Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-02-09
OUR HOUSEHOLD PETS.
Kindness Teaches Even the Lower Amin ais
Docity and Respect.

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was welcomed by any and all business
men in the center of the city, as she
was good mouser and all tried to use
her so well she would stay with them,
but short visit OF a few days was all
she would give any one place. No one
ever thought of buying any meat for
her poorer than the best round-steak.
She had two kittens and when they
were old enough to follow her half
block she came across from the store
where she had been staying to our
place and made herself and kittens at
home in the coal.house for a couple of
days. ! gave her milk but she visited d
the market every day and ca me back
with meat enough for the kittens.
The third day she started away with
both kittens but before she had gone
more than twenty feet from the door
she growled at and boxed one of them
until she drove it back, and then
started again with the other one and
went back to the store where she had
been staying before she visited us and
left the other kitten there. She would
visit my kitten several times a day
and bring it meat once. Then one
day she failed to come and the next
day saw her coming dragging a
whole slice OF round-steak. That was
her last visit.
After my cat got its growth I had a
Scotch terrier given me. He was vel.
low and about the same size of the
cat, which weighed fourteen pounds.
One evening we had some friends
with US and Mr.. Denton went out and
got dozen naval oranges and by ac-
cident dropped the sack on the floor.
The dog and cat were having romp
and playing hide.and-seek. AS the
cat ran into the room it saw the sack,
ran into it, turned around and sat
quietly watching the dog look for
him. The dog looked all around then
went out into the other room and the
cat ran after him, but the dog never
found the cat when he was in the sack
That cat gave the alarm OF fire
three times. Once there had been
kindliug left in the oven which had
caught fire and fell out on the carpet.
He came into the front part of the
house, where l was, and howled as l
had never heard him but once before,
so l started to see what was the mat
ter. The last time, I sat writing.
The city was we'll supplied with elec.
trio lights and it was as light almost
as daylight. The cat came from the
back yard bowling. left my writing
and started to discover what was
wrong. had not far to 60. A livery
stable near by, had had Q number OF
loads of straw stacked in the back
yard, ready to pack away for bedding
and some careless man had thrown
q cigar. into il and though hav.
ing quite q start there had been no
alarm. 1 caught my hose and at.
tached it but could not reach the fire
but turned it on to barn that was
on the alley, very near the blaze. l
also sprinkled some men who stood
there after the alarm and they won
dered how they got wet. As we were
in business it happened we often
changed milkmen. That cat, Spar
tackus, knew the milkman's bell and
was ready for his share OF the milk.
There was one man whose milk be
preferred to any other and If l did not
buy OF him would leave his saucer of
milk and 60 to meet his favorite when
he delivered milk to my neighbors,
follow her to the house and ask for
milk and he always got it. But he
would eat the milk and come home.
I never knew him to stay fifteen min.
utes and he never went there at any
'other time.
And still great many people think
q cat does not know anything. I be.
lieve every one would love Q good cat
and almost all animals if they would
study their habits and dispositions
more and get acquainted with them.
Even . hog is not devoid OF affec-
ton and has reasoning powers. We
had one that would stay quietly in
her pen until Mr.. Denton started to
drawing wood then she would slip a
rail out of place and get out even after
We had built strong fence staked and
wired down. She would 60 half q
mile with him, lie down and rest un-
til he had bis load of wood on, then
come back with him. If he got a
little ahead she would run and squeal
until che caught up. then would grunt
very contentedly. She would keep
that up all day; he made eight trips a
day.
We used to 60 two miles to fish in
the fall. One day we started and were
half q mile from home and looking
back there was the hog, two horses
and two COWS, and as we were walking
in single file we made quite . process
sion. They all went with us to the
fishing place, stayed all day, grazing
around, and at four o'clock when We
started for home were ready to take
up their line of march.
! But of all the pets we ever had,