Evening star., 1927-04-03
This and That

Jack Spratt, an one might expect
of a cat. does not like to take his
medicine.
A sick cat is great deal harder
to handle than suffering dog. Tor
the latter seems to understand what
Ia being done for him, and submits
with more or less grace.
A cat, on the other hand, has no
idea In the world why pills are
being poked down his throat, and re-
sents 1t with paws and mouth.
Medicine to q cat is simply son1e-
thing that he does not want.
And every one knows that the
national anthem of Catdom ID Victor
Herbert's old tune, IT Want What
Want When / Want 1t"
The veterinarian popped q trenen-
dous capsule down Jacks NAV be-
fore the little fellow knew what was
happening to him.
When we, however, attempted to
duplicate the feat. we discovered
that we would make q very poor
animal doctor.
The pet owner is handicapped. OF
course, by his affection Tor the
A cat or a dog to q wet" 10 simply
another case. He can grab the
favorite Of household, pry his jaws
open and slip down q pill as big as
A bet owner, however, feels sorry
for his pet and dislikes immensely
to offend 1t. Especially IL this true
in the case of a cat. One may have
had an old family friend for years,
in the form of medical science ana
will regard the best friend he has
In the world as his enemy, II the
friend comes bearing medicine.
It is but natural that one truly fond
Of the household cat should shrink
from administering medicine, espe-
cially such as must be poured or
pushed adown the critters warm
esophagus," as the rhyme has 1t.
Veterinarians know, through expert
ence, that the average householder
will not thus offend a pet, and they
are, therefore, reluctant to trust the
medicine to other giving.
\ X p II
Two medicines were necessary for
Jack, the one q tablet to be dissolved
in the drinking water, and the other
q small pill (yes, pink.
The fact that Jack Spratt does not
drink water, and precious little milk.
complicated the administration Of the
tablet---a fact, too, that the doctor
hardly held to be such, for he de-
clared It against the laws Of nature
for any creature not to drink water.
We can state with absolute conf
dence that Jack Spratt does not drink
water Only once in four years has
he been known to touch It, and then
he went to the sink, looked up at
the faucet and meowed.
Since that day, three years ago, he
has never been known to drink q drop
Of It. Sometimes he condescends to
drink a bit Of cream.
The only way the tablet dissolved
in water could be gotten down old :
Spratt was to hold him, pry open his
jaws and pour the water down him
with a spoon. A medicine dropper
was tried with some success, too. I
The pink pill was easier. This, slip
ped between his teeth, had an equal
chance OF slipping down or being spit
out.
Perhaps IS per cent of the pills were
successfully given. Sometimes Jack
would hold pill in his mouth for
5 minutes, and when we thought It
was down, finally would disgorge Il.
minus the pink.
Olive oil, especially good for cats. is
no favorite of Jacks, either. Meat
slightly dipped in It would not be
touched. The only way to give him
the oil was to open his jaws and
pour 1t down.
Most OF 1t spilled on his white shirt
front. from which It was generally
licked, OF course, so that Spratt got
most OF It, after all