Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 April 1893 — The Cat In Thibet. [ARTICLE]

The Cat In Thibet.

The cat is treated by Thibetans with the mo9t marked attention and forbearance. Even when it spills milk, breaks or destroys any valuable object, or kills some pet bird, it is never whipped or beaten in any way, but merely chidden and driven away by the voice; while were a dog or a child to commit these offences, they would be soundly thrashed. Such very mild and considerate treatment might lead one to suppose that the cat is esteemed Indy. But such is not the ease. It is, indeed, regarded as a useful animal, to the extent that it contributes to the preservation of sacred pictures, robes, books, sacrificial food, and the like, by killing the rats and mice which consume and destroy these. But otherwise the cat is considered the most sinful being on earth, on account of its constant desire for taking life, even when gorged ivith food, aud. its torture of its victims. Its mild treatment is due to the belief that whosoever causes the death of a cat, whether aocldcntally or otherwise, will have the sins of tho cat transferred to his shoulders. And so great is the burden of its sins that, even were one sir (two pounds) of butter for each hair on the cat’s body offered in feeding the temple lamps before Buddha's image, the crime would not be expiated.—[lndian Antiquary.