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.