Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 June 1895 — A Remarkable Cat. [ARTICLE]

A Remarkable Cat.

A cat that thinks and seems possessed of strange intelligence is the property of a little boy who lives in Perry. One night this cat was sleeping quietly on the rug before the fire when one of the little children began crying. The cat jumped to her feet, climbed upon the shoulders of the child and deliberately slapped her face. The cat was at once caught, severely whipped and put out of the house. This seemed to be a lesson to the cat and for a time she controlled her temper. About a week ago, however, there was another scene. The infant of the household was upon the mother’s lap and began crying. The cat, lying upon the rug, as before, jumped up, stood upon its hind feet and with one front foot slapped the baby’s face. Again the cat was severely whipped, and one of the boys carried her off and gave her to a colored man who lives on the outskirts of the town. But the cat came back the very next day. It is a remarkable fact that in each instance related above it did not appear that the cat intended to hurt the child, but merely to administer a reproof. It certainly seems that the cat has reasoning power. But if that cat slaps another child the number of cats in this community will be reduced by one.