Among the Cats.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 June 1910, Page 4

Among the Cats.

A MAN'S IMPRESSIONS

(Specially written for the Evening News.)

There are cats and cats. Tliere is that hoary stand-by of the comic papers, the scraggy freekinc'e of the tiles, who moves ■to fiendish music in a kind of comet's tail of 'boots, brushes, and other articles handy to the arm of the '.tortured. There is the household oat of no pedigree, loved by the wife, "chivvied" by the children, and .tolerated by the master, who, however, administers an occasional kick lest it igrmv too proud of beli'ng a cat. And there is the prize cat' that reclines on cushions of purple, and looks as though ift never diid. five j minutes work in its life. The prize cat has possibilities quite undreamt ' of by the average man or woman. The writer of this went surreptitiously by back streets on Saturday to see the cats at the King Edward Barracks. He <tkli not tell his friends; the visit seemed to oast a shadow on. his manliness. He expected to see a dozen or so of rare enthusiasts (all women) grouped about some 'interesting animals. What he did see was cats of a size and beaiuty astonishing, and quite a number of .spectators, among whom wore several men on whom he could lean for support. Tliere were large cats and small cats, glossy cats and rough cats, grey cats, white cats, brown cats, blue cats, slate-coloured cats, tabby cats, of enormous size and sleekness, and black cats of surpassing shininess. There were little kittens 'that played charmingly with straws thrust into the cage by delighted youngsters, and huge cats that slept stolidly through all attempts to arouse them, or turned round sleepily in response to terms of wild endearment, and slukily washed themselves as who should say "I suppose this is the penalty of fame." Some of the Cages had groups about them as large as those that surround problem pictures at the Academy, and one could only crane one's head over and catch an unsatisfactory glimpse of the eagedi 'beauty. iMosit of the women went auto raptures, but some of the men looked as a bachelor looks Avhen he is asked to admire a b'abv, and then edged off towards the pigeons and the poultry. "I'd lift idea (thei'e were such snits anywhere," said one man* and the •writer agreed. "Marcus Aurelius," with a third prize indelibly staining his immortality, sulked in his straw; a long-haired kitten that looked as if it had encountered a heavy wireless message in its nocturnal prow Tings on -a suburban reef, went by the name of "Rags." "Arami Silver King," won a_ first prize—how- could it help it with a name like that? It was scarcely fair. Some of ho animals were oppressive in their size and dignity. One felt that one could never joke about such cats—that if a comic paper artist saw them lie woliild break down and beg forgiveness for his insults to their kind. Altogether one came away wiith a vastly greater respect for the cat as an animal with possibilities. But the inevitable "Oui Bono" olbtrudod itself. Are these gorgeous creatures companionable? Do they nub themselves against yottr leg alter the manner of vuhrar cats? And, most practical point of all, do they ever catch mice?