Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-07-15
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CATS AS SUMMER BOANDERS
Homes for Pets whose Owners Arc
Out Of Town.
(From the New York Sun. J


I'VE are gathering cats to pay our rent
and keep the pot boiling this summer
and we hope to put by few dollars "a
help us along next winter" a young
woman who Is working her way through
a New York college confded to the re-
porter the other day when they met on
the street car and she was asked to ex-
plain a basket and perforated shoe box
which she held on her lap.
IL don't mean that We are going TO
turn the cats over to the Bergh society
or to the Bide-a Wee she went on. we
board them for the summer. cats whose
owners are leaving town. We did II last
season with such success that We paid
oil expenses and saved SOS besides keep
ing four Of our boarders the entire win.
ter.
That was s12 n month. which moro
than half pays for Our fat We charge
81 a month for cats and & for dogs.
We did have parrot last summer al
dog rates but We were half frightened
out OF our wits the whole time for fear
ne and the cats would get together.
"If we could only have made the bird
afraid OF the cats or the cats afraid Of
the bird It wouldn't have been so dam
gerous. As I, was each wanted TO get
at the other. The minute he saw the
cats Polly would DO all in his power to
reach them, and failing in that would
abuse and scold until he could barely
cronk. All the while the cats were
gazing at him and swshing their tails.
month ago when the owner OF tho
bird wrote TO say she would like to have
us take it again we politely but firmly
declined.
last summer we had - cats and three
dogs We will have all the cats back
this summer and perhaps all the dogs
II we could only get another dog to
take the parrots place we could safely
count on saving at least SO more than
We did las, season.
I'VE had to spend that much in having
woven wire put around the roof Of the
extension and having boxes for the cats
built Their beds are In the boxes and
we shut them In every night That
keeps them from singing and disturbing
the neishbors.
ION several occasions one Of them
slipped out OF her box and the collection
of shoes and toilet articles We found
scattered over the roof the next morning
was remarkable. Not satisfied with
these testimonials our neEhbors tried to
get the janitor to dispossess us.
THAT Is the seamy side of the busi-
ness. The advantages nre that cats ara
easily cared for. allow almost any ono
to handle them. are the perfection Of
cleanliness and thrive on simple food.
Two Of the dogs were Boston terriers
and the third n fox terrier. Both tho
Boston terriers we're accustomed to cats.
indeed there was a cat with each and
they were great chums. but for several
weeks we were forced to keep the fox
terrier shut away from the cats.
Toward tire middle Of the summer we
bought a small awning and had it
stretched over one end of the roof OF
the extension on which the windows
open. It made n pleasant out OF door
sitting room. being quite n bit cooler
than In the fat. During the day tho
cnt. wore out and made themselves very
much at time there. The Boston terriers
enjoyed It also. but we were afraid to
let the fox terrier out. so he was always
shut In with the parrot.
HE begged so hard that finally We
decided TO give him a trial with the
leash. It only took him a few days to
learn that the penalty for chasing cats
was to leave the roof Before the end
Of the season he was as chummy with
the cats as the Boston terriers.
1.-THE idea OF boarding cats and dogs
during the summer Is by no means orig
inal with my friend and NO. hava
heard OF several college girls adopting
1t as n means Of earning money.
During the winter tutor n class Of
Young girls and my friend reads by the
hour to invalids or persons who are
troubled with their eyes. As our patrons
ali leave during the hot months We had
to get something 70 tide us over. Thu
possibilities OF this roof suggested tho
work and we set about getting the cats.
1T wasn't very difficult, Anybody
who owns a Thoroughbred cat Is willing
70 pay for its Keep. and az n rule people
prefer to have them kept near home in
private boarding place rather than
at a cat farm with many others.