Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-16
This and That

Jack Spratt, the cat, always knows
when some one in the room is talking
about him.
He will be stretched out on his soft
cushion sound asleep. as far as any one
can tell. Even his striped tail will bt
quiescent.
His white face and forehead and
cleaning whiskerS SHINE as he lies there
the picture of cat comfort. How they
love cushionsi No doubt this fondness
for soft bed comes about because OF
their own softness of body.
Whatever accounts for 1t. the 1act Is
that the house cat knows and appreci-
ates the best chairs, the softest coucheS
the cleanest places to sleep.
Jack has unerring ability to detect
a clean bedspread or tablecloth. II
amounts almost to a sense.
If he has not reposed on the table
during the day, the moment a clean
cloth is put on. up he hops.
We were speaking about Jacks UNI
errinp understanding when some one is
talking about him.
No doubt he knows this because OF
the tone of voice used. since practically
ali of such talk is by his admirers.
Is not the situation of a good do
nestle cat unique? He is the conf1dant
and friend of the entire household, and
his meow is law. We speak, of course,
of the home where the cat is really APP
preciated and loved. Some cats are
tolerated, that is all.
The best chairs, however. are always
reserved for the favorite cats OF man.
kind.
Jack will be lying there. without
even his whiskers quivering, when some
one will say, Jack is certainly a
pretty cat"
No sooner Is this said than Spratt
will stretch, out his forepaWS. as If III
token of his hearing and understand
ing.
He will spread his toes wide, sticking
out his white claws about an eighth of
an inch, and then stretch luxuriouSly.
All this time he will not bat an eye.
The motion with his forelegs is the
only sign that he has heard.
Sometimes he will vary this program
by rolling over at the mention of his
name.
II some one utters the word Jack, "
even If referring to some human being,
Spratt will show his recognition in
either one of the two ways mentioned.
Upon rare occasions he will roll over
and then stretch.
1t is difficult to believe however, that
house cats really recognize their own
names. No doubt it is more the tone
of voice which one unconSciouSly uses
than any conscious recognition on their
part of the name given them.
Names, after all, are strictly human
A lion, to himself and other lions,
is not lion. He is not anything. He
Just is Names, with animals, are SUI
perf1uous.
So, often. two human beings dispense
with calling each other by words. or
names, since none is needed between
them.
The one universal word all cats I'M
derstand is kitty"
No matter what its name may be,
In human phraSeology. he is kitty" to
himself, If he is anything at ALL
I Any cat win come running at the
sound of kitty, kitty, kitty" rolled
over the tongue,
A Siamese cat, lolling in the luxury
of a nice cold stone palace in Siam,
would respond as readily as the fattest
apartment cat in Washington.
In Germany, France, or where you
will, cats run from all directions when
some one calls kitty"
Cats may be said to have language
of but one word. and that one a mere
pleasing sound In the wind, for It. al
ways means that fellow is wanted.
And what word Is more pleasing than
. word that means that? -.