Evening star., 1926-04-04
This and That

Last week we promised to consider
today the intellectual and esthetic
appeal Of the cat.
We have decided. however. that
those who are intelligent enough Ia
iike cats will not need 10 he told about
H. so we will devote this space 10
the subject:
Why Cats Kill Birds"
IN the first place. eats do not kill
naH as many sonGsters as their
enemies charge them with, To listen
10 some OF the cat haters'' one would
imagine that felines were about Ia
disrupt nature.
we nave never Vet seen a cat going
along the street with a sack of birds
hung around it's neck.
AS matter of fact. il has been
Years ana years since we have seen
any cat Whatsoever kill any bird.
NO uoubt, in country districts, cats
40 catch birds. and eat them. too
with much gusto. That the birds are
In any danger of extinction. however
We absolutely refuse to believe.
We have seen too many birds Nv
a cat Is an agile creature. but he
olstlhctiy takes second rank TO a bird
any Dlrd. sonsster or otherwise. Wa
are not entirely sure that a bird that
gets caught by cat does not deserve
us late, III the complex scheme of
living. which not altogether kindly
nature seems to have set up.
Mr. Emerson, we believe. had a few
WORDS TO say on this subject. I'm which
ne recalled that a river would inst
as soon drown a child or a saint as
the most hardened sinner.
X
nr Ea
to help agriculture. through their
mouse-catching proclivities. The FIN.
cyclopedia Americans is AUTHORITY fer
the statement that IL II were not FOR
cats, agriculture In this country could
not exist.
Perhaps, too. the ordinary house
cat actually helps our country when
II drags down some Of the birds. ma.
taoly the sparrows. which are unani.
mously regarded as pests.
A bird which men regard as In.
furious, grain eaters and the like is
Just as acceptable to a cat as one of
the good birds that destroy worms
which In turn are inimical TO the best
interests Of mankind.
A cat Is not selective when IL comes
10 blras. Our cat friends have told
us that bird in the paw is worth
at least 100 in the bush, or OO0
on the tree. or 10000 on the tele-
phone wire.
We simply cannot hold q picture of
any cat OF our acQuaAtance arguing
to himself thusly: s--
Hold on. old fellow! Yonder bird.
upon which you are now creeping
with the finest technique of the Green.
ing art, is friend of man.
Hold back thy murderous paw.
therefore, and seek yonder Srain.est
Ing chirper, who all will agree de
serves death, and that right speedily"
The point in all this simply Is that
the statistics aiming to show how
many birds cats kill annually are
grossly exaggerated. Figures cannot
lie, but they often do, as the saying is,
X y +
Finally, we feel quite sure that II
we were a cat tsome of our friends
say we are turning into one) we
would kill all the birds we could.
We love the normal in all things.
and 1t is perfectly normal for a cat
to kill a bird, and eat It, too.
A cat that will not catch a bird
has something the matter with It,
poor fellow, just the same as has
the bird that will not catch q worml
A dog that will not chase a cat
has had its education sadly neglected.
Worm--bird-cat-
We are reminded of the old rhyme:
Big neas have little ness
And little heas have lesser heAs
Aud on ad inhnitum.