The Fishing Cat
Three perch I brought from a mountain lake and put in a glass tank have thriven and become quite tame. They are fed on worms every few days, and if they show no signs of growing larger they are in good condition. Now they are threatened by another member of our house- hold, a black-and-white cat. Twice I have found him fishing for them, up to the shoulder, groping in the deep water and discovering the mystery of refracted light. For the sake of both fish and eat, I have to keep my eyes open. If once he hooked one with his claws, I am afraid the perch's minutes would be numbered, but if he failed and over- balanced, the perch might be his undoing. It would not be easy for him to get out of the tank. The goldfish pet of my small son has the same attraction for the cat, but in this case there is less danger of the cat being drowned and more chance of the fish being caught. I can think of no way of curbing his natural instincts.
Previous page
