The Cat
by St George Jackson Mivart (9780217624107)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE CAT. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. 1. Whether it is the Cat or the Dog which is the most domestic of all our domestic animals, is a question which may be disputed. The greater intelligence and affection of the dog, cause men generally to prefer it to its rival. As the eager partner of our sports, or the faithful guardian of house or homestead, it is of especial value. Yet the cat is so largely self-supporting and so useful an ally against unwelcome intruders, that it is the inmate of a multitude of humble homes wherein the dog has no place. The cat also is favoured by that half of the human race which is the more concerned with domestic cares; for it is a home-loving animal and one exceptionally clean and orderly in its habits, and thus naturally commends itself to the good will of the thrifty housewife. Moreover, though it is generally much less demonstrative in its affection than is the dog, yet cats differ as men do, and some individuals manifest strong feelings of regard for one or other members of the family wherein they make their homes. Cats are even sometimes made use of to obtain food for their owners, the latter availing themselves of the habit which cats have of bringing home prey. The Domestic Cat is an animal so common and familiar that its utility is sometimes apt to be lost sight of. To realise its usefulness we must imagine ourselves in a land where no such an animal is known, but where the annoying creatures upon which it preys shall have multiplied with that rapidity natural to them. The familiar tale of Whittington may serve to illustrate what would be the effect of its introduction into such a land. It has been calculated that a single cat may devour twenty mice in one day; but this of course is by Thus, several rabbits will iometimes be...

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