“Toots”

Northern Advocate, 30 March 1937, Page 8

“Toots”

Dear Kupe, We, too, have rather a funny oh: cat. His name is “Toots,” and his grandmother, who lives njext door, came from the Chatham Islands. “Toots” is a very cunning old fellow; if) he wants to come into the house at any time, he will sit outside and meow till someone opens the door, or if that doesn’t succeed, he rattles the »' door-knob. Of course, he’s terribly spoilt, and at mealtimes you’ll be sure to find “Toots" somewhere near, to beg for scraps of meat. As a matter of fact, if we are slow about giving him meat, he will stand up on his hind legs, balancing himself by placing one paw on the chair, and will tap someone’s arm gently with the other paw, just to let us know that he is still there. His worst fault, however, is his love for sleeping in linen-drawers. Whenever he thinks no one is looking, he will quietly go up to one of the drawers, and gently pull at the door with his claw. As it happens, the door opens very easily, and we have to place a chair against it at nights now. If Mum sees him though, she just has to say, “Toots!” in a very stern voice, and “Toots” will look round with a most innocent expression on his face, as if to say, “Are you calling me?” He’s terribly jealous, though, and, with the exception of our other cat, “Timmy,” “Toots” {won't allow any cat in our house. We had a dear little yellow kitten here once and “Toots” was so jealous of it. that he

would hardly come in at all, and then, one day, we found that he had killed it. Before we knew that he had killed “Goldie,” he came into the house, purring contentedly, and we thought that he and “Goldie” were friends at last. (But they weren’t!) Well, I „hink this is the longest letter I have ever written to you, so I will saw Cheerio now. A Loyal Maiden, GLADYS PUCKEY. C/o. Mr G. W. Puckey, Kaitaia R.M.D.