two cats of remarkable intelligence and
affection deserve a more detailed descrip-
tiOn. Each was given a fanciful name,
which somehow refused TO stick; and the
as kittens" Tommy was picked up, one
cold and stormy Halloween, a desperate
little bunch of misery, cold and starvation,
and brought home in the pocket of a ten
der-hearted small boy. He was not larger
than a three-weeks-old kitten. though prob
ably twice that age. AS soon as he had
drunk a little warm milk, the mite fell
TO work, cleaning his gray fur with the
Ornnf0St veal and QnQrpV fn make himself
fit for his new home-though more fortu-
nate kittens of that age expect all such
matters of toilet to be attended to by ma
ternal care. Tommy was at once
adopted by the little girl of the
house. who had a genius for teach
ing and was a lover of all babies and
pets. From the first Tommy consid-
cred it impolite to NEW, except on impera-
tive necessity, but he would converse with
his mistress by the hour, making semi-ar-
ticulate sounds of various tones, which the
little girl professed TO understand-indeed,
anyone could understand the difference be-
tween Tommy's yes and his no" He
certainly understood much that she said
to him, would say his letters after her-
that is, when she said, Tommy, say a,
say B." etc, Tommy would respond with
a sound for each letter. When told to kiss
her cheek he would do so delicately; told
to hug her, he would put both gray arms
round her neck and hug fervently. He
learned to sleep like folks" with his head
on a pillow, and the quilt drawn decorously
~ - 80 NHNA~t ANo
edge. Tommy usually supposed himself to
be folks. and thought he knew and under
stood all that Margery did, but sometimes
he caught a glimpse of the whole world
of thought beyond him, and it was piteous
to see his painful efforts to grasp ideas
foreign to any animal mind. One night
III teach you to play cards" Tommy
sprang up into her lap with cheerful al
acrity: he had learned so many things that
he had no doubt at all he could learn this,
too. He listened with grave and cOncen-
trated attention while Margarey explained
the difference between hearts and spades,
and showed him hat the ace would take
the king. Gradually the conviction settled
down upon him that he could not under
stand, he could not learn 1t. He struggled
to grasp the idea until his brain reeled,
and then he laid his head down on Mar
gery's arm and cried. Many times there
after one would see that look of intense
| thought come into his face, that
he felt the impossible distance be-
tween him and humanity, the gulf
that could not be crossed: At
that Tommy had been human in some pre-
vious existence, and almost remembered
He was very a~rtistics in his tastes. He
loved pretty things. A rufled white apron
freshly Numbered, bright dressmaking litter
of silks or muslins pleased his eye and
furnished the favorite couch Tor an after
noon nap. He was also very fond of mu-
sic. and would sit and listen to the piano
by the hour, beating time with his tail.
There was no fancy about this, he kept
waving tail as long as the music lasted
and changed its time as that of the music
changed. He objected strongly to rag
, time. however, and to all music of the rat
Jlety-bang order, prefering grave and gen.
tie measures. OF all tunes he greatly pre-
ferred Flow Gently, Sweet Alton" 1t was
a sight TO see the beatiic look that would
spread over his countenance at the first
note of the beloved melody, and the way
in which he settled down on his DaWs to
enjoy every note. lie had some funny lit
tie affectations. If he was praised, he
! would close his eyes and pretend to be