Evening star., 1947-07-23
This and That
By Charles Z. TraceUeH.
FALLS CHURCH. Va,

Dear Sir:
You have said, Who says that cats are not
almost human?' Our neighborhood would agree
with you for We have all gaped as we have OBJ
served feline family grow and continue in
fidelity
"One snowy afternoon we heard a faint
NEW at our front door. We found there half
grown black kitten who was testing the
latchstrings of our friendliness. Our little boy
could not resist him, so in he came and was
treated to warm milk.
"Then fearing he might stay away from home
too long and not want to return to his master.
we regretfully shooed him out Hall an hour
later, we opened the door, and perched high
on the mail box was little black cat. In he
came again-this time to stay.
*
las the spring months came, he made the
acquaintance of a small gray-striped kitten
All during the spring, summer, fall and winter
months, they played, ate and hunted together
Our black cat, Ebony as he was now even
persuaded his playmate to accompany him into
our house for tasty bit from time to time.
That was a year ago.
Spring this year found their family in
creased by two. Life grew hectic for them
for other cats began to bother, aggravated by
the two babies. There were fights as Ebony
tried to chase these strange cats away
Nothing could lure the mother into the
snug, warm box which we prepared in our
service room. She grew wild and fierce in her
struggle to preserve her babies, carrying them
from one hiding place to another.
Ebony was distressed, and would cry re-
peatedly for her to come inside, but she no
longer came near except to eat on the porch
for brief minute and then was gone again.
AFTER many days we saw only three of them
together. Something had happened to the little
gray kitten-what, we will never know. The
remaining three have been seen trailing Indian
file through the bushes playing leap frog in
tall grass, lazing in the sun.
"One day discovered the parents were taking
turns being baby sitters.' While the little gray
mother-Baby, our boys call her-was at our
door begging warm milk Ebony was tending the
wee black mite over in the grassy spot When
she has finished, she went to the kitten; Ebony
came to eat, and then returned to his family.
Twice have taken birds from him which he
had caught and had tried to give to Baby and
her kit.
Some of us have tried unsuccessfuly to pick
up the Kitten but he has been carefully coached
in the ways of wild-cattery, and there is no
touching him. I have even tried to get Ebony
to lead him to me, but after two tries-coming
back and forth between the kitten and me
he gave up in disgust and with no gentle paw
batted his offspring back into the grass!
Dogs are noted for their constancy, but this
is my first insight into that side of cats
nature.
Does a cat usually continue faithful to his
family over long period of time?
Sincerely, M. S."
+
1t all depends upon the cat.
In this respect, as in many other departments
of living, cats differ one from another just as
human beings differ.
Some are faithful, like Ebony; others faith
less.
Cats living in the outdoors partake more of
the lion temperament. Usually the great cats
are faithful to death.
Cats living partly indoors and partly out
doors seem to suffer the greatest warping Of
their characters.
Perhaps the best way is either to keep q
cat indoors all the time or outdoors all the time.
In this way they establish habitats that are
consistent and in which the animals may dis
play their best traits.
1t is interesting to watch small animals and
see how much they resemble US. Their emo
tions are primitive. but so are ours, basically
BY watching their happiness, jealousy. war in
stincts, ETC., we come to have better under
standing Of ourselves.