Evening star., 1925-12-13
This and That
By Charles E. Tr1ceioep.

Jack Spratt, Puss-in- Boots. lay on
the couch with his head pillowed on
the fifth volume of Plutarchs Lives
At his back was one of Joseph Con
RAIDS novels.
Near his striped tail were four
books, John Macy's new History OF
the Worlds Literature" Mark Twain's
Tom Sawyer Abroad the golden
"Meditations" Of Marcus Aurelius and
Dumas Twenty Years After"
The tiger cat, oblivious of his lI:ec
ary surroundings, slept calmsy on
what do YOU imagine his sheet was"
a copy of The Evening Star, of course
There is nothing that Jack Sprat-
likes better than The Star, 4 taste
he shares with his master. If piece
of the paper is placed on the floor
Jack Immediately perches himself
upon it.
He eats his dinner off a page of this
paper, and curls himself up on il
afterwards.
When darkness arrives, Jack feels
frisky. He dashes at any part of
The Star left on the rug, seiZes il with
his paws. rumples through ii, literally
Ue~"Irs A..
This is a typical canine trick, sedan
seen in cats, but is only one OF the
many ways in wnich this Puss-in-
Boots resembles a dog.
Watching Spratt tear off bits Of the
paper. shaking them in his mouth
one wonders if it might not be pos
sible to invent a new breed Of watch
cats.
Ia yy,4a III,
if the good qualities of the cat could
be combined with the best traits Of
the dog?
The dog is our old friend, vet even
its most ardent admirers at times
wish 1t were not so obstreperous. AS
a house pet it has decided defects, one
of which is the terrible clawing it
gives hardwood floors.
Even the best intentioned dog at
times becomes tiresome. II is for
ever wanting to leap, to bound, to
lick ones hand. He never has enough
play.
A dignified house cat, on the other
hand, is soothing creature, at its
best in the evening. Its capacity for
comfort spills over 10 human be
holders, who might we'll initiate it In
this day of hurry and hustle.
The best services of the dog TO hu-
manity has been it's ability as a watch
man. The cats premier efforts in our
behalf has been as a mouser. What
a thing 1t would be if the cat could be
made into as efficient a watchman as
the dog,
The new breed of watch-cats would
possess all the quiet virtues of the
ordinary felis domestica, at the same
time would assume the honest dogs
prize occupation.
These new cats might be trained TO
let out their best yodle at the sight
os an invader. Such a caterwauling.
in the middle of the night would he
quite as effective as Fido's most ter
rible bark.
In addition, a watch-cat such as we
describe, would use moro intelligence
than the dog. All dog owners arc
annoyed, at times, by the persistent
barking of their pet in the back yard.
Who that owns dog but has leaned
out of the window and yelled, Rover.
shut up" Old Rover, surprised that
he should be told to stop functionlne
in his ancient occupation, looks with
surprise at his master.
Shut up" he seems to inquire.
why, I am doing my stuff, that's
allr'
x x x
A watch-cat however, would not
meow at every moving leaf. or BIT oi
paper blown about-nor wouip hc
meow at the moon.
A cat would have too much sense.
The big point about watch-cat>
would be this--that thew would with
hold their warnings until there vas
an actual depreciation made upon the
property.
Then, when Toms walls arose in the
night, the householder would rise with
the certainty that IL was not Il false
alarm.
You can't fool cat.