Evening star., 1926-05-02
This and That
BY Charles E. TraceueU.

Jack Spratt, who has been feeling
poorly for the past week, is somewhat
better at this writing. although still
inclined to be very sorry for himself.
Cats, like some men, have the habit
of being poor invalids. They cannot
be said, in other words, to be expert
in sickness. TO be i'll gracefully is a
fine art, which many human beings
do not practice, and no cats.
Felines, perhaps more SO than any
other animal. take on q very
aggrieyed look when sick. az if
questioning the universe about the
change which has come over it.
How can n cat know. for instance
that only itself is i'll? Perhaps IL
imagines all life to partake with 1t of
the sudden calamity. An animal has
no standards of comparison. no
methods of calculation, no books IL
which to read of others being i'll
When life takes on a dark hue
when dinner no longer tastes good
and even chirping bird excites only
momentary interest. cat must thiu>
the world has gone on the blink. a.
its human friends might say.
* ): y s.
So it was with old Jack Spratt
He sat huddled up on the daveu
port, his forelegs tucked under him
his head dropping, eyes half-closed. in
the grip of his illness.
The details of his malady we MAY
dispense with; suffice it TO say I'VE in
sist on using this term, despite the
fact that 1t is condemned as tritee
suffice it to say. we repeat, that H.,
was i'll.
His friends, however, were not in
Thnra
and soon Science. in the form Of the
veterinarian, showed up at the from
door. Here was aid and help beyond
Jacks ken-but not beyond his sight
IT there is any person in the world
Jack Spratt dislikes more than an
other. it Is the cat doctor. For this
estimable gentleman he has no use
whatever. The moment he saw him
Jack shrank into protecting arms, and
steadfastly refused to look in the doc
tors direction.
''It is bad enough to he in the same
room with you. sir" Jacks round and
eloquent eyes seemed TO say, but we
positively Will not look at YOU. No
sir, not so much as a glance" And
he laid back his ears i'm emphasis.
* X *
''You had better give him 6 of these
capsules said the doctor, opening
his medicine case. 81 will show you
how 10 administer them.''
So saying, he pried open Spratt :
Jaws with one hand. and deftly droj,
ped capsule into the cats yawnInc
mouth. Then he clamped the Jaws
shut, so holding them until the patient
swallowed the pill
After suffering this indignity, Jack
looked more aggrieved than ever. lie
purred his satisfaction when the doe
tor left, however. and during the next
several days never failed to purt
when stroked.
At one time il became necessary Il.
give the cat two teaspoons of liduid
medicine. As can be imagined. sev-
eral experimental doses went princi
pally down Jacks white "shirt front Z"
but at last the proper dose-or mos1
of twas administered
The trick in giving a cat pills is to
drop the substance down it's gullet
then quickly hold the jaws together
until after 1t swallows.
In administering liquid medicine, we
have discovered. the art consists In
standing the cat on his hind legs
wrapped in q large towel. opening the
jaws. and pouring the medicine In as
far back as possible
Then, instead of closing the laws
hold them open until the cat swallows.
for III he is allowed to shut his mouth.
most of the liquid is forced out by
ant