Evening star., 1945-04-14
This and That
Bu Charles E. Trdce1UeU.

One of the greatest nature lovers in
town is Thumper, the black and white
cat.
Old Thump has den in the box
woods, between the bird bath and the
bird feeding station.
He lies there for hours, watching the
songsters and squirrels eat.
Even a contentious person who be-
lieves that all cats catch birds would
have to change his tune after watching
Thumper.
He has no desire to harm anything.
Even the rollicking squirrels do not
tempt him to destruction.
When we think how easily man is
lured to kill, we may think it remark
able that domestic cat withholds his
paw.
This comes about, one may feel sure
because he is interested in watching
That is why we call him. and correctly,
nature lover, a good title.
Squirrels sit hunched up not four
feet from the cat, eating sunfower
seeds.
Mostly he makes no attempt to chase
them.
Occasionally. through no apparent
reason, he sallieS out, and runs one
across the yard
This is more of game with him, and
with the squirrels, too, than the real
thing
All these squirrels know him.
From many hours of eating they
know that he means them no harm.
In fact, they are not in the least
afraid of him, but rather enter into the
spirit of the game, which is chase,
merely.
The only time the two have mixed it
up was when Thumper accidentally
caught up with one.
Then, instead of seizing the rodent in
his capable paws, as he might have
done, he simply made complete somer-
sault over it.
The squirrel. not to be outdone. came
back and leaped over old Thump
y II
Mostly Thumper refrains from any
attempt whatever to hurt the squirrels.
They seem to appreciate this. Even
when the big cat leaps the fence sur
rounding the feeding place, and comes
up to the station, on stand about four
feet tall, he really does not threaten
the animals. The birds, of course, have
long fed They are in the shrubbery,
calling shrilly for him to leave.
The squirrel looks down at the cat,
and the cat looks up at the squirrel.
Now and then Thumper will rise on
his hind legs.
This brings his nose about level.
The squirrel is not alarmed. Expert
ence has taught him that this cat is
different.
Leisurely he eats sunfower seed
Not until he has finished does he
turn his attention to the cat.
Then he darts slightly forward, nip
ping at the cats paw.
X +
Thumper spends hours contemplating
the flowers in the new-found spring.
Cats are among the most apprecia-
tive animals.
In a sense, they may be said to be
the only four footed creatures really
appreciative of gardens.
Not only does the garden offer them
many helps, in health and sickness.
but its objects appeal to their sense of
grace. There can be little question
that this animal has this sense. Dogs
run roughshod over gardens, but cats
select and appreciate. The damage
they do is actually not much, except
in the eyes of excited amateur garden
ers and professional cat haters.
Certainly all cats do not watch birds
and squirrels in the easy way Thumper
does. He, as stated, is a nature lover.
The others may be dismissed with a
pan of cold water. They are simply
maurauders in a marauding world.
Lest any one think too harshly of cats,
let him think of our enemies across the
seas