Pet Show

Six thousand dogs, cats. mice, rabbits, ducks, bears, elephants, kangaroos, porcupines, raccoons, pelicans, llamas, tortoises, guineas,chickens, storks, canaries, macaws, lions, monkeys, goats, pigeons, ponies, baboons, tigers, magpies, beavers, peacocks, lizards, badgers, foxes and a honking goose named Susie gathered in Madison Square Garden for Manhattan's third annual pet show last week. With them were exhibited aquariums, kennels, portable cages, bird baths, crates, pots, pans, ice cream, candy, bird seed, fish food, animal crackers, perfume, fountain pens, fur coats, dog biscuit and a disposition on the part of metropolitan newshawks to tell tall tales.

Largest pet on display was Clover Leaf. a cow. Oldest were two tortoises claimed to be 350-500 years old. Smallest was an unidentified fish. Loudest was Susie, the Sebastopol goose. Most desperate were 462 squeaking canaries lodged in a crate exhibit. Most indifferent were two Llamas, who chewed cud quietly for five days. Most valuable per pound were two lion-headed goldfish valued at $500 each. Youngest were a litter of white mice born just as the show closed. Most popular was a baby elephant known variously as Bozo, Buddy and Buck. Least popular was a timid young skunk, which was shunned by all until officials explained that it had been deodorized.

Siamese, Manx and other pedigreed cats shared prizes all week. Last prize, for the best house cat, went to Nyger. black alley cat whose owner. Miss Doris Bondy, picked it up in a butter & egg store.

Few accidents marred the exhibition. A Manx cat whose owner was watching the mice broke away, snarled once at the mice, then dashed off in the opposite direction, startling a turtle, annoying a tiger cub, distracting the attention of an elderly man watching the goldfish. A pelican, taken from its cage to pose for a news-camera, wandered over to the fish exhibition and was diving for one of the lion-headed goldfish when interrupted by a goldfish gillie. One of Exhibitor Donald S. Crowe's bear cubs became ill from an ice cream cone, recovered. A stray dog was nipped by a Pekingese. A race between two catfish-like creatures turned out badly when one of the creatures refused to run.

One A. Peyser, guardian of white mice, decried stories of the fecundity of his charges. The Press had reported that his original exhibition of 1,000 mice had increased to 1,640 in one day. "There's only about 1,100 of them in there now," said Mr. Peyser. "They don't multiply as fast as you might think."

"Birth control?"

"Rats!" said Mouse Man Peyser. "They don't understand about that."

"Maybe they die off?"

"I haven't found a dead one yet," said Mr. Peyser proudly. "And it's cold in here, too. It's all in knowing how to feed 'em. I don't give 'em too much and I don't give 'em too little."

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