HOTEL VENDOME, Boston, Jan. 14 [1921]. I won two prizes at the 16th championship show of the Boston Cat Club today and I’m on my way home with the bacon. I’ve a winner’s ribbon, awarded to the best cat in every class and I’ve a Boston Cat Club medal, too. Not only that, but I had my picture painted by a regular artist and I raised more than $25 for the fund for the Children’s Hospital. That’s more than any other cat here did. The show closed at 10 o’clock tonight and I will immediately start out into the rain, back down towards Pie Alley, soon as I get this story dictated.

The show was a howling success. It was the biggest and best that this club ever had, as I knew it would be as soon as I’d started up here. I cleaned up the show, and the patrons too with my collection for the poor sick children, and I’m coming back next year, you bet. They gave me my prizes just before dark. Mrs. Raymond G. Coppins, she’s the president of the Cat Club, and Mrs. George B. Brayton, she’s the manager. Well, they and the three nice ladies on the committee on awards, Mrs. Charles Brown, Mrs. H. A. Nissen and Mrs. Helen Holt, and that Miss J. R. Kroeh, who was the judge, looked me all over and right away they knew there wasn’t another cat in my class in the whole blamed show. So right away they started to smile and then they gave me a winner’s rosette and pinned it on my cage. The rosette goes to the best cat in every class and there was nobody entered against me, you can bet.

Of course, they announced for the public that Mrs. Brayton’s Peg o' My Heart was the winner of the award as the best cat in the show, but I’m giving you Post readers the inside stuff, and don’t you forget it, about this cat show here. You see, I told the Judges that Peg (it's all right for me to call her Peg for short, ’cause I’m going to call on her soon’s I get a chance) was a feminine cat and we’ve got to kid these women folks along. So I said to them, careless like, that I didn’t care much about having a great big sign over my cage reading “Best Cat in the Show.” And besides when Peg hears that I fixed it all up for her don’t you think that it ought to put me in right with her? I doped it out that way.

Then, of course, Mrs. Brayton’s big cat, “The Conqueror,” was the winner in the champion class, male. But you see, and this is more real inside dope I’m telling you, I told the judges that “Conk” is all right a cat — ’course he’s got nice fluffy fur and a swell cage and his nails manicured and all that. But I told them that “Conk” wasn’t in my class at all. And they agreed with me right away. I didn’t want to cause embarrassment by competing against him. For there wouldn’t have been any question about the result if I had. The judges agreed with me on that. He’s a blooded, high-brow cat ‘n everything, but you all know me. I guess I don’t have to tell you any more about how I fit in my class when I let you all know that they picked me out to collect money for the Children’s Hospital.

They put a money box in a corner of my cage and inside of an hour I had it filled with half-dollars and quarters and bills. I had them put a sign reading “Hindy’s Collection for the Children’s Hospital” over it and you ought to have seen the bills and change come in. And there was a crowd round my cage all day.

Say, I’ll let you in on some more inside stuff. There’s another swell lady cat that was up here that I kind of like. Her name’s Winter-Dai and she belongs to Mrs. Frank E. bell out in Brighton. She’s some Pip, I’ll tell you. Mrs. Bell brought her over to see me this morning. And I’ll tell you that she’s a knockout with me. She won first prize in the Silver Neuter class, beating out Neptune and Silver Rene, who are no slouches for looks either.

I don’t think much of the feed up here. They bring round a little paper plate, sanitary, they call it, and they have about enough meat on it for a canary bird. The Post reporter that type-writes my stories for me got me three plates tonight, but believe me when I get through with the show and down town again I’ll have a feed of cooked liver and milk and stuff right away.

I think I understand why these high-brow cats don’t eat very much. They are doped half the time with disinfectant. Why, there’s been a woman running around here all the two days every few minutes with a squirter and some kind of smelly stuff. I told her I didn’t need any of it – haven’t I lived down on Newspaper Row for years and years without any, and ain’t I the champ of all cats? But she said I needed it more than the others if anything and I let it go at that. ‘Course being the best cat in the show I didn’t want her to think that I was not up on all those things.

And say, before I close this story, I want to tell you about Aida. She’s another good-looking girl cat that has been across the aisle from me. She belongs to Miss Blanche B. Parker, and she copped second ribbon in the Black Female novice class. She’s a swell looker too and I’ve go her down on my list that I’m going to get around to see just as soon as I get time. But it may be quite a while, for I suppose things down on the Row have all gone to smash, with me leaving that no-account Graveyard Tom in charge for two whole days.

Yeh! I want to tell you about my picture too. Miss Mary Miles, who paints pictures of famous animals, was up here this morning and as soon as she lamped me she got busy. And this afternoon my photograph in water colors was hanging over my cage. I’m going to take it back down to the Post and raffle it off among the boys there and send all the money 1 can get for it that way up to the Children’s Hospital for their fund. They wanted me to announce officially that just before the show closed Gerda Ahlblad of 56 Main street, Watertown, won the "Raffle Kitten.” Her ticket was No. 706 and the five-months-old smoked Persian kitten donated by Mrs. Eileen Francis goes to her. The kitten is a son of Conk, the champion cat that I told you about. Well, that’s about all the dope for now. Except my medals and I'll show them to you when I get back. Oh, yes, there’s also the list of the winners that had prizes awarded to them today.

HINDY BACK HOME WITH GREAT APPETITE. BULLETIN — Hindy arrived back a the office of the Post at 11:35 last night. He declined to be interviewed on his personal experiences at the cat show, announcing only that he had more important affairs to attend to. A half minute later 15 pounds of yellow feline was dashing down the stairs towards Child's. “Poorest feeders up at that show I ever saw,” he told Chick Storey. “Gimme some liver, some milk and cream. Lots of it, in a hurry.” A half hour later he was asleep under a chair on the tile floor.

FOREIGN CATS Perthshire Advertiser, 11th June 1921
It seems strange that the familiar domestic cat should be subject to so many variations of colour, and, when the number of different types and colours are considered, it is not surprising that the cats of foreign countries are again somewhat different to our own. I believe one and all may claim direct descent from the wild cat, which varies from the domesticated species, principally in the bushiness of the tail. The wild cat is usually of a brown or grey colour, with striped black markings on head, body, legs, and tail, and, strange to say, all cats that are allowed to return to a semi wild state produce progeny which revert back to this colour in time.

In Russia, however. the common house hold cat is of a pretty slatey blue colour with frosted shadings, which give them a very pleasing appearance. They are known in Britain as Archangel blues. Their coat is much shorter and more dense than the British short-haired cat. Burmese cats [not the same as the modern Burmese] are a shade smaller than our ordinary cat, but none the less very powerful, and are difficult to handle. They are of a sinuous build, moving with all the caution and silentness of a miniature leopard. Their lower jaw-bone is much longer than in the common cat, which gives the face an elongated appearance, a property which is not desired in a British cat. This is, of course, a great benefit to them when hunting their prey in their native wilds. In colour, they are of an undecided brown or grey hue, with indistinct striped markings of a darker shade. Sometimes the markings are arranged in a series of spots, which is very attractive.

The Abyssinian cat, a few of which have been exhibited at our larger feline shows, are very similar in build and colouring to the Burmese cat, only it is on a larger scale and looks more powerful. The ordinary Indian cat is a big, strong, muscular feline of a reddish colour, more after the make of our British wild cat and inheriting all the untameable spirit. They are very clever hunters. The most interesting of all the foreign cats, perhaps, is the Mexican hairless cat, only a very few of which are now in existence. They are practically devoid of hair, being similar to the Mexican hairless horses and dogs that have been exhibited in this country from time to time. They possess a very fine skin, usually of a pinky or slatey blue colour, with quite a kid-like feeling to the touch. Owing to the lack of hair, they have the appearance of having abnormally large ears and long tails. During the winter months, strange to say, they have a slight covering of fur over the back and along the ridge of the tail, which they shed during the summer season. They carry a little fur on the face and head all the year round, much in the same fashion as the Mexican hairless dogs have a top knot or crest of hair.

The handsomest and, perhaps, the most common foreign cat, however, is the Royal Cat of Siam, which has been bred frequently in this country. It is a pretty creamy white cat, with a black face or mask, black ears, legs, feet, and tail, with charming china blue eyes. Like the majority of all foreign cats, it has a much longer face and less pleasing expression than our own domestic cat. It makes a capital and picturesque pet, although several have been known to have very u certain tempers, which occasionally broke out at moat unlooked for moments.

The Persian or Angora cat is, however, the favourite feline at our cat shows, and they are to be found in all Colours nowadays, and have been freely crossed from time to time with the British short-haired variety.

A CURE FOR CATS’ NERVES. Pall Mall Gazette, 8th December 1921
It is cheering to know that cat shows are good for cats, although they may not enjoy them. I learnt this from Mr. Louis Wain at the National Cat Club Show at the Crystal Palace yesterday. “Cats are highly sensitive and nervous.” said Mr. Wain, “and it is good for them to be in a show and get used to seeing a lot people round them. Some breeds are nearly extinct owing purely to nerves.” There were over one hundred exhibitors, and the judges were Lady Alexander, Mrs. Stephen. Miss Simpson, and Miss Savory. Sir Claud Alexander, I saw, was also going round with the judges. The Hon. Mrs. MacLaren Morrison’s Sambo, a beautiful black puss, was a first prize-winner, and Mr. Dillon’s white male, who rejoices the name of Mintey Guiding Star, was another. He, by the way, was sitting with his back to the public, and didn’t seem to think much of the nerve cure!

”DO’S”A ND “DON’T’S” IN LOOKING AFTER CATS
Sheffield Independent, 10th January 1922
Cat-keeping as a hobby has greatly increased of late, especially among women, and the National Cat Club has a lengthy list of official varieties of cats, short-haired and long-haired. Many of these special types of cats have individual clubs – such as the Orange and Tortoiseshell, the Blue Persian Cat Society, the Black and White Club, the Siamese Cat Club, etc. – which are affiliated to the national organisation. Owners of special breeds have to study the particular treatment required for them, but for the ordinary owner of an ordinary cat good, sound common sense will be found in the everyday advice given by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"Cats like warmth. If they can have a comfortable bed (such as a basket, an old cushion on a chair, or a piece of carpet in a box), they will not want to prowl out of doors at night. A shallow box with earth or ashes, kept in some corner, will ensure cleanliness.

“Cats need at least two good meals a day. Neither an over-fed nor an ill- fed cat has strength or spirit to catch mice. Bread and milk may be given morning and evening, and at midday a good meal of meat, with bread, and occasionally fish. The meat should be cut up and mixed with the bread or potatoes. It should be cooked, as raw or tainted meat is liable to breed worms or cause eczema. It is wise to chop up the food, especially meat, as swallowing a large piece might easily give the cats indigestion or fits. Don’t give too much meat, and mix up potato or bread with it, so that the cat will eat both. Always leave a supply of fresh water where the cat can find it, and change this every day.

“Cats should never be washed, as they have an instinctive dislike to water, and washing them is therefore cruel. They should be brushed if possible once a day. This is done partly to improve the condition of the coat, and partly to remove loose hair. Unless the cat is brushed regularly it will, when licking its coat, swallow part of the loose hair, which may cause hair balls to form internally, and these often prove fatal.”

CATS AND CLOVER [CAT EPIDEMIC] Halifax Evening Courier, 18th January 1922
Should the epidemic which is killing off cats in Buckinghamshire continue, it may result, among other things, in a bad clover harvest. At the first glance the connection between cats and clover seems remote, but it was amply demonstrated by the patient research of Darwin. Certain kinds of clover depend for fertilisation upon the humble bee, and the chief enemy of the humble bee is the field mouse, whose greatest destroyer, in turn, is the cat. Diminish the number of cats in a rural district, and the clover suffers.

NEW CAT MALADY. DISEASE THAT HAS ALL THE SYMPTOMS OF POISONING. Western Gazette, 22nd September 1922
When a Siamese cat belonging to the Rev. F. J. Browell, vicar of Feltham, died suddenly, the vicar at first thought it had been poisoned, and offered a reward for information that would lead to discovery of anyone who had given poison. No information was, however, forthcoming, so a post-mortem of the cat’s body was carried out and the Royal Veterinary College’s verdict is that the cat did not die from the effects of poison, but from a mysterious new disease, which has lately become prevalent among cats and dogs. Enquiries show that there have been several similar cases in Feltham.

CATS AND INFLUENZA. Yorkshire Evening Post, 7th December 1922
The fact that an epidemic, which is described as “influenza,” has broken out among cats may (says the medical correspondent of ‘The Times’) be of much more than passing interest to the public in general. Last year, just before the sever influenza epidemic began, there was an outbreak of disease in the cat population. Many cats died in widely separated parts of the country, Others were exceedingly ill. Their symptoms closely resembled those of the human victims of “gastric influenza.” [Note: Feline Infectious Enteritis] It will be deeply interesting to see whether or not an epidemic of human influenza follows this outbreak among the cats.

[PORT OF LONDON AUTHORITY CATS] Sligo Independent, 27th January 1923
Food for cats which are kept to destroy rats costs the Port of London Authority £700 a year.

MYSTERIOUS CAT DISEASE. ST. AUSTELL PETS SUCCUMB TO EPIDEMIC. West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser, 25th January 1923
At a meeting of St. Austell Urban Council on Tuesday, Mr, J. Mules referred to the fact that large number of cats, including his own, had died in the district. He asked the medical officer if the disease from which they were dying was infectious and might be passed on to human beings. Dr. Shaw, in reply, said as far as he knew it had not been definitely ascertained what the disease was, but it was quite possible for infectious diseases to be carried by cats and dogs. He thought people often Made far too free with their pets. .

CATS DYING BY THE HUNDRED IN ABERDEEN. Dundee Courier, 27th February 1923
A remarkable effect of the severe weather recently experienced in Aberdeen has been the death of hundreds of cats. So widespread has been the feline mortality that in several districts of the city suspicions of a wholesale poisoning scheme have been aroused. A veterinary surgeon said he was given to understand that in the city cats were dying by the hundred. Almost every day during the past week people were coming to him with the carcases of their feline pets asking him to examine them for traces of poison. In none of the carcases which he dissected, however, was there the slightest trace of poison, and in his opinion the cause of the epidemic of death was simply the cold weather.

DEAD CATS & DOGS. HOW CHICKEN MEAL AND DOG BISCUITS ARE MADE. Dublin Evening Telegraph, 22nd March 1923
London has a trade in dead dogs and cats amounting to 10 tons a week, it was stated in a case yesterday. They are boiled down for chicken meal, dog biscuits and such thing. One of the men who collects the carcasses is Albert Archibald Brown, haulage contractor, of Harrow road, Leytonstone. He sued W. J. Rogers, of Rose road, Stratford, E., for £250 damages, alleging that Rogers had supplied him with lubricating oil that contained sugar syrup. As a result, he said, vehicles broke down and had to be towed home. [. . . ]
Brown said that one of his haulage contracts was to remove dead cats and dogs from various homes.
Judge - lt's a strange world we live in. I have never heard of this branch of vehicular traffic before. Don't tell me any trade secrets, but where do you take them to?
Brown – To slaughterers, who boll them down.
For what purposes are they boiled down?
I don't know. I have to clear them away from the homes every 12 hours, as soon as possible after they are killed.
Mr. Thomas Totten, analytical chemist, of Bow road . . . knew that 10 tons of dead cats and dogs were collected weekly in London. They were boiled down for manures, dog biscuits and chicken meals. Practically all the laying meal tor chickens was made from them.
Judge (to counsel) - Are you fond of eggs?
Counsel - l was!.

DOG BISCUITS AND CHICKEN MEAL. Cornishman, 28th March 1923
[This letter appeared in various forms in numerous papers from 23rd March onwards]
Sir. - Our attention been drawn a case reported the Press concerning the action of Brown v. Rogers, in which it was stated that ten tons of dead cats and dogs were collected weekly in London and that they were boiled down for, among other purposes, the making of dog biscuits and chicken meal. As one of the largest and oldest manufacturers of dog biscuits and chicken meal in the country, we should like to take the earliest opportunity of stating emphatically that this is entirely contrary to the practice in our own factory. Our factory is conducted on the most hygienic lines, and we are always ready to show anyone interested over the factory so that they can see the process of manufacture and satisfy themselves that none but the very best quality ingredients are used in our products. We shall be obliged if you will give equal publicity to this letter as was given to the statement referred to above, which is calculated very seriously to shake the confidence of the public in the products of manufacturers of dog biscuits and chicken meal and other similar foods.
Yours faithfully, For W. G. CLARKE & SONS, LTD. Manufacturers of Melox and Melox Marvels (Dog Foods) and "Clarke's Prepared Poultry Foods." Thomas Street, Limehouse, E. 14. (Signed F.S. Leuw, London, March 22 in some publications.)

CO. DOWN CAT THAT NURSED RATS. Belfast Telegraph, 12th June 1923
"Veritas" writes:- Some weeks ago, on a farmstead near Ballvnahinch, a rather peculiar incident occurred. A cat gave birth to two kitten, and shout a week afterwards one of them died and was removed. When visited nest morning her family had increased to six, and she was endeavouring to render suitable sustenance to five healthy young rats, evidently about a fortnight old, in addition to her own kitten. The mother cat showed signs of displeasure when an attempt was made to remove her from her strange bedfellow, and the junior cat seemed to be quite happy. The rats were (adds our correspondent) eventually drowned.

PUSSY COMES TO STAY Freeman's Journal, 19th June 1923
Russians Puzzled. Cat Remedy Proves Worse Than Mouse Disease. (By Gus M. Oehm) The Russian trade delegation to Poland have declared that they didn't know there were so many cats in the world. They explain it thus: Acting upon orders from Moscow, the delegation appealed for 10,000 cats to help wipe out the mouse plague in the Don district. The remit was that they were overwhelmed with offers by cat dealers, cat fanciers, cat thieves, cat exporters, and just plain cat traders. Sample Tom cats, pussies, Maltese, house, Persian. Tabby, and just ordinary back-fence cats arrived in crates, in boxes, in coops, on the [railway] line and under the arm. The Soviet Government now is pondering the question of how to counteract the cat epidemic which seems likely to result from its altruistic. efforts to rid the Don district of too many ravenous mice.

PROBLEM OF STRAY DOGS [AND CATS]. HOLIDAY SEASON AND HOUSEHOLD PETS . The Scotsman, 17th August 1923
Interesting figures were given yesterday to a representative of ‘The Scotsman’ concerning the destruction of diseased and stray cats and dogs by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Unintentional cruelty is often caused by mere thoughtlessness on the part of householders , and this factor is often more apparent during the holiday season when, according to the figures given, the number of stray or homeless cats shows an increase as compared with other times of the year . The Society for some time have been appealing to owners of unwanted or diseased dogs and cats to advise their officials of the fact, when the animals will be removed and humanely destroyed. Last year 1562 cats were destroyed by chloroform, and 153 dogs by the "Safeti" pistol. In January 196 cats were destroyed, in February 249, in March 371, in April 335 , in May 398, in June 347, and in July 400 - an average of 328 per month. . . . A subsequent call at the Edinburgh Dog Home revealed the fact that the lethal chambers have been disposed of, and in their place two “electric chairs” have been installed. It is claimed that they are even more humane than the lethal chambers, while the discomfort of the gas to the attendants is, of course, entirely obviated . . . A dog in the "chair" is given 2000 volts. The voltage for cats has not been computed .

[COMPARING CATS AND DOGS] Londonderry Sentinel, 6th September 1923
[. . . ] whoever goes to a cat show, though he may observe there is a wide variety of form and fur, carries away with him always an impression of having encountered but one immutable cat, endlessly looking out at him from a thousand feline eyes. Cats that are well treated may have an outward composure, and cats that are ill-treated a contrasted furtiveness; but, in good fortune and in bad, they are in truth the same cat. Domestic we may call them, out even on the hearthrug and beside the saucer they are aloof from our ways, sharing, it seems, none of our thoughts and having borrowed throughout the ages no part of our personality. It is, therefore, never possible to judge a household by its cat [but you can judge a person or a household by the type of dog they keep.]

[CAT RESCUED FROM DROWNING] Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, 5th October 1923
The old saying that cats have nine lives appears to have been illustrated at Lynmouth. A few evenings ago, when a big head of water was running down the from the moors, a black cat was observed in the river going seawards. Two young i men - Messrs. C. Litson and C. Holsgrove - thinking the cat showed signs of life, pulled it out, but it seemed absolutely inanimate. Half in fun, probably, they began artificial respiration, and even administered brandy. Animation was restored slowly but surely, and in a short time the rescued feline was enjoying itself by a fireside.

GRIMSBY SKIPPER AND HIS CAT. STAYED TO SAVE PUSSY ON SINKING TRAWLER. Nottingham Evening Post, 7th November 1923
The Grimsby trawler Magnolia was sunk in the Humber this morning in seven minutes after collision with the trawler Solon. The crew of 12 jumped overboard and were picked up by a tug. The skipper waited to put on his overcoat and find the black cat. Being successful in this he followed the crew and was picked up with the cat.

BAD FOR CATS. AUTUMN’S DEATH TOLL. Acton Gazette, 9th November 1923
On Tuesday a news agency stated that a “mysterious disease,” taking the form of swelling in the head and face, had broken out among Acton cats, and that cases had been treated at a local Dumb Animals’ Dispensary. At the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, Birbeck-road, the “Acton Gazette” was informed that nothing was known there of this feline epidemic. It was, however, stated that there was always a good deal of illness, very often fatal, amongst cats at this time of the year, owing the their tendency to eat dead insects and similar garbage, which was poisonous in its effects.

MAINE COON ANGORAS - The Davenport Democrat and Leader, 3rd December, 1923
Up in Maine a veterinary surgeon advertised beautiful Angora cats of any colour. Upon receipt of orders he would dye ordinary long-haired bushy-tailed Maine coon cats to correspond to the colour desired. He also sold guinea fowls as peacocks.

LOATHSOME CASE. MAN SENTENCED FOR CRUELTY TO CAT. North Star (Darlington), 20th December 1923
Remarking that it was a very loathsome case the Marylebone magistrate passed sentence of 21 days imprisonment on John Jotner, a hairdresser, of Kentish Town, for cruelty in ill-treating a tabby cat by beating it to death. According to the evidence the defendant “poked away” at the cat with a copper stick after it had taken refuge in some creepers in his back garden, and when the cat showed itself he struck it three times on the head. [R.S.P.C.A. brought witnesses.] One witness said he made rather hard work of it, and then to her horror she saw the cat fall to the ground. The defendant again struck it with the stick, and as it lay wriggling on the ground with its tongue hanging out he picked it up and put it into a pail containing about a pint of water.

The defendant denied that he was wilfully cruel. The cat showed signs of being very ill, and he gave it some oxalic acid to put an end to its sufferings. Seeing that it was in pain he rendered it unconscious, and finally disposed of it by putting it into the water. In passing sentence the magistrate remarked that no fine would be sufficient to bring home to the defendant’s mind his duty to animals. Notice of appeal was given. [Note: on appeal at the London Sessions, the sentence of 21 days’ imprisonment was reduced to a £25 fine.]

POISONED DOGS. LIBERTON "EPIDEMIC" RECURS The Scotsman, 24th April 1924
Two theories are current with regard to the poisoning of a number of dogs and cats in the Liberton area of Edinburgh. It is supposed that the animals have died as the result of eating rat poison. There are several facts which go towards substantiating the theory of deliberate scheming. Within recent weeks the deaths among these animals in the Liberton district have been upon a large scale. Analysis has pointed to the fact that deaths have been due to strychnine poisoning. Similar outbreaks in the district have not been unknown. They have occurred spasmodically during the last five years at least. Several of the residents in Liberton state that their occurrence is annual, and that it generally coincides with the period when the dogs might be supposed to be in litter. . . So persistent, however, have the cases recently become that the matter has been placed in the hands of the police.

POISONING EPIDEMIC IN EDINBURGH SUBURB. DOMESTIC PETS AS VICTIMS. Sunday Post, 6th July 1924
Edinburgh, Saturday. About three months ago, in the suburb of Liberton, there was a poisoning epidemic - confined, fortunately, to canine and feline pets. Many valuable dogs and cats met with a mysterious end that time. Within the past few days the epidemic of poisoning has once more broken out, and many valuable animals are succumbing. Complaints to the police as the ravages of the mysterious epidemic among the domestic pets have been many, and inquiries into the cause are being prosecuted.

COVENTRY & DISTRICT NEWS
Coventry Evening Telegraph, 17th October 1924
Do you agree with a tax on foreign cat's-meat?" was one of the questions submitted to Major Boyd-Carpenter at last night's meeting.

POISONED CATS. BURTON RESIDENTS INDIGNANT OVER EPIDEMIC. Birmingham Daily Gazette, 24th November 1924
Much indignation is being expressed by residents in Stapenhill, Burton-on-Trent, over the poisoning, believed to have been intentionally and maliciously done, of a number of cats, including many valuable Persians, during the last few days. In every case the symptoms are the same. Puss becomes ill and listless, refuses to touch food and eventually dies. The Corporation Sanitary Department have ruled out any connection between the baiting during rat week and the poisoning of the cats.

[CAERAU COURT CASE, CAT VS. PIGEONS]
Glamorgan Gazette, 7th November 1924
[Court case between Thomas Jones, collier, Tonna Road, Caerau] and William Rowlands, a colliery examiner, of Tonna Road, Caerau, for £18, said to be the value of pigeons alleged to have been killed by a cat belonging to Rowlands. Mr Gwyn Rees (instructed by Mr W.M. Thomas) appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr J.R. Snape defended. The proceedings, which commenced on Thursday afternoon, lasted until mid-day on Friday.

Thomas Jones, collier, Tonna Road, Caerau, said on the morning in question he happened to look at plaintiff’s pigeon cot, and saw a cat half-way out of the entrance, He fetched defendant, and they chased the cat, which, however, eluded them, escaping over the next back wall. Plaintiff attempted to knock up Rowlands several times, but failed. They then returned to the pigeons’ cot, where they found eight birds dead and four small ones dying.

Mr Snape: How many cats did you chase? – One, sir.
His Honour: Is there more than one cat?
Mr Snape: It is my case sir, that the plaintiff has mistaken the cats.
At this point two cats were placed before His Honour, which were very similar in appearance.

Plaintiff, who said he was living in Tonna Road at the time of the alleged killing of the pigeons, corroborated the last witness, adding that it was not until 10.30 that he was able to see the defendant. When he was able to see him he asked him what he was going to do about it, and whether he was going to compensate him. Defendant relied that it was not his cat. He (plaintiff) had previously warned Rowlands about his cat. He valued the pigeons at £18, adding that they were racing pigeons, and had brought him £45 in prizes since 1918. He emphatically added that neither of the two cats produced was the cat which killed his pigeons. The culprit was a lighter-coloured cat than those produced.

Mr Snape here contended that in view of this admission he had no case to answer, but His Honour thought otherwise. Plaintiff now said that the cat which killed his kittens [sic – he meant pigeons] was known as Kitty, and if the defendant would give him permission, he would produce the cat in Court. His Honour instructed that Rowlands was to give plaintiff permission to get the cat, who, in his turn, was to bring the cat before the Court the following day, until when the case would be adjourned.

From the resumption the following day a long period was devoted to legal argument, eventually plaintiff being put into the box again. He said he had found the cat which had killed the pigeons. This cat and the other two were placed side by side, and His Honour remarked that they were very much alike. Huntley went on to explain that he had found the cat at Rowland’s son’s house at the top of Caerau, and then went on to describe the cot. In cross-examination by Mr Snape, he denied that he had blamed his wife for leaving the trap [door of pigeon cot] open. He also admitted that he thought the bars placed 3 inches apart inside the trap would be able to keep the cats out.

W.F. Thomas, Tonna Road, Caerau, said he had had experience with pigeons and thought £18 as the value of the pigeons was a very reasonable offer.
His Honour: Four of the pigeons are priced at 30s each.
Witness: All I can say is I wish I could have bought them at that price.
What would you say if anyone said that a cat could get though bars three inches apart? – I would have hit them on the head with the bar. (Laughter.)
Defendant now said he had lived in Tonna Road over 30 years, and had kept cats all the time, and had had no complaint about them. When Huntley first went to Tonna Road he helped him build his first cot. He went on to describe his talk with Huntley, and told him he had made a mistake, as his cat was in the house all the night of the alleged killing. Kitty (the cat) had been under the stairs in a cupboard all night. The one produced in Court was a tom-cat named “Snowball,” which belonged to his son.

Mattie Rowlands, daughter of the last witness, said Kitty was under the stairs, and Snowball was on the mat in front of the fire. She, however, corrected herself. Snowball was not there at all.
Margaret Rowlands, another daughter, gave similar evidence, adding that she had put Kitty under the stairs.
His Honour: Where was Snowball? – Snowball was not there.
Are you sure it was not your cat that killed the pigeons? – Yes, sir.
Thomas John Rowlands, son of the defendant, gave evidence to the effect that Snowball was his cat, and had been his since the 23rd April last.

His Honour remarked that the case was a very difficult one to decide. He was quite sure that the witnesses on both sides had not confined themselves to telling the truth. The evidence called had not proved that the cat which did the damage belonged to the defendant, and the action would therefore fail. Judgment was given for defendant, with costs.

WHY NOT CATS?
Western Daily Press, 27th November 1924
We have had our rat week. I wonder how many dogs and cats have suffered [poisoning] as well as the rats. Now, if someone would only find a way of utilising rat skins the trappers would be as keen after them as they have been after that little sleek-coated mole; but as the humans cannot be always on the watch for rats, they must utilise cats for this. Probably it is by reason of this that Professor Robert Wallace, of Edinburgh, suggests that strains of cats with “superior ratting qualification" should be bred upon Mendelian principles to kill rats. Such cats should be available to public authorities. In the meantime it may be as well for some cat-owners whose pets have thick furry coats to prepare for a parting. There is a market value for the skin of a well-furred cat, and naturally supply follows demand. Sometimes when we tread on the tail of a cat we may wish it elsewhere, but it must be admitted that there is nothing better than a good cat to keep the unwanted rodents down. But such cats must not sleep in a cosy hamper or on the hearthrug overnight.

A CAT’S DEVOTION
(Numerous papers) 26th November 1924
One woman is dead and several people are suffering from injuries as the result of a disastrous fire which occurred early yesterday morning in a block of flats in York Street, Piccadilly, London. The fire originated on the first floor and spread quickly. It was not got under control till after the roof collapsed. An incident connection with the fire was the care and love which a cat showed for her kittens. The Savoy Turkish Baths forma part of the building in which the fire occurred, and in the premises was a cat and her recently-born kittens. For some time there was danger that the fire might extend to this part the building, but notwithstanding this, the cat made no effort to the place, but remained on guard beside her kittens throughout the excitement.

ALL CATS! ROUND THE SHOW WITH A Niece Birmingham Daily Gazette, 28th January 1925
By Richard Carol. Gentle reader, have you ever been to a Cat Show? If you have not, and a delightful portion of femininity begs and beseeches you to accompany her to display the points of darling Twinkie, plead a subtle indisposition to which a feline atmosphere would be fatal. I had no one to warn me; and when my charming niece Veronica asked me to come, I went. I shall say nothing of the disadvantages of early rising on a cold winter's morning, of packing a lively kitten in a wicker basket, and maintaining the equilibrium of the same whilst carrying it. I shall merely transport you, much quicker than I was transported, to the scene of the show, where the vet held Twinkie up by the gills and gazed soulfully into her eyes. Apparently he was satisfied, for he handed the animal back to Veronica. Then my ears were assailed by a strange discord composed of twenty-five different mews, each a discord in itself. They ranged in timbre from the staccato voice of the Siamese - sometimes like a throaty raven, sometimes like an asthmatic sheep - to a lusty, reverberating screech. The screech, however, I learned afterwards belonged not to the show, but to an Australian cockatoo in another part of the building.

Veronica now instructed me how to clean the pen with disinfectant, cautioning me against putting any on the bars, but omitting to tell me that it would leave an indelible stain on my face. Meantime she combed out Twinkie's tail and mane, or ruff as it is termed in cat chat, and talked cats to all those near. One was lavishly besprinkling a Chinchilla with white powder; another was telling a reporter that her cat was second cousin twice removed to the dusky black sold to the King of Cerebro Meningitis, and that he'd better put it in the paper under the photo, or she'd [want to] know the reason why. A cheery lot!

It was now 10 a.m. Freed for the moment, I wandered round and said "Howdo" to a healthy selection of the exhibits. There were short hairs, long hairs, short legs and long legs. There were Siamese with black tails, and Manx that had no tails at all. There were Blues with heads - I mean masks [jowls] - the size of plates and eyes the size of saucers. There were jazz cats called Tortoiseshells, striped cats called Tabbies, and cats - well, you wouldn't have known they were cats if you hadn't seen the label. Three times I wandered round, passing the time of day, sympathising with breeders about the ravages of infectious somethingitis, show fever and housemaid's knee, and the unreasonable attitude of judges towards his or her cats. I then found it was 11 a.m. so I slipped out and took coffee.

About 11.45 I returned, to find Veronica still ruffling Twinkie's ruffle. I suggested lunch. She assented, as the judging was just about to commence. Judging, incidentally, is a rather complicated affair. The judge seizes the animal by the hind legs and the gills, looks at him mournfully, and drops him on an occasional table. This, I believe, is to see if he will bounce. They then run 'em up and down the room to show off their points, and afterwards send out a search party to collect strays. I'm not too sure on this last point, however, so I should be chary of quoting this in any technical journal. We had lunch. We had coffee after lunch. We had afternoon tea. We had high tea. The judges were judging. I wonder if they were having tea inside, too. At last we were allowed back. Veronica rushed straight to the pen. A blue card bearing the mystic word "Special" greeted us. Veronica cooed with delight.

"Oh, Uncle Dick, do run up to the notice board and see what it's for. Be a dear!"

I went. I looked. The Special was awarded to Miss Makadoo, Pin 53. Our pen was 54. Feverishly I hunted in my catalogue. The prize was 2s. 6d., offered by Lady Pumkin for the best long-haired eyes, whatever that means. I returned to the pen.

"Half-a-crown, Veronica," I said cheerily. "Here it is, and off we go.”

A well-spent half-crown, I thought. But as we bundled out Veronica disillusioned me. "Isn't it wonderful? Uncle, we simply must show her at the Southern Counties next month." Not if I know it.

WESTON-SUPER-MARE. YOU GAY PUSS! Western Daily Press, 21st July 1925
A cat boarded the Reading excursion train to Weston-super-Mare and returned in the evening wearing a label,on which was written: "One cat, passenger to Reading. I have journeyed to Weston-super-Mare, dined at the West signal-box, and had a jolly good time."

THE CAT, THE CHICKEN, THE GUN. Leeds Mercury, 6th August 1925
Damages for loss of a cat were claimed yesterday the Dewsbury County Court by Rupert Randolph White, of Bank House Cottages, Morley, who claimed from Harry Dean, poultryman, of Victoria-road.
Dean said he saw the cat on his premises and he rushed into the home for his gun, which was already loaded for the job. He added “The cat would have got it before today if I had not had the gun under repair.”
His Honour: Where was the cat when you shot it?-It was climbing half way up the wall.
His Honour said Dean did not catch the cat actually in pursuit of chickens, and therefore White must succeed and there would be judgment for him for and costs.

APPEAL FOR MR. LOUIS WAIN. ILL-HEALTH OF CAT ARTIST. Westminster Gazette, 12th August 1925
An appeal for financial help for Mr. Louis Wain, the famous cat artist, the Westminster Gazette understands, is to be made shortly. For nearly a year Mr. Wain has been lying dangerously ill in Hanwell Asylum, suffering from a mental breakdown, and it is feared that he may never be able to work again. A friend of the artist's for the past seventeen years told the Westminster Gazette yesterday that he had been strange in his manner for two or three years.

"The last time I saw Wain,” his friend remarked, was just over a year ago. He was then full of wonderful ideas, which could never have been carried out. He completed a sketch for my autograph hook, however. which showed that his hand had lost nothing of its cunning. His resources are small and he has also a sister, Claire Wain. dependent upon him.”

Mr Louis Wain is 65. His cat drawings soon placed him in the front rank of animal artists. He is President of the National Cat Club, and a member of the Grand Council of Our Dumb Friends' League.

FAMOUS ARTIST’S PLIGHT. APPEAL MADE FOR LOUIS WAIN, THE CAT CARTOONIST. Portsmouth Evening News, 12th August 1925
Louis Wain, the great cat artist, has been discovered in the pauper ward of one of the Metropolitan lunatic asylums. The outbreak of war put an end to Mr. Wain’s means of livelihood, and he gradually found himself penniless. In 1922 he was admitted as a pauper to Hanwell Institution, where has been ever since. An appeal for funds for the famous cartoonist, who is 65 years of age, is being made by Mrs. Cecil Chesterton through the columns of “Animals,” and is supported by many famous writers and artists. Mr. Wain was 23 when he first drew a cat. Since then it is estimated that he has drawn nearly 200,000. Cats have always appealed to him; he has belonged to nearly all the societies and institutions for their protection, and was President of the National Cat Club from 1891 to 1896.

MR LOUIS WAIN Halifax Evening Courier, 12th August 1925
His breakdown was due to his lack of business acumen. He sold the copyright of his pictures, and the war put an end to his sales. He gradually became penniless. Some of his old friends and lovers of his work are trying to raise £1,000 so that he may spend his remaining days in greater comfort. “He has not asked for help, and I think he would be annoyed if he knew that an attempt was being made to raise money for him,” said one of his friends yesterday.

LOUIS WAIN. GREAT CAT ARTIST IN PENURY. Shields Daily News, 12th August 1925
That Louis Wain, the great cat artist is a penniless inmate of an asylum in London, will come as a shock to millions of people. His plight is another of the many tragedies of men who have reached the pinnacle of distinction in the gentle art of raising a laugh. His cat caricatures were irresistible to young and old. The past tense is employed here because the drawings of the artist seemed to have slipped from one’s notice these last ten or fifteen years, till the present generation of school children might be excused, if they professed ignorance of Louis Wain or his works. It is a tribute to the artist that his drawings have been carefully preserved by many doctors and dentists, and especially those who cater in particular for children. Those of us who have laughed over and over again at his cat pictures that had such an important place in the picture books of our youth, had visions of the artist living in the lap of luxury with his feline friends around him.

ALL COPYRIGHTS GONE. His poverty is not the result of extravagance or heedlessness but of a lack of business acumen. Louis Wain when disposing of his drawings made the mistake of selling them outright without reserving to himself the copyrights. When illness overtook him just after the war, he had to bid good-bye to art and live upon his capital. As he had relatives dependent upon him his resources soon dwindled to such an extent that he had to enter an institution in London. Now in view of the great artist’s 65th birthday, members the National Cat Club are interesting themselves in his welfare so his remaining years shall not be overshadowed by poverty. An appeal is made to all lovers of cats to assist in the establishment of a fund as a small token of regard. Mr Wain was originally an assistant master at a western London school art and intended adopting the Music Hall profession, but his powers illustrating cat life had prior call and since 1886 he devoted his efforts in that direction.

DREW 150,000 CAT PICTURES. For years Mr Wain kept a large family of cats and it has been computed that during his career he has drawn no fewer than 150,000 pictures of them. For four years he was president of the National Cat Club and later Chairman of the Committee of the Club. He is a Londoner by birth, his father being a North Staffordshire man and his mother a Parisienne. It was in 1883 that he first drew cats, having joined the staff of the "Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News” in the previous year.

THE LOUIS WAIN FUND. SCOPE OF BENEFACTION TO EXTENDED. Gloucester Citizen, 9th September 1925
More than £1,300 has been received in subscriptions towards the fund started to assist Louis Wain, the famous cat artist, who has been an inmate of a State mental hospital since 1923. Contributions from other sources have increased the total of the fund to £1,559. This was reported to members of the Fund Committee at their meeting on Tuesday afternoon at Donnington House, Norfolk-street, by the chairman of the committee, Mr. Horace P. Bastow. Mr. Bastow said it had been overlooked that Mr. Wain had dependents, and it now became necessary that the fund should be extended for the benefit of those for whom he had been breadwinner. The least they could aim at was £2,500 to £3,000. Cat clubs throughout the country had promised to organise special "Louis Wain" classes at their shows, the proceeds of entrance fees to go to the fund. . . . it was through the influence and work of Mr. Ramsay MacDonald that it had been found possible to secure Mr. Wain's admission to Bethlem Royal Hospital [more comfortable and this freed him from the taint of “pauper”].

[CATS IN COURT] Hendon & Finchley Times, 11th December 1925
'Tis said that a cat may look at a King. Also, it appears, a cat may sit a judicial Bench. When Mrs. Agnes Robinson, Golders Green, sued a neighbour for damages or injuries to her cat, caused, she alleged, by his dog. the cat was released from its basket and placed on the Bench in front of the Registrar, Mr. T. V. Vaughan-Roderick, at Marylebone County Court. The cat was a Persian and was stated to have won many prizes and championships. In spite of past honours, however, and in spate of the high place occupied by the cat during the hearing of the case, the dog, a fox terrier, won the day, its master gaining judgment, with costs.

It was a strange coincidence that on the same day (this was Friday last) cats were a subject of interest in the Divisional Court, before Mr. Justice Shearman and Mr. Justice Sankev. Here it was held that a cat is» entitled to its first bite of pigeon and that the owner of a cat is not liable for its misdeeds until the fact is pointed out to him that it has developed vice. The cat before the Court was stated to have killed pigeons and bantams without the knowledge of its owner, who had successfully defended himself against a summons, on the ground that he was unaware of the animal's hunting activities. This result was appealed against on behalf of a society of homing pigeon fanciers. This appeal failed, but I can imagine the cat in question shivering when Mr. Shearman remarked that many a poor cat that had developed fierce tendencies had been put a bucket or thrown into the Thames with a brick round its neck. Perhaps at that moment pussy realised for the first time what had been the cause of the disappearance of his (or her) auntie, cousin, nephew, niece, or sweetheart.

A TENDER-HEARTED CAT. Derry Journal, 18th January 1926
It is frequently observed that of all domestic animals, cats show the least signs of ever being inspired by the finer instincts. The following incident which occurred in the home friend may, then, be taken as the exception which proves the rule. One day the cat belonging to the house appeared on the doorstep, followed closely by a starved-looking companion which was limping pitifully from the effects of a badly injured paw. The stranger was at once led by his benefactor to where the usual dish of bread and milk was waiting. But the pain in the animal's paw seemed to be excruciating that he could not eat. The fact of a fellow cat being unable to eat seemed to puzzle the other for a time. Eventually he lifted the injured limb in his own fore paws and submitted it to a thorough licking. To his obvious surprise, however, the action did not prove an immediate remedy, and he was forced to abandon this line of treatment. At this point a young lady, who had witnessed the incident, look compassion on the injured animal and dressed the damaged paw which was soon well on the way to recovery. Eventually it was decided to adopt him as a companion for the other cat. For many weeks after this the original occupant of the box would not touch any food until the invalid had been fed. Then he would turn to his own plate satisfied that all was right. Thus the pair quickly became staunch friends, and have since been inseparable.

A CAT'S NINE LIVES. Western Daily Press, 14th February 1927
Cats, it is said, are provided by nature with nine lives. The very remarkable case in which a Bedford mouser returned home after passing through a lethal chamber suggests that the saying is a true one. In reading this case one recalled several instances in which cats showed extraordinary tenacity to life. Many years ago, before Colston Avenue was built, cat whose home had been in Ashley Road, was thrown into the water with a whole brick tied to its neck. The next morning the poor creature returned home, minus the brick, but with the cord still around its neck. How it had managed to escape was a mystery. The story got round the neighbourhood, and the cat became quite a celebrity. The next remarkable incident of this kind, however, concerned a cat which escaped from drowning and death by hanging within a few hours. The excited demeanour of a Scotch terrier - sworn enemy of cats - induced its owner to go to the bottom of the garden. Then she saw a cat hanging from one of the branches of a tree. The cord was cut, puss was carried indoors, and soon revived. She had evidently been thrown into the river nearby with a stone tied to her neck, had escaped, and as she jumped over the garden wall the wet cord had become entangled in the branch. The lady who communicated this incident to the writer stated that the cat and dog became devoted friends.

CONCERNING CATS. Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette, 15th July 1927
The German does not love to see the cat domesticated on his hearth as the Englishman does, and in order to educate him in this respect Berlin has been inaugurating a cat show, so that the sentimental German heart shall be touched by having presented to it the human and sentimental aspects of felinity. Perhaps the sentimental aspect of a cat is precisely the one which has been lost sight of in England, if indeed it really exists. What we stress is the baffling self-sufficiency, the innate mystery of the tigery little creatures who lie upon our rugs and merely permit us to admire them in their ravishing poses But if the Englishman feels a greater attraction to cats than the German, is not the Englishman hopelessly outvied by the Englishwoman, and does the Englishwoman at her most fervent admiration approach in intensity the Frenchwoman in the passion of her cat-love? There is a Book of the Dog, but it is only by a sad mischance that France has not given to the world the Book of the Cat, for it was half-written and planned by the delightful Madame Michelet. No one, it seems to me -and I am a great cat-lover myself - has loved cats like Madame Michelet.

“I have had a hundred," she said one day to her husband. "Or rather," her husband corrected, "a hundred cats have had Madame Michelet.” "I must write a Book of the Cat," she insisted. “No, no," said Michelet, ''my friend Champfleury is doing it." Madame Michelet wrote to Champfieury, who replied that though his little study of the cat was already in the press he was deeply conscious of its inadequacy. "Only a woman can convey any idea of the cat's delicate nature, and among women you alone, by your profound sentiment towards them, can make the world understand les mille nuances de la race feline.”

Madame Michelet had no sooner embarked upon her task than her husband died, and she spent the next twenty-five years in classifying and editing his papers. Her Book of the Cat remains only a tantalising brochure. She would have something to say, however, to the idea that the German must love the cat because the cat, like himself, is sentimental. It is the reserve, the dignity of the cat, says Madame Michelet, which clutch at the heart-strings. A dog is all things to all men; under the eye of his master he will lick the hand of any stranger. Is not this lack of discrimination a little vulgar, a vulgarity of which cats are never guilty? Madame Michelet agrees with Champfleury that women are the true comprehenders of the cat, but adds to them men in whose nature is a streak of feminine sensibility. Between sensibility and sentimentality there is indeed a great gulf fixed.

STRANGE FRIENDS. Falkirk Herald, 16th July 1927
Berlin recently had its first cat show, and in one of the cages people were amazed to see a cat, some chickens, three rats, and two squirrels all living quite happily together.

DEAD CAT COMES BACK! Tamworth Herald, 15th October 1927
Nine months ago a half-Persian, belonging to a Crossgate (Durham) family, died, and the body, enclosed in a sack, was buried in the garden. To the surprise of the household, it is declared, the cat re-entered the house the other day, and has since shown marked resentment that another had been installed in her place. The family is emphatic that the returned animal is the one interred early in the year. The cat shows ready knowledge of her surroundings and is friendly with the household dog. She has also been identified by certain markings.

[RAILWAY CATS] Hull Daily Mail, 26th October 1927
The death of N*gger, the Paddington cat, under the wheels of a train, reminds me of another rail cat which was minus a tail. “Manx?” asked a passenger. “No,” said a porter, “4.15 express.”

A REAL CAT THIEF. SOMERSET OWNER ROBBED OF VALUABLE ANIMAL.
Western Daily Press, 1st December, 1927

A valuable long-haired cat from Somerset, which was to have been shown at the National Cat Club's championship show at Crystal Palace yesterday, was stolen on Tuesday night while its owner was taking tea with a friend at Croydon. The animal “Curzon O’ The Combe,” had travelled with three others in baskets in a car from Combe Head, Chard, in the care of its owner Miss Langhorne, and a friend. Miss Langhorne was greatly upset by the loss.

"We had driven up from Chard with the four cats and had stopped to have tea with some friends in Nottingham Road, South Croydon,” she said. "We left the cats in the car. When we came out again, Curzon and the basket had disappeared. Curzon was rather a valuable cat – he was priced in the catalogue at ten guineas, and had won prizes at shows, notably last year at Crystal Palace when he took a second.”

Immediately on discovering her loss Miss Langhorne informed the local police and also telephoned to Scotland Yard.

[90 KITTENS] Hull Daily Mail, 12th December 1927
“Jennie,” a 14-year-old cat belonging to Miss Florence Borley, of Winshill, Burton-on-Trent, has died, after giving birth to its 90th kitten. Several of her kittens obtained prizes in several shows.

CATS FOR FUR
Cat Gossip 5 December 1928

It will be remembered that some months back a Continental firm advertised in the columns of a contemporary, seeking an English agent to supply them regularly with cats. We understand that they received a large number of replies from would-be cat-suppliers in England — and Rumour, which, as we once remarked, is a lying jade, put it about that the contract had been secured by one of our foremost and leading Fanciers —we do not know who has the contract, but are satisfied it is not the party in question. Many will be interested to know that the advertisers were a great firm of fur-animal breeders in Saxony. We have seen their booklet illustrating a number of fur-animals on their fur-farm, and amongst these we find the Blue Persian Cat! (supplied, presumably, by an English breeder).

Now there is, on the face of it, no more cruelty in breeding animals for furs than in raising poultry for the table; it is far preferable to trapping; and it is clear that fur animals on a fur-farm properly run are kept in the best possible conditions and humanely killed. From the illustrations we judge that the animals on the farm in question have a better lot than those kept by some few Fanciers, if we are to credit the reports we hear as to cats kept in tea chests and the like. All the same, though in these commercial days we fear there are many who care not how money is made as long as it is made, we are sure that to a majority of cat-fanciers the idea of breeding cats for furs is intensely repugnant.

“Fanciers” nowadays are fast becoming unworthy of the title — it is grim business all the time; “Fanciers” not only breed to kill, but also to supply vivisectors. May the day be far distant when the Cat Fancy sinks to the low level of some fancies, when we may expect to see (though never in Cat Gossip) the Fancy Press embellished with charming diagrams illustrative of “How to skin and paunch cats for furs;” and every week there will be Answers to Correspondents instructing the novice “at what age kittens are best killed for pelts,” and “how to kill and bleed cats without injury to the pelt.” To our thinking, when a “Fancy ” is run on those lines, the word “Fancy” becomes entirely a misnomer, and should be replaced by the word “Trade,” a word which many regretted to see appear in a recent official notice regarding business done in cats! Commercialism keeps many Cat lovers away!

CATS, SHORT AND LONG HAIRED, ARE OF MANY BREEDS
The Kansas City Star, December 14 1928.
As Told to Mara Evans In the Saturday Evening Post.
IN comparison with dogs, you don’t usually think of cats as differing very greatly. When you look at a cairn terrier, a Great Dane, an English sheep dog, a
Chihuahua, a French bulldog and a German dachshund, you begin to think that, after all, there are just cats. But there’s a good deal of difference. First of all, there are the two breeds: the long-haired Persian, Russian, Angora. Maine Angora, Blue Carthusian, and so on - that developed in cold, mountainous, eastern countries; and the short-haired European cats that originated in warmer climates and never grew the heavier protective coat.

Then there is the difference in color. From the three colors which were probably the original cat colors, orange, black and white, twelve delicate shades have gradually developed - some fanciers would possibly make the number even higher - and each color, except silver, has its representatives in both long-haired and short- haired types. The white cat is the common cat of the Orient; it sometimes has orange eyes and sometimes blue, in which case it is, like any white animal with blue eyes, usually deaf. Albinism - a deficiency in pigmentation - has always seemed as repellant to me as any deformity, but some of my customers - especially ladies of the stage, who have to travel a good deal - prefer the deaf white Persians. Protected from noises that terrify normal cats, they make good travelers.

The tabby is a cat striped like a wild cat. Some believe it is the result of a crossing with the wild species. The Maltese is a blue gray with no black stripes except very occasionally on the forelegs; some naturalists claim that the Maltese, or Blue, is the connecting link between the tabby and the white cat, and has lost the tabby’s stripes. The tortoiseshell is fawn colored, mottled with orange and black.

Nowadays you see at shows, besides the white, orange and black, tortoiseshell, red tabby, brown tabby, smoke - blue and black crossed with shaded silver - silver, silver tabby, shaded silver -almost the color of marmosets – chinchilla - unmarked paler silver with a faint lavender shade, no touch of brown or cream, and clear, green eyes - quite a trick to produce; cream - like new butter, with no markings or shadings - masked silver and blue.

Angoras and Persians were formerly two very closely allied strains, but the Angora has almost died out. The Persian has definitely replaced the Angora in Europe. Some people say Angora cats were eaten as food during the famine years of the Great War. As far as any difference between them is concerned, I should say the Angora's hair was softer, very glossy and hung in clusters. the tail like the coat, and the head was a little more angular. Persians have a woolly undercoat. The Indian white cat is often better than the Persian - more cobby, with a trailing coat and a very snub face. The cats known as Maine Angoras are a species that arose in New England years ago, when trading vessels from all parts of the world brought
long-haired cats into our ports from the East. As compared with other long-haired cats, Maine cats are apt to have poorer coats and better shaped heads. The Russian cat is probably the most woolly of all, with rather wiry hair in its coat, and a very bushy tail. It is usually a dark colored cat. And the Blue Carthusian - which I haven’t; seen for some time - was a cat with long, dark grayish-blue fur, black lips and soles.

PUSS IN THE CORNER. TO-DAY’S CAT AND HOW TO TREAT HER London Daily News, 28th December 1928
Cats have been considered lucky possessions since the days of the early Egyptians, and to judge by the numbers of visitors and purchasers at recent cat shows modern woman takes the same view. Blue Persians are the favourites of the moment for these beautiful creatures, with coats ranging from a clear, deep blue to pale lavender, are decorative in any home. The woman who loves blue and has her boudoir decorated in shades of blue, grey and gold will often buy a blue Persian to add a living note to her colour scheme.

Those who buy expensive pedigree cats frequently make the mistake of thinking that because a high price has been paid the animal must live in pampered luxury. Lady Alexander (wife of Sir Claud Alexander), one of the best known breeders of cats in this country, and owner of many prize-winning champions, told me that the prize animals at her home, Fay Gate, Sussex, are not kept in the house or in heated catteries.

“Of course I know that this is much more difficult, if not quite impossible when one lives in town,” she declared. “Cats, however, are very much like human beings, and suffer if they are overfed or over-pampered. Two solid meals are quite enough a day for a healthy cat. The food that suits them best is raw meat, fish and milk.”

Lady Alexander has some Red Tabbies that are considered by experts to be the best in the British Isles, and can also boast that rarity a Tortoiseshell Tom. She is also very fond of some tortoiseshell and white kittens which run about at her country home, as this combination is becoming rare. “Pure tortoiseshell cats are going out,” she said, “and at the present rate will be very rare in a few years.”

The cats popular at the moment are: Blue Persians, Chinchillas, Siamese.

This is how one judges the perfection of one’s own pet: A Blue Persian should have an evenly coloured fur, long and thick, with no streaks or varying shades, a blue nose, and deep copper-coloured, not green, eyes. The colour of the coat should be a clear blue. A Chinchilla should have emerald green eyes, a snub nose, broad, short face, and be a clear silver without any shading. The Siamese face, on the contrary, should be wedged shaped, its eyes blue, and its coat a clear fawn with dense chocolate-coloured markings.

In most cats good breed is shown by snubness of the nose and the broadness of the face. All cats should have tiny ears.

The aristocrat of the cat world is undoubtedly the Chinchilla, and as much as 15 guineas is often asked for a Chinchilla kitten. Blue Persians, too, sometimes fetch this price. The Siamese, though they make good pets, have a quarrelsome streak, and are happier as the “only pet of the family.” A Dutch black and white cat, with lovely glossy fur and magpie colouring, was an unusual sight at a recent show, and gained a first prize. Familiar and homely looking as these black and white cats are, they are far from common in a perfect breed, and must not be confused with the common garden cat who is the proud owner of a white waistcoat. All-black Persians, too, are rare enough to be considered lucky. A cat which is much coveted as a pet just now is a “Blue Cream,” so called on account of its rich blue and cream coat. The one pictured here [note: image too poor quality to reproduce] belongs to Mrs. Soames, of Bexhill-on-Sea.

Lady Alexander and Mrs. Soames both credit cats with as much intelligence and faithfulness as dogs, and both can tell many true stories to prove it.

“Cats show much more sense than dogs in crossing roads, and have a greater traffic sense,” said Lady Alexander. She and her husband have some wild cats as pets, but these are practically untameable.

UNFATHOMABLE MINDS OF CATS. Halifax Evening Courier, 24th January 1929
Strange fascinations and fears associated with cats were discovered by a Pressman to-day, when investigating the question raised by a correspondent whether a terror of cats can be overcome. To many, a cat has an uncanny, mysterious, almost mesmeric fascination, but the sight of him will fill others almost with terror and they will feel uneasy if a cat is in the room, even if they cannot see it. They "sense" Its Presence. Others again are fond of grown cats, but have a horror of kittens.

Asthma is sometimes attributed to the presence of a cat. A London doctor described the case of a little boy whose asthma became had if he went near a cat. If he were invited to a party inquiries had first to be made whether there was a cat anywhere in the house. Much the same effect was said to come from a canary or from sleeping on a pillow stuffed with feathers.

Mr. Cyril Yeates, secretary of the National Cat Club, spoke of the strange unfathomable mind of a cat. "Men, I think, are just as fond of cats as women are," he said. "Recently I was taking a cat to a veterinary in a basket and I had to stop in a side street. The cat mowed piteously and at least 10 men of all classes came from the main street to inquire what was the matter. Sometimes, when old ladies die, the house is found to be full of cats. The cats have multiplied and multiplied, and the good ladies will not have any destroyed, with the result that they are over run with them and the owners sometimes starve themselves to feed the cats.”

"A cat is frightfully difficult to understand and will do extraordinary things which no-one can understand. My little girl, Margerie, had a cat which attached itself passionately to a weird-looking, rather futuristic Parisian doll which she hid. Wherever the doll went the cat went and it would not sleep except by the side or the doll, which it would search for if hidden. Cats will sometimes refuse food unless it is given to them in a special place. They like a regular corner for meals and will not take them anywhere else. No one, perhaps, can understand properly a cat's mind."

A veterinary surgeon said that there was no way of overcoming an aversion for cats. "In a similar way some people cannot bear to be in a room with a bird," he said. "If they cannot see it, they can feel it is there. A horror or birds is more frequently met with than a dislike for cats. Similarly, some cannot bear the sight of a rat, living or dead. You cannot explain such things."

CRUELTY TO CATS. SINGULAR CASE AT THE WIGTON COURT. Wigton Advertiser, 26th January 1929
At the Wigton Polies Court on Tuesday, John Robert Priestman, contractor, Hesket-New-Market, was summoned for cruelly illtreating two cats by beating them with a brush on December 13th. Mr. G. W. Davidson, Carlisle, appeared for defendant, who pleaded not guilty.

James Elliot, Motor-driver, Lane Head, Haltcliffe, stated that he was engaged in removing furniture from Howbeck to near Carlisle for Mr. Stephenson, who then lived in a house belonging to the defendant. Witness saw five cats in Stephenson's house. They were almost finished loading the furniture when Mr. Stephenson thought he would like to carry his cats away with him, but was unable to catch them. Defendant said he would "do away with the cats" for him. The cats, full sized ones, were in the kitchen, and defendant, getting a long-handled sweeping brush, went into the kitchen and closed the door. Witness heard a noise as of a brush striking the floor, and one cat came through the broken pane of a window. Somehow or other the door came open, and defendant killed another cat in the doorway, striking it several times with the brush. A third cat got past into the yard, where defendant struck it several times, but it managed to get away, apparently injured. Witness turned away sick of the whole thing.

Charles Richard Stephenson, commercial traveller, who was tenant of the cottage at the time, gave evidence, also P.C. Elliott, Caldbeck. Defendant gave evidence to the effect that he was merely chasing the cats out of the house with the brush, and killed one with an accidental blow. Mr. Davidson said that Mr Priestman seemed to be surrounded by cats, and being the owner of the house it was his ambition to clear it of them, as four or five cats left in a house would create most objectionable conditions. Drowning the cats would have lasted a good few minutes longer.

The Chairman (Mr. R. Hornsby) said the Bench considered that the defendant took a wrong course in regard to the cats: but perhaps he might know that cats were not so easy to destroy–they were supposed to have nine lives! A more humane system might have been adopted, but the Bench were going to consider the case very leniently and let the defendant off on payment of the costs (£1 6s.)

FOUND – A CAT 10,000,000 YEARS OLD
The Ottawa Journal, 6th February, 1929

The skeleton of the world’s oldest and biggest cat, nicknamed the “Jumbo Pussy,” is now on view at the University of Chicago, and feline pets of employes there pause in wonder before it and perhaps with pride reflect, “Such an ancestor is enough to make anybody a little bit chesty [puffed up]. Nothing puny about MY forebears!”

The “Jumbo Pussy’s” technical scientific name is Dinictus squaliden. It measures four feet from tail-tip to ear-tip, and is estimated by cat authorities to be at least 10,000,000 years old. Credit for assembling it goes to Paul C. Miller, associate curator of paleontology at the university, who spent 13 weary, back-straining summers searching for the rare and priceless specimen. Eventually, to his scholarly delight, he came upon the “Jumbo Pussy” in Hat Creek basin, Sioux county, Nebraska.

In vivid contrast to this imposing tabby is the Paraguay cat, which, when adult size, weighs only about three pounds and is not more than a quarter the size of the average modern domestic breed, The body, however, is fairly long, and the hair, especially on the tail, is short, shiny and close.

FROM “CAT GOSSIP” 1 May 1929
What is really the history of the mysterious tortoiseshell? Older works usually refer to them as Spanish. A pair of “Dwarf Spanish” cats, now often shown on the Continent, appear from their photo to be just ordinary tortie-and-whites. Why are tortoise toms almost invariably sterile? Not only in this country has this been noted, but Jumaud, in his “Les Races de Chats” (1926), makes the same observation of a male in Neuchatel (Switzerland). The Naturalists' Library (1834) refers to a “wild tortoiseshell cat from South America,” which was in the Museum at Erlangen. “Its hair was extremely long, soft, and silky. The ground colour is white, but the animal is variously clouded with shades of brown and yellow." Was this a freak, or a domestic cat run wild, or the progeny of such?

Sir, —Of your charity I beg you find space for the following. Several cases oat poisoning in Henrietta Park district have been brought my knowledge, and Miss Brown, 14, Pulteney Street, is grieving at the loss her pet, 'found dead in Henrietta Park. A fine Persian cat was also found dead her area, evident case of poisoning from the condition the poor little creature, which must have died in great agony. It is such a cowardly, cruel way of venting spite a defenceless creature. Dogs, cats and birds, trusting the human beings they look to for food, will easily pick up poisoned meat, etc., in innocence, and it is to warn the public to keep their pets at night and give any help they can to sift this matter that I have been allowed to give the name at least one distressed owner. Any information will gladly received by the R.S.P.C.A. or by me.
MARY BEGG, Hon. Sec., Bath Society the Promotion Kindness to Animals. 7, The Circus. Yardlands.

WILD CAT AT LARGE ESCAPE FROM CAGE ON SHIP
Derby Daily Telegraph - Saturday 29 June 1929

A wild cat is believed to be at large in Liverpool. The animal escaped from its cage on the deck of ship that arrived in the Mersey from South America, and was missed when the vessel berthed in Toxteth Dock. The crew were considerably alarmed when the cage was found to be broken open and empty. A party was instantly organised, and carrying defensive weapons they searched every likely corner of the ship but without success. As a last resort, a large piece meat was placed in the hold. Within twelve hours it had disappeared, probably consumed by the wild cat or carried away to its new lair. The captain of the ship, owing to the savage nature of the creature, felt it his duty to report the matter to the police. They gave advice as to further search, and issued a warning to police along the line of the docks. No trace of the animal has been found, and it is hoped the solution of the mystery will prove to be that the pussy has met an untimely end by falling overboard into the dock.

YOUR CAT MIGHT COST YOU MORE LATEST IDEA IS THE "PURRTAX" PUSS-IN-COLLAR Derby Daily Telegraph, 10th July 1929
During the next session members of the House of Commons will probably have a long and spirited debate upon this subject. And in addition to their present duties magistrates may have that of hearing charges against people who have kept cats without taking out licences for them. For certain folk have sworn that cats shall have a better time of it - something quite equal, in fact, to a dog's life. Shortly, a new society is to be formed and called the "Friends of Cats Society.” To-day Mrs. F. M. Ballingall, of Barnes, gave some details of the new society and the Bill which is to be drafted. This bill will provide for a 3s. 6d. tax for every cat of four months and over; and every licensed cat will have to wear a collar and identity badge. Lost cats will be detained for at least week, and not slaughtered the next day, as is the present practice. Only veterinary surgeons, medical men, or specially licensed persons may kill a cat except in cases of intolerable suffering. In short, the cat is have the same "rights of life" as the dog. The cat is to be vested with the privilege and shelter of licensed ownership. Mrs. Ballingall has procured figures which are surprising. In one year over 100,000 cats were slaughtered by one society in addition to similar work by others, which would bring the figures for the year to something like half a million. People will value and care for their cats more, says Mrs- Ballingall, if they have paid a small tax upon them.

THE RIGHTS OF CATS. Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, 11th July 1929
The announcement that cat lovers are to form themselves into a "Friends of Cats Society " and to promote a Bill in Parliament conferring upon cats the legal status now enjoyed by dogs causes genuine disquiet among the Associations which concern themselves with the protection and humane treatment of animals. The proposal–in itself not new –is that all cats over four months of age should be licensed, the owner paying an annual tax of 3s. 6d. Every licensed cat would then have to wear a collar bearing the owner's name and address, and lost cats when captured would given a week's grace before they were destroyed instead of twenty-four hours, as is the present practice, at any rate in London. In this way it is hoped that cats would become more valuable and, in consequence, more kindly treated, and the scandal of the homeless cat which makes hideous the nights of suburbia would cease. Neither the R.S.P.C.A. nor Our Dumb Friends' League has been consulted by the promoters of the scheme, and the officials of the latter body say frankly that such a law would mean that most of the cats which now have a home in poor households would be cast adrift. The League destroys 50,000 stray cats yearly London alone, and if a licence duty and legal responsibility were forced upon owners this number would be doubled or trebled –that is supposing it were possible to collect the duty which would certainly cost more than it would bring in.

THE HOMELESS CAT. SOCIETY'S PROVISION FOR PAINLESS EXTINCTION AT PRESTON. Lancashire Evening Post, 14th July 1926
Preston branch of the R.S.P.C.A. have been concerned for some time with the problem of the stray cat, which has increased its numbers tremendously during the last year or two. It is recognised that these animals are often diseased and a direct menace to public health. Effective facilities have now been made for dealing with these animals, a home having been established at Cadley Bank Cottage, Fulwood. Chloroform lethal chambers have been installed, and unwanted cats will be destroyed painlessly and without compulsory charge.

HOMELESS CATS West Bridgford Advertiser, 12th October 1929
It is good news to learn from the several societies whose aim is the prevention of cruelty to animals, that few stray cats have been seen or heard of during the past summer. The practice of turning these household pets adrift while taking holidays seems, happily, to bey dying out. The coming of the motor-car has meant brighter times for dogs who can thus be with their human friends, be whirled to fresh scenes and pastures new, but the cat has reaped little or no benefit from this or any other means of transport. It is, as a rule, so greatly attached to its home that it cannot safely be taken away. It has the homing instinct highly developed and is even cleverer than the dog in finding its way back unaided if transferred to new and disliked surroundings although they may be forty or fifty miles away.