How often one hears the remark, "How stupid cats are!" or, "Cats cannot compare with dogs for cleverness."

This is a point on which many people make a great mistake, and it is only their ignorance of the feline race which calls for such remarks.

I have studied the dispositions of dogs and cats very closely, as I keep both, and I have come to the conclusion that an uneducated cat has far more brains than an uneducated dog. Doubtless the dog is easier to teach, as he can be made to do things, whereas the cat is of an independent disposition, and will not always come when it is called, unless it wishes to do so; but that is not want of brain - it is simply independence; it knows you want it to come, but does not always choose to answer when called. It is said of cats that they much prefer their homes to their people; that is so in many cases, for how many cats are only regarded as a household necessity to rid the house of rats and mice, and the said cat is taken so little notice of that it naturally becomes more deeply attached to the house than to the owner thereof.

Then again, these cats show great intelligence, or shall we say "instinct," in finding their way back to former homes. I have had positive proof of cats returning to their old homes many miles away, although they have been taken away in covered baskets to their new homes; in this they show the same cleverness as dogs.

It will be noticed that the pet cat, or long-haired cattery cat which is always petted and made much of, thinks very little of its home, but a great deal of its master and mistress; and the highly bred cat of to-day shows no love of its old home, and thinks only of the people who love and care for them. Therefore it has no desire to run away from any new home it is taken to, if accompanied by its owner.

Cattery cats learn to love the society of their kind, and the queens make splendid mothers; they never seem to feel the confinement of their quarters, and are as happy as possible. But take one of these cattery inmates to a new home, and it will quickly become attached to its new master and mistress.

Cats are very lovable animals, but they must become attached either to their homes, their fellow-creatures, or to people; also, their attachment to dogs, in many cases, is very great.

The ordinary cat or kitten has a great antipathy to a dog, as dogs are taught to chase them, and the fear of a dog in the mother cat is transmitted to their offspring.

It is curious to notice how much of what may be called "natural instinct" remains in the highly bred cat which has never known a care for generations.

Some of these will be terribly afraid of a dog at first sight; others - and here I might say the majority - will know no fear, and rub around a dog just as they would around another cat. Only a few days since, one of my kittens came in contact with a large Irish setter. The kitten rubbed all around the dog and reached up several times to smell her nose; the dog looked very indignant, but she has been taught not to touch cats. This was the kitten's first encounter with a dog. On the other hand, I have had kittens, of equally high breeding, show all the natural fears of an ordinary short-haired cat; but this fear of dogs is the exception rather than the rule with the highly bred cattery cats and kittens.

It is a pleasing and frequent sight to see, in my kennels, the puppies curled up asleep, all tucked up in the fur of a long-haired kitten, or even the full-grown cats occupying the same bed with several dogs. Of course, when the dogs get too boisterous, pussy disappears over the top of the pen. I also have a short-haired female cat, which I use as a foster-mother. She will nurse two puppies with her own kittens, and only lately accepted three weeks' old puppies when her own kittens were only one day old.

It is very amusing to see these little puppies play and bark at their adopted mother. This cat is never so happy as when she is nursing a mixed family of long-haired kittens and Pomeranian puppies. There are people who believe that longhaired cats are becoming overbred and stupid; this may be so. if injudiciously inbred, when the brain no doubt deteriorates; but the well-bred, long-haired cat shows a great amount of intelligence. They can be taught tricks, jumping, etc., and in more than one instance the intelligence of some of my pets would have been unbelievable without proof.

I remember well how one kitten I had used to live in a large room, which opens into another, where other cats were kept. The two rooms were separated by a wire door, which was hooked on the inside to the door-post.

This kitten, with three or four others, lived in this room, but when they were about three months old I found the door constantly open, and the inmates enjoying the freedom of the other room. This happened several times before I discovered that this remarkably intelligent little lady had learnt to open the door by climbing the wire and lifting the hook with her nose. Therefore, another hook had to be placed on the outside, to keep her in her own room.

Some months elapsed, and the kitten was exhibited at a show, where she was purchased by a person who had an apartment, and the kitten had her entire freedom. She grew up here, and had her first family of kittens. Later the owner found a cat and kittens too much care, so the mother was returned to me; and, knowing she had had her freedom, I gave her the run of the outdoor cattery, which she enjoyed for some months, until a family was expected, when she was removed to the room in which she was born.

She was placed in this room and given a comfortable bed, and although I had forgotten this lady's propensities for opening doors, some two years before, she had not; for, on my return to the room, imagine my surprise to see the door open and the cat at liberty with the others. At first I thought I had left the door unfastened, and it was not until it happened several times that I remembered that this was the very cat which had learnt to liberate herself when a tiny kitten; and she now always needs a hook on the outside of the door which she cannot reach in order to confine her to one room. Curiously enough, one kitten out of each litter from this cat can open a gate in the same manner as the mother did when she was young.

After the many cases I have seen of cat intelligence, I can only say, if a cat is stupid it is want of education.

Cats are very sensitive in disposition, and can easily be frightened by harsh treatment, when they become either savage or frightened, and will run at the approach of strangers.

They are also very independent in disposition, but show in many cases just as much devotion to their masters as do dogs and other animals.

They can bear much pain without uttering a sound, and when ill-treated by wicked boys and men do not even cry out as a dog does; if they did, perhaps they would be less ill-used.

No animal is more to be pitied than the forlorn little stray cat or kitten, and none should fail to see that these friendless creatures either get a good home or are painlessly destroyed, as they undoubtedly show as much love and feeling, if not more, than other animals.

There is no doubt that the good qualities of cats are be-; coming more and more appreciated, so that in a few years we may hope the cat will no longer be the ill-used and much-abused little creature which it was formerly.