Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08
This and That
By Charles E. Trace,ceiI.

Establishment of a school to teach
cats how to catch birds would prove
an interesting educational experiment.
1t Is commonly believed that the do
nestle cat is an expert in the art,
| but observation shows that it is Moth
ing of the sort.
| The average house cat is altogether
| too wary in It's approach. Its cunning Is
so extreme that in ninety>ni cases out
Of hundred the bird has plenty of time
| to fly away before the stalker gets
within striking distance.
The cats caution gets the better Of
| it; its stealth Is much too large for
the good Of its own stomach. In other
words, If it would rush the bird, the
with its exaggerated system Of creep
ing it permits the feathered creature
| TO get wise to its coming.
Creeping, we would point out, is al
most failure, as employed by the run
Of house cats in city. We would not
say as much Of their country cousins,
for town and farm cats possess better
creeping environments.
Where there are plenty OF bushes.
trees and long grass cat has every
opportunity of making good use Of
its manifest creeping abilities. Creep
ing amounts to something under such
| circumstances, but we ask city cats
what ordinary, plain everyday creeping
amounts to in metropolis?
Il X
Take Boggs, doglike kitten, who has
been after birds ever since he could
walk. Some may say that Boggs is not
q good example; but to that we reply
that Boggs would have caught hun
bred birds by now If it were not for
his unfortunate addiction to creeping.
Creeping proclivities seem born In the
breed. Probably every house cat feels
at heart that 1t is q full-fledged tiger
Boggsie, we feel sure. prides himself on
his tigerlike tread. To see him creep
ing along. the walk after a flock of
sparrows is to see slow motion picture
does not have to 60 to the dictionary
to look up the meaning of the word.
'To creep" means to raise . right
forepaw from the ground and to adj
vance 1t at the rate Of an inch every IS
seconds. It can be realized that this
motion is by no means speedy. It gives
the birds plenty Of time to smell cat,
or to see cat, whichever system they
use.
When Boggs is let out Of the house,
the first thing he does is to look around
for birds. AS q ny catcher, he is an
expert, and he thinks that birds ought
10 prove similarly easy prey. The birds.
however. do not agree with him.
If Boggs would employ the same
technique against birds he uses against
flies, he would enjoy q bird every day.
He is particularly good against the
larger varieties, such as horse and
Once Boggs sees a ny. he keeps right
after it until his swatting paw floors
1t. Never for second does he give
It rest. With bounds Of his long legs
he leaps hither and yon, on sofas,
chairs and windowsills. Once he trees
the ny on a screen it Is goner. as
the vernacular has il.
Flies have little, II any, brains: but
ting against the screen, they remain
there until the mighty paw Of Ecsss
brings them down. We have not yet
decided whether Boggs really likes the
taste of flies, but he makes great
to-do over them, sYnacking his lips as
If they were great delicacy.
If Boggs had deductive powers, which
we are very much afraid he has not, he
would realize that that same method
he uses to catch flies would prove sue.
cessful against birds. OF course Boggs,
the kitten, and Jack Spratt, the cat, are
essentially correct in their belief that
one must have proper placement. q
place to take of against q bird.
Too much creeping. however, merely
permits the prey to see, hear or smell
the foe, and to, fly away with provo.
cative chirp. A headlong rush. we are
convinced, would net any cat more birds
per season and would be more in line
with modern methods. Sometimes cats
seem provokingly and hopelessly old.
fashioned, and In nothing are they
more 50 than In bird catching. Creep
they will, creep they must, even II
Jack, but creeping is out Of date. Slovs
creeping catches few birds In this day