The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-02-23
CATS LOSE CASTE.
BUT YIELD CASH
Egyptians Venerated and Morse
men ImnOrtaIized Animals
That Kill Rats

That truly was the golden a &c of
cats. The slayer of a cat in Egypt
was punished severely, but when the
felines died from natural causes they
were carefully embalmed and laid away
to become mummies. Herodotus writes
of great numbers of pilgrims, on one
occasion 7O0,0 900 going annually To the
city of Bubastis 10 attend the festivals
of the cats.
Even today. in Cairo. there remains a
vestige of this ancient veneration, for
money is appropriated TO feed all the
hungry cats of the city, while the pill
grims 10 Mecca do not fail to provide
for ithe cats they encounter on their
journey.
The Greeks and Romans were also
fond Of cats. When the rats migrated
from Asia and invaded the granaries
Of Europe relief from the plague was
found in the cats which We're imported.
Then. too. the Norsemen had their cats.
and so well did they think of them that
they Incorporated them into their my
thology. Two cats draw the chariot of
the goddess Fridja
CHANGE IN TABBY'S STATUS
Then came change. and in the
middle ages says the Baltimore Ameri-
II.
thing of evil The day of witchcraft
prevailing. every sorcerer or sorceress
made it a point to be accompanied by a
cat. preferably black one. which re-
suited in many of the little animals
being killed because they were so
feared
In the Flemish town of Spires there
was "Wednesday of cats in the
second week of Lent. which was origi-
Of
Flanders On this day each year it was
customary to fling cats from the top of
a lofty tower, and many Of the animals
were killed. II is said that this custom
continued until 1888.
The question as to the origin of the
domesticated cat has frequently been
raised There is but little doubt that
thes first race of cats were wild, but
they were undoubtedly well domesti-
Gated before the middle ages and GER
tainly before they were imported into
Europe At what period, however, none
can tell. so it is generally assumed
that the Egyptians, whose works have
been lost in the ages, are responsible
for giving the cat to the present
time.
SKINS MADE GOOD GLOVES
There are yet extant many races Of
wild cats from the Nubian of northern
Africa TO the bobcat of western Amer
lea. but the link between these animals
and the domesticated variety is diff
cult TO locate. If 1t does at all exist.
Nor is the cat considered as a pet
alone 1t has a commercial value, for
the skins have been found to make eX-
cellent gloves for women, while the
hair or fur also has a value. While
dealing in catskins is not extensive in
this country il is a trade that has
grown to considerable proportions in
southern Europe. where cats are bred
for the purpose.
Cats are, primarily, divided into two
classes the long haired and the short
haired To the latter class belong most
of the ca IS that one sees. and they are
known as just common" cats In the
long haired class are the Persians and
Angoras the aristocrats of the family
which are highly priced because of
their magnificence, their plumed tails
being one of their greatest marks of
beauty.
The raising of this breed of cats is
extensively practiced in this country.
and there are dozens of batteries where
the animals are as carefully attended
as though they were children. They
have individual quarters. are groomed
each morning, fed with the choicest
morsels and their every action is
watched.