THE CAT MANUAL
BY DICK WHITTINGTON
(Note: The pen-name of Miss Higgins, a regular contributor to "The Ladies Field" and "Our Cats")
1902

CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PREFACE

CHAPTER I. CATTERIES

CHAPTER II. VARIETIES.
PART I. LONG-HAIRED CATS
PART II. SHORT-HAIRED CATS

CHAPTER III. STUD CATS

CHAPTER IV. BREEDING

CHAPTER V. PROFITABLE CAT KEEPING

CHAPTER VI. FEEDING

CHAPTER VII. GENERAL HINTS CHAPTER VIII. PREPARING FOR EXHIBITION

CHAPTER IX. BUYING AND SELLING

CHAPTER X. DISEASES

CHAPTER XI. CAT CLUBS AND SOCIETIES

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Lady Decies' Chinchilla, Ch. " Lord Southampton," Frontispiece
Plan of Cattery
Lady Esher's Black Persian “Pat-Paw”
Mrs. Leslie Willson's Black Persian “ Impeesi ”
Mrs. Kirk's White Persians
Mrs. Singleton's Blue Persian, Ch. “ Mabel of Lozells ”
Mrs. Mackenzie Stewart's Blue Persian “ Ronald ”
Mrs. Mackenzie Stewart's Blue Persian “ Blue-bottle ”
Miss Parr's Smoke Persian “Teazle”
Miss Parr's Smoke Persian “Althea”
Miss Snell's Chinchilla “ Silver Starlight ”
Lady Decies' Chinchilla “Silver Charm”
Miss Cole's Golden Tabby Persian “ Lord Kitchener ”
The Hon. Philip Wodehouse's Shaded Silver Persian “Silver Tom”
Mrs. Kirk's Silver Tabby Persian “ Kittiwake ”
Miss Anderson Leake's Silver Tabby Persian “Abdul Hamet of Dingley”
Lady Alexander's Blue Shorthair Ch. “ Ballochmyle Brother Bump ”
Lady Alexander's Tortoiseshell Shorthair “ Ballochmyle Samson ”
Lady Alexander's Tricolour Shorthair Ch. “ Ballochmyle Otter ”
Lady Alexander's Tricolour Shorthair “ Ballochmyle Neptune ”
Mrs. Robinson's Royal Siamese “ Ah-Choo ”
Mrs. Vary Campbell's Siamese “ Romeo ” and “Juliette”
Mrs. Cratty's Swiss Angora “ Jungfrau ”
Miss White Atkins's White Persian “ Snowbelle ”
Miss Sangster's Ch. “Royal Hector”
Miss White Atkins's “The White Knight”
Mrs. George Wilson's White Shorthair “ Pearl of Arrandale ”
Miss A. N. Cunningham's Tabby Shorthair English “ Tiger ”
Tailpiece

ADVERTISEMENTS: THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF CATS.

PATRONS: THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF BEDFORD. EARL PERCY.

Home for Starving and Forsaken Cats,
GORDON COTTAGE, ARGYLL PLACE, (turning at 118) KING STREET, HAMMERSMITH.
BOARDERS TAKEN.

This Society was founded in July 1895, and was the first organised attempt to deal with the question of stray cats in a sensible and humane way. It aims at educating the public by distributing literature reminding them of the duty owing to all domesticated animals, thus in time ameliorating the condition of our feline pets. Its chief object, however, is to find an immediate refuge for the many miserable and starving cats haunting ihe streets of London, for which purpose Homes are being established. Every endeavour is made to find good homes for the best cats, and a chloroform lethal chamber ends by a painless death the miseries of those for whom no home can be found.

Good cats may be obtained at nominal prices, but no cat is permitted to be taken from the Home without the consent of the Hon. Sec.
Pet cats or birds painlessly put away in Lethal Chamber for 1/.
A limited number of cats boarded: English 2/6, Persians from 3/- per week, payable in advance.
Visitors are welcomed between the hours of 2 and 5 p.m., except Sundays in morning by appointment only.
A simple treatise on the management of Cats in Health and Sickness by Alice Gordon, price 3 and half d. post free, from Mrs. Gordon, Hon. Sec, S.P.C., 7, Nevern Road, Earl's Court, S,W.
Funds earnestly solicited, and for further information apply to the Hon Sec, S.P.C 7, NEVERN ROAD, EARL'S COURT, S.W

PREFACE

My object in writing this little book, has been to provide novices in the cat fancy with a useful handbook, and, with this end in view I have paid particular attention to those points upon which I am most frequently asked for advice, through the columns of The Ladies' Field. The volume is in
no way an ambitious one, and I fear much has been omitted, but I have written from experience, and experience only, and therefore I know that the advice given is sound. In giving the points of the different breeds I have, as far as possible, been guided by the standards drawn up by the various clubs, and I have dealt only with those breeds commonly seen in England.

In the chapter on diseases, I have treated only of those which are frequently met with, and easily diagnosed and which can be simply treated, because in more complicated cases I think that skilled assistance should be sought rather than that the patient's life should be jeopardised by experiments based, possibly, upon a mistaken diagnosis of the case.

- DICK WHITTINGTON

CHAPTER I - CATTERIES

The subject of catteries is a most engrossing one, and naturally, the question of their construction arises first in the mind of the would-be cat-breeder. Catteries vary to an amazing extent, ranging from the homely barrel, enclosed in a six foot run of wire netting, or the diminutive rabbit hutch, to the handsomely-furnished rooms or the gigantic model establishments, costing hundreds of pounds and fitted with "all modern conveniences," such as hot water pipes, etc., which some lady fanciers consider necessary for their pets.

I must frankly admit that I would far sooner buy the cat of the barrel than the cat of the palace, all points being equal, were I given my choice, for he will probably prove to be a healthy, hardy, heavily-coated gentleman, to whom nothing comes amiss, and whose constitution, thanks to plenty of fresh air, is infinitely superior to that of his well-cared-for brother, who, in many respects, resembles a hothouse plant. My own catteries have always been modest to a degree, but I think I may lay claim to having lost fewer cats, as a rule, than my neighbours, and in no single instance has a full grown, outdoor cat died from the results of a cold or chill. My houses were built of wood and if the walls did not prove to be draught-proof they were covered outside with roofing-felt. The roofs of the movable houses were of galvanised iron, lined with roofing-felt and wood, to keep them from getting too hot in summer. In some cases the wooden floors were raised off the ground, and when this was so, I found it necessary to cover the floors with cork carpet in case of draughts, but the floors I liked best were of brick, cemented over, and then boarded. Each house had a French window opening into a grass yard, and to every door and window was fitted an inner door of wire netting ; this I found to be almost a necessity in a cattery, as are adjustable ventilators. Each single house was at least six feet square, and the larger ones were divided by wire netting partitions.

Other and better catteries than these I have constructed in disused granaries, cow-pens, etc. The former require but little alteration and make ideal catteries, only necessitating a trifling outlay in wire netting for partitions and the addition of windows ; the latter, cow-pens, are also most satisfactory, but generally require clean wood lining and floors. The divisions may be put up in whatever manner the owner thinks most convenient, but the plan I found most satisfactory was to have a row of wire netting enclosures, like small loose boxes, each with a door opening into a passage which runs the whole length of the building at the back, and each having at the front a window opening into a grass run.

The only luxuries permitted in my catteries were a wooden window shelf, and in winter, a wooden packing case filled with hay.

For sanitary purposes large flower-pot saucers of fir sawdust or dry mould were provided, and these were changed and rinsed out every morning.

Some people keep their cats in small movable chicken houses, and these seem to answer admirably, and they are also exceedingly cheap. Only those of a good make should be used, and they should be boarded at the back and ends and over the roof, and the sleeping compartment should have a wooden floor.

Many fanciers keep their cats in indoor rooms, but this plan is rarely successful, and the cats usually suffer in health sooner or later, why, I cannot say, unless it is because the rooms are not sufficiently aired. The most fatal error into which a cat fancier can fall is to have the cat houses heated either with stoves or pipes. The almost invariable result is that the cats succumb to lung complaints of some description, after leading a miserable existence in a half-stupid condition, and are frequently the victims of eczema and other skin diseases. The moral of all this is, that provided the cattery is clean, dry, draught proof, and thoroughly well ventilated, and that the cats can spend the greater part of their time in the open air, details of construction, measurements and furnishings are of minor importance. Those persons who do not care for the trouble of designing their own catteries can buy them ready made on capital principles from most of the leading kennel manufacturers.

Chapter II - VARIETIES

Part I - LONG-HAIRED CATS

Long-haired cats are, as a rule, called " Persians," and most of those in England at the present time are of Persian ancestry. Angoras are rarely heard of, and they have been so crossed with Persians that it is practically impossible to find a pure bred one. As far as I can understand, the Angora cat differs from the Persian in having larger ears and what may be described as a coarser nose, a long tail, and a coarser, more " hairy ' coat, and in being somewhat higher on the leg

The long haired cat of the present day is essentially more “ cobby ” than formerly, and very great importance is attached to its head and shape. The nose should be short and wide at the tip, the skull broad, and the fore-head rounded. The ears should be small, low set, and wide at the base, and the eyes should be large and set straight, not obliquely, in the head. The colour of the eyes is of greater importance in a self coloured cat than in any other variety. The legs should be short and thick, and the tail should be short and broad at the tip ; a pointed tail is very objectionable. Some fanciers assert that a cat should be short backed, but in this I do not agree, as it detracts from the grace and activity which add so much to the charm of its appearance. The coat of a Persian cat is of very great importance ; it should be long and thick and of a silky rather than a woolly texture, and round the neck, on the chest, and stomach, and down the backs of the thighs, it should be longer than elsewhere and should stand out from the rest of the fur. Tufts of long hair across the fronts of the ears and tiny tufts on their tips add greatly to the appearance of a long-haired cat. One hears occasionally of the value of toe tufts, but if a cat takes much exercise these soon disappear.

Black. A black cat should be without shade or marking of any description, though a slight tinge of brown is less objectionable than any suspicion of grey. The eyes should be deep dark orange.

White. Of a white cat but little description is necessary. The eyes must be bright blue. Yellow eyes are considered less objectionable than green ones, but a yellow eyed cat, however good, must always give place to a blue-eyed one. It is a curious and interesting fact that a number of white kittens, especially those which have been bred from mixed ancestry, are born with a smudge of black or grey on their foreheads. This usually, but not invariably, disappears when the second coat comes, but while in evidence it is a serious defect.

Blue. I do not think that blue is a true Persian colour. It is very rarely that a blue cat is imported from India or Persia, and the few that I have seen, had green eyes and short but unusually thick coats. This leads me to think that the colour was produced by crossing with the so-called Russian cat, which is, of course, not peculiar to Russia. Long-haired blue cats used to be known as French cats or as Chartreuse cats, after the monastery where they seem to have originated. It is most important that a blue cat should be without shading or marking. The colour must be perfectly sound and even all over, and must on no account be lighter at the roots than at the tips of the fur. Pale blues are at present more popular, and likely to remain so than dark blues, but I confess to a liking for a good dark blue cat. White hairs I consider to be practically a disqualification. The eyes of a blue cat are a most important point, and the deeper and darker orange they are, the better. I, like many others, would like to see green eyes labelled as a disqualification, and almost equally objectionable, are eyes of a shade which is something between green and yellow.

Cream and Fawn. I have classified these cats together as there have been some differences of opinion as to whether they should be separated or not. There are certainly two entirely different lines of colouring, one being a solid dead fawn colour, entirely free from marking or shading, and the other a bright, clear, creamy shade, which is, as a rule, a good deal marked, and which is lighter at the roots of the fur than at the tips. No very clear decision has been come to whether these cats should be marked or not, but we may draw our own conclusions from the fact that the unmarked cats invariably win in competition with the marked ones. The eyes of both cream and fawn cats should be dark orange or hazel.

An attempt was recently made to encourage green eyes, but this movement, I am glad to say, received but little support. We are occasionally told that blue eyes are correct, but as no one has yet seen a cream or fawn cat with blue eyes it is unnecessary to discuss them.

Smoke. Over the exact and proper definition of a smoke cat much trouble has recently been taken by the Silver Society, and I cannot do better than quote their standard.

A smoke cat must be black, shading to smoke, with as light an undercoat as possible and black points, light frill and ear tufts ; eyes to be orange. Value of points :
Head and expression 20
Colour of eyes 15
Colour of undercoat 10
Absence of markings 15
Coat and condition 20
Brush 10
Shape 10
Total 100

From this it will be seen that dark smokes are encouraged, but there is another, particularly beautiful, variety of cat, which is in reality a light silver smoke, though specimens have occasionally been disqualified when exhibited in smoke classes. These cats are light grey "the colour of snow clouds" with dark faces, legs and tails, and are to my mind the most handsome of all our long-haired cats.

Silvers and Chinchillas. Here again I must quote the standard of the Silver Society, only adding that, all other points being equal, green eyes are very much to be preferred to orange ones, which, in their turn, rank higher than those of a greenish yellow tint ; also that at shows where no class is provided for shaded silvers they are usually entered among the Chinchillas.

Chinchillas should be as pale and unmarked silver as it is possible to breed them. Any brown or cream tinge to be considered a great drawback. The eyes to be green or orange. Value of points :
Head 20
Shape 15
Colour of coat 25
Coat and condition 20
Colour, shape, and expression of eyes... 10
Brush 10
Total 100

Shaded Silvers should be defined as pale, clear silver, shaded on face, legs, and back, but having as few tabby markings as possible, eyes green or orange. Any brown or cream tinge a great drawback.

Shaded Silvers: Value of Points :
Head 20
Colour of coat 25
Coat and condition 20
Colour, shape, and expression of eyes 10
Shape 15
Brush 10
Total 100

Orange. Of late years there has been a mania for breeding orange cats without markings, or, as our American cousins say, " Solid Orange cats." No really self coloured orange cat has yet been bred, though several nearly so have been exhibited. I consider that a well-marked orange or red cat, the latter for preference, should win over one which was marked only on its head and legs, though a really self coloured cat would meet a good tabby on equal terms. The colour should be bright, clear orange, with deeper orange or dark red markings ; the darker the colour the better the cat. The eyes should be orange or hazel.

Brown Tabby. In tabby cats markings must be the first consideration, and a brown tabby should be barred with decided black bands on a light golden brown or red sable ground. The cat should be marked clearly on head, legs, and tail ; two well-defined bars should run the entire length of the spine, and shorter but equally well defined bars should appear on its sides and chest ; a light chin is a common but serious fault. The colour of the eyes is not a matter of vast importance, but they should be either green or orange, the former for preference.

Silver Tabby. The silver tabby should be barred with black in the same way as the brown tabby, but the ground colour should be a pale clear silver. The eyes should be green or orange, the former for preference.

Blue Tabby. Many people refuse to acknowledge the blue tabby as a separate variety, but as the National Cat Club has provided classes for blue tabbies at the Crystal Palace, a few words of description are called for. The cats usually shown in these classes are blue cats with a few silver markings about their faces and chests, and are really shaded blues. The true blue tabby should be as distinctly marked as any other variety of tabby, with dark blue stripes on a bluish silver ground.

Tortoiseshell. A tortoiseshell cat is a weird and strange-looking beast, and it is rare indeed to find a good one. The colours should be distinct shades of red and yellow and black, and these should be broken up into small well defined patches. Any suspicion of yellow or cream is objectionable .

Tortoiseshell and White. These cats are handicapped by their uneuphonious name, and it has been suggested that they should be called tricolours. They should be white with even markings on the head, and a large saddle mark of red and black, which should, as in the tortoiseshell, be broken up into small distinct patches. Any tabby markings in either of these varieties are objectionable, and the eyes of both should be orange.

Chapter II

Part II - SHORT-HAIRED CATS

The short-haired cat should, like its long-haired cousin, be possessed of a broad massive head with small ears, a short nose, and large clear eyes. It should be a big-boned massive animal, but shortness of leg and tail are not admired in the short-haired as in the long-haired cat ; indeed, it is judged for colour, markings, and colour of eyes more than for any other points. The coat should be short, close, and firm, and show no trace of that wooliness which suggests a Persian cross.

Black. In the black cat the most important point is the colour of the eyes. These should be deep, dark orange. The coat should be jet black and glossy, and free from tabby markings, rustiness, and brown or white hairs.

White. Again the eyes are the most important consideration ; they should be a vivid shade of azure blue, as deep and intense as possible. The coat should be quite free from coloured hairs. Black spots on the ears are a common but serious fault.

Blue. Here I shall bring down upon myself the wrath of some few persons who persist in describing these cats as Russian or Archangel cats. I need only remark that all the best blues I have seen were bred in England, and had at least one English parent. The cats which come from Russia usually fail in eyes, are small, more or less marked with white, and have wedge-shaped faces. A short-haired blue should be in coat and general conformation like any other British cat. Its eyes should be orange, the darker the better, and in colour it should be a sound level blue ; a light shade is the most popular. Some blues have unusually thick tails which seems to suggest that they may have some long-haired blood in their veins. I need hardly say that a thick tail is a fault. Cats are often penalised by incompetent judges for having rings on the tail, but anyone who has bred this variety will know that as kittens they all show the markings of their primaeval ancestors over the whole body, but these invariably wear out with age, though in some individuals much later than others. The same remark applies to black kittens, though in them the markings can only be seen in strong sunlight. Lions and all self coloured wild felidae are born with spots and bars, which subsequently disappear. There is a strain of short-haired blue cats known as Maltese cats, which used to be extremely popular in America until the present craze for Persians began.

Brown Tabby. In the brown tabby cat, as in all tabbies, except reds, markings should be the first consideration. The ground colour should be a clear, deep, golden brown, and the markings should be jet black, clear and decided, as if applied with a paint brush. A well-defined bar should run along each side of the spine, and shorter but equally distinct bars should appear on the sides. The head, legs, and chest should be marked with unbroken but narrower lines, the rings, commonly called the Lord Mayor's chain, round the neck should be as decided and unbroken as those on the body, and should run close up to the chin, which should be the same shade of brown as the ground colour, a lighter shade, though very usual, being a bad fault. The tail should be distinctly ringed. The eyes should be green.

Silver Tabby. The silver tabby should be in all respects similar to the brown tabby except that the ground colour should be pale silver. A common, but serious, fault in a brown tabby is a brown smudge on the nose or elsewhere.

Red Tabby. The red tabby appears to be the king among short-haired cats. For some reason, possibly because of the difficulty of breeding good specimens, every enthusiastic breeder of short-hairs has a special weakness for this colour. Depth of colour is the chief point to be aimed at ; any suggestion of orange is tabooed, and for this reason it is incorrect to term these cats orange tabbies. The markings should be of the deepest, darkest red possible " a regular chestnut shade " upon a slightly paler red ground. White or pale chins disqualify. The eyes should be dark orange or hazel.

Tortoiseshell. This colour should be a patchwork of black, red and yellow. There should be an entire absence of tabby markings and white hairs on any part of the body should disqualify. The red should be of as deep a shade as possible. The eyes should be orange.

Tortoiseshell and White or Tricolours should have a sheet of black and red in sharply defined patches of equal size, like a chess board spread over the head, back, hind-quarters and tail, the chest and all the feet being white. It is important that the red should be of the deepest and free from bars.

Manx. Oh! what a bone of contention the Manx cat has been and still is. I hardly dare venture on a description of its points, though I have studied the breed for years. The Manx cat should pre-eminently be tailless. It should have no sign of a stump or scut, and I know of at least one cat which has a tiny hollow where an ordinary cat's tail would be. In head, colour and eyes the Manx cat should be similar to the short-haired cats previously described, but its coat is not, as a rule, so short and close. The hind legs should be longer than those of an ordinary cat, and the true Manx moves in a series of hops off its hocks like a hare or rabbit. It is almost impossible to judge a Manx cat in the show pen, it should be seen running about, as its style of moving constitutes a great part of its charm.

Abyssinian. The Abyssinian cat is very rare and by no means popular. The specimens seen in this country are frequently small and weedy. Their peculiarity lies in their colouring, which should be a ticked brown, like a rabbit, and absolutely free from tabby markings. There should be no dark spine line. The coat should be finer and closer than in a British cat, the tail being almost like a greyhound's. The head should be of the Eastern type, wedge-shaped, and as in tabbies, white on the chin or elsewhere is a fault. I have recently seen some Abyssinian cats which were ticked silver instead of brown.

Siamese. At the time of writing the Siamese Club is endeavouring to decide upon the standard of excellence which is to be recognised in this country. For this reason I feel diffident about laying down hard and fast rules, but, as I have made an especial study of the breed, I will do my best to mention the essential points. In future two varieties of Siamese cat are to be recognised in England, the Royal and the Chocolate. The Royal cat should be cream colour, the points, i.e., ears, mask, legs and tail, should be deep chocolate brown and should be clearly defined, not “ shaded off ” at the edges. The mask and muzzle should be free from light hairs and the eyes should be deep, dark blue. The cat should be free from tabby markings or clouding.

The Chocolate cat is similar to the Royal one except that the ground colour is a bright golden brown instead of cream colour, and the points are of a darker shade of brown clearly defined.

The head of a Siamese cat differs somewhat from that of any other breed, the ears are frequently rather large and close together, the cheeks wide and full, and, though the face is short it is narrow at the muzzle. The tail should be straight. There are some breeders who like a kinked tail, but there is no doubt that this betrays a distant cross of Malay blood. We are told that long years ago a Malay cat got into the Palace at Bangkok and bred with the Royal cats and that ever since the kinked tails have occasionally appeared. In Siam, as in England, the two varieties are kept separate, but the dark cats are there the most valued, as they are the sacred temple cats, and there is no blot on their escutcheon.

[Since the above was written the Siamese Cat Club's standard of points has been published, but it differs but little from that given above, except that kinked tails are admissible, and that the head is to be " rather long and pointed."]

It is a curious and remarkable fact that when a Siamese cat has been ill its eyes become quite pale in colour and a sprinkling of light hairs appear all over its face. It sometimes takes months to recover its good looks. The voice of the Siamese cat is, fortunately, peculiar to the breed. It is exceedingly loud and deep, and its owner, judging by results, apparently admires it exceedingly. For this reason Siamese cats should either be kept at liberty or their catteries should be erected at some distance from any human habitation. Siamese cats have a reputation for extreme delicacy, and they seldom live long in this country unless kept running about as house pets. The reason for this is simply that they are coddled and cosseted to death. A Siamese cat, if well fed, will thrive in an outdoor cattery with no artificial heat, but if kept in a warm room will soon go wrong. I have proved this again and again.

Chapter III - STUD CATS

The stud cat deserves a chapter to himself because he is a leading feature in almost every cattery, and his proper treatment is a very important but little understood matter. In the first place I must implore my readers not to let the question of money-making outweigh all other considerations.

It is a fact that many of the disagreements in the cat world arise, in the first instance, from jealousy over stud cats. The owners count the entries in the “ Cattery Register ” in some cat paper, and immediately try to outdo their neighbours in the amount of stud fees which they receive ; with the result that the stud cat's constitution is ruined, and hundreds of sickly and diseased kittens are brought into the world.

In the first place the stud cat's housing and feeding must be of the best. The larger and airier his house is, the better, and, if it can be managed, he should have a big grass run. His hair must be combed regularly, and his skin examined with care in case he should catch insects or skin diseases from his visitors. I do not think it is wise at any time to let a stud cat run loose, though some breeders consider that a daily walk on a lead is beneficial.

A very important question is the number of visitors a cat should be allowed to receive, but it is quite impossible to draw a hard and fast rule as everything depends upon the individual. As a general rule I should say that one visitor a week was enough for most cats, though in the busy season, from February to May, this must occasionally be exceeded, and some cats can manage twice that number with no ill effects. If a stud cat is overworked his progeny must suffer, but his owner as a rule will not realise this, and is prone to boast of the vast sums he earns. Personally, I must admit that when I hear of a stud cat being unusually popular I register a vow that I will not risk breeding from him. It is a fact that people who keep a male cat entirely for use in their own catteries, breed a larger proportion of big, healthy kittens, than those who send their queens to fashionable sires.

A few words on the treatment of visiting queens will not come amiss. In the first place the convenience of the owner of the stud cat should be consulted as to the hour at which the queen is to be despatched. She should not, for obvious reasons, be fed within six or eight hours of her departure. She should be packed in a strong box or a lined basket, which should have proper fastenings, as the owner of a stud cat is not likely to care for the trouble of sewing up ancient hampers. The stud fees and railway charges should invariably be prepaid. When the queen arrives at her destination she should be put in a quiet house and fed, and next morning she may be placed in a wire pen in the stud cat's house, when she can see him and make friends with him. This course saves a lot of fighting and scratching. When the queen seems inclined to be friendly she should be let out and left with the stud cat as long as is necessary only, and she should be put with him again on the following day and, if all seems well, she may safely be returned on the third day. Some cats are exceedingly tiresome and give endless trouble, but their owners are even more so, for they persistently send their cats off at the wrong time, and then blame the stud cat, or his owner, for what is their own fault.

It should be remembered that stud cats are frequently uncertain in temper and awkward to handle, so it is well to treat them with caution, and strangers should never be allowed to interfere with them in any way.

Chapter IV – BREEDING

The usual method of procedure among cat breeders is to procure a good queen and send her to a prize-winning male of the same colour. This course frequently results in the accidental production of good kittens, but no credit can be given to the owner who has expended no serious thought upon the matter but probably has an idea that two good cats should produce four good kittens! The correct system to go upon is that of mating a queen with a male belonging to a strain which is strong in the points in which she fails. The mere fact that the male himself possesses these points is not sufficient as he might be merely an " accident " — for example, had I a blue queen which excelled in colour and in all points except eyes I should seek out an orange-eyed male belonging to an orange-eyed strain, and if, as I fear, such a blue could not be found, I would breed from a black (had he and his parents good orange eyes). Probably some of the kittens, and possibly all, would be black, but if I bred one orange-eyed blue I should feel amply repaid, and the black kittens would be useful for crossing with blues with the object of building up, in course of time, a strain of orange-eyed blues.

A tabby cat which is thin and poor in markings should be crossed with a black.

In breeding whites no other colour should be used, though if the object is to produce cream, chinchilla, or pale blue kittens, a cross of white has occasionally been successful. For the original production of fawn cats a cross of blue and orange blood was found to be almost essential, but now that they have been bred in considerable numbers it is unnecessary, and in breeding creams any recent cross of blue is undesirable as it detracts from the clearness of colour.

A brown tabby which lacks warmth of colour may be mated with an orange or red tabby. Blacks, smokes, and chinchillas have been frequently interbred with success, but silver tabbies should not be crossed with any other colour except black, and that only when the markings want strength. Tortoiseshells are useful for breeding a variety of colours, but I think they should be kept for the production of reds, oranges, creams, fawns, and blacks only, as otherwise unwelcome surprises may crop up in future generations.

In my experience the best time to mate a young queen is when she is from ten to twelve months old. Many instances are recorded of cats which bred good litters before attaining this age, and some breeders prefer to wait till their queens are eighteen months old before mating them. It is exceedingly easy for the experienced breeder to find out when queens are in season, but the amateur is frequently puzzled, and it must be admitted that some cats are very sly. As a rule they become restless and noisy and give funny little croaks like a mother cat calling her kittens ; they roll over and over, and when stroked crawl about on the ground. Cats which are regularly bred from usually come in season twice or three times in the year, the first time generally being in February or March and the last in August or September, but cats which are kept back are much more troublesome.

When a queen shows any symptoms of being in season she should immediately be shut up, as she will take the first opportunity of escaping and it will be very difficult to catch her again. If the queen is to be sent away she should be dispatched as soon as decided symptoms are noticed. After her return it will probably be necessary to keep her shut up for a week or more, but as soon as she has quite settled down again the more fresh air and liberty she can be allowed the better. A cat rarely does herself any injury by climbing and scrambling about, but great care should be exercised in handling her when in kitten.

The kittens may be expected sixty-three days after mating, though sometimes they come a day or so too early and occasionally a few days late, but this is unusual. The cat should be provided with a comfortable bed in a quiet corner. If on the sixty-fourth day from the last day of mating no kittens have appeared, the queen may be given a teaspoonful of warm castor oil. As soon as the cat seems uneasy she should be shut up and all other animals should be kept away from her as, if disturbed, it is possible that she may eat her kittens. No interference of any sort is permissible, but if it seems to comfort the cat her owner may sit with her. Some cats are miserable if left alone at this time, while others resent the presence of even their best friend.

Cats, luckily, rarely have any trouble in kittening, but if there appears to be any considerable delay a teaspoonful of warm castor oil may be again administered. I have frequently known this to have an excellent and immediate effect in cases of difficulty, but if it does not, a skilful veterinary surgeon should be promptly summoned. When all the kittens have arrived, the mother may be offered some warm milk with a raw egg beaten up in it, and she may then be left in peace with her family for five or six hours before being fed again.

In breeding for show it is advisable to leave only two or three kittens with the mother and, if there is any great objection to destroying the rest, a foster mother may be procured. It is better, and more profitable also, to rear two fine healthy kittens than four or five "weeds." If a foster mother is employed it is well that she should kitten a day or two before the other cat. Most cats take quite kindly to strange kittens if they are diplomatically introduced. Her own kittens should be taken from her and put for an hour in a warm basket with the little strangers, which may then be given to her in company with one of her own kittens, which can be quietly abstracted the next day, and she will probably take to them all right.

In selecting a foster mother it is important to observe that she is thoroughly healthy, well fed, and friendly. It is not often that a cat is unable to rear her own kittens unless she has been ill while in kitten, but it is as well to make sure that she has plenty of milk, as otherwise every hour is of importance if the kittens are to be saved. If the kittens cry a good deal it is generally because they are hungry and a foster mother should in this case be procured at once, and, until she arrives, the kittens may be fed half-a dozen times a day with a spoon. I do not think that kittens ever repay the trouble of rearing by hand, but if their owner decides upon undertaking this arduous task Mellin's food will suit them well. They must be kept very warm, clean and dry, and fed every two hours at first, but giving only a few drops of food at each meal.

The best time to wean kittens is when they are between six and eight weeks old. After the first week the mother should be separated from them for half an hour twice daily, and, in very cold weather, a piece of flannel should be lightly laid over the little family during her absence. The length of her outing should be gradually increased, and as soon as her milk supply begins to fail she should be entirely separated from them, given a good dose of castor oil, and fed sparingly for two or three days.

Chapter V - PROFITABLE CAT KEEPING

I am continually asked if cat keeping pays, and I can say at once that, on a large scale, it rarely does. A good stud cat in experienced hands is most profitable, but a novice is not likely to find it so, and where a number of breeding queens are kept the chances are very much in favour of a handsome deficit at the end of the year. In most households one or two cats are kept running about to catch mice, and if two good Persian queens are kept in this manner and periodically sent to visit good stud cats their owner can turn an honest penny by the sale of their kittens, after a very trifling outlay for stud fees, etc. The cats' food will not require much consideration, as they will thrive on the house scraps, and if the kittens are sold at six weeks old, no separate marketing on their account is necessary. As the cattery grows, the risk of heavy losses proportionately increases, and if the owner is a novice there is but little chance of the balance coming out on the right side, but with good management and fair luck, cat breeding may become profitable. In a cattery of ten or twelve cats I have before now cleared £40 profit in a year, by the sale of kittens only, and if a couple of good males are kept at stud this sum may easily be doubled.

Cats are more subject to epidemics than any other animal with which I am acquainted, and for this reason I never advise anyone to take up cat breeding as a means of livelihood, for when a stud of fifty or sixty cats is got together they are rarely without disease of some sort. Moreover, when more cats are kept than the owner can personally attend to, it will be found that they never thrive, for servants rarely notice the first symptoms of any disorder, and often overlook trifles which would speak volumes to the careful owner.

Kittens do not fetch as high prices as they did a few years ago, but there is a steady demand for male kittens, blues in particular, as pets, at two or three guineas apiece, and kittens of exceptional merit or pedigree can generally be sold to breeders. By selling kittens at a low price as soon as they can leave their mothers, less risk is run, and it is better to do this than to keep them on in the hope of obtaining a high price.

Chapter VI – FEEDING

There is, in my opinion, only one correct diet for cats and kittens, and that is the natural one " raw meat. A cat living in a wild state lives on birds, mice and young rabbits, and if it was possible to feed show cats in the same way they would thrive amazingly. Such a menu would be difficult to arrange regularly even in the country, and in a town manifestly impossible, so we must consider the best substitute. Where horseflesh can be obtained fresh and sound it will answer admirably, and is much cheaper than beef or mutton ; mooverer, in buying horseflesh we can generally get the best steak, whereas in the case of beef or mutton the price charged becomes a serious consideration, and we are obliged to be content with what we can afford. Shin of beef is excellent food for cats, and can generally be bought for about sixpence a pound.

I wish to impress upon cat fanciers that if their cats are fed entirely on raw meat a much smaller quantity of food is required than if farinaceous foods are given, for the latter are not suited to the internal economy of cats, and they require to overload their stomachs before they can obtain the requisite amount of nourishment from them. Raw meat is to the cat a concentrated form of nourishment, and there appears to be little waste when it is the sole article of diet.

Roughly speaking three to four ounces of meat daily is sufficient to keep the largest full grown cat in excellent condition. As a rule cats should be fed once daily, but “ bad doers ” or invalids may be fed more frequently, and of course only the regular attendant can decide the exact quantity of food to be given to each cat, and the number of meals which it requires. Queens with kittens should be fed twice or three times daily and may be given about two ounces of meat at each meal. I have found that cats fed in the way I describe suffer from none of the troublesome external and internal complaints of which we hear so much in most catteries. Of course they occasionally catch cold, but they are in such splendid condition that they recover quickly, and even distemper visits them lightly.

I never give milk to cats or kittens except medicinally, they have plenty of water to drink, and the little kittens are fed on raw meat before they are a month old. Of course young kittens should be allowed a very small quantity of meat at each meal — about half a teaspoonful twice daily is sufficient for a kitten until it is five weeks old, when the quantity may be gradually increased.