其孕也兩月而生，一乳數子，恆有自食之者。俗傳牝貓無牡，但以竹帚掃背數次則孕。或用斗覆貓於灶前，以刷帚頭擊斗，祝灶神而求之亦孕。此與以雞子祝灶而抱雛者相同，俱理之不可推者也。
A cat goes into labour after two months’ pregnancy, giving a litter of several kittens. It is common [for the mother] to eat her own kittens. It is a popular belief that, if a female cat finds no male cat, [one can] get her pregnant simply by sweeping her back several times with a bamboo broom. Alternatively, [one can] also get her pregnant by turning a hopper upside down, with the cat in it, in front of the stove, hitting the hopper with the end of a broom, and praying to the Stove God. This is the same as getting chicks by praying to the stove with eggs: both cases are beyond the power of reasoning.
* From Li Shizhen 李時珍 (1518-1593) Bencao gangmu 本草綱目 (Compendium of Materia Medica), 51a.57a; https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=en&file=53294&page=125.
“Zimumao” 子母貓 by Zhao Yong 趙雍 (1289-1369)
Image credit: National Palace Museum
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