Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-06-05

domesticated, and readily returns to a
wild state. People carry them to sum
mer cottages and leave them at the
end Of the season. These abandoned
pets quickly become accustomed to
wild life and feed principally on song
and game birds. The following extract
from the year book OF the department
OF agriculture for 1908 10 pertinent and
to the point:
MANY an innocent hawk. skunk. owl
and weasel has been shot for the deeds
Of that sleek hiEhwayinan, the house
cat. 1t is safe to say that this mar
auder, which enjoys all the comforts
and protection Of q home. destroys In
the aggregate more wild birds and
young poultry than all the native nat
ural enemies com bined A cat has been
known to kill whole brood Of chick
ems in day. feat unequaled by any
predaceous animal with the possible
exception Of the mink. Others In the
course Of a season have practically
destroyed whole coveys OF quail or
grouse, or nests full Of songsters. A
we'll known naturalist estimates that
in New England states alone 100000
birds are destroyed annually by cats
80 The principal reasons given
for keeping cats are their attfactiveness
as house pets, their usefulness az COM
pan1ons to children. and their alleged
value as rat and mouse killers 1t Is
impossible at present to obtain correct
figures on the subject, but 1t Is safe
NAL lifetime run across more than half
dozen cats that habitually attack
rats. Occasionally hunter cat Is
;e6 Aa1; rh ~,
ing rats. gophers. or ground squirrels.
1t has been the common experience
with the writer TO find premises that
were well supplied with cats overrun
with rats and mice. At certain ranch
house in the west he trapped in his
bedroom twelve mice In a week. altho
eight cats had access to the place.
Lovers Of the cat should be content
with one, or at the most two Of these
pets. and should see to It that out
casts 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 smallpox. the pres
ence IN the household Of Tabby is not
without its dangers"
One man in Massac flusetts watched
during one season pet cat. which was
we'll fed and cared for. and say it kill
fftv-eight birds. including the young
in FIVE nests Another man who start
ed pheasant farm several miles from
any town. was obliged to kill over 200
cats during the first year. A little ex-
per!ence OF my own early in my career
as bird friend illustrates the power
Of destruction which pussy possesses.
One year there were four nests in our
yard or near It. which was watching
with a good deal Of interest. There
were the nests Of a robin, kingbird.
killdeer. and MARYLAND yellow throat.
We had at that time a cat which was
we'll supplied with food. and yet she
destroyed all these nests In a few days
and caught the female yellow-throat.
I could do nothing at the time. but a
little later disposed OF her to my own
satisfaction. AS write this article a
pair OF robins are making a great fuss
over a cat that IL about the neighbors
yard. They have two young ones Just
learning 70 ny. and are spending most
Of their time keeping the cat away
from them. I have been out to pick
up one OF them twice and put him in a
safe place. but he IL q venturesome
little fellow and does not remain very
long. After little rest he attempts
to fy again and always ends up with
an inglorious tumble into the grass.
On account Of this action very much
fear that the cat will get him in the
end.
From these facts 1t is evident that
the cat is a terrible enemy Of birds.
and bird lovers should take some meas
ures TO reduce the number OF strays
thru the country. In some of the east
ern states the game commissions are
trying TO have laws passed requiring
license tags for cats. much the same
as We now require for dogs. All un-
licensed cats would be captured and
disposed Of in some satisfactory way.
Such a law. or something similar In
Iowa. would 90 a long way toward in
creasing the numbers Of our song birds
and such game birds as the quail.