FAMILY FEELING AMONG CATS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1784, 24 January 1888, Page 3

FAMILY FEELING AMONG CATS

" I had two she oats," says Dupont de Nemoura ; " thoy were mother and daughter. The mother had produced hekittens on a certain day, and tbey had been all left with her. The daughter gave birth to her first litter on the following day, and was very 11). She lost onnEolousness and motion with the birth cf tho last kitten. Tho mother went round and r.und her, lavishing oh her all the expressions of maternal tenderness, wh'ch are very numerous In the vocabulary of oat language. Perceiving at length tbat tbe oare ahe waß expending upon her danghter was m vain, she bnsled herself, like a good grandmother, with the little creatures crawling m a desolate and orphaned condition upon the ground, licked all the litter, snd finally oarried them to the bed cf ber own children, where she shared her milk with them, A full hour afterwards the young oat came to her senses, looked for ber little ones and found her mother nursing them. There was great joy on both aides, and many toooblng expressions of affection and gratitude were exchanged. Tbe two mothers established themselves iv the same basket, and while the educational period lasted tbey never loft it except separately. One always remained oa doty. Thas they nursed, caressed, and Impartially reared the nevon kittens, of whom three belonged to the daughter and four to the grandmother." — From Mrs Hoey 'a 'Book on Oats.'