ON THE HABITS OF THE VIVERRA MUSSUNGA, OR JAVA CAT.
(See page 438, vol. i.)
On the 14th of May 1833, I purchased one of these animals from a native canoe, which came off to the ship on the coast of Java: it is commonly known among Europeans by the name of the Java-cat, and is a native of Java, Sumatra, and perhaps others of the eastern islands. This specimen was young, and appeared very tame. The native from whom I procured it, had it inclosed in a bamboo cage, in which I also kept it for a short time.
The colour of the back is blackish, intermingled with shorter hairs, of a dirty-white; the forehead and most of the face whitish, intermingled with black; neck and abdomen of a yellowish colour; the eyes are full and large, of a yellowish-brown colour; pupil perpendicular, becoming dilated at night. It resembles the cat, in being more of a night than day animal.
It feeds on plantains and other fruit, and also fowls’ bones. When busily engaged in picking the wing-bone of a fowl, it growls most savagely if disturbed in its repast; which well shows the nature of the beast. “He eats only plantain,” said the Javanese, from whom I purchased it; but could the animal have spoken for himself, he would have probably hinted that “portions of the animals composing the feathery kingdom” would also be acceptable, by way of variety. It is tame and playful, like a kitten, throwing itself on the back, playing with a bit of string, making, at the same time, a low, whining noise.
It utters a sharp, quick, squeaking noise, as well as a low moaning, more particularly at night, or when in want of food, or some water to quench its thirst. The specimen is a male: it was very playful, and climbed up my arm, by aid of its claws, like a cat. When it drinks, it laps like the dog or cat.
May 17th. This morning, the animal had broken through and escaped from its cage during the night, and was about some part of the ship.
May 18th. The whole of yesterday, the creature was reported as “absent without leave;” but early this morning he was found in the cabin of the second officer, asleep upon a jacket. He appears sufficiently tame to be left at liberty, so I did not immure him in a cage again, but kept a piece of long string attached to one of the hind legs, so as to limit his extent of range, when I found it necessary.
Whilst writing in my cabin, the animal was either lying down quietly asleep, or else came to see what I was about, thrusting its little sharp snout among my papers, and amusing himself by playing with my pens and pencils.
The animal is called Mussong, at Java, and I found it was also known by the same name among the natives on the north-east coast of Sumatra: it licks and cleans its furry coat with the tongue like the cat, especially after it has been much handled; and seems also to possess the caution and secretiveness of that tribe. It growls savagely when disturbed or teazed. It lapped some coffee one morning, but became sick soon after.
It seems to be a fretful, impatient, little creature, and when it does not get its wants gratified, becomes “terribly out of temper,” or rather gets into a temper which is of a bad description. It then snaps ferociously at the finger placed near it, but its young teeth can make but little impression; it is in downright earnest, however, for it bristles up and advances its long whiskers, uttering a series of peevish cries and growls.
It was lying upon the pillow of my bed one morning, when I took the creature off, and placed it upon as soft a place which had been made up in the cabin on purpose for it; but this would not do; it did not like the removal, and there was no termination to its peevish, fretful cries, until it was removed back to the old place, where being deposited, after licking itself about those parts of its furred coat that had been ruffled by handling, it stretched itself, and laid down quite contented.
The squeaking, discontented noise of the creature during the night, when it is tied up, is very annoying. I suppose the desire of making nocturnal rambles, as is the nature of the tribe, was the cause to which the cries were to be attributed.
At last I used to give it fowl bones at night to amuse itself, and being occupied in crunching them, I was no more annoyed by its nocturnal cries.
When fighting it uses the fore-paws, with extended claws, biting at the same time, retreating and advancing quickly, snapping, bristling up its long whiskers, and appearing a fierce object for one of the small animals of the creation. It does not spring at the object of attack like the cat, but jumps forward; it uses the claws of the fore-feet more than those of the hind, which, being both longer and sharper, are more calculated for the purpose of defence, as well as in climbing. It regards the object well previously to attack, exercising the three prominent organs in the feline race of caution, secretiveness, and destruction; and then, with its little angular mouth expanded, it pounces upon, and firmly grasps its prey.
The little beast has a very morose looking countenance, what some people skilled in physiognomy would call a “sour, forbidding countenance;” and, judging from what I have seen of this tamed and young specimen, it must be, in the wild state, a very savage animal.
Unlike the cat, when drinking it does not care about wetting its feet, for it often places the fore-paws in the water at the time.
It often plays with its long tail, as well as with any thing that may be in the way, similar to what we observe in kittens; and often scratches against objects, growling at the same time, as if practising for future defence.
It eats fowl readily, but not other kinds of meat so well; it ate some pine-apple with much avidity.
It will carry away a bone given to it into a dark corner, growling and snapping at any one that may attempt to take it away.
Sometimes, when left to itself, it utters such loud squeaking cries, as to be heard all over the ship. One day, at dinner time, (when the animal was first on board,) a noise was heard, from whence it proceeded, or from what, we could not tell, until the mystery was explained by the steward, who said it was “the foreign cat.”
Like all animals, whether of the genus Homo, or lower in the scale of creation, the Java Cat does not like to be disturbed at meals. This little ill-humoured quadruped is particularly savage at that time, but, like the human race in all its numerous varieties, when “feeding time” is over, and it has had a sufficiency of provender, it will remain quiet, and be usually in a tolerable good-humour; but when hungry, there is nothing but growling, whining, screeching, grumbling, crying, until the appetite is satisfied.
I gave the animal one morning a dead cockroach, but after turning and twisting about, and licking it for some time—perhaps it was not hungry, it would not eat it.
When the creature is excessively annoyed, it retires into some dark hole or corner, making a spitting noise, and is very furious against any one that may attempt to dislodge it from that place, thus formed into a refuge for the ill-tempered.
When first set at liberty he was missing for one or two days, having gone on a tour by way of change of scene; he soon, however, returned to his old quarters, ran about the cabins, and when sleepy during the day would take to the warmest and most comfortable situation the cabins afforded; it was as fully domesticated as a cat.
The Mussong runs about quite domesticated, and climbs well, occasionally aiding itself by the tail having a prehensile power.
He also runs about, particularly at night, and in the morning is usually found quietly asleep upon the softest bundle of clothes he can meet with, in the cabin into which he has introduced himself: he dislikes much to be handled, or petted, or crammed, (unless he crams himself, which he very often does,) and, therefore, he is not to be recommended to that variety of the human species called a “maiden lady, of a certain age.”
At last I let the creature ramble about where it pleased in the after part of the ship; it reposed in the cabins, or any other place it liked. It used to wander about like a cat, and come at meal time for food, until the 14th of June, when it was missing, and search being made about its usual haunts, the animal was discovered dead among some oakum in one of the cabins.
When at Pedir, on the north-east coast of Sumatra, I procured another young but larger specimen than the preceding; it was purchased for half a rupee. Although wild with strangers, with the native from whom the animal was purchased it was exceedingly domesticated. I have seen it follow him like a cat along the pathway for some distance, when he placed it out of his arms upon the ground; the natives gave it the same name here as at Java, Mussong.
These animals attain the size of our domestic cats, living in their wild state upon the summits of trees, eating the fruit, and also birds, when they have caught them.
They eat sugar-cane, plantain, rice, and also those troublesome insects the cockroaches.
When I placed this animal in my cabin it remained very quiet, not making so much noise as the last; but, a few days after, it became so very vicious, not suffering any one to approach or touch it, without spitting, growling, and fighting so furiously, that I at last was obliged to destroy it, preserving the skin in a dried state for stuffing, and the body in spirits for a future dissection.