Evening star., 1924-12-14
Heard and Seen

Jack Spratt, erstwhile alley cat
is perhaps. the only feline in the
world that gets his name in d great
paper week after week
This Is due TO the fact that Jack
is an interesting fellow. He belongs
to no society, association, club, lodge
or what not, but he gets there just
the same.
There is more than one man in
this city who wishes he had some Of
Mr.. Spratt's ability as publicity
hound.
You see, this cat is individual, and
any created thing that has individ-
uality is interesting. Those who do
not care for animals may think that
all cats are alike, just as they may
| imagine all dogs are similar.
Those who like animals, however
viii know that two dogs may look
as identical as two peas in d pod,
yet be as dissimilar as day and night
So cats, while superficially cats,
and nothing more, may be as far
apart In temperament and actions
as bulldog from a fish.
Carl Van Vechten, in his Tiger in
the House." a book which has earned
him the title of the cats Homer"
tells of cats whose dominating trait
is piggishness. comfort, hunting, one
thing or another.
No two are exactly alike, although
all are cats.
Our friend Spratt has a poorly de-
veloped sense of gratitude, along
with q wonderful taste for beef
steak, mice, baked beans, canned
peas, cottage pudding, cream, fish.
lamb and raw eggs.
His taste runs to protein. In this
he scorns the modern dictum that we
eat too much protein and should use
more vegetables and fruits.
Spratt would turn up his nose at an
orange or a carrot, while anything
that contains protein is his dish.
Being a mammal with a short alimen
tary canal, he can handle more pro-
tein than we can.
Jack does not know this, of course.
but he consistently acts upon this
unknown knowledge of his, and eats
what he ought to eat, in the way ma
ture teaches him to consume it.
For him no sauces, condiments, par
boiling or super-cooling. His Kind
eats it's meat-fur, bones, blood and
all. Thus they get all the vitamines
and mineral substances which ws
throw away.
Jack came in one morning last
week in a very bad temper.
The run of field mice that night
had been very poor. The cusses
would not come out and be caught.
This animal is very malicious;
when attacked, it defends ITSELF" said
the old French song.
Jack would have sung that. could
he sing, but all he could do was purr.
Now, cats are supposed to be in IL
happy mood when purring, and may
be this Is generally true, but it is not
an invariable rule.
The friends of cats know
A cat may purr blue streak and
at the same time feel in vile tenn
per. The expressive tail will be
switching the while.
Dogs operate their tails on dit-
ferent plan.
When a dog wags it's tail it means
just one thing-happiness When a
cat switches his caudal appendage it
means just the opposite-anger. He
may purr, but the tail is the index of
his feelings
So when Jack Spratt came in, sore
because he had caught no mice, and
began purring and switching his tail,
1 began to watch out.
But l petted him once too often.
There was movement too fast to see,
and two sharp teeth went into my
finger.
No, you can't blame q cat If you
cannot take the bites along with the
purrs, then you do not like cats, that
is all. CHARLES f. TRACEWELL.