THE care of the cat is of very much more importance in the close surroundings of city life than it is in the country, where the animal has as much freedom as the barefooted, half-dressed boy who can be trusted to run the farm over, and is supposed to be safe whether rooting in the garden of vegetables, sunflowers, and hollyhocks, playing in the calf-pen, or investigating the poultry or pigs. In the country the cat has the opportunity of finding mice, birds, and its feral prey, and can always fall back on a goodly feed from the milk-pan of the dairy and the rear of the kitchen. It breeds as it pleases, and demands little care or attention beyond the interest the children or housewife take in the kittens which appear from some corner, after they are able to run themselves, and meet a fate of selection, when the one or two are to be kept and the rest to be drowned.

In the city and large towns it is different. The cat in the environment of civilization must be fed, looked after, and guarded in its moments of freedom; and a guide to the care of the cat applies rather to city cats than country ones, except such portions as are needful for the finer-bred cats, which require special care at all times.

In towns the cat should wear a collar on which the name of the owner is engraved; although there is the serious objection to a collar that it breaks the hairs and marks the neck. In New York the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is empowered with a most satisfactory law for the protection of cats and is most liberal in its care of them (vide Appendix).

Gelded Cats

The operation of rendering the cat neuter is comparatively common, and has many advantages for some classes of cats; the cats grow larger and lose the strong odors which are sometimes offensive in the tom-cat around an apartment, and the cats become home bodies, not having the temptation of "toms" to wander into the world. The gelded cat is quite as good a mouser and is as brave as any other cat, although it is apt to become fat and lazy if not forced to a certain amount of exercise. The operation is usually done at about six months of age, but if done properly can be done on a cat of any age. Female cats are sometimes operated upon, but in these the operation is attended with considerable danger.

Transportation

In carrying the cat from one location to another, or in sending it to and from shows, the greatest care must be used to see that the case in which the animal is carried is sufficiently strong to resist injury from other boxes or articles of luggage, and that it is provided with proper air-holes to insure perfect and free ventilation. It should be lined, so that the animal will not injure its coat on any rough or jagged surface, or on the heads of nails or screws which have been carelessly left in it. The author has a basket, purchased in Paris, in the form of a good-sized hand-bag, built with a floor, ends, rear, and top, quite strong enough to prevent breaking, although it is very light. This is covered with leather to represent a traveling-bag. The front has a wire screen which can be dropped and buckled, and this is covered by a loose flap of leather similar to the rest of the case, which can also be buckled down. When closed, ample entrance of air is left for ventilation, and the bag has exactly the appearance of an ordinary traveling-bag. When in a railroad-car or elsewhere, the leather flap can be lifted up, leaving the cat secure, but at the same time allowing it to see its owner or be amused with surrounding objects.