Evening star., 1943-12-11
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceUeU.
"FORTY-FOURTH STREET

Dear Sir:
Since you are the repository Of all
the good small things of life I am
writing to you to tell you about our
cat, Bozo. I know that is a dog name,
but this time it happens to belong to
a cat. He is large and very dirty,
living outdoors, and finding himself a
coal hole someplace to sleep
He Is real alley cat. and does not
feel at home in the house. He lacks
all the reflnements known to his cousins
which never get outdoors
Yet he has one interesting trait
which never fails to amuse me. It is
the way he puts on show when he
happens to get limp. These occur
to him, now and then, in the business
OF roaming around at night. mostly
he sleeps all day.
When he comes up with a limp, in
the morning, to get his breakfast, he
does not seem to pay much attention
to his injury. Probably he has been
bitten by another cat, or mauled slightly
by dog, or even bumped by a car.
once he was shot. and that time he
really limped.
Most Of the time he pays no par
ticular attention to 1t until I speak to
him.
Poor Bozo.' I say. What is the
matter with your Lego
Immediately his face takes m an
injured expression, and he begins to
limp very badly.
The more I talk to him in this vein.
with supersympathetic voice. the more
he limps, so that by the time I nut
!,
II, as l occasionally do, I take him
IN Tor his meal, he manages to hobble
to the kitchen door, but takes a great
deal of time about it.
Inc payoft comes when he is finished.
I have stopped being sympathetic
by this time and Bozo has forgotten
all about his injury.
on he trips as gayly as if he had
nothing the matter with him at all
II l call to him later in the day, he
comes running, but the moment I ask
him about his leg, and speak In a SYM
pathetic way again. he puts on that
injured air. and begins to limp
I thought you and your readers would
enjoy this piece of cat psychology.
Very truly, M. o. S."
Inc cat is more susceptible to the
appeal of the human voice than the dog.
Friends of this animal will say: "Natu-
rally, since it is smarter animal"
Friends of the dog will reply: Non
sense, l can match you anecdote for
anecdote"
1t all boils down to the fact that
these two, the dog and the cat. are
mans best friends among the four
legged creatures.
One might almost say the only friends,
except that wouldn't be exactly true.
Many wild animals have been tanned,
to become true friends for the time
being.
Raccoons, for instance. They always
need confining. however. since they an
swer to the call of the wild more rapidly
than cats or dogs.
Most cats feel very sorry for them
selves when they are sick or injured:
In this they are perhaps like most
men, whose difficulties during common
cold are we'll known to, and often
laughed at by the women folks of the
household.
The family cat puts on real show
every time he becomes i'll.
II his friends sympathize with him,
he becomes sort of clown, in order
to impress them the more
Veterinarians declare that need of
sympathy is one of the necessary in
gradients in bringing them out of any
malady. They insist, If possible, that
they be taken care of by women. The
dog probably responds better to treat
ment by men,
Recently the papers were full of the
story of the old dog whose master was
given furlough to come and see him.
1t was an affecting tale, and won the
interest and sympathy of countless
readers.
Cats, too. hold the esteem and affec-
tion of fighting men.
Not long ago young man returned
for two weeks furlough.
All the time he was at home. the old
family cat, which had grown up with
him. slept on the foot of his bed.
The next day after he had gone,
she quietly died.
For those who wish to please the
family cat at Christmas, nothing Is
better than catnip, either In the raw
or done up In the form Of . cloth
mouse. or simple beanbas.