HENS & KITTENS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 October 1938, Page 9

HENS & KITTENS

STRANGE AUCKLAND FAMILY. NOVEL DIVISION OF DUTIES. Two hens, a cat and four black kittens are the members of a strange but happy family living together in a box in a Devonport backyard. The cat brought the kittens into the world three weeks ago, but she has since acquisced, perhaps under pressure, in the hens sharing some of the duties of motherhood. With so much attention lavished upon them the kittens have no objections whatever. The family lives at the home of Mrs M. Facht, of 6 Marine Square, Devonport. One of the hens, which are of the White Leghorn breed, took part control of the same cat’s family of three last year and helped to raise a trio of fine, upstanding animals. Unfortunately, however, another cat, of poor breeding, came along one night and killed the thriving youngsters. This year everything is going well. The experienced hen has been joined by a backyard colleague, who has evidently seen the futility of brooding over china eggs and, together with the cat, they spend their days and nights nestling over the kittens. The hens even sleep in the box, not seeking a roost raised from the ground, as is the custom of their kind. Family relations are tranquil. When feeding time comes, the cat is allowed full control of the kittens, but when the meal is over she must, at the penalty of a peck, allow at least one of the kittens to be nestled by each of the hens. Occasionally the hens leave the box in search of food themselves and make typical clucking sounds when they have discovered a choice morsel. But, to their sorrow, the kittens do not respond, having no taste at all for wheat and maize and big fat worms. Generally, however, the family is all together, with, perhaps, the cat squeezed between the two hens and the jet black head of a kitten poking absurdly from under a white wing, where a yellow beak should be.