The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-08-27
The Great Government Of the United
States Says Some Very Sarcastic
Things About the Ordinary
Pussy Cat.
ALLEGED MOUSE KILLER
Muekrake is Turned on Tabby Who Is
Charged with Killing More Birds
and Young Poultry Than
It Does Mice.

Sleek highwayman," "marauder"
and alleged mouse killer are lust
Few Of the Iow-down. mean. oppro.
Dr1ous epithets which learned scien-
tific expert is calling that pet of child.
hood and solace Of the spinster-the
cat.
Iabby comes in for an awful muck.
raklng In the new year book of the de.
partment of agriculture. Prof. A X.
Fisher, OF the Biological Survey, is the
man who destroys those carly idols
as too the lovely character of the cat.
He says The animal is a degenerate-a
thlel-a scoundrel-and oughtn't to be
tolerated in respectable household
or at least not allowed the same
liberty as at present.
1t is afe tc say that this marau-
der" (the professor is referring % the
cat when he uses this mean word)
which enjoys all the comforts and
projection o. home, destroys in the
aggregate more wild birds and young
poultry han all the native natural
enemies combined. A cat has been
known to kill a whole brood of chick
ems In day, feat unequalled by
any predaceous animal, with the posi-.
BILE exception of the mink. Many an
innocent hawk. skunk, owl and weasel
has been shot for the deeds of that
sleek highwayman the house cat.
"a well known naturalist estimates
that in the New England states alone
100000 birls are destroyed annual
ly by cats.
"The principal reasons given for
keeping cats ere their attractiveness
as house pets, their usefulness as
companions for children and their
alleged value as rat and mouse
Killer
Alleged mouse killers"-think OF
that insinuation- But the professor
does more than just sheer at Tabby's
rodent killing proclivities. He says
further:
1T is safe to say that few persons
during normal lifetime run across
more than half a dozen cats that
habitually attack rats. 1t has been
the common experience of the writer
to find premises that were we'll sup
piled with cats overrun with rats and
mice. In certain ranch house in the
west he trapped in his bedroom IL
mice in week, although eight cats
had access to the place.
Lovers of the cat should be con-
tent with one, or at the most two, OF
these pets, and should see to it that
outcasts do not run at large on their
premises Now that cats are known
to carry in their fur the germs not
only of ringworm, but also of such
/ dreaded diseases as tuberculosis.
diphtheria, scarlet fever, and small
pox, the presence in the household OF
Tabby is not without its dangers
Isn't that picture of malignant
pestiferousness? And then, too, think
of these things Prof. Fisher SAYS
says about the cat, while reading the
pleasant words, the little congratula-
lions, the pats of encouragement, and
the appreciative praise he gives to
that fragrant animal, the skunk
Here's what the professor thinks
about that smelly beast:
1.-THE skunk is another chicken
thief which renders important ser
vice by destroying immense numbers
of mice, grubs, gras shoppers and
other noxious forms. Although il
prefers this kind of food, like the
opossum 1t will eat almost any animal
matter and also at times certain wild
fruits and berries. 1t is said to be
fond of eggs and young chickens; but
the writer has known a mother skunk
to make her nest and rear her young
in the inner walls of a chicken yarc
and neither egg nor fowl was mo
Tested"
Probably if "Uncle Tama jim viii
son, who is secretary of agriculture
hadn't been watching closely, Prof
Fisher would have added to this
eulogv of the skunk the recommends
ton that that animal be adopted as 6
household pet instead of the dis
graced cat. A skunk as household
net. however, would probably not bs
without its dangers.