Evening star., 1945-06-14
This and That
D.. rhnrI>e r r~ne>,rSu
Z. TrdceUelI
VIENNA, Va.

Upon reading one Of your recent
articles, am SO glad there are some
people who stand up for cats.
I'VE live on farm, and have always
had lots Of cats, and there are plenty
Of birds around US. Our cats rarely
catch birds, but they do catch plenty
Of rats and mice.
IT there were9no cats in the world
the rat population would become 50 bad
that We could hardly exist. However
there has been great sadness around
here for the past II days.
Il had raised q beautiful male yellow
cat, with big amber eyes. He was my
greatest source of pride. Every one who
saw him admired him.
He was not only magnificent in ap-
pearance and color, but he also had a
wonderful disposition, and was very In
telligent and playful.
Il had him since he was less than q
month old. A neighbor gave him to me,
and at that time he was q starved kitten,
the smallest in a litter of four. How
ever, he was prize when we lost him.
He went out one night and has not
returned. We have asked all the neigh
bors If they have seen him but no one
has. He was just year old.
II am deeply grieved, as he was our
lovliest cat. hope can replace him
with another yellow kitten.
I'VE enjoy reading your articles. They
are always interesting.
II have always wondered what makes
cat purr. have puzzled where the
sound comes from, and what the cat
does to make this sound. thought
you might know.
Sincerely, s. W."
"P. 81 asked you this question once
before, and maybe you answered in The
Star. We can only get The Star about
three times week, because my grand
mother, who is S7 has been getting
another paper for years. and we can't
change her"
No, my dear, you can't change grand
mothers, or mothers, either, for that
matter e
They refuse to be changed, bless them.
In world Of too quick changes, they
sturdily stick to the old things.
Maybe we would all do well to initiate
them. ,:.
As for how cats purr. here is the
u,
and simply breathe. -:
And the noise comes out of the nose.
1t is as easy as that. The fiuttering
vocal chords do the work, and the
passage Of air carries out the sound.
There is no more interesting animal
than the house cat, nor one which has
more friends. If it had not been for
these million of human friends, there
would be no cats today. because the
creatures, being positive characters, have
many enemies, as all positive characters
have. d
It Is interesting to note that great
leaders, and plain folks, have loved cats.
Artists and financierS and countless
other regard them as friends. The little
known Howard Phillips Lovecraft, who
wrote weird stories which some people
are now comparing with those Of Poe,
placed cats in some of his tales. /.
The Encyclopedias Americana leads its
long article on the animals by stating
flatly that II there were no cats there
would be no agriculture, or words to
that effect
The cat is one of the two four-lesRed
creatures which has been willing to live
with man the killer.
Let us hope that its confidence is
never misplaced.
Sturdily Independent, the house cat
goes his way through the centuries,
yawning greeting to all his friends,
not worrying whether they. return it in
kind. 5s..
He comes and goes, and is willing to
accept your food and sleep on your
softest bed, especially II . clean spread
has Just been put uponsit. When he goes
out at night, his friends who are left
behind never know whether he win
come back or not. Maybe he viii return
when least expected; II he does not, they
can feel sure that he went down In life,s
k1eatest adventure Living,