Evening star., 1946-09-06
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TraceueU
"EDINBURG, Va.

GDINbUHG, va.
Dear Sir:
L take The Star entirely because of
your column.
L am a cat fancier, and you have
helped me much. I wish to ask you if
1t Is true, that cats take babies breath?
Il have neightpr thinks this, which
l believe is old womens tales. I never
knew OF one single case.
Thank you for everything you give
US in these turbulent, wicked times
Please, sir, be so kind as to give us
more and more.
Faithfully, H. e. c."
SIXTEENTH STREET.
Dear Sir:
Your recent column about the cat
was charming. You are, indeed, one of
those all-too-rare nature lovers who ap-
preciate not only birds but cats as we'll.
we owe much to the cat-not only for
its great job of rodent control, but also
for its beauty and grace You know, of
course, the quotation that God created
the cat SO that man could have the
pleasure of caressing the tiger.
Stubborn? Let us rather say self
sufficient, and admire the independent
mind that makes the friendship of a
cat something worth winning
May we have more columns on cats?
Thank you for those on birds and all
animals, and for the pleasure you have
given me. Sincerely, H. B."
Cats have many friends
Part OF their time must be spent set
ting people straight on age -old lies about
their four-legged friends.
That cats suck babies breath is one
of these
This ancient superstition arose through
the plain fact that the cat is of an affec-
tionate nature, and also often Is cold.
So he likes to climb up into ones lap,
as every one knows who has ever seen
a cat.
II the human being in the case is
recumbent, there is nothing more natural
for the cat to do than walk forward
toward the face.
The cat is no fool-he appreciates the
eyes as we'll as any one.
Eye to eye-that Is cat style, and in
dulging in 1t, he moves forward until
he is close to the face
Sometimes he will put out a paw and
tap ones nose. Again he will protrude
his nose until it touches the nose of
his human friend.
He is not trying to suck any breath
but simply to get in comfortable posi-
ton where he can look into eyes. and
speak the universal language of eyes.
1t may De imagined that if one of
these cat haters, Of whom, alas, there
are many, should see a cat touching
noses with the baby there would be
great turmoil made about it.
Probably in the beginning this slander
against the cat may have had some
basis in fact, since it would be possible
for heavy cat, say 20 FOUNDER, to lie
IN such way on baby that 1t would be
suffocated
This rare happening could be coupled
with the close proximity of the animal
to the child's mouth.
The professional cat hater would ask
no more than this. See, the cat is
sucking the babys BREATH"
We have to remember that fear of
many things cluttered the human mind
until about 1900. We still fear too
much, but are fearless as compared with
the peoples of the Dark Ages, so-called.
In the old days, people feared going out
after dark, and had explanations" for
hundreds of everyday happenings, al!
of which were based on nothing at all.
We must accept with a grain of salt,
or two grains of salt, all of the age-old
sayings and beliefs, commonly Jumped
under the heading of country sayings" !"
Not only were these sayings and beliefs
goddess, being relics of pagan days, in
many cases, but above all they were the
nrOfillcIS of hate and fear At ,is heua re
Of them, even today-and perhaps espe-
cially today, since the devil has come
, to earth again.