A RETRIEVER CAT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1724, 24 December 1887, Page 3

A RETRIEVER CAT

A.n instance of » poaohing oat ncbing 88 fln txaellent retriever hag been kindly ro'ated to me by a correspondent. It aeems that a Hampshire farm poßßCßses, amongßt other live etcck, an oxoption^Uy fino (male) tabhy ca^, who la porrotOßily bringing home rabbitß, both yonng arid old, and, presumably, tender and tough. The ho invariably preservea for hia own private consumption, and freely employs the worst [hrasea m the folino vocabulary if auy.>no a 1 tempts <;o defraud him of hia prey. I3,ut evety uovr and then he puts m an appearance with a fall grown barmy, and then his mode of procedure diff^ra. Having deposited it la the middle of the kitchen (he has never attempted *.o carry one Into aW other room) his next object is to announce , what he has done, and haying discovered some member o£ the family, hegoe^thyo^igh aconaiderable amooi,^ of po.rrfng, robbing agalnat legß oj ; Bkirtg as, the ca^e may he, and la not packed qntjl someone has gone Jntp the kitcheq-thoy all know from experience wh»t to expeot— and taken up tHe rabbit, Thia done, he appears perfectly Batfafied with himself, atret^hei out at tall length, aQ(J goaa to oleop. Hia ow,na* o»ewa to suppose that the fatigue ii the renu.lt of a moco ox less arduous

chase, but 1 scarcely think that this can be bo, for a poaching cat secures his prey by stealth and not by running It down Probably tbe labor of carrying homo the bag may account for the cat being knocked up Hitherto his "attentions havo been confined solely to rabbits— so far, that ip, aa can be ascertained ; should he fancy a little pheasant for ft change I expect he will aoon be "mlßslng"— ' Sporting and Dramatic."