Evening star., 1935-12-19
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRAcEWELL.

trust most careleSsly. After time they
begin to wonder why they did it.
If mistake of this sort has been made
secondary duty is to see that the unde-
sired animal is turned over to some one
who really wants it and is willing to give
1t good care.
An honest facing Of this secondary duty
often saves a great deal Of trouble and
needless suffering. 1t will bring home to
any one the necessity for giving some
thought to the entire problem. There are
too many persons, evidently, assuming
such trusts without really intending to
go ahead with them. Often they do so
without any thought at all on the matter.
Their friends have pets and talk about
them is lin the air" and in the papers.
Not every one, however, is qualified. To
be good friend of dog or cat or any
other creature is exceptional, not usual.
Even to be a friend of the birds in the
yard during the Winter months requires
a degree of persistent attention which
those who have not tried it would not
suspect possible. 1t is necessary to refill
feeding stations at least twice day and
If there is more than one of these the
duty in time becomes task, as well as
continuing expense, and not a small
one, either. The amount of mixed seeds
which the wild birds can eat will amaze
those who hitherto have confined their
activities along this line to supplying a
few bread crumbs in deep snow.
y \ X 4
The assumption Of the care of a pet
means, or ought to mean, many will
think, that one is going to go through
with it except under unusual circum-
stances.
If there is any doubt about this it is
well to realize it in the beginning, not
later. Just how much of a wrench a
dog or cat is given by separation later
is a question which can never be settled.
1t can be answered only by personal OBJ
ServationS. One thing may be said: If
dog has been the pet Of man it should
go to another man in the event of any
transfer. If the particular friend of
some woman, it should go to another
woman. This is particularly necessary in
regard to cats. Women have a way with
them when it comes to this particular
creature. There can be little doubt that
cats, as a class, prefer and like women
better than men. This has been uni
verSally recognized through the ages, of
course, but not exactly in this connec-
tion-of the possible transfer of pet to
another. Since cats like best the softer
and gentler manners of womankind it
is unnecessarily harsh to them to give
them later into the hands of the other
sex.
Il
Stuffed copies of Scottish terriers, de-
signed as children's toys, may have wide
usefulness in giving to perfectly honest
persons as much Of dogdom as they re-
quire.
1t is fashionable to proclaim a great
love for dogs, but often merely admira-
ton is meant. When it come TO day-by-
day care. many an honest person will
admit that he is not up to it or that cir
cumstances make it impossible.
1t is here that the toys have place.
Surely the little figures. either standing
or reclining, do bring a certain note into
a room and, being but toys. have place
in all hearts, young and old. For what
ever may be said to the contrary, every
age has its toys, as the poet so truly
stated long ago. Let us look at the toy
dogs, therefore, with new respect as we
see them in shops these days.