Lesson 06 More about the Cat

The next evening, as soon as they sat down, Fred began by asking Norah to tell all she could about the cat.

All we have seen, said he, "shows us that the cat was made to kill other living things and feed on their flesh. Even the cat's eyes are meant to help her to catch her prey in the dark."

Now, sometimes it is so dark that the cat herself can't see. She has to feel her way. How do you think she does this, Norah? Norah was puzzled.

Look, said Fred, "at that bare patch on each side of the cat's mouth. Her long stiff whiskers grow out from those patches. The cat feels her way along with the ends of these whiskers."

Now, little girl, he went on, "we are going to look at the cat's feet. The front paws have five toes, the hind ones have four. She walks on her toes, not on her whole foot, as we do."

Look on the under side of the paws and you will see that they all have soft smooth pads. The cat walks on these pads.

Oh, I see, said Norah. "if the cat made a noise with her feet the mice would hear her and run away. So she has pads to walk on."

Teacher pointed out to us, said Fred, "the loose, springy body, with its soft coat of fur, almost like velvet. All this is to help the cat to move quickly, and at the same time softly and quietly. She treads very lightly and softly."

Now, one more look at her feet. If we took the cat up when she was angry, we should see that each toe is armed with a strong, curved, pointed claw.

We don't see them now; she keeps them drawn up in a sheath. She only stretches them out when she is angry.

It is these sharp claws, I suppose, said Norah, "that help to seize the mouse, when she springs upon it."

SUMMARY

The cat's whiskers help it to feel its way when it is too dark to see. The cat walks on its toes, and the toes are padded, so that they do not make any sound as they tread. There are five toes on the front paws and four on the hind ones. Each toe has a strong, sharp claw for seizing the prey. The cat keeps its claws drawn up in a sheath, except when it is angry.