Evening star., 1928-10-28
This and That
By Charles E. TracepeH.

The love of cats for high places is
traditional.
No doubt this liking comes about
through the animals ability to climb
and be Sure-footed about It,
Cats. like men, like to do what they
can do.
They seek elevations because such
positions give them an opportunity to
use the powers which the Creator has
given them. =.
Agile, 1.-THE, quick, sure-footed, the
domestic cat can walk along housetops,
in trees, along the top board Of fences,
| across garage roofs, without once being
in any danger of falling off.
| This ability often comes in handy
when the hereditary enemy, the dog,
comes after him hot-foot, eyes gleam-
ing, mouth yelping barks.
Then the cat laughs at the dog.
With a quick leap Sir Tom goes up
the trunk of tree, taking care to keep
himself just one or two jumps ahead of
the dog, which foamS futilely below.
Croucfed on a branch. Sir Tom gazes
down with something almost amounting
to contempt.
There can be little doubt that the
average cat has little If any regard for
the average dog.
Friends of cats will feel that their
furry friend loathes the dog for its
clumsiness, its fawning. its uncleanly
habits, and( above all, for its lack of
independence.
The cat is graceful, it never fawns
over its maSter-in fact, it has no mas
ter other than itself--it is very clean,
perhaps the cleanest Of animals, and 1t
is utterly independent
Surely cats have some knowledge of
their good points, they sit so smugly
looking out at the world of dogs and
men, as If they were righteous in their
appreciation Of themselves, knew their
good points, and were not willing to
overlook. them simply to refute charges
of conceit.
1t would be futile to charge cats with
conceit; animals take on only appear
ances of such traits, natural to humans.
but unthinkable in animals, since their
mentalitieS are not such as to hold
them.
Attributing conceit to cats, therefore,
must be taken as a pleasantly which
harms nor fools no one, especially the
subjects of this. our essay.
Jack Spratt, he of the white-shirt
front, is particularly fond of sleeping
on high bookcase which graces his
home.
The top of this case is so far from the
floor that no cat could leap to 1t eX-
cept under some unusual stress, such
as that existing when pursued by a
dog.
Jacks ordinary method of mount
ing to his favorite nook Is interesting.
To one side of the bookcase Is a Gov.
Winthrop desk, which ordinarily stands
with the lid down.
This offers Spratt his first foothold
Coming into the living room after his
dinner, he will sit on his launches In
front Of the desk, looking around the
while in the most innocent manner to
see if any one Is watching him.
If he detects the eyes of his friends
upon him, he will make no move to
jump up, but will fall to washing his
face in the most complacent manner.
If he sees that no one Is watching
him. he will leap lightly to the blotter,
where he will repeat his maneuver.
He will look around. then step to the
top part OF the desk, from where he
will look around again.
Then, with the inimitable grace Of
his tribe. he will raise UP on his hind
legs, extend his white -gloved forepaws
and jump quickly to the top of the
bookcase, without disturbing either of
the, two framed photographs on the
desk.
Once in his retreat, Jack Spratt viii
adjust himself carefully and fall asleeT
with the best grace in the world.