THE LADIES' FIELD "CAT GOSSIP" COLUMNS

THE LADIES' FIELD "CAT GOSSIP" COLUMNS - 1903

The Ladies Field, a weekly magazine for well-to-do women, was founded in 1898 and focussed on women's sport, pastimes and fashions. It was published by George Newnes (in 1928, it was absorbed by The Home Magazine). The Cat Gossip column was written by Dick Whittington, the pen-name of Miss Higgins. Rather than divide up the content, I have compiled the columns into a series of chronological files. Readers wondering why prices of cats were given in multiples of £1 1s - this is a guinea; a £5 5s cat costs 5 guineas.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, January 3, 1903, pg 144

EXHIBITORS can now make up their minds which of the big shows they intend to support in the month of January, as the dates of these are definitely fixed and the names of the judges have been announced. Westminster Aquarium Show will be held on January 8th and 9th, the Specialist Societies' Show at Bath on January 22nd and 23rd, and the Northern Counties Cat Club Show at Manchester on January 29th. The judges at Westminster are Mts. Robinson, Mrs. Strick, Mr. Mason, and Mr. Ambrose; at Bath, Mr. Mason, Mr. Lane, Mrs. Hardy, and Miss Cochran will officiate; and at Manchester, which is a championship show, Mr. Martin, Mrs. Mackenzie Stewart, Miss R. Whitney, and Mr. Mason. The Southampton Show, in which Mrs. Sinkins and Miss White Atkins are taking such a practical interest, will probably be held during the first week of February. Some difficulty was experienced in securing a suitable hall, but it is believed that this obstacle has now been happily overcome.

IT IS curious and interesting to note the great popularity of Mr. T. B. Mason as an all-round judge of cats. He seems to have slipped into the shoes of poor Wellburn, and now no big cut show is complete without him. All the specialist societies gladly support him, and, as is well-known, specialist societies are hard to please. Mr. Mason has it thoroughly sound knowledge of cats, he keeps cool and goes his own way caring for nobody, he does not show annoyance, and is always ready to discuss an award in an amiable spirit; the result is that I have yet to meet an exhibitor who will not show under him.

THE discussion which is now raging upon the correct type of blue short-hairs is rather amusing. We all know that the short - haired blue cat imported from Russia is a usually weedy animal, with a wedge-shaped head, and of a type which can be produced from two English-bred parents more easily than can the broad-headed, heavy-boned cat which does all the winning. Some people are anxious to establish these animals as the correct type and to call them Russians, while the majority of exhibitors prefer the British type and the name of "blue short-hair." It is a curious and amusing fact that the judges who are most strongly in favour, on paper, of the Russian type, almost invariably when confronted by typical specimens of the English blue and the Russian blue put the former first. Mrs. Carew Cox in quite correct in saying that round-headed cuts are sometimes imported. I have a particularly vivid recollection of her blue and white queen, Kola, which had an unusually "fat" and attractive face, in fact in head and shape she very strongly resembled Lady Alexander's celebrated Mother Bunch.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
(For Rules see last week's issue.)

BLUE PETER. - I think if you examine your cat's tail carefully you will find a little damp brown scurf at the roots of the hair. The most certain cure is a rather unpleasant one, and will necessitate your keeping the cat shut up for a few days. Take one part paraffin, two parts salad oil, thicken with sulphur, and apply to the skin of the cat with a scrap of sponge. Two applications at intervals of a week will probably be sufficient. Do not cut any of the hair off the tail or it may not grow again property.
SHERIFF. - I fear from your description that both your cats have got mange, and badly. You must shut them up separately in houses which can easily be scrubbed out and disinfected, and dress them all over twice a week with sulphur and vaseline ointment. Do not use more ointment than is necessary, and rub it well into the skin. If the skin appears at all dirty and greasy you must soak it direst in a warm solution of carbonate of soda. I fear it will be necessary to cut all the hair off. Feed the cats well on raw meat, and give cod-liver oil, also two grains daily of saccharated carbonate of iron,
LULU. - See directions to "Sheriff" above as to external treatment. Internally give every morning, in milk, 2 grains of bicarbonate of soda.
HARRY. - My experience is that quinine suits cats admirably. I have never given more than 2 grains a day, but I believe a strong, full-grown cat could stand 4 grains for a short period.
PUSSY. - On no account let the cat be poisoned; it is horribly cruel. Have it chloroformed by your own veterinary surgeon, and then you will know that it does not suffer unnecessarily. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, January 10, 1903, pg 211

IN many kennels of toy dogs cats are regularly employed as foster-mothers, and were they more generally known in this capacity I believe the demand for mother cats would exceed the supply. Cats are much gentler with tiny puppies than their own mothers would be, and they keep them cleaner. Moreover. absolutely no attention need be paid to the puppies until they leave the nest. I am of the opinion also that toy puppies are less likely to grow into giants when reared by a cat than when left with their own mothers.

I believe that almost any domesticated cat can be persuaded to exchange her kittens for puppies of a similar age, but not more than two puppies should be given to each cat, as they knock their foster-parent about terribly. By a domesticated cat, I mean one which has been accustomed to being about a house and regularly handled, as a wild farm cat is quite unsuitable for the purpose. It must he remembered that cats have very different natures to dogs; they have a number of little fads and fancies which must be respected, and they must never be hurried or flustered. A knowledge of cats and how to handle and coax them - quite a different knowledge, by the way, to that of getting round any other animal - is invaluable in persuading pussy to adopt puppies.

If the cat is your own house pet, matters are quite simple: the puppies may be mixed with her kittens, and as soon as she has licked them over, and they have learned to suck, the kittens may be removed one at a time. With a strange cat more ceremony must be observed. Madame Puss arrives in a basket with two small kittens. These must be put on a straw bed in a large box, in the quietest and most secluded room available. One person only should be allowed access to this room, which should be provided with a large tray of dry mould. A pan of milk and one of meat should be left on the floor and the door locked, and great care should be exercised to keep other cats and dogs away from the door. Next day, if the cat appears to have settled down, carry the puppies into her room in a basket and put one of her kittens beside them for half an hour, while you make much of the cat, scratch her ears, and gain her confidence, then persuade her to lie down in her bed while you pet and soothe her and very quietly slip the puppies in beside her. Most cats make no objection, but if she growls and fidgets time and patience are required, and as soon as you have petted the cat into a sufficiently good humour the puppies must be persuaded to suck. There may be some little difficulty about this at first, as the puppies do not know their way about and the cat somewhat resents interference; but it will only be necessary to superintend their first two or three meals. You cannot be too gentle in handling the cat.

One kitten should be left with the puppies for a day or two, until the cat has taken to them properly, as if this is not done she may leave them during the night and they will take cold. If she appears to miss it when it is taken from her eventually it should be returned for another few days, but unless the cat is a very motherly person it is inadvisable to leave it longer, as I have known cats, when the puppies throve better than the kittens, to carry the latter away and hide them, leaving the foster-children to their fate.

WITH the new year the breeding season is upon us once more. The old fancier, of course, knows how her own system works and whether her accommodation is suitable for early kittens, but to the novice my advice is not to mate queens before February or March, as the kittens are much hardier and less troublesome if all the windows can be left open and they are allowed to run in and out of doors from the time they can walk.

NOW, above all times, it is necessary to make sure that your cats are in perfect health, and that their skins are clean and free from eczema. Examine every cat carefully once a week, or oftener, particularly round the neck and ears and down the back, and rub a little sulphur and vaseline ointment into every tiny dry spot that can be discovered. If a cat seems a little low and anaemic, give daily 2 grains of saccharated carbonate of iron; if her appetite is poor, 2 grains of sulphate of quinine. If she suffers from irritation of the skin, caused by grossness and indigestion, a grain of bicarbonate of potash daily will effect a cure.

CATS which are known to have roving tendencies had better be compelled to take their daily airing in a wired enclosure, and locking-up time for those that have their liberty by day should be at least an hour before dark, as some cats will remain perfectly quiet all day and suddenly at dusk go off on their own account and not return until morning.

MRS. JAMES has asked me to say that at Bath Show the prize cards fer the best long-hair, best short -hair, best kitten, and best local cat in the show wall be specially painted fer the occasion by the well-known artist, Mrs. Fraser, and will be presented to the winners after the public judging of these awards. The cards are really beautiful water-colour sketches of cats, about 12in. square, and are much coveted by those who have seen them.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
DICK WHITTINGTON will be pleased to give advice on all matters concerning cats and their ailments, and will be glad to receive for insertion any interesting items of cat news that her readers may send. Queries must be written on one side of a separate sheet of paper, and must be signed with a pseudonym only for publication, but a letter giving full name and address of sender must accompany each query. A postal reply will be sent if the fee of 2s. 6d. is enclosed.. - Letters should be addressed, "DICK WHITTINGTON, care of Editor, THE LADIES' FIELD."
RUBY. - Stud fees are always payable in advance, and you are liable for the fee whether your cat has kittens or not, also for all railway expenses. You cannot legally claim a second mating for your cat unless some agreement was made upon the matter.
DUSK. - If you ask my candid opinion I do not think your cat, being young and absolutely unknown, will pay for his advertisement. There are so many cats at stud, successful sires and well known winners, that yours would stand a very poor chance.
BOUNCER. - The faint tabby markings on your blue kittens are really of no importance, and will probably disappear before the kittens are a week old. They are seen in many self colours, even blacks and whites, in strong sunlight, and betray the common ancestor the tabby.
TIT-WILLOW. - It is quite true that most orange eyes get pale with age, but the very rare dark, deep orange eye with a black rim round it never alters.
SCORPION. - You do not state the kitten's age, but the probability is that these are teething fits, and also, if it is fed by servants, it is unlikely to be getting suitable and regular meals, and may be suffering from gastric derangement. Feed it yourself if possible, three times a day on scraped or minced raw or cooked meat, tripe, chicken, or fish, and look at its mouth to make sure that there are no belated first teeth which ought to come out, and are crowding the permanent ones. When it threatens to have a fit its eyes will become glassy and its body rigid as premonitory symptoms; put it in a perfectly dark room or cupboard, or shut it up in a close basket; later on, when the fit passes off, give a one grain tabloid of bromide of potassium, and repeat this daily for a week. A course of Ferocal would do it good - ten drops given as it is, without any admixture, very day for a month or more. Use a silver teaspoon for the administration.
STAMP. - The particulars you give ar so very meagre that it is really impossible for me to advise you. The kitten is probably fed on the wrong food, or else it is allowed to over eat itself. You do not say I it seems well otherwise, but if so, try giving three times a day a dessertspoonful of scraped raw beef sprinkled with carbonate of bismuth and no other food. Water to drink - no milk. It is possible that the kitten may be suffering from gastritis, gastro-enteritis, or some other serious illness, but as you tell me nothing of its symptoms I cannot judge of this.
A NOVICE. - It would be quite impossible to answer all your questions in one number of THE LADIES' FIELD. You should buy a copy of "The Cat Manual," price 1s. 6d., from this office, as it will give you much of the information that you want. It entirely depends upon whether the other ats were god or not how much value you can put upon your wins, but you may certainly conclude that your cats are fairly good. If you would send them to one of the big shows I would look at them and give you my opinion. I think all cats look better when fat and heavy. It is almost impossible to tell the colour from samples of fur, but I should think your male is a smoke. In this case the face markings are at fault, and the nose should not be fawn. The neuter cat must, I think, be a brown tabby, but it the fur sent is a fair sample of his ground colour it is too grey and lacks warmth. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, January 17, 1903, pg 227

WESTMINSTER CAT SHOW.
WESTMINSTER Show being held so late in the week necessarily makes my report a somewhat hurried one. The light in St. Stephen's Hall, always bad, was on Thursday so particularly bad as to make it impossible to see the colour or the eyes of cats correctly, and this may account for some incomprehensible placings. In numbers and quality the exhibits fell far below the standard of former years, and the management, particularly so far as deodorizing was concerned, left something to be desired.

Miss Harper's Blue-eyed Wanderer won very easily in the long-haired white male class. He is large and well shaped, with a lovely face and coat. Mrs. Westlake's Blue-eyed St. Pancras was second, and her glorious-eyed Blue-eyed Darling won the female class. The black classes contained nothing of note, the winners being Mrs. Sharpe's Zwarte and Mrs. Merritt's Devonport. The blue male class was headed by Skellingthorpe Patrick, a fine big cat, good in coat and head, but pale in eyes. Miss Humfrey's Don Carlos was decidedly my choice for first place, a real good cat with grand eyes; Lady Marcus Beresford's Blue Boy II., who shows age, took third. In the female class first went to Miss Terrill's Bunch, a nicely coated cat of good shape and with correct eyes; second, Miss Lewis's Blue Pet, to which the same remark applies; third. Lady Williams's Hawthorne Bluebelle, a sound, dark colour, with golden eyes; reserve, Romaldkirk Volage, who loses in colour. In smokes the prizes went to well-known cats - in the male class, Backwell Jogram, Teufel, and Backwell Jubilee II.; in the female class, Pepita, Wee Wee, and Dusky.

In chinchilla males Mr. Dewar's pale-coloured Father O'Flynn won hands down. Miss Bonner's Cairo Ramadan, second, was lucky, as he in dark on head and poor in eye; third, Windsor Beetle, shows nice body colour, but is marked on head. Some well-known cats were hardly treated in this class. Females were headed by Miss Chamberlayne's much talked-of Cap and Bells; she has a glorious coat and body colour, but her head is very snipy and much marked. Poor Dimity, a shadow of her former self, took v.h.c. in this class.

The winning orange, Mr, Darcy Hildyard's Benjamin of the Durhams, though a grandly shaped cat is too creamy in colour and pale of eye, and should have given place to Torrington Sunnysides. In the cream class the position of Romaldkirk Midshipmite and Kew Ronald might have been reversed, as the young cat gains in eye and colour. The Marquis of Dingley, often described, won in silver tabby males, the winning female being Miss Cope's beautifully marked Roiall Fluffball. Miss Whitney did most of the brown tabby winning, but a cat I much liked was Kew Brownie, lovely in shape and face, owned by Lady Decies. Mafeking Day, the winning self-coloured neuter, is glorious cat but not self-coloured. Persimmon Laddie was hardly treated in being placed behind Belvedere Tiger. Mrs. Baldwin did well with a most promising blue kitten in Lady Spencer, and Miss Ford's Silver Button in an exquisitely coloured chinchilla.

The short-haired classes hardly merit criticism. All the Siamese classes were cancelled. the only Siamese entries being Miss Cartwright's lovely Nun and her well-known Chote. In the white class Mr. Western's Prickly Pear, a most attractive blue-eyed cat, won. The blacks all failed in eyes, and Mr. Mudd's Model took first. In blues Mr. Dewar's Firkins was the winner, and in tortoiseshells the well-known Shady was first. In silver tabbies Mr. Blackett's well-known Silver Queen had to give way to Mrs. Bonny's Dame Fortune, a very nicely marked cat. In brown tabbies Mr. Newland's well-known Jim Shelley, looking his best, won; second going to Lady Marcus Beresford's Sable Lady, thin in markings. In red tabbies first and second went to Mrs. Collingwood''s Clem and Belle [Bell] of Bradford, but I much preferred the third, Mrs. Hartley's Robin Hood.

At no show have I seen so many empty pens. The reason for this was generally supposed to be that someone had spread a report that the N.C.C. and C.C. would shortly be amalgamated, and that, therefore, the cats would not be disqualified at N.C.C. shows. On finding out the falseness of this statement they presumably thought it wiser to keep their cats at home.

MUCH general satisfaction will be felt at the result of the N.C.C. general meeting, held on the 3rd inst. at 46, Grosvenor Gardens. The meeting was a most representative one, and amongst the members present were the Duchess of Bedford, Lord and Lady Decies, Sir Claud and Lady Alexander, Mrs. Oman, Mrs. Herring, Mrs. Ransome, Miss Chamberlayne, Madame Betier, Mrs. Collingwood, Mrs. Robinson, Miss Forestier-Walker. Mrs. Vallance, Mrs. Wilson, Mrs. Illingworth, Mrs. Vidal, Miss Bompas, Miss Cochran, Mr. Louis Wain (president), Dr. Roper, Mr. Ross, Captain Barry, Mr. Farman, Mr. Carl (who represented Mrs. Stennard Robinson), etc. The members signified their appRoyal of the actions of the committee, and decided that the posts of hon. secretary and hon. treasurer should henceforth be kept separate. After receiving the assurance of Mr. Carl that Mrs. Stennard Robinson had no desire to resume the post of secretary. Dr. Roper was, by a very large majority, elected to the vacant post, the committee being given power to supply him with a paid assistant. Sir Claud Alexander was elected hon. treasurer, and the committee was given power to revise the club rules and submit the alterations to the next general meeting.

AFTER all the Southampton Shew has been postponed until October or November. This is, perhaps, just as well, as there were too many shows arranged for the beginning of the year, and some of them were bound to suffer in consequence.

DO NOT pack a queen off on a visit the moment she appears restless, as the journey may "put her off," but keep her in close confinement for at least twenty-four hours.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, January 24, 1903, pg 290

(For Rules see previous issue.)

THE aftermath of a big cat show is always of interest, and Westminster was no exception in this respect. I heard many unfavourable criticisms passed upon the blue cats, and particularly upon the females, These, I think, were undeserved as, though there were no cats of unusual merit, the class was a very large one and contained many good specimens. Dolly Grey was much missed, but Lady Marcus Beresford showed three nice queens, with orange eyes, which were rather hardly treated in having only on v.h.c. among them. Mr. Witt's cats, usually successful at this show were absent. The smoke queens were, taken all round, the best I have seen for some time. The chinchillas, with the exception of some three or four cats, I thought remarkably poor, Mrs. Baldwin was filled with joy over the win of her blue kitten, Lady Spencer. The winning male kitten, Mrs. Norris's Kew Perfection is a grand, well-grown, young cat, but, on account of a slight unsoundness of colour on the frill, I thought it took him all his time to beat Lady Marcus Beresford's Gollywog,

THE great excitement of the show was the anticipation of the various meetings announced to take place on Friday afternoon, As a matter of fact the meetings fell rather flat, as it had to be admitted even by the promoters that they had no legal power to act. When the show was opened it was freely placarded with notices of a so-called N.C.C. meeting, but these were almost immediately removed by persons in authority. At the hour announced for this meeting a large number of persons assembled to meet Mrs. Stennard Robinson, and Miss Hamilton Brown, who represented the Duchess of Bedford, the president of the club, read a letter from the duchess explaining the reasons of the committee for their recent actions, and calling Mrs. Robinson's attention to the fact that she was no longer secretary of the club, and that the meeting called by her was an illegal one and powerless to act in any way, and stating that legal opinions had been taken upon this point. The committee, with a large majority of the members present, then withdrew, and Mrs. Robinson, with her friends, remained to discuss the situation, but before any definite conclusions had been come to the meeting of cat fanciers convened by Miss Simpson took possession of the room. This was a very largely attended meeting, but by no means representative of the principal exhibitors. Mrs. Robinson addressed the meeting, and strongly advised all members of the N.C.C. and C.C. to insist upon an amalgamation of the clubs, as affording the only possible chance of a prosperous future for the cat fancy. This advice caused some surprise, as it was in direct opposition to that offered by the same lady in her letter which was read at the general meeting at the Crystal Palace. Mrs. Robinson expressed the opinion that Lady Marcus Beresford and the Cat Club were quite willing that there should be an amalgamation. This fact has, of course, been a matter of common knowledge for some time past, but the opinion of the N.C.C. in the matter is not so certain. In any case, the idea of a number of persons who are not members of a club endeavouring to dispose of that club without its knowledge or appRoyal strikes me as distinctly funny.

MISS SAMUEL'S Golfsticks is, like her cattery mate, King Kangaroo, a very typical Manx cat. In colour she is a very dark smoke, though she is often mistaken for a black. Though she is a cobby, round-made cat, she has long, powerful hind-legs and not the vestige of a stump. Like all Manx cats, she is peculiarly intelligent. Her favourite trick is to hide her mistress's gloves and then watch with glee the search that is made for them until she thinks it has gone on long enough, when she will reveal their hiding-place; she also loves a game od hide-and-seek. Her home name is Drumsticks, because of her action. Her only kitten - a beautiful tortoiseshell and white - was born dead. Golfsticks has taken firsts at the Crystal Palace and other large shows.

KING KANGAROO is one of the very best male Mans cats ever exhibited. Unlike many winners of this breed his pedigree is known. His parents are as typical Manx cats as himself. He was first exhibited at Westbourne Grove, where he took first, and at the Botanical Gardens and Crystal Palace he was placed second. In shape he is excellent, having the true length of hind leg and shortness of back which is essential in a Manx cat, and he is absolutely tailless. In colour he is a good sound black, with a capital coat. His ways are most quaint and wise, and he will follow and obey like a dog and fetch a stick at command; he will also tall over on his side when told to do so.

CH. JAMES II. has caused quite a sensation amongst both long and short-haired cat fanciers, for at three consecutive shows - Altrincham, the Crystal Palace, und Cheltenham - he has won the special for best cat in the show. At Birmingham there was no special for the best cat in the show, but James was pronounced to be the best short-hair. He has already won first prizes under eleven different judges. He is that most rare animal, a beautifully marked silver tabby, and is, I believe, a descendant of Mrs. Herring's celebrated Ch. Jimmy. Besides being a good show cat, James is a great pet, and most gentle in his ways, and his mistress is devoted to him.

I HAVE received an advance copy of the schedule of the Specialist Societies' show at Bath. The classification is excellent in the long-haired section, and all the classes, with the exception of the orange, the cream male, the novice cream or orange, the self-coloured neuter, the variety kitten, the brace, team, selling, and ring classes, are guaranteed. The British cats have only nine classes, but four of these are guaranteed. The silver tabbies have two classes, blacks or whites one, and blues one, while all the others are lumped together. The Manx cats have three classes, guaranteed by their club. The list of special prizes, 125 in number, is amazing for a provincial show. The S.S.P.C.S. has taken the generous and novel step of offering some of its specials to members of any of the societies supporting the show.

THE winner of the long-haired orange male class at Westminster was Torrington Rufus, not Benjamin of the Durhams, and my notes apply to Rufus. I did not see the cats in their pens, but they were brought out for my inspection, hence the error. Miss Cartwright's Siamenc kitten, The Nun. though entered, was absent, but her neuter, Chote, took first prize, as usual. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, January 31, 1903, pg 334

BATH SHOW.
BATH SHOW was a great success. The management was excellent, and the quality, particularly in short-hairs, far superior to that at Westminster. The long-haired whites were grand classes, and though the winners were shown dirty, their eyes have never been surpassed. The first male was Miss Horril's Favourite, glorious eyes; second, the well known Blue-Eyed Wanderer, not quite so deep in eyes, but better head; third, The White Knight, out of coat. Mrs. Langford Sainsbury's Beckington Pearl, eyes winning again, came first in females, with Mrs. Kerswell's pretty little Una second. The only black was Mrs. Wittam Wignall's Black Fury, a well-shaped, good-headed cat with fair eyes. In blues I could not agree with the awards; the first male, Skellingthorpe Patrick, though grand in coat, colour, and size, is very poor in eyes. Don Carlos took second, Yani third, and Royal Bobs reserve - all too well known to need description, Grand-eyed cats in this class passed over with cards were Mes. Allen's Blue Coat Boy II. and Miss Hamilton's Rozelle Delight, who did well in some of the other classes. Bunch was again to the fore in females, followed by Mrs. Finnie Young's grand eyed, sweet faced Chiffon Blue (by Ronald) and Miss Hamilton's Rozelle Kittikins, whose eyes are also good. Chiffon Blue won the novice class, and Rozelle Delight the blue male kitten class, while Mr. Witt's nicely shaped Blue Patti headed the females.

The chinchilla males all looked a bit sandy. Mrs. Morrison's Otto Boy, the winner, is good in coat and quality, but shows stripes on head and legs. Cairo Ramadan, second, is no favourite of mine, but there could be no question of Zaida's claims as best in the show. Never has she appeared in better coat, and Cap and Bells was quickly relegated to second place. Thames Valley Silver King, looking his best, won in silver tabby males, and Miss Cope's beautifully marked Roiall Fluffball in females, while Backwell Jogram carried all before him in smokes. Miss Snell's chinchilla kittens, Firefly and Peep o' Day, did well, as did Mrs. Gregory's exquisite smoke, Thisbe, the best kitten in the show. In orange males Torrington Sunnyside had to go down before the deeper colour of the Hon, Mrs. M. T. Morrison's Puck; and in females Romaldhirk Garnet beat Mehitabel of the Durhams. Creams brought out no new faces, but the worst treated was poor Kew Ronald with reserve.

Brown tabby males were poor after the winner, Mrs. Palmer's well-marked Clifton King. In females Miss Whitney's Brayfort Fina and Brayfort Princess were first and second, and here came the sensation of the show, as Mr. House objected to them for dyeing, a suggestion ridiculed by all present. The veterinary report was not received when I left, but I fancy the last has not been heard of the matter. In long-hair neuters the three winners were three of the finest cats ever seen. Miss Lee's orange Lingmoor Tom, grand in size, shape, and colour, won, followed by Persimmon Laddie and Fur.

The best short hair was Lady Decies's beautiful blue-eyed white Fulmer Snowflake. James II. won in the silver tabby male class, and his daughter, Dame Fortune, in the female. The best local cats were Mrs. Long's white, which has large deep blue eyes, Mr. Brackstone's Bath Pheonix, a short-haired white with grand blue eyes, Mrs. Ogbourne's well-shaped, heavily coated black kitten, and Miss N. Bowring's well marked brown tabby.

By a printer's omission I was made to say that Kew Brownie, who won second at Westminster, was "owned by Lady Decies." It should have read "NOW owned," etc., for Kew Brownie was shown by Mrs. Norris, and purchased by Lady Decies at her catalogue price.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, February 7, 1903, pg 370

American Catteries - I.: "'Swampscott."
FOUR years ago Mrs. Fred Everett Smith came into possession of a very beautiful cat which she called "Swampscott," after the place in which she was then residing. The animal had a most remarkable coat, long and silky, and its tail would have made a red fox envious. Swampscott soon became well-known to all the cat fanciers in' America and took many prizes. He was the pioneer of Mrs. Smith's stud, and when three years ago his mistress went to live in Chicago, she honoured him and his birthplace by starting the Swampscott cattery.

The building, which is large and airy, has been arranged by Mrs. Smith herself. It is really a small stable in the rear of the house, divided by wire into four compartments, and most excellently situated, having a fine sunny position. The cattery is lighted by gas, has running water, and each compartment is snug and comfortable. Mrs. Smith, however, does not believe in pampering the animals too much. She watches them carefully and sees that the surroundings are perfectly sanitary, and it is to these precautionary measures that she attributes her success in rearing kittens.

Opening out of the cattery is the large outdoor run where the animals enjoy their frolics, for Mrs. Smith believes in plenty of exercise. Cats that are allowed to loll about too much are apt to become fat, lazy, and unhealthy. Certainly the natural life of a cat is one of activity, and the more time the animal spends in the open the stronger and healthier it will become. The Swampscott run is protected in winter on the north and west sides by glass to a height of 6ft., in order to avoid the exposure of the animals to the Chicago winds, which are often terribly keen. In this way they get all the fresh air they need without running undue risks. The temperature of the house is kept up to 50degs. [Fahrenheit], which is quite warm enough for ordinary cats. In cases of sickness the temperature might be raised, but not otherwise.

In summer-time, when the rays of the sun beat down on the cattery with tremendous force, an awning is erected over the run and here the animals are sometimes allowed to sleep. They are fed three times a day - when they "get up" (about eight o'clock), at noon, and at six in the evening, after which they generally retire for the night.

At the present time Mrs. Smith possesses ten breeding cats, nearly all of which are white Persians. The finest animal in the cattery is the Light of Asia, a white golden-eyed male which came to the coast of California direct from Asia some years ago. Mrs. Smith purchased him about a year since, and a few months later he won first prize in a class containing seven fine cats at Chicago. This winter a young son of his (Toodles) carried off the first, prize in the blue-eyed white class, beating the champion, True Blue. Light of Asia is a most obstreperous animal to photograph, and seems to have a pet aversion to the camera. Mrs. Smith has never yet been able to get a good picture of him, and as she will not allow a poor one toe go into print I am unable to give a portrait of this beautiful animal. Some day his mistress hopes he will reform, and then THE LADIES' FIELD readers shall have an opportunity. to admire the Light of Asia.

Willow Blossom is a daughter of Light of Asia, and takes after her father. She is only a kitten as yet, but promises to blossom into a prize winner when she "comes out." The other little silver female, whose portrait is shown here, is the pet of the cattery. She is very young and has not yet been christened, but so universally good tempered and amiable is she that it has been suggested that she should be called "Semper Eadem."

The excellent snapshot of the inmates of the cattery sighting a dog was taken by Mrs. Smith one morning just before commencing a fifteenth attempt to "fix" Light of Asia. It is certainly one of the happiest snapshots I have seen. Among other members of the cattery I noticed a beautiful young blue-eyed queen by Swampscott, a very fine silver queen, a handsome black, and a beautiful brown tabby, as well as three white kittens. All the animals are wonderfully healthy and active, and among them sickness is almost unknown.

LADY MARCUS BERESFORD appears to be going in heavily for Manx cats, and has purchased Mrs. Brooke's King Clinkie, a cat which has been singularly lucky in the show-pen during the last year. King Clinkie is a big, well-shaped black; a good cat, though not quite so guiltless of stump as I should like to see him. Mrs. Brooke is retiring from the cat fancy.

THE death of Ch. Xenophon was not entirely unexpected, as he has been in bad health for some time. He was, without doubt, the best brown tabby short-hair ever exhibited, and his winnings must have made up a formidable list. I believe Xenophon began life as a semi-wild cat, and, if I mistake not, was first exhibited by Mr. Heslop, and then became the property of Mr. Woodiwiss, who, on retiring from the fancy, sold him to Lady Decies, Xenophon remained at Birchington Lodge till his death, though Lady Decies was often asked to sell him.

BLACK-AND-WHITE cats are at present utterly despised by breeders, but, curiously enough, the same suggestion has been made to me twice within the last fortnight - once by a well-known exhibitor of short-haired cats, and again by an eminent pigeon fancier - to the effect that a cat properly marked like a Dutch rabbit would be a desirable possession. Will any enterprising breeder undertake to produce such an animal? My advice is that it should make its debut under a judge who is something of a rabbit fancier or its beauty may be overlooked.

IT IS interesting to notice that the dark blue Persian is rising in popular esteem. There is no doubt that a pate blue cat, if its colour is sound and its eves are deep orange, is very lovely; but, alas! how seldom is this the case. The pale blue is more often shaded in colour than the dark, and its coat fades and gets rusty more easily than the darker cat, which often retains its colour till the end of its days.

THE mystery which envelops cat judging does a great deal of harm to the fancy, and I can never understand why it is always taken for granted that a cat judge is so dishonest as to be influenced by the presence of exhibitors. The etiquette of the fancy is that judges should pretend hot to know the cats they are judging. This is the merest farce, as a judge who understands his work quickly recognises all the notable cats, and can also make a good guess at which cats are descended from the best-known strains. To keep the public out while the classes are judged and then to let them in for the cup judging is surely inconsistent, and also leads to a good deal of humbug, for the judges have probably made up their minds already as to which are the best cats, but are obliged to go through the form of judging them in public. A well-known judge informed me the other day that in future he was going to charge "so much for judging the cats and so much for making an exhibition of himself!"

I OBSERVE that the majority of the Cat Club committee have signed the circular demanding an amalgamation of the clubs, but surely if such a petition is to be of any value it should be sent to all members of both clubs and this has not been done.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
(For Rules see previous issue. )
E.R. - A neuter Siamese cat would make a most charming pet. These cats are most affectionate and wonderfully intelligent. If treated in a rational manner they are as hardy and healthy as English cats. Let the kitten run about freely and have plenty of fresh air and exercise, and feed him entirely on raw meat. If he looks thin and "wormy" give him a teaspoonful of Kepler's malt and cod-liver oil every morning.
HIBERNIA. - You cannot do better than apply to Mrs. Brown, 59, Palace Road, Streatham Hill.
DUFFER. - Do not use any preparation containing spirits of tar on your cat's skin; you may cure the skin disease but you are pretty certain to kill the cat. A little sulphur and vaseline ointment rubbed in is all that is necessary.
CHIN-CHIN. - The eyes of a chinchilla cat should be large and emerald green.
BOYSIE. - It is natural for all cats to moult at this time of year, and the coat will not grow fully again until next autumnal. The cat shows his wisdom in his selection of food. Meat is best for him, and if you wish him to look well you should give him nothing else. If he is thin he may have a teaspoonful of cod-liver oil every day. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, February 14, 1903, pg 412

IN MY report of Bath Show I mentioned that an objection, on the score of dyeing, had been lodged by Mr House against Miss Whitney's sable cats, and I have now received a copy of the veterinary surgeon's report from Mr. Wyatt, the secretary:
January 22nd, 1903,
This is to certify that I have this day examined, at the request of the secretary of the Specialist Societies Cat Show, held at Bath, January, 1903, two brown tabby cats (females), class 28, pens numbered 151, Brayfort Princess, and 182, Brayfort Fina, the property of Miss Whitney, of Dublin. After a careful chemical and microscopical examination of the fur from the said cats, I am of opinion that there has been no "faking," and that it is their natural and true colour, (Signed) FREDERICK TONAR, M.R.C.V.S.

On receipt of the above certificate a meeting of the show committee was called, and the following resolutions were passed: -
Proposed by Mr. Mariner, seconded by Mrs. James: "That, having taken into consideration Mr. House's objection to pens 151 and 152. and Mr. Tonar's (the veterinary surgeon's) report, this committee unanimously uphold the report, and are unanimously of opinion that the charges brought are absolutely groundless."
Proposed by Miss Simpson, seconded by Miss Kerswill: "That the committee are surprised to find that Mr. House took advantage of his position of press reporter at the time of judging, and before the admission of the public, in taking fur from the cats without the permission of the show authorities."

ONE of the most successful exhibiters at Manchester was Mrs. Slingsby. Ch. Orange Blossom of Thorpe took first in blue males, and Daisy Nita of Thorpe was second in blue females and second in novice. In blue kittens Syringa and Larkspur of Thorpe were first and second. Don Roderick of Thorpe was second in silver tabby males and first in variety of kittens. Don Pedro of Thorpe was third in silver tabby males and first in novice, and Queen Dechna second in females. The list is a formidable one.

LADY DECIES sent a strong team, winning with Zaida and William of Orange. but was rather unfortunate with her short-haired exhibits, with the exception of the kitten, Red Bramble, which won two firsts.

I WAS pleased to see that Mrs. Finnie Young's Chiffon Blue, of which I thought so well at Bath, had a richly deserved success; this cat's eyes should carry her through in any company. Mrs. Young was also successful with White Friar. Another Bath winner which did well was Mrs. Witham Wignall's Black Fury. H.R.H. Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein was third with her orange-eyed blue queen, Kilpatric.

MISS ARMITAGE'S lovely Siamese, Cora and Chasely Mascotte, were first and second, and Mrs. Michael Hughes's short-haired blue, Sherdley Michael, came out top. Lady Alexander was, of course, invincible in red tabbies, and James II. held his usual position in the silver tabby division. A muster of thirteen Manx, many of them good ones, in two classes was an improvement on Bath, The winners were Mr. Irish and Miss Cochran,

ARLINGTON MARIAMNE is, unfortunately, one of the good cats which crossed the Atlantic before being shown in this country. She was bred by Miss Anderson Leake, who sold her to Mrs. Dwight Cutler. Mariamne is by Abdul Hamet of Dingley ex Miss Fluffie of Dingles, and, therefore, own sister to the celebrated Marquis of Dingley. She is a really beautifully marked silver tabby, and not so pale on the head as she appears in the photograph.

MRS. MOORE'S Holmefield Beauty. which took first at Manchester Show, is a huge, heavily coated neuter, son of the well-known Nankipoo. His great size and other pood points created quite a sensation at Manchester.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, February 21, 1903, pg 451

I HEAR, on excellent authority, that the Cat Club committee will not agree to an amalgamation with the N.C.C. Such a block is somewhat unexpected in the face of the fact that the majority of this committee signed the amalgamation circular a week or two ago, but we can only presume that they have struck over some question of detail, a not wholly unprecedented occurrence. From the same source comes the information that the N.C.C. committee is of a like mind, but this, of course, has always been an open secret, and that the specialist clubs propose to "do something." Save us from those specialist clubs! If a third party intervenes, then will confusion become worse confounded.

THE specialist clubs have no power to command, nor are they properly constituted for so doing, and should they succeed. even temporarily, in assuming the reins of government, it will mean disaster to the cat world and a fancy divided into as many factions as there are societies. I fear the people who suggest such a solution of the present difficulty have not the general good of the fancy at heart. As far us I can see, there is no reason now existing why the N.C.C. and the Cat Club should not be the best of friends, could that trifling but somewhat annoying matter of registration be amicably settled. The N.C.C. has kept a register for nearly three times as long as the C.C., therefore it is hardly to be expected that it should give it up, but the C.C. could, without loss of dignity and for the general good and peace of the fancy, withdraw from the contest.

THE N.C.C. could then offer championships at C.C. shows, and C.C. wins could he entered in the N.C.C. stud book, and a merely friendly rivalry, sufficient to keep them up to the mark, would exist between the clubs. This is, to my mind, the only simple and workable plan for the future. and I have not yet given up hope of seeing it carried out. Lady Marcus Beresford is, as we all know, anxious for the success of her club, and I can assure her that it would gain in popularity by this step far more than it would lose in income.

MR. LITTLE is well known as a most successful breeder and exhibitor of black and smoke cats. The accompanying photograph of Lord Albemarle and Lady Bruin is a singularly happy likeness of two very charming and attractive cats.

I CANNOT agree with Mrs. Mackenzie Stewart's statement in a contemporary that the blue Persian cats now shown are inferior in eyes to those of a few years back. I fancy Mrs. Stewart is becoming more critical; I certainly know that her own cats have vastly improved in this respect of late. Mrs. Stewart says that at Westminster two years ago, in a class of thirty-eight blue males, two-thirds of them had lovely eyes. I can only say that I have never yet seen a dozen blue cats with really good eyes in any one show, and that until a year ago I could not have picked out half a dozen exhibits at either the Crystal Palace or Westminster which satisfied me in this respect. Lately a great improvement is noticeable, and at Bath the other day there were five or six cats with absolutely perfect eyes, large, and of a deep dark reddish orange shade, and perhaps half a dozen with really good dark yellow eyes.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
(For Rules see previous issues.)
BECTIVE. - For the lice in the kitten use a powder composed of equal parts powdered camphor and sulphur; rub well into the coat and right down to the skin, and then brush thoroughly. If you carry out these directions every other day for a fortnight the kitten should be all right.
TANTALLON. - Feed the kitten every two hours, giving a large teaspoonful of arrowroot made with milk and thickened with isinglass. The colder this food is given the better. Never give warm food in cases of diarrhoea. Three times daily. before feeding, give five drops of Symes's lac bismuthi.
PATCH. - The black and white kittens will not fetch more than 4s. each, and not so much unless they are very fluffy coeated. They are of no use except as pets.
BRUCE. - You will find Manx cats very hardy, affectionate, and intelligent. I do not think you will find them more quarrelsome than other breeds. Personally I have found the toms perfectly friendly together, and the queens always ready for a "scrap." They are capital ratters. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, February 28, 1903, pg 492

I AM sorry to have to write of the death of two well-known cats this week, both having succumbed to illness contracted at Bath Show. Miss Sangster has lost her well-known tortoiseshell queen, Royal Yum Yum, which was generally considered to be the best tortoiseshell long-hair in existence. The death of Miss Hamilton's Rozelle Delight is a serious loss to the fancy, as this kitten had the very best eyes I have ever scen ina long-haired blue cat.

SLOWLY but surely the idea of an amalgamation of the N.C.C. and the C.C. is losing in popularity. People are beginning to realize that, far from enabling them to shew at both clubs' shows, the shows would be divided by two, and that the flourishing lists of handsome specials would gradually diminish. The general cry is now for two clubs and one register - a most sensible and reasonable demand.

A CERTAIN amount of heat has been shown in the discussions as to the correct type of blue short-hairs. Some people maintain that the correct type is a weedy cat with a wedge-shaped head and long ears, because imported Russian cats are usually of this type. Recently, big, fat-faced cats of the British type have been winning, and hence this discussion. Supposing it should be decided that the weedy type is correct, and that the animals exhibited are to be called "Russians," a serious difficulty will arise - all the poor specimens of blue Britishers will figure as Russians, for in blues as in other colours it is easier to breed weedy, long-eared kittens than broad-headed, neat-eared ones. If a cat conforms to the required type he must, of course, win, and so the "Russian" exhibitor will be worse off than ever, for, whereas now he is beaten by a good "British," then he will be beaten by a bad one.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
DICK WHITTINGTON will be pleased to give advice on all matters concerning cats and their ailments, and will be glad to receive for insertion any interesting items of cat news that her readers may send. Queries must be written on one side of a separate sheet of paper, and must be signed with a pseudonym only for publication, but a letter giving full name and address of sender must accompany each query. A postal reply will be sent if the fee of 2s. 6d. is enclosed.. - Letters should be addressed, "DICK WHITTINGTON, care of Editor, THE LADIES' FIELD."
AIMEE. - I frequently recommend castor oil, and have never known or heard of it having any ill effects when administered judiciously. I do not, however, think it wise to administer oil on the first symptoms of indisposition. When a cat seems sleepy and loses its appetite a liver pill is more likely to set matters right.
SUSAN. - As your cats have always lived out of doors artificial heat is quite unnecessary for the kittens. Let them have plenty of fresh air, but be sure that their box does not stand in a draught.
ZULEIKA. - Your imported blue-eyed white queen is a most valuable possession. On no account mate her with anything but a good blue-eyed white male. If you can procure one from the same source as the queen, but unrelated to her, you would readily sell the kittens for good pries.
SIAM. - A Siamese tom cat is the only kind of tom which is possible as a house pet, but even he would not, I fear, be invariably trustworthy. You would find a neuter more satisfactory in many ways. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, March 7, 1903, pg 528

MRS. HAZEN BOND'S CATTERY.
MRS. MABEL HAZEN BOND, M.D., of Washington, U.S.A. is one of the leading "cattarians," to use her own word, of America. Mrs. Bond's special predilection is for black Persians, and she has been singularly fortunate in those she has purchased. Menelik III., the "king" - to use another Americanism - of the cattery, was purchased in London without a pedigree. He is a magnificent cat, with a lovely, broad round skull, neat low-set ears, broad snub nose, and big clear eyes. His success in the show-pen has been extraordinary, and, though thee seems to be some confusion over the championship rules in America, Menelik has had three more wins that any cat entitled by the Beresford Club to be called champion.

Menelik's queen, Sweet Lalla Rookh, was bred by Mr. Robert Little, and is by Lord Albemarle ex Lad Bruin. She was known in England as Colleen, and won first at Sandy, first and breeder's cup at Slough, and second at Westminster. Her brother, Sir Robert, who is now the property of Dr. O'Holingin, of New York, took first and championship at the Crystal Palace last Ocober. Lalla Rookh has won a number of prizes since she went to Washington and is considered one of the two best black Persian queens in America; the other being her relative - Mrs. Colburn's Blackberry Fawe. Menelooka is a handsome son of Menelik and Roxana, and took first at Detroit recently.

IT would, I think, be a wise step on the part o the N.C.C. to make public as soon as possible their intentions with regard to the future conduct of the club, so far, at any rate, as registration is concerned. Personally, I have never expected that the club would give way on this point; but in a fancier's paper last week a paragraph claiming undeniable authority, appeared announcing that th N.C.C. had withdrawn the registration rule!

IN another paper of the same date appeared a letter from Mr. Louis Wain, the president of the N.C.C., which hit hard at the C.C. and the specialist societies, and manfully upheld the policy of the N.C.C., winding up: "The disqualification rule was passed to deal with a fraudulent state of things, and must continue in existence."

IT is certainly not for the good of a club that its members should be in ignorance on a matte o such vital importance as this. I can hardly believe that he N.C.C. has withdrawn the registration rule, unless some new and startling development of the situation has arisen. It seems more likely that he Cat Club has compromised, as rumour had it some time ago that Lady Marcus Beresford was inclined to raise the flag of truce. Personally the question does not affect me in any way, but I sincerely hope that, by whatever means it has been procured, peace has been signed between the clubs, and that they will henceforth unite in promoting the welfare of the fancy, which has een greatly retarded by the feuf which has existed between them.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS
(For rules see last week's issue.)
BLUEBIRD. - I think you could make quite a nice little sum annually fro your four blue cats if you sell all the kittens at six weeks old for 15s. apiece. The keep of the old cats will not come to very much, as you can utilize many of the house scraps - meat, milk pudding, gravy, soup, etc. - and the kittens will not cost much before that date. If you find you have to buy a little extra meat from the butcher, get bullock's heart, liver, light, or tripe. You will find that sixpence goes a very long way. Each cat should have two litters a year, and should rear, on average, three kittens from each litter. As you have plenty of space and time at your disposal there is less risk of epidemics than where the animal are crowded. You tell me that you keep no other animals, and that you would, in any case, keep three or four cats; so you may regard the money gained by the sale of kittens as clear profit.
JACOBI. - I do not wish to discourage you, but I should be very much inclined to part with that black queen as so many of her kittens have white spots on their chests. It must be in her family, as the kittens by different sires have the same fault, and even if suppressed for the time it would be sure to crop up in future generations.
PATRICK. - I do not think, for a variety of reasons, that you will find peat moss litter satisfactory bedding for cats. Nothing beats sweet meadow hay, but it must be dry and changed frequently.
BOUNCETTE. - I do not know if the N.C.C. will hold a show in June, but I should think it is improbable.
CARNATION. - You cannot do betet han get the "Cat Manual," published by Geo. Newnes, Ltd. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, March 14, 1903, pg 35

AFTER all the unexpected has happened, and the N.C.C. has rescinded the much-discussed registration rule, subject to the appRoyal of the general meeting, which appRoyal will certainly be granted. This is, I think, an absolutely unlooked for solution of the difficulty, and there is general rejoicing in the cat world and a chorus of appRoyal of the action of the N.C.C. committee. It must, I think, be acknowledged that the committee has proved itself to be not a clique, but a representative body, which is willing and anxious to carry out the wishes of the general members. It was taken for granted that it intended to go its own way, ignoring public opinion, and its action in this matter will do much to popularize the club. As a matter of fact, whichever club had given way in this matter would have curried the public with it, and though I am not sure that it is for the ultimate good of the fancy that the rule should be withdrawn, I think the N.C.C. has evinced much diplomacy in the matter, and has proved itself to be the representative club of the fancy. Surely, now there will be peace between the rival factions. The Cat Club has no longer a grievance against the N.C.C.. and the latter has shown that it is not its wish to interfere with its rival. As a very prominent lady fancier remarked to me the other day, "What shall we fight about now" Let us, at any rate, have no more party fights, though it is too much to hope that personal spites and jealousies will cease.

MISS WHITNEY'S complaint to the Cat Club committee with regard to the objection lodged against her cats at Bath Show was considered and decided upon by that body in a manner highly satisfactory to Miss Whitney at a recent: meeting.

MRS. HARPER, in a most enterprising manner, has risen to my suggestion of a "Dutch rabbit" cat, and proposes to try to breed some. She complains of the difficulty (I should say impossibility) of procuring properly marked parents to start with. That Is just the point - if we had properly marked parents we should have the required cate. Will any rabbit fancier tell me how Dutch rabbits were first produced? Presumably by some system of cross breeding.

I UNDERSTAND that out of devotion to the interests of the N.C.C. Dr. Roper has given up cat-breeding and has disposed of all his cats with the exception of Ch. Johnnie Fawe and Ch. Dainty Diana, his two old favourites, because he does not consider it advisable for a club secretary to be also a breeder and exhibitor. We shall miss Dr. Roper from the ranks, but we cannot do otherwise than commend his very sportsmanlike action.

IT IS probable that Lady Muriel Fox-Strangways's young blue Persian male, which has been so much admired, will find a new home with Mrs. Wells, of Isleworth. Should this purchase not come off it is possible that the cat may ga to America. Lady Muriel is unable to keep more than one stud cat, and is quite satisfied with Mouflon in that respect, or would not have dreamt of parting with so promising a specimen. She does not care for the risk of showing, as her first venture was most disastrous, resulting in an outbreak of gastro-enteritis and some serious losses.

WILL there be a cat show in connection with the L,K.A. dog show in June? In spite of recent troubles it seems most likely that it will come off, but it is probable that the cat show - never a brilliant one will be allowed to lapse. We have come to regard the Crystal Palace, Westminster, and the "Botanic" as our right, so we shall be rather lost without the two latter.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, March 21, 1903, pg 68

THE PRIZE CATS OF PARIS.
PARISIAN ladies do not show anything like the same enthusiasm over cats as English women. Dogs are more to their fancy. A visit to the annual dog show in the Tuileries Gardens reveals the fact that the fair Parisienne takes a deep interest in the breeding of toutous both great and small, and it would seen that, as a consequence, she has neither time not inclination to devote a thought to the rearing of mimis. However, there are some ladies in Paris who own fine specimens of cats, and there can be no doubt that the pastime now so popular in England is every year becoming more and more fashionable in France. It is, therefore, perhaps merely a question of time before Parisians come to pay as much attention to cat-fancying as they do to the breeding of dogs.

The credit of this steadily increasing interest in cats is undoubtedly due to the efforts of a Parisian newspaper, Le Journal, which every year organizes a show at the Jardin Zoologique d'Acclimatation. The first show was held six years ago, but it was a very small affair compared wit those of the present, and which now assume quite an important place among fashionable Parisian functions. Numerous prizes are given by the management of the Jardin d'Acclimatation, and the three societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals - the Societe Protectrice des Animaux, te Societe l'Assistance auz Animaux, and the Societe l'Ami de l'Animal - which are doing so useful a work, award vermeil [silver-gilt], silver, and bronze medals to the most successful competitors in the two section - foreign and European cats - into which the show is divided. That these annual shows, which are doing a good deal to spread a knowledge and love of cats is proved by an observation on the part of the judges of the last exhibition - namely, that there were far fewer errors this year than last in the classification of animals by exhibitors. In only two cases were animals disqualified on account of their being wrongly designated.

One of the most successful lady cat fanciers in Paris is Madame Champion de Nansouty, who for some years past has caried off many prizes at the above-mentioned show. I cannot say exactly what number of pets she possesses, but I should say that there are at least a dozen in her house at Asnieres, not far from the capital. First of all let me introduce you to her Siamese cat, of which she has at least two, Saida and Sahib, a female and a male, both possessing remarkable qualities. Each is two and a half years old. The former has an exceedingly light grey coat, with jet black ears, paws, tail, and nose. Both she an Sahib have gained prizes. Mistigri, another of Mandame de Nansouty's cats, is a one year old male with a most beautifully marked coat. Nonette and her mother, Monette, are Siberians with coats as white as snow. The former, which has twice gained awards is two years and a half old; the latter is four years of age. A sixth cat, Cyrano, is distinguished for his three colours - white, golden-yellow, nd black - which earned him a medal of the Societe Protectrice des Animaux in 1902. Another three-coloured animal is Kouzou, which has also won prizes. But to mention all Madame de Nunsouty's beautiful feline friends is impossible in the space at my disposal, much though I should like to give a detailed description of the merits of Kiki, a three-year-old male, a famous mouser; Raton, a striped male still in his youth; and Rosette, a long-haired three-year-old female.

Mentioning this lady's Siamese cats reminds me that the finest specimens of this breed in Paris are owned by Madame Claire Gue. Never have I seen more magnificent animals than Sim and Siam, who won a first prize (a medal and 100fr.) in the foreign cat section of Le Journal Show. They are a dark tan in colour, and have a most fascinating blue metallic glitter in their eyes. In striking contrast to these are the Siamese cat and kittens of Madame Verbrugge, who was awarded a second prize (a medal and 75fr.) in the same show. Their colour is light tan; tail ears, nose, und feet are what is known as "smoked," and there is a strong red reflection in their eyes. The owner told me that they were nearly always hungry, and excessively savage, one of the kittens being so wild that it had to be tied up for a greater part of the day. It is only just to state that, although Madame Gue received a first prize and Madame Verbrugge only a second, there is practically nothing to choose between the respective merits of their pets. The judges of the show admitted that they had had the greatest difficulty in classifying them.

Among European cats a very fine animal is Madame Bachellier's Minette, the winner of a third prize, one of the prettily engraved medals given by Le Journal, and a sum of 50fr. This Algerian female is so white that it has the appearance of a cat made of china; it has a very sleek coat and delicate turquoise eyes. Its special feature is its head, which strikingly resembles that of a wild cat. Kiki, the property of Madame Helene Galland, is another prize-winner (it obtained a bronze medal given by the Société Protectrice dex Animaux) which is worth mentioning. It is a male, in exceedingly good condition, white and brown in colour, and two and a half years old. The markings on the nose and feet are remarkably regular, and undoubtedly went far in assisting the judges to come to a decision. Finally, Marquis and Froufrou are deserving of a few words owing to their having carried off silver and bronze medals given by the Societe l'Ami de l'Animal. The former, which is the property of Madame Tomasson, is a chat bicolore, three years of age. Its cat is in first-rate condition. The latter is a black male owned by Madame Nourissesau, who has several times exhibited at the Jardin J Acclimatation.

I may say, in conclusion, that two of the finest cats in Paris are owned not by ladies but by men. The gold medal and grand pris d'honneur of the Paris Zoological Gardens were awarded at the last show to M. Paul Peraldi and M. Roux. M. Peraldi's exhibit was a domesticated tiger-cat from the Congo, greatly resembling a genet, and, though its breed would incline us to be sceptical, exceedingly docile. It Perhaps ought to be said, however, that it was but three months old, and, naturally, had not reached its full size. Moutonne, M. Roux's animal, was a pure-bred Angora, whose silky, shiny, pure white coat made it, in everybody's opinion, one of the finest cats of its kind ever exhibited. - F.L.

FEW people know that it is quite possible for a number of tom cats to meet in daily intercourse without fighting. Lady Decies, I believe, lets all her tom cats out for exercise every afternoon." Of course they must be watched at first and corrected when they show an inclination to squabble, and the queen cats must be kept shut up, but with a certain amount of supervision the benefit to the cats' health will outweigh the risks that are run. Of course, I do not mean for a moment to suggest that it would be safe to open the doors of the houses of half a dozen elderly tom cats and let them sally forth to meet each other. I should advise letting them meet at first on strange ground, and arming the attendant with a light switch to quell the ardour of any aggressive gentleman. As aomatter of fact, exercising a dozen tom cats together is not half so dangerous as exercising the same number of fox-terriers. I speak from experience!

THERE seems to have been some slight misunderstanding between the N.C.C. and the Cat Club over the amalgamation question. The N.C.C. committee gathered from the delegates that the C.C. had already been approached on the subject and had declined to discuss it. We are now given to understand by the C.C. secretary that her committee merely wished to postpone giving a reply until they heard the views of the N.C.C. committee. As a matter of fact, this point has now become of trivial importance, but I hope it will not be allowed to cause any further ill-feeling between the clubs at this moment, when a better understanding than has before existed seems possible.

TO those who like to give their cats an occasional change of diet I can recommend an inexpensive and much-relished dish. Soak some lentils all night in cold water, and then boil thoroughly with a sheep's head. I never knew a cat which would not over-eat itself on this fare if allowed to do so, and it is easily digested and fattening.

IN some cases of illness a milk diet is ordered, and, though plain new milk is sufficient nourishment, the invalid, when in the convalescent stage, often demands some more substantial food. Any good brand of baby food is suitable, or thin arrowroot or cornflour may be given. For a change, boil some quaker oats in water until they are quite soft. Then add milk an boil again for about ten minutes, strain off the quaker oats, and a thick, creamy and much appreciated milk gruel will remain.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
DICK WHITTINGTON will be pleased to give advice on all matters concerning cats and their ailments, and will be glad to receive for insertion any interesting items of cat news that her readers may send. Queries must be written on one side of a separate sheet of paper, and must be signed with a pseudonym only for publication, but a letter giving full name and address of sender must accompany each query. A postal reply will be sent if the fee of 2s. 6d. is enclosed.. - Letters should be addressed, "DICK WHITTINGTON, care of Editor, THE LADIES' FIELD."
WYBROGA. - From your description I think the cat's hair must have got matted and he has scratched it out. I presume,, of course, that you are correct in your statement that there is "no irritation of any sort" in his skin. Please examine it once more very carefully, as there may possibly be parasites of some kind - if not, you must build up the cat's constitution. I do not think a corn-chandler in necessarily an authority on cats, and that broken biscuit mixture must be stepped at once. Feed the cat twice daily on minced raw beef, and give him every morning a dessertspoonful of cod-liver oil. It is not safe to apply any hair stimulant to a cat, as it invariably licks it off, but a very little vaseline may be applied to the bare parts. If you can find any parasites, or any skin affection, please write to me again and I will advise you further.
MEW. - You could not possibly give your kitten a worse diet than oatmeal porridge and milk. It will most certainly suffer from indigestion, then worms and diarrhoea if you persist in your evil course. Give it a dessertspoonful of mnced raw beef, mixed with brown breadcrumbs, three times daily.
POUNCE. - The kitten is a blue tabby, and worth about 15s., as a pet only. Toescribe it as a "blue chinchilla" shows great ignorance, if nothing worse, on the part of the breeder, as no such colour exists. A chinchilla is necessarily a silver cat, not a blue. I do not advise you to keep him to breed from, as you would run a considerable risk of breeding nothing but blue tabby kittens, and in any case no-one would care to give much for blue kittens from a much-marked sire unless they were exceptionally good, or unless he had some special points which outweighed his faults of colour.
HEDGE SPARROW. - Some cats never take to mousing ad I fear I known of no means of inducing them to do so. Perhaps if you caught a few mice in a trap and gave them to your cat it might arouse her to a sense of duty!
STAFFA. - I knew of a lady who reared all her kittens on arrowroot one year, and they did well till they went to new homes, when every one sickened an the majority died. They were full of worms and had no constitution to enable them to stand against the most trivial infantile ailments. A kitten's first teeth are made for eating meat. The mother knows this and brings meat to her kittens, but is never seen to carry them other food. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, March 28, 1903, pg 128

I WOULD like to impress upon all readers who are novices in breeding that fresh air and a free outdoor life are almost essential, if healthy, hardy kittens are to be reared. I know there are many breeders who, through want of garden accommodation, are unable to let their kitten un about, but I also know that many, who should know better, advise young fanciers to keep their kittens entirely indoors. One lady I know of keeps a huge cattery and has several big gardens, but her poor little kittens are all shut into stuffy rooms and houses, and on cold days stoves are lighted. Years ago her kittens used to live all day out of doors and she had some success in rearing them, but an outbreak of distemper, which she attributed to cold through sleeping on the grass. Caused a change of plan, and during the last five or six years I doubt if she has reared ten out of

PERSONALLY, I do not believe that lying on th grass will harm any furry animal. If it feels chilled it will move about, but as long as it is warm and comfortable it will take no harm. I suspect that if some of these careful people went in for horse and cattle breeding we should soon read of raised sleeping benches being provided in the meadows With various breeds of dogs I quite admit that some extra precautions may be necessary, as they have been bred, for fancy points, into all sorts of unnatural shapes, but the cat is still a product of nature as far as her form is concerned, and therefore se will thrive better if kept under natural conditions. Long-coated kittens should not, of course, be allowed out in the rain, nor should they be allowed into small runs unless the sun shines, but they may be allowed to play about the garden at will so long as rain is not actually falling, and they have a dry, comfortable house to retire to should they wish to do so. My short-coated kittens go out of doors and play about in the rain and come in drenched, but have never caught cold therefrom, and I have always allowed even Siamese kittens as much open-air exercise as they liked, and the result has been that they grew into strong, hardy cats, no more delicate than their British cousins.

MISS LEAKE has disposed of all her chinchilla cats with the exception of Pathan of Dingley. Even the old favourite Winsome has found a new home. Winsome first appeared at the Crystal Palace Show in an A.O.C, class under Mr. A. A. Clarke, and was marked "wrong class" because Mr. Clarke maintained that, as he could detect very faint leg pencillings, she was a tabby. As a matter of fact, Winsome was, and is, one of our lightest chinchillas. Miss Leaks has acquired a very lovely blue-eyed white Thomas, but she thinks of packing him off to America, as, strange to say, she does not care for whites.

IF a kitten of six or eight weeks has been purchased by a novice in cat breeding as a pet, enquiries are usually made as to how the kitten has been fed. The reply usually is: "It has been fed five times a day," and a number of different articles of diet are mentioned, including patent baby foods, bread and gravy, green vegetables, etc., and sometimes a very little meat. The purchaser at great trouble carries out all these instructions, but to her disappointment the kitten does not thrive. and she then doses it for worms, it becomes very ill and finally can only be saved by feeding entirely on rev meat. Now, a house cat that requires a special diet is something of a nuisance, and if the kitten can be got on to ordinary fare at once it is more likely to be popular. In the first place vegetables and sloppy foods must on no account be given, nor should the kitten have more than three meals a day. At least one of these meals must consist entirely of meat, the less cooked the better. The other two meus may consist of anything in the way of milk or suet pudding, fish, meat, eggs, and even a tablespoonful of cream will not come amiss. A gout tablespoonful of solid food makes a meal for a kitten of eight weeks, and if care is taken that the food given is neither sloppy nor indigestible it may have anything that is going. If it has any diarrhoea reduce the quantity of food but increase the proportion of meat. I do not believe in any dog biscuit or similar food for kittens, though some people find that it agrees with cats. Fowls' heads with the feathers on or the body bones of small game delight kittens and do them no harm. It is safer not to give the leg and wing bones, as they may splinter and cause trouble.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, April 4, 1903, pg 178

MRS. JAMES announces that the Bath Show has more than paid its way without touching the guarantee fund promised by the specialist societies. As this statement might be slightly misleading to intending show promoters, it as well to explain that this guarantee fund was "over and above" the class guarantees. Some at least of the societies had to pay up pretty heavily over the classes they guaranteed, and I feel sure Mrs. James will pardon me for remarking that when practically all the classes are guarantee it is surely not a great triumph that the gate moneys and the surplus on some of the classes should cover the other expenses.

THERE seems to be a possibility that the cat show at Richmond may be allowed to lapse this year. This is especially to he regretted, as there is small likelihood of an L.K.A. cat show forming part of the summer programme. Miss Simpson is making an appeal to fanciers to assist in forming a guarantee fund, without which Mr. Cox, the secretary, says hevwill be unable to give more than a few classes.

THE blue short-haired cat is once more before the public. On this occasion the discussion is as to his proper denomination. At a recent show a blue kitten was disqualified in a British class, and declared to be a foreigner. The leading cat clubs very wisely decided years ago that as it was impossible to draw a line between English and Russian cats, and as English cats frequently won as Russians, it was better that they should meet on equal ground in the English classes. So surely any further argument in the matter is useless and unnecessary.

STRANGE and weird systems of kitten raising are often attempted by cat fanciers, but surely the strangest and most unnatural of all is that when, at the age of seven or eight weeks, a family of kittens leave their own mother they should be provided with a foster-mother recently kittened. In the first place such a course is not for the kittens' good; their digestions are fitted for solid food, as is proved by their dental arrangements. Moreover, the sharpness of their teeth is likely to cause much suffering to the foster-parent. Then there is the difficulty of getting them to take to a strange mother. A cat will often adopt big kittens, but healthy kittens have a horror of strange cats. A delicate, sickly kitten will often adopt a new mother, but I do not think it does it any good, and I have never known one that throve under these circumstances until it was separated from its foster-parent.

FOR putting a gloss on a cat's coat, fattening him up, and generally putting the finishing touches before a show, there is nothing better than a daily tablespoonful of fresh cream. It has almost as good an effect as cod-liver oil and is much more easily administered. Some people recommend smearing cream or butter on a cat's coat to make it lick itself, but this is most unsatisfactory, as it gives the coat a horribly greasy dead look for some days. A cat living in the country and in good health should keep itself clean, but town cats require an occasional rub with fuller's earth, flour, or hot bran.

MIS SCRATTON sends me some photographs of her Prittlewell Orangeman with the sad tidings of his early death. Orangeman was a son 0f Patrick Blue and his mother was Glory of Prittlewell by The King's Own out of Josephine of the Durhams. There were five in the litter, two oranges, one cream, one blue, and one blue tortoiseshell. Orangeman won second at Westminster Show, only being beaten by the celebrated Orange Girl II., and he was a big well-shaped kitten with lovely eyes and very neat ears.

CORINNE OF DINGLEY is one of the fascinating and much criticized shaded silvers. She was bred by her owner, Miss Anderon Leake, and, like all the cats from this lady's justly celebrated strain, she is delightfully shortlegged and cobby in build, with a flowing coat. Corinne won first prize at Reading last sear.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, April 11, 1903, pg 217

THE spring months are, I think, the dullest in catdom, so far as journalism is concerned, though to the breeder they are full of interest and excitement. What can be more thrilling than an inspection of a newly arrived family and the gradually developing "points" of the month old babies to their owner, but to the outsider the announcement that Miss Jones's Fluffie has five lovely blue babies and that Flossie's kittens have snub-noses and tiny ears reads merely as a "puff" of Miss Jones's cattery.

WHAT would be of real interest would be un account, from some readers who breed variety-coloured cats, of how different. colours have cropped up through successive generations, and of any colours which may be regarded as sports having appeared unexpectedly in a strain of some other hue. Such information would be of great service to me in the study of cross-breeding, in which I am much interested.

THE physicking of cats is certainly being carried to excess, and the idea of having an attendant, however skilled, on guard at cat shows night and day to administer medicine if a cat "did but sneeze," is a little alarming to people who, like myself, consider that the less physic a cat takes the better. I personally should be exceedingly annoyed if I discovered that my cats had been dosed in any way without my permission, for I think that nothing is so likely to upset a cat's very delicate digestion as promiscuous physicking. Of course, if a cat is taken seriously ill during a show, it may be necessary that the veterinary officer should take it in hand and treat it as seems good in his eyes, but otherwise I should prefer my cats to be left in peuce.

I HAVE frequently described the correct method of giving a cat a dose of liquid medicine, but to administer a pill successfully is rather more difficult. I open the mouth in the same manner by holding the cat by the scruff of ats neck and tilting the head back, drop the pill as far down the throat as possibly, and then push it further down with a twisted-up spill of stiff paper.

CAT fanciers show a great lack of originality in naming their pets, and the number of Tigers and Fluffies, etc. which appear, distinguished by prefix or affix, is monotonous. There is a great art in selecting new and appropriate names, and some exhibitors have the knack of hitting upon suitable ones, but where this cannot be done there are several excellent systems which suggest the parentage of the young stock or the strain from which they come. Sometimes all the cats from one cattery possess the same initial, and this is often the initial letter of their owner's name. Thus, Mrs. James's cats are Jogram, Jael, etc., and are further distinguished by the prefix of "Backwell." Another system is that followed out in many fox-hound kennels. If the sire belongs to the cattery in which the kittens are bred, they are given his initial, otherwise that of their mother. Thus a litter by Miss Brown's Vengeance out of Her Grace might: be called Viking, Victor, and Vesta. If the sire was Mr. Jones's Vengeance, the kittens might be Gaspard, Gillyflower, etc. Yet another system is that used. in racing circles, where some combination of the names of sire and dam is aimed at. Thus the world-renowned Persimmon was a son of St. Simon and Perdita II.

I HEAR of a number of very large litters of kittens, but large litters, as I have said again and again, are not desirable. If the kittens are to be well reared a foster mother must be employed, and in a small cattery she occupies valuable space, and may not do her work in a satisfactory manner. If the mother is allowed to rear her own kittens she may come through the ordeal all right, but the chances are that her kittens will be undersized and weakly, and suffer from weak eyes.

WHEN tiny kittens' eyes first show a tendency to remain shut in the morning do not jump to the conclusion that there is inflammation present, but wash the eye open with a little cold water and then examine it carefully. If the eye looks all right, but a little watery, it is only weak, and must be bathed three times a day with a solution of alum and water, used cold. If the haw in the corner of the eye appears red and inflamed, the eye should be bathed with hot boracic lotion every two hours until the inflammation subsides. When the surface of the eye is clouded, or a white spot appears upon it, use boracic lotion for two or three days until there is no inflammation, and then use yellow (not red) Mercury ointment. A piece the size of a pin's head should be put into the eye every morning.

I AM extremely sorry to hear of the death of Miss Chamberlayne's chinchilla kitten, Son of Roy, as, though it was too early to say that he would have reached the top of the tree, he was a kitten full of promise. He was by Rob Roy of Arrandale, and I believe his dam was Miss Chamberlayne's Papoose. I have heard surprise expressed at the paleness of Son of Roy's colour, but this is easily accounted for by his pedigree. Papoose was formerly owned by Mrs. Kennaway, and she was bred by Miss Ward from FitzEustace ex Squaw. The latter was a dark cat, but FitzEustace was a very pale son of Silver Lambkin and Fairy, who was also Dimity's mother.

MISS WHITE ATKINS, of cat fame, has lately gone in for Japanese spaniels, and writes me news of a very healthy and promising litter of Jap puppies, whose pedigree is the bluest of the blue. I think the Japs and the cats should make charming companions and playfellows to one another.

Miss ATKINS has engaged a lady kennelwoman to look after her cats during May and June, when she is going "on tour" on a motor-car, and proposes camping out!

"DICK WHITTINGTON" is much flattered by the freedom with which his paragraphs are copied into contemporaries, but he would like to draw the attention of one editor to the fact that on several occasions recently the source from which the paragraphs have been taken has not been acknowledged.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, April 18, 1903, pg 257

AN AUSTRALIAN CATTERY.
MRS. AUSTIN EMBEING, of St. Kilda, Melbourne, Australia, claims to be the proud possessor of the biggest Persian cat in the State of Victoria, and The Mikado, as he is termed, is certainly a beauty, besides being a gentleman of faultless pedigree. He is now four and a half years old, and has been owned by Mrs, Embling since he was a small kitten. He was born in Adelaide immediately after the arrival there of his father and mother. Both these cats were imported by Mrs. Morgan from Mrs. Harold Foote's cattery. The mother was Wanda, out of Dame Wanda by Herod. Wanda, whose portrait has appeared in THE LADIES' FIELD, became the property of Mrs. McLennan. The father was Binga but Mrs. Morgan Was unfortunate enough to lose him shortly afterwards. aid get Don Juan in his place.

The Mikado, who answers in private life better to his pet name of Nanki Poo, is a pale chinchilla, whose chief beauty, after his size, lies in his massive head and his thick, full coat. He is also very successful as a stud cat, being a certain breeder, and transmitting his fine points to his progeny. In the accompanying group The Mikado occupies the left-hand corner, with not too amiable an expression upon his countenance, as may be observed. Next comes Tee, the offspring of Mrs. Keep's noted Sydney cat, Silver King, of Lord Argent's breed, and of Beira, who fills the right-hand corner, She is the children's favourite; from them she has swings and rides in the perambulator, and seems to enjoy it all as much as her little playfellows.

Beira is the one of Mrs. Embling's cats I am most envious of, a charming little creature, besides being such a harmony in colour. I do not know whether it is her ways or her colouring, but she certainly has a most distinguished and aristocratic air. She is true London smoke, shading off, when she is in her winter coat, into seal brown with all sorts of glancing lights. Note even in the picture the setting that her face has from the paler-tinted ruff around it. Beira is the daughter of Miss Best's imported Nineveh and the blue Persian from the Zoological Gardens at Royal Park. Ayah, Beira's full sister, should have been in the photograph, but she unluckily slipped away at the last moment. Wunnie, next to her sister, Tee, promised well as a kitten, but she has become very delicate, and, as Mrs. Embling would therefore not use her for breeding, she has gone for a change of air, and probably for good, to the dry interior. Frenchie's dusky yellow coat I do not admire, but Chubby is a lovely lustrous chinchilla, and she is full sister to Silver King.

Mrs. Embling diets her cats mostly on uncooked gravy-beef, well chopped, with plenty of new milk, with an occasional variation in the shape of rabbits and fish, both, of course, cooked. Her Persians are partial to quantities of grass, and their mistress is careful to see that they are never without it. Most of the tom kittens sent away have paid a visit to the doctor before they leave, as buyers generally prefer neuters. If it can be conveniently managed Mrs. Embling thinks the operation is better deferred till six months, as the characteristics of the breed are then likely to be more strongly marked and to be permanent; the head, in particular, will be larger and broader. - A. H.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
DICK WHITTINGTON will be pleased to give advice on all matters concerning cats and their ailments, and will be glad to receive for insertion any interesting items of cat news that her readers may send. Queries must be written on one side of a separate sheet of paper, and must be signed with a pseudonym only for publication, but a letter giving full name and address of sender must accompany each query. A postal reply will be sent if the fee of 2s. 6d. is enclosed.. - Letters should be addressed, "DICK WHITTINGTON, care of Editor, THE LADIES' FIELD."
DOUCETTE. - You had better advertise your kittens in our Private Sales column. For the blue-eyed whites you should easily get £2 2s. each, and any of exceptional merit might fetch from £3 3s. to £5 5s. each.
DUSKIE. - There is very little demand for smokes at present, and unless yours are something out of the common I fear they will not fetch more than 21s. or 30s. each,
MOUSIE. - As your cat has thriven so well on raw meat I do not think you need worry over the dismal prophecies of your friend. The cat will not grow ton fat, he will not get indigestion, and he will not smell strong if you continue as you are doing. If there is one thing more than another which makes dogs and cats unpleasant in the house it in cooked vegetables. You can experiment with them if you like and see.
TUSKER. - Dick Fawe is now the property of Mrs. Mackenzie Stewart, Seagate House, Irvine, N.B.
PERSIAN PRINCE. - Neither a black or a brown tabby is a suitable mate for your white cat, but the former would be much the least objectionable of the two. Can you not get a white queen, about two to three years would be a suitable age? All kittens except blue eyed whites have blue grey eyes at first, and these generally change in colour at about three months old, but the age varies a bit. The change occupying some weeks. or even months.
BOTHERED. - I fear your kitten is in rather an unhealthy state, and the cough, in connection with the other symptoms, suggests possible tuberculosis, in which case, of course, it would be better to have her destroyed. It is possible that she may have come from delicate or badly kept parents, or that her own early rearing was not satisfactory. In this case a course of tonic medicine may do good. Give a liberal diet of caw meat, about 2 and a half oz. daily, mixed with brown bread crumbs, also let her have fish, chicken, tripe, boiled lentils, etc.. and give 1 grain saccharated carbonate of iron daily, also every morning a teaspoonful of cod-liver oil. Let me hear how she gets on.
DIAVOLO. - The cats peculiar tastes account for the state of his health. He has not got mange but eczema. Rub his skin with sulphur and vaseline ointment twice weekly, but use only a small quantity and rub well into the skin. Perhaps he would take a couple of tablespoonfuls of cream daily, which would help him. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, April 25, 1903, pg 273

THE BERESFORD LODGE CATS.
NO one will, I think, question my statement that Lady Decies is the most successful exhibitor of long-haired cats in England, and, had she never owned another good cat, Ch. Fulmer Zaida would have made her name at household word among cat fanciers. Zaida is believed to have won more prizes than any cat living. her record including fourteen championships and innumerable cups, medals, and specials. Though no longer a young cat, she can still hold her own, which is proved by the fact that at her last two shows this year - Bath and Manchester she was adjudged the best long-hair in the show, and at Bath she also took twelve specials, including a challenge cup, a challenge bowl, and three silver medals, while at' Manchester she won eight specials, including a challenge bowl. Zaida's exquisite colour - entirely free, as it is, from marking - is her strongest point, but she is also a short-legged. beautifully shaped cat, with a round head and green eyes. When in coat it is hard to pick a fault in her.

William of Orange was first shown at the Crystal Palace in 1902, and won several firsts and championship, and was claimed by Lady Decies at his catalogue price. He was next exhibited at Manchester, where he won first, championship, challenge prize, and two silver medals, and ran Zaida very close for the special for best long-hair. Willam is a very large, handsome, red tabby son of Johnnie Fawe. He has a fine, broad head, and is a huge cat with a wonderful flowing coat of a brilliant chestnut hue.

Prince of Thanet is one of the largest cats ever exhibited. In colour he is pale blue, and he is one of those desirable cats which never seem to be out of coat. I believe I am correct in saying that he is a son of Blue Noble. In shape and head Prince of Thanet is beyond criticism. He has only been shown three times. At the Botanical Gardens in 1902 he took second in the open class to Orange Blossom of Thorpe and first in the ring class. At Richmond he won every thing he competed for, and at the Crystal Palace he was unnoticed in the open class but took first in the ring class. His defeat on this occasion caused his owner considerable astonishment, as he had previously been such a brilliant success.

Hazeline is a worthy mate for Prince of Thanet. I do not think I have ever seen so large and massive a queen, and seeing her in her pen I have more than once jumped to the conclusion that she was a tom wrongly penned.

The short-haired cats at Beresford Lodge are a wonderful collection. Fulmer Snow flake is a blue-eyed white, and was first shown at the Botanical Gardens last year and won first and Queen's cup. At Bath he took first and the special for best short-hair in the show, thus being placed before the celebrated James II. and Dame Fortune, a victory of which his mistress is justly proud,

Fulmer Countess was purchased by Lady Decies at Richmond Show for £2, and was considered by her to be the most beautiful short-haired cat she ever owned. She had a perfect head and shape. brilliant blue eyes, and a capital coat. Her show career was a short and brilliant one - at Richmond she was only third; then at the Crystal Palace she won first, but unfortunately died soon after the show. Such a cat is well nigh impossible to replace. The painting from which her photograph is taken is by Mr. Luker, junior.

Ping Pong is silver tabby English tom of excellent type and only wanting a little depth of marking to make him one of the best. He has only been shown twice - at the Crystal Palace and Bath - and on both occasions took second to James II.

Red Bramble is the sensational red tabby kitten claimed by Lady Decies at the Crystal Palace Show, where he won first and special for the best short-haired kitten - a performance which he repeated at Manchester, where he also won first in the novice class.

Shamrock is certainly the best short-haired black queen, if not cat, now shown. She was claimed by Lady Decies at the Crystal Palace a year or two ago for a few shillings, not having attracted much attention, and was first shown by her at Manchester, where she carried all before her. At the Botanical Gardens she won the Quen's cup, and at the Crystal Palace first and championship. Manchester Show was a terrible fiasco, for Shamrock was upset by the journey and awkward to handle, and the judge overlooked her good qualities in fear of her temper.

A charming picture whet we hope to give later shows Prince of Thanet, a toy bull-terrier named Queen of Thanet, which won several prizes at the Aquarium Toy Dog Show, a blue Amazon parrot, which is a remarkably fine talker, and a rose-blush cockatoo, which runs loose all over the gardens. The Beresford Lodge dogs and cats are the best of friends and the parrots would be pleased to let the cats share their cages if they wished to do so.

The cats are most carefully fed, and have as much variety of food as possible. Their diet includes butcher's meat, horseflesh par-boiled and minced, fish, rabbits, etc., various kinds of farinaceous foods, and a regular supply of all kinds of vegetables, except carrots and turnips. Very little milk is given, except to kittens.

Lady Decies only keeps abut fourteen cats, as she rightly considers that a few well-attended to are more satisfactory than a larger number less cared for. She finds that if cats are carefully looked after they are wonderfully free from disease. If a cat is ill it is sent to Eli Skinner, the huntsman, at the hound kennels, and he soon gets it right. Being a great lover of all animals, he is always ready and willing to take any invalid in hand. The cats' attendant is Mrs. Casson, a daughter of Skinner, and she has a lad to assist her in the cattery. Each cat is well combed and brushed every morning, and has its nose and eyes well sponged with warm water or frequently with boracic lotion.

A cottage with six rooms, adjoining Beresford Lodge, is used for most of the cats to live in all the winter, and there are outbuildings, with large runs attached, for others. The wooden outdoor houses are well raised off the ground to allow a current of air to pass underneath in order to prevent damp. In each sleeping compartment there is a box tor each cat to sleep in, so as to guard against draughts. The bedding is in summer a piece of carpet and in winter straw. None of the cats are allowed in the sun in hot weather for fear of their coats becoming faded in colour. Those which have not got shaded runs are shut up during the heat of the day. In wet weather they have a very large conservatory as an exercise ground, and this is well shaded in hot weather by having the roof painted green.

THE well-known blue long-haired stud cat, Nemophyla, is now in the hands of Mrs. Simon. He is a son of Blue Robin, and was bought as a female by Lady Marcus Beresford when he was about ten months old. Nemophyla's small size has prevented his attracting any notice in the show-pen, but his beautiful orange eyes and clear, sound colour have always made him a popular sire, and he has bred good kittens.

MRS. HAZEN BOND has written me a long and interesting letter from Washington. She expresses great surprise and pleasure at the appearance of her cats in THE LADIES' FIELD, and remarks: "I wonder how they ever get such good cuts from such bad prints?" Mrs. Hazen Bond, by the way, is considered to be the cat photographer of America, and she has had so many compliments showered upon her work by professionals that she now scorns the admiration of amateurs. Her cat pictures were the only animals hung in the Corcoran Art Gallery exhibit last spring.

WRITING of catty politics Mrs. Hazen Bond says: "I believe that you have the right idea about the troublous English cat times. It makes little difference what church we belong to, so we all get to Heaven; church being represented by the clubs, and Heaven and peace by one register. If you could only see it, the U.S. register is primarily for the benefit of the English breeders, and if you would make use of its advantages as a stud book, while keeping to your show or club register, the question would be solved.

"We had no cat troubles until I succeeded in interesting the government in the cats, intending to present the book to the then my club the Beresford. I never dreamed of and didn't want the white elephant on my hands, but such a storm of abuse and misunderstandings arose that I saw that I must take care of our great governmental privilege until the factions either wiped each other off the face of the earth or cooled down enough to see what I have done for them or catty America would go into disgrace, the privilege be withdrawn, and never granted more. The factions are still sizzling and wrangling, though the recent treasury investigation in England has cooled their ebullitions somewhat.

"Try to help the English cattarians out of their rut. Their cats are not entirely perfect yet, and competition even with us might result advantageously - not to mention the 'business propositions' involved in making use of our open door."

MENELOOKA, whose portrait recently appeared in THE LADIES' FIELD is now owned by Mrs. Chapman. She Is a daughter of MeneliK and Lalla Rookh, not of Rosana as stated. Mrs. Bond says that she thinks her mind was full of "Dear Roxy," who left her for Cat Elysium the morning she wrote the names on the prints.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, May 2, 1903, pg 317

THERE seems to be some possibility of the N.C.C. holding a summer show after all, though whether it will be held in connection with the L.K.A. dog show in the Botanic Gardens at the end of June is doubtful. It is a pity that this show should be allowed to lapse, as it has always been a popular and attractive fixture, and though the long-haired cats are, of course, out of coat, the kittens are at their best, and the short-haired cats should be in good form; moreover, there is always a better turn-out of Siamese and other foreign cats than at any other show in the year.

THE possibility of the N.C.C. taking over Richmond Show has apparently not been considered, but perhaps the committee would not at present care to take the risk of running a show out of London.

I FREQUENTLY receive letters from correspondents complaining of the trouble they have in keeping their cats clear of fleas, though they "powder them frequently" with various insecticides. This, I must once more state, is a very dangerous practice. The powders used are, as a rule, non-poisonous, but, all the same, they are not good articles of diet, and it must be remembered that a cat or kitten almost invariably settles down to a solid meal of any foreign substance which is put on its coat, and a violent attack of indigestion is the least serious result which may be expected from such a debauch.

FOR young kittens' coats no dressings may be used, but even in the south of England it is possible to keep them fairly clear of fleas if there are not too many kittens for their attendant to look after properly. The floors of the houses should be frequently washed over with a strong disinfectant - a little paraffin and water answers admirably - and some lumps of camphor should be placed among the bedding. Flowers of sulphur may be sprinkled in the corners, and if the kittens are carefully gone over with a fine tooth-comb every morning they will not have much to complain of.

For older cats' coats a good rub, followed by a thorough brushing of the following powder once or twice a week, should be all that is necessary: Flowers of sulphur, one part; powdered camphor, one part; powdered magnesia, one part.

OF Miss Stisted's cats but little has been heard for some years, but since her death, a few weeks ago, the stud has been dispersed, and some very excellent cats have gone to new homes. Mrs. Peter Brown purchased a couple of really good, blue-bred black males, one at least of which has again changed hands. In days gone by Miss Stisted owned some of our best blue cats, and I believe Miss Bray's Tomato, and also Lindfield Bootles, passed through her hands. She also purchased Holmwood Trixie, one of the best blue queens Miss Jay ever bred - a very large dark blue cat with orange eyes. Other purchases were Lady Decies's well-known Prince Cassam and the pale chinchilla, Fulmer Pearl, a daughter of Ameer and Ch. Zaida, which, I believe, afterwards returned to Lady Decies's cattery. Miss Stisted was also a great mouse fancier.

AS there are no quarantine regulations for cats, it seems a pity that some enterprising American fancier does not bring over a team to the Crystal Palace. The sea voyage would surely be no more trying than the long railway journeys which the American cats have to accomplish on their way to and from shows, and it would be most interesting to see how the American champions compared with our cats.

"Cats: Show and Pet," by Mr. C. A. House, is the most recently published addition to our catty library. The selection of title is unfortunate, as it is not very long since the same firm published an excellent book by Miss Taylor, entitled "Show and Pet Cats." Mr. House's book is most interesting reading, and his ideas on the subject of breeding are sound. In the chapter on breeds he suggests many alterations in the standards drawn up by the clubs - these may or may not be improvements, but will certainly arouse much interest. In the matter of dieting I must say I disagree with Mr. House, but as he has always advocated milk, farinaceous foods, and cooked vegetables, that is to be expected, and I can quite well wait till the few remaining dissentients are converted to the raw meat system. Much useful advice on diseases is given, though in some cases most heroic remedies are recommended, and in others homeopathy is advocated. Taking the book all round it is well written and instructive, and will be of use both to the novice and the old fancier, and should find a place in every catty household. The numerous illustrations of celebrated cats form a great additional attraction to the book.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, May 9, 1903, pg 381

MISS SAMUEL has found it necessary to reduce the number of her Manx tom cats, and Manx Monarch and Manx Exile have gone to happy homes in the country. Miss Samuel still has Philip, King Kangaroo, and his brother, besides a number of queens, so there is no danger of the strain dying out at present. The pride of the cattery just now is a very fine and absolutely tailless dark tortoiseshell female kitten.

MRS. KENNAWAY has returned from her voyage to the West Indies, and is lucky in finding her cats none the worse for her absence. A surprise awaited her in Shiela's family, for besides three nice blue kittens there was a brown tabby. Though Shiela has a brown tabby ancestress some generations back, her children have never before favoured this colour. Mrs. Kennaway has been offered an imported Argentine cat which is said to be beautifully marked, but, as there seems to be some considerable doubt as to the existence of such a breed, it is well not to say too much about it until some further enquiries have been made.

THE Siamese Cat Club appears to be in a flourishing condition, and the appointment of Miss Forestier-Walker as hon. secretary will be a most popular one. For so small a club to do so much in the way of guarantees, medals, etc., and yet have a balance in the bank of £3 17s. 3d., is most creditable.

MRS. JAMES takes exception to my remarks anent the Bath Show, but the fact remains that some of the specialist societies had to pay up their guarantee, and unfortunately the small societies, with which I have had most to do, had to pay a very large proportion of the whole sum called in. Though seven societies supported the show, the sum of £8 7s. was by no means evenly divided amongst them, as Mrs. James's letter would suggest, since each club paid on its own classes, and of course some of the clubs made quite a success of their departments. My remarks were in no way intended to reflect upon the success of the show, but merely to suggest to intending show promoters the necessity of going into the details of the expenditure, instead of accepting the total results, which would, of course, be very different at a show where the gate money did not come in well.

To draw comparisons between kittens and young children in the matter of feeding is an absolute absurdity. In the first place I have vet to learn that man is a carnivorous animal. Civilization has brought to him many changes, including a varied diet, but I believe I am correct in stating that Adam and Eve were vegetarians. Therefore, if we feed babies on meat, we are not giving them their natural food, as we are to kittens., In the second place a kitten of a month old is very much further advanced in every way than a baby of a year old, and in the third place the dentition of the human and the feline race is absolutely different. That a young kitten's teeth are suited for eating meat can be proved by giving it a piece of raw beef, which it will soon chew up, making no attempt to swallow it whole. Quite as much harm is done by under as by over feeding kittens, if we wish to rear show stock.

A WORD to intending exhibitors at summer shows. Do not breed from the queens which you intend to exhibit. Why is it that cat breeders almost invariably breed one or two litters a year from every queen they possess? Dog breeders would never dream of such conduct. As a rule they keep different bitches for breeding and exhibition, and at any rate they do not take the poor mother straight from her nursery duties to the show-bench and then grumble at the result, as cat breeders do. They make up their minds which bitches they wish to breed from during the year and excuse them from show attendance until they have returned to good form.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, May 16, 1903, pg 395

AN important item of news is the sale of Mrs. Gregory's celebrated blue Persian male, Skellingthorpe Patrick, to Mrs. Clark, of Ashbrittle, Somerset. Patrick has won first challenge cup, breeders' cup, and three specials, Westminster, 1902 and 1903; three firsts and specials, Crystal Palace; and first challenge prize and medals, Bath. Patrick is a son of the notorious Roz, and he I a very large, well-shaped cat, with a grand head and a heavy coat of a pale, sound, colour. His only fault lies in his eyes, which are rather pale in colour.

"ZAIDA" and Mr. House have entered into a somewhat unprofitable argument, in a contemporary, as to whether men or women make the best cat judges. As a matter of fact this is a subject on which it is absolutely impossible to come to any conclusion, for there are good and bad judges of both sexes. It is true that no man can give satisfaction in judging chinchillas, but that is probably merely because they do not understand the breed; with little study I have no doubt they could come through the ordeal all right. Women, as a rule, go in for specialist judging, and hesitate to undertake the breeds of which they have no knowledge, so they have more time and attention to give to their tasks.

I KNOW of only one judge who I Consider a good all-rounder. and that judge is a man, but in some classes - notably the chinchillas - there are women specialists who are more popular than he.

My remarks about a "Dutch-rabbit" cat were copied into OUR CATS, and have drawn a reply from the well-known rabbit fancier, Mr. Edwin Ratcliffe. Mr. Ratcliffe considers that a Dutch-marked cat should be fairly easily produced by breeding from cats as near to the desired type as obtainable. He lays great stress on the necessity for orange eyes, and concludes by suggesting that the cats, when bred, should be shown under Mr. T. B. Mason, "our leading Dutch [rabbit] judge."

A CORRESPONDENT wrote to me some time ago asking for advice in the treatment of her cats, which were suffering from eczema. I recommended her to soak the skin in warm water and carbonate of soda, and then well rub in sulphur and vaseline ointment. She now writes to tell me that her cats were completely cured after a few weeks of this treatment, and adds, "No-one's cats could have been worse." The cats in question were both long and short haired. This lady also successfully cured a friend's cat, which was to have been destroyed, by the same treatment.

THE NATIONAL Cat CLUB will hold a general meeting on May 21st at the Westminster Palace Hotel, and then the proposed alterations in the club rules will be submitted for the appRoyal of the general members, who will also be asked to confirm the rescinding of the famous registration rule.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, May 23, 1903, pg 486

I WAS sorry to read of the illness of Miss Winifred Beal's celebrated fawn Persian, Ch. Romaldkirk Admiral, but am glad to know that he has now completely recovered. I think this is th first illness this celebrated cat has known since he caught distemper at a Manchester show some years ago. Admiral has always been my favourite of the beautiful twins, though Midshipmite has occasionally beaten him. To my mind the only points in which he beats Admiral are size and coat, but Admiral is shorter in nose and more level in colour.

FROM Lady Alexander I hear news of some sensational blue short-haired kittens of champion parentage. If I mistake not, these kittens will heard of in the future, as they are the children of the two most beautiful cats of the breed I have ever seen. I do not say that they are "classical," as the dog papers do, for what "classical," as applied to a dog or cat, means has always been mystery to me, and a "classical" bull pup" especially appeals to me as a weird and wonderful animal.

THE Blue Persian Cat Society held a most satisfactory general meeting the other day, and the treasurer was able to report a bank balance of £43 14s.

CAT-FANCIERS have waited with anxiety to hear the verdict of the jury in the case brought by Miss Terrill against "Salvo," or, rather, Mr. Burns and Miss Gant, to recover £70 damages for neglect of her prize cats. It is rather a disappointment that the jury could not agree in the matter. Miss Terrill and her cats lived at the Salvo Hospital for some time, and the lady alleges that the cats were ill-treated and, through the careless management of the hospital, contracted various infectious diseases. On the other hand, it appears that during her stay Miss Terrill told outsiders that the place was splendidly managed. An important point is that two of the diseased and neglected cats won prizes at Bath immediately after undergoing the alleged neglect, and appeared there in beautiful condition. Under the circumstances it is a pity that the cats in question were not passed into the show in the regular manner by a veterinary surgeon, as his certificate would have been of value, but it appears that in the absence of the appointed V.S, Miss Simpson undertook his duties.

SO poor old Blue Robin is to end his days in New Zealand, Mr. Witt having sold him to Mr. Kerr. This cat's life has been an eventful one. When first known to fame he was the property of Miss Cochran, for whom he won first and challenge cup at Westminster, but before that he had for a few months been the property of Lady Marcus Beresford, who purchased him with his two sons, Azure and Nemophyla, then supposed to be queens, from a non-exhibiting cattery. When Miss Cochran gave up cats she was anxious to find a comfortable home for Robin, and, as Mr. Witt was very anxious to possess him, she parted with him for a nominal sum. Robin soon got into the wars, and was so mauled by a young tom cat which was shut up with him by mistake that he was sent to a neighbouring chemist to be destroyed. A year afterwards Mr. Witt was amazed to hear that he was alive and well; but he had a very great deal of trouble in recovering his property, as the chemist appeared to think that, having saved his life, he was entitled to keep him. Robin has without doubt the finest head ever seen on a cat, and his wonderful coat and shape add much to his charms. One ear is crumpled from neglected canker in his youth, and his colour is doubtful, being blue with silver shadings on face and chest; but these are, I think, his only faults. Amongst the winners he has sired are Chin-Chin, Gossamer, and Roiall Pearl.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, May 30, 1903, pg 527

SO the Richmond Cat Show is to take place on July 7th after all. Various specialist clubs are giving their support, and Mr. Mason and Miss Jay are mentioned as judges. Miss Simpson is managing the show, and is anxious to make of it more of a kitten than a cat show, and proposes providing three litter classes, as there were twenty-six litters entered last year. I hear that a private individual has guaranteed one Manx class, and that the Manx Cat Club has offered to guarantee two more classes and give specials if Mr. Mason judges.

THAT beautifully shaped pale chinchilla the Absent-Minded Beggar has changed hands once more. When Mrs, Neild parted with her cats he was sold to Mrs. Clark, of Ashbrittle, and he has now been purchased by Mrs. Leeson, of Southampton, his place in the Ashbrittle cattery being filled by that good cat His Majesty of Whitehall, formerly the property of Mrs. Marriott.

THERE is, I understand, a possibility of the N.C.C. - which, by the way, is now in a most satisfactory financial position holding a cat show during the summer.

I HAVE several times written of a cat in my possession which will not touch raw meat. The other day this abstemious gentleman succumbed to temptation. A certain lady of the harem, after fetching in her third rabbit in the course of a few hours, felt quite incapable of disposing of the corpse. Mr. Thomas happened to pass by on his way to bed, and, seizing the rabbit, took it with him and ate it all. This cat has always refused to touch birds, or mice even, when freshly killed by the other cats. Another peculiar taste he has is for maizemeal porridge. It is an article of diet I should hesitate to recommend even for a strong cat, but he, delicate as he is, stuffs himself with it every night, and thrives on it. He does not even want milk with it!

I HAVE been asked for some notes on indigestion in cats and kittens, and beg to state at once that they have no business to suffer from indigestion if properly fed. Indigestion is caused either by giving too much food at a meal or by giving quantities of milk and sloppy farinaceous messes. If a kitten has been fed entirely on milk food, it is not always wise, when it comes to a new home, to put it suddenly on a meat diet, as its digestion may have been weakened by unsuitable feeding, and it may be unable to assimilate a sufficient quantity of meat at first. In this case I should give the kitten one meal daily of raw meat and two of arrowroot. When a kitten shows signs of indigestion its raw meat should be sprinkled with carbonate of bismuth and the amount of food given decreased. For preference, the arrowroot meals should be the ones to be reduced.

THERE are, no doubt, many households in which it is inconvenient to supply the family kitten with raw meat every day; and in this case, if the kitten is strong and healthy, it may be fed on any kind of digestible meat of fish - I say digestible advisedly, because such things as pork and salmon should be avoided - scraps of pudding, bread and gravy, and even an occasional saucer of milk or cream. The kitten having the run of the house takes sufficient exercise to keep it healthy, even under a most varied diet, and if it eats anything very unsuitable it is promptly sick, so takes no harm. If such a kitten seems dull and sick, half a Carter's liver pill will soon put it right.

I HAVE never known a grownup cat fed on raw beef to suffer from indigestion if its supply was limited. Four to five ounces a day is sufficient for any cat. If it lives in a small cattery and is inclined to become constipated a daily allowance of new milk will keep matters right. Popular stud cats, or cats which are being got up for exhibition, are frequently stuffed with meat, eggs, cream, etc., till their livers are deranged, but I am strongly opposed to this system. It is not right that any cat should be so much bred from that his health suffers; and in the case of an exhibition cat there is great risk of not timing the conditioning accurately, in which case, when the show day arrives, the cat may have become "over-ripe" and be suffering from surfeit.

"CANINE AND FELINE SURGERY," by Professor Hobday, F.R.C.V.S., is, as the author says, intended as a text-book for veterinary students, and, therefore rather too advanced a work for the ordinary cat and dog fancier. Many breeders will, nevertheless, study the book with interest, as it tells clearly and concisely of the marvellous operations which can be, and have been, performed successfully upon dogs and cats, and the proper way of carrying them out. This information is of much interest, as thereby the sorrowing owner can judge of the seriousness or otherwise of a necessary operation before deciding whether it shall be performed, or the sick dog or cat had better be quietly chloroformed.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
DICK WHITTINGTON will be pleased to give advice on all matters concerning cats and their ailments, and will be glad to receive for insertion any interesting items of cat news that her readers may send. Queries must be written on one side of a separate sheet of paper, and must be signed with a pseudonym only for publication, but a letter giving full name and address of sender must accompany each query. A postal reply will be sent if the fee of 2s. 6d. is enclosed.. - Letters should be addressed, "DICK WHITTINGTON, care of Editor, THE LADIES' FIELD."
DAISY JAMES. - You give me no information as to how your cat is fed and kept, how long he has been ill, or to what extent the trouble exists, so it is difficult to diagnose the case. Let him have twice daily two ounces of scraped raw beef sprinkled with carbonate of bismuth, no other food, and water only to drink; give also, once daily, a teaspoonful of Kepler's extract of malt and cod-liver oil.
TUFTY. - You should be able to buy a good blue Persian male kitten for 3 guineas.
RUSSIAN. - Iam sorry I cannot tell you where you can buy a good shorthaired blue kitten with orange eyes. I know of plenty of blues, but they have not the required shade of eyes. You had better advertise your wants in our columns.
SAM. - People who tell you that raw meat will make your pets cross and smell strong are talking of what they know nothing; it has exactly the opposite effect.
BOTHERED. - 1. Do not apologise for the length of your letter. I wish all my correspondents would take the trouble to write fully when asking for advice. As the kitten has been so bad with worms I should for a few weeks feed her on raw meat only - three to four ounces a day, and give her every day, as well as her cod-liver oil, two grains saccharated carbonate of iron. For the rough skin nothing is better than sulphur and vaseline, but you must not comb it, and it must not be washed in the ordinary way, but before applying the ointment sponge the skin well with a little carbonate of soda dissolved in warm soft water. She must either have been a very delicate kitten or very badly fed before you had her. As she gets stronger you may vary her diet as it best suits you. 2. The stud cat you speak of has a good pedigree, but is not very heavy- the length is a very deceptive test. The accommodation you speak of is ample - in fact, you could keep four stud cats comfortably in it. He need have no other exercise. If you have to buy food for a cat, always use raw meat, but where there are scraps to be used up, they may have almost anything that is fresh and not greasy or sloppy. 3. I do not think the skin disease is either infectious or contagious to any great extent - that is to say, I would let the kittens meet in the garden but would not let them sleep together or lick each other. If the tiresome young lady does not begin to put on flesh in a week or ten days I should be inclined to try giving her a little cream every day instead of the cod-liver oil. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, June 6, 1903, pg 567

AMERICAN CATTERIES.
ONE of the finest and best appointed catteries in country, writes our American correspondent, is the Arlington Place, Detroit, Michigan, owned by two sisters, Mrs. F.J. Sarmiento and Mrs. D. Cutler. The former gives her attention to silver tabbies and self-silvers exclusively, while Mrs. Cutler possesses a splendid collection of silver and brown tabbies. The kennels at Arlington Place have been built after Mrs. Sarmiento's own design, and are excellently arranged. The runs are 60ft. long so that there is plenty of room for playing and squabbling. The photographs we reproduce, though excellently taken, do not quite satisfy Mrs. Sarmiento. She says there is no animal living so difficult to photograph as a cat, and it is a very ordinary thing to spoil twenty plates in an endeavour to get one suitable picture. "Photographs," said Mrs. Sarmiento to the present writer, "very seldom do cats justice. In almost all cases the ears are exaggerated, and this photograph of Marianne, for instance, does not show the Lord Mayor's chain, which, as you can see, is most distinct about her neck."

Besides those cats whose portraits are shown here, I saw many other beautiful specimens of silver tabbies, a couple of very pale silver queens calling for special admiration. Mrs. Sarmiento is very proud of these two animals, and expects them to gain many prizes. At present they are only a few weeks old. One, Arlington Lucette, is an importation, sired by Mrs. Champion's Lord Argent, and litter sister to her Lord Argent II. The other, Arlington Bijie (Persian for baby), is a real Yankee, a kitten of the Blessed Damosel (owned by Mrs. Barber, a well-known American fancier) and King of the Silvers, the property of another American lady. Mrs. Cutler's most famous queen is the brown tabby, Ch. Floriana, bred by Mrs. Herring, of Forest Hill, England. She is at present looking after four fine brown tabby kittens from Arlington Hercules, another importation. The latter animal is a splendid fellow in every way, with most extraordinary markings. He had the honour of having defeated the great Ch. Persimmon, when shown in the same class at Westminster about a year ago. At the cat show held in Madison Square Gardens during the first week of January he was awarded the first prize.

Mrs. Sarmiento's Ch. John Bull is another importation, and was bred by Mrs. Arthur Midwood, of England. He, with his litter sister, won various prizes at the Crystal Palace in 1901, and was the sensation of the show. He has been exhibited four times since, and won first and specials on every occasion. By score-card judging he has been marked ninety-eight points, and this when he was losing his coat. He won challenge cups twice last winter, and there are no handsomer faces, eyes, and heads in the country than John Bull's.

The very beautiful tabby queen, Dingley Belle, bred by Mrs. Anderson Leake, of Dingley Hill, England, is about as near perfect as cats come. She has been a winner every time shown, and among her numerous successes may be mentioned gold medal for best kitten in the show at Chicago last year, and special for best broken-coloured cat or kitten at Detroit in 1901. Mrs. Cutler also owns a silver tabby queen, which was bred by Miss Leake. This is Marianne, a splendidly marked kitten, which is sure to be a winner even when shown with other cats of Miss Leake's breeding, of which there are several fine specimens in this country. Arlington Bar Abdul, also from Mi: Leake's cattery, is elder brother of Dingley Belle. The photograph shown here was taken when his marks were well shed off, but his shape, bone, head, eyes, and superb quality and luxuriance of coat are unsurpassed. The tiny photograph of Mrs. Cutler silver tabby queen, Shrover Phillis, daughter of the famous Shrover II. of England scarcely shows the beautiful animal to advantage, as she was shedding her coat when the picture was taken. - F. A. J.

LADY MURIEL FOX-STRANGWAYS has had the best of luck with her cats this year, and can show a large percentage of strong and healthy kittens. A family which gives her especial joy consists of four lovely pale blue kittens by Sussex Tinker; there are also at Melbury three of the rare chinchilla Abyssinian kittens.

I AM frequently amused at reading of the robust health and good condition of cottage cats, for to my certain knowledge these cottage cats are by no means as thriving as one would imagine. Infant mortality is perhaps rare in the way we understand it, because man steps in and anticipates nature. The cat is occasionally allowed to bring up one kitten and therefore that kitten thrives; so would our cattery kittens if the same weeding out process were in force and they were not brought in contact with infectious diseases. In various country villages in which I have resided I have seen the majority of the cats carried off by an epidemic of distemper or gastric affection, and my own cattery cats have been the only ones to escape illnesses. When searching for foster mothers I have again and again been disappointed by hearing the cat on which I had depended had produced a dead family, or had been unable or unwilling to take charge of her babies, which had died, and I am constantly asked by cottagers what they should do for kittens suffering from diarrhoea or "sore eyes." The working men's cats in our large towns are frequently big, sleek, fat cats, but in most of the English country villages I know they are small and weedy. This, of course, is directly attributable to want of proper food. If they take to poaching they are promptly shot or trapped by the keepers, and I hardly like to think of what their home fare is. It certainly does not consist of milk, for milk is rarely obtainable in small quantities even for the children, and the household scraps must be very scant fare in a poor establishment such as many I know of.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, June 13, 1903, pg 12

THE photograph of Lavender Blue Boy in our issue of the 30th ult. attributed to Mrs. Kirkpatrick is owned by Miss Kirkpatrick.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
DICK WHITTINGTON will be pleased to give advice on all matters concerning cats and their ailments, and will be glad to receive for insertion any interesting items of cat news that her readers may send. Queries must be written on one side of a separate sheet of paper, and must be signed with a pseudonym only for publication, but a letter giving full name and address of sender must accompany each query. A postal reply will be sent if the fee of 2s. 6d. is enclosed.. - Letters should be addressed, "DICK WHITTINGTON, care of Editor, THE LADIES' FIELD."
MISS MAUDE. - The correspondent to whom you refer is now supplied, but I should advise you to advertise your kittens in our private sale column, as I often receive enquiries for short-haired blues.
REEMEMBER. - 1. Raw liver is certainly not "the right food" for cats, and there are very few cats who would keep healthy if fed entirely upon it, though in moderation it may occasionally be of value as an article of diet. Will your cat not eat raw scraped beef? I would sooner confine a cat to a milk diet than feed it on raw liver, and, as you know, I do not approve of milk. 2. When a cat is rearing kittens she may have a fairly liberal diet - about four ounces of raw beef a day, house scraps or plain pudding, brown bread or biscuit mixed with gravy, fish, chicken, raw eggs,. and, if she seems particularly fond of it, a very small allowance of milk or cream. 3. The period of gestation in the cat is sixty-three days, but there are occasional slight variations. 4. If the cat is strong and healthy she will probably rear four kittens all right. 5. You will have to shut the cat up periodically if you do not wish her to have another litter this year. 6. The fact that the cat has had a mongrel litter will have no effect upon her subsequent litters.
PUZZLED. - You had better not give much sulphur to the cat which is in kitten, but the other may have a pinch in her food every day for a week, then stop it for a week and commence again. A pinch once a week all through the spring and summer months will tend to keep the blood in good order.
JIMMY. - You must register the cat before showing at N.C.C. shows. Apply for form to Dr. Roper, Oaklands, Beckenham, Kent.
SIRDAR. - You have made the mistake I am always deploring of giving too much meat. Commence at four weeks old with a teaspoonful of scraped raw beef; this quantity may be gradually increased, till at the age of eight weeks the kittens are getting three teaspoonfuls a day. After this the amount may again be increased until a full-grown cat gets about 4oz, daily.
JEREMIAH. - There is absolutely no demand for tabby and white kittens, and I fear you will find it extremely difficult to dispose of yours, even at 5s. apiece. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, June 20, 1903, pg 77

MRS. VIDAL'S CATS.
M RS. VIDAL'S name has become a household word amongst cat fanciers as the breeder of some of the best orange Persians ever exhibited. The accompanying photographs were, unfortunately, taken rather late in the season, and the cats do not appear in their full coats, but their grand heads, tiny ears, and short, thick legs can be seen to advantage. Mrs. Vidal's first cat was bought at the Crystal Palace in 1898. This was Ellivayda, a daughter of Chandos and My Fluff. In head, ears, and coat Ellivayda is well-nigh perfect, and she has done well in the show-pen, taking first and special at the Crystal Patice in 1901 From her first litter by Mrs. Taylor's imported orange Zibalbi Mrs. Vidal retained Torrington Owlet, who is the dam of Torrington Sunnysides, Torrington Rufus, and Torrington Red Knight, now the property of Mrs. Colburn, of Chicago.

Torrington Sunnysides is, his mistress says. her pride and joy and truly he is a lovely cat of a brilliant clear orange colour with a round, sweet, kittenish face and Jong, flowing coat. He has been shown only seven times, and has won first at the Crystal Palace twice and second once. At Westminster in 1900 he took reserve, this year first silver medal, breeders' cup, and three specials, and at Bath and Brighton he was placed second. Sunnysides has been a most successful sire. A pair of his kittens were first at the Crystal Palace, another pair took second at Bedford, and a third pair won a bronze medal at Sandy, at which show his son, Sandysides, won as the best kitten in the show. His daughter, Torrington Butterfly, has, in America, proved herself a valuable breeder.

Mrs. Vidal's second stud cat is Russet, a large, solid person with a huge head and shoulders. His prizes at four outings include reserve kitten class Crystal Palace, second Victoria Hall, third Westminster, and third Bath. Calendula was bought as a mate for Sunnysides, and in this capacity has proved a great success. Amongst her winnings are two thirds and special Crystal Palace and second and special Westminster. The remaining orange is Sunbeam, a fascinating little daughter of Sunnysides, who has yet to make her debut. The other inmates of the cattery are a blue by Romaldkirk Midshipmite ex Wallflower, a silver by Tintagel, and a silver tabby by Silver Tom ex Blue Hyacinth.

The cats are fed on a mixed diet of raw or cooked meat, rabbit, fish, and rice and plain puddings, but very little milk. Their exquisite condition is always remarked upon at shows, and, with the exception of white, there is no cat which requires to be shown more spick and span than an orange Persian.

AN interesting item of news is that Mr. Witt has re-purchased the blue Persian queen, Mabel of Lozells, from Mrs. Singleton, of Yeovil. Mabel was bred by Mr. Witt from Moko and Sen Sen, and on her début at Westminster she carried all before her. Mabel, with her sire and dam, was purchased by Mrs. Barnett at a very high price, and when this lady gave up cats she sold the trio to Mrs. Singleton.

A VERY curious argument was brought against my kitten-feeding theory recently, A certain writer said: "It is ridiculous to bring forward the argument, so often used, that flesh is the food for even tiny kits. That might be so it our cats were kept in their original wild state, but surely years of civilized and artificial life have left their impress on the digestive organs as well as other parts of the cat. The person who brings forward such an argument would be capable of arguing that the food suited to an uncivilized savage would be equally suited to the palate and digestion of a West End clubman." I would like to know if my adversary has never heard of people who, in these enlightened days, are returning to their natural food and confining themselves, with great benefit to their digestions and general health, to a diet of nuts and apples. I have personal experience of several cases in which chronic sufferers from indigestions, rheumatism, and sciatica have been completely cured by this diet. I do not think anyone can claim that the very varied fare, of which most of us partake daily, is good for our digestions.

MISS KIRKPATRICK is most successful in rearing big, healthy kittens, and I think this is principally due to the fact that she keeps only a few cats. At present there are two families (all blues) at the Gables, by ex Blue Boy II. out of Biddy and Lavender Blue. The latter has a little daughter, Lavender Blue Girl, which Miss Kirkpatrick proposes to keep, as it promises to be even better than the mother. Brown Pansy is a fascinating and beautifully marked brown tabby, for which, though she seems likely to grow into a prize-winner, a new home must be found, as Miss Kilpatrick wisely does not intend to allow her cattery to become crowded. Winnie, the shaded sable Pomeranian, had to be introduced to the cats with great care on her first arrival, but they are now the best of friends, and Winnie is rearing a fine family of six puppies by Squire of Kent. There are four sables, a fawn, and a cream - a most interesting litter.

A SERIES of interesting articles on "The Cats of Antiquity" gas appeared in a contemporary, and therefrom is gleaned the following ingenious suggestion: "The Manx cat not only differs from the common breed in having no tail, but his hind legs are longer, his head larger his intelligence, I think, somewhat higher. Possibly the spinal nervous force which was formerly absorbed by his caudal extremity has ascended into his brain and reinforced its action. The suggestion thrown for the benefit of those philosophers who insist that man's first step in improvement was the getting rid of s tail. If this reasoning correct, we may expect something great of the Japanese pussy, which is also tailless."

The new N.C.C. rules call for universal admiration and approbation; they have been carefully thought out and compiled, and so far I have been unable to find a fault in them. Rule 12 says that in the event of any person being suspended for discreditable conduct "such suspension shall also apply to every cat that is registered in his name at the time the charge of misconduct is made against him and for the period of such suspension." This rule was last year found to be necessary in the kennel world, and the N.C.C. committee has been wise to adopt it, as it prevents a delinquent's transferring all his exhibition stock to some near relative and so defeating the ends of justice.

AMONG the show rules we find the following: "Awards for best in the Show." - Not less than six empty pens must be placed together in a separate part of the show for the judges to place the cats in when judging them for these awards, and the pens must be put in position before any judging commences, and may not be used for any other purpose.

IN our American correspondent's account of the cattery of Mrs, Cutler and Mrs. Sarmiento occur one or two errors. Mrs. Anderson Leake should be Miss Anderson Leake; the breeder and owner of the Blessed Damosel is Mrs. Barker; and, as every English fancier knows, Mrs. Herring's address is Lestock House, Lee, Kent.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, June 27, 1903, pg 122

AMERICAN CAT FANCIERS - MRS. CLINTON LOCKE'S CATTERY.
THE Beresford Cat Club of America is said to be the largest cat club in the world. It has a membership of between three and four hundred, and was the first club of the kind to publish a stud-book. To Mrs. Clinton Locke, the president, much of the success of the club is due. It was under her presidency that the first stud-book (now in its third volume) was published. The work is acknowledged by all the representative clubs of America - the Atlantic, the Detroit, the Pacific, and the Washington - and is really a valuable contribution to the cat literature of the country, The head-quarters of the Beresford Cat Club is in Chicago, but when a LADIES' FIELD contributor called at Mrs. Locke's address there he found that the president was wintering in Pasadena, California. As the journey there takes something over a week, it was thought to be more convenient to take advantage of the postal service, and in reply to a letter Mrs. Clinton Locke, who is the wife of the Dean of Chicago, sent some interesting particulars regarding her cats.

"I am a member of the N.C.C. of England," she writes, "and also of the Cat Club of England, and the only American member, I consider Lucy Claire - my champion smoke-queen - my best cat. She won in England as a kitten at two shows as second and third, with two specials, under the name of Baby Flossie. She has won three firsts and many specials in Chicago, one first and special in Cincinnati, and this year won her fourth first in Chicago with specials. I think she is by all odds the best smoke-queen in America. I have disposed of most of my cats. I gave my brown tabby stud, Persimmon Squirrel, to a friend, Miss Lucy Johnstone, the secretary of our club, and he won first in his class at Chicago the other day, winning also the first place on the champion cup for brown tabbies, beating Arlington Hercules, who won in England. I send you a photograph of a wonderful kitten I bred and presented to Miss Johnstone - Jessica Kew, a perfect cream- sire, Kew Laddie, dam, my Daffodil. Jessica was her first kitten, and I never have seen anything finer in England. She was only five weeks old when the picture was taken, and I was very proud of her. I gave her away, as I did many of my cats, on account of prolonged absence from home and ill-health.

"My remarkable white stud cat, Lord Gwynne - selected for me years ago - is still living and siring beautiful kittens, but is no longer a show cat. The Beadle, my well-known blue, still holds his own, and no better blues are sired than his. I bought him nine years ago in England."

In a letter from the secretary, who kindly forwarded me photographs of Persimmon Squirrel and Kew Laddie, Miss Johnstone says, with regard to the latter: " Kew Laddie, a cream, out of Darius (blue) and Creme d'Or, was bred by Mrs. Norris, of Kew Gardens, London. She came to America the same time as Persimmon Squirrel, and has won many prizes. The pride and delight of our cattery, the most beautiful blue queen that I have ever seen, died of double pneumonia last autumn. She, too, came from England, and was a great credit to her breeder. Miss Hilda Patterson, of London. She left a little daughter sired by Lupin, a blue, bred by Miss Beal, which has been the 'best cat in the show' every time. I sincerely trust I may be able to raise her, for she gives promise of equalling her mother. I dearly love cats," concludes Miss Johnstone's letter, "and I long for the time when I may be able to go to England and see all the beautiful ones there. Mr. Vidal, son of Mrs. Vidal, who owns Torrington Sunnysides, judged at our last show, and told me that my cats would stand well with those shown in England. I felt quite proud of them after that." - F.A.J.

THE Argentine wild cat of which I wrote a few weeks ago is going to Mrs. Kennaway on breeding terms, and this lady is much exercised in her mind as to the selection of a suitable mate for her. Mrs. Kennaway has kindly sent for my inspection the skin of a near relative of the cat. This skin is very large and thickly covered with short soft fur, only very slightly longer on the stomach. The ground colour is a clear pale golden brown, closely spotted all over, even on the stomach, with small black spots. The tail, which is of great length, is barred with black.

THE death of the blue Persian stud cat Yani is much to be regretted, as he was a very large, heavily-boned, sound-coloured cat, and the sire of some really high-class kittens with the desired orange eyes. If I mistake not, a sensational blue litter at the last Richmond show was sired by Yani.

FROM Washington, U.S.A., comes the first number of THE FORTNIGHTLY CATTARIAN, a brightly-written and interesting little paper for which a prosperous future may be anticipated.

MISS ANDERSON LEAKE has at last cleared her cattery of all intruding chinchillas, and remains faithful to her favourite silver tabbies. The last chinchilla to find a new home was Pathan of Dingley, a cat but little known to the exhibiting world, as I believe he has only been shown twice, though on these occasions he was most successful. Pathan, who is now the property of Miss White Atkins, is a very large cat fashionably pale in hue, with remarkably short legs and a tremendous coat.

A LETTER, written by Mrs. Hazen Bond to an English fancier in January of this year, has been place in my hands to make use of as I think fit. As it clearly explains the objects of the United States Reister, about which English breeders are a trifle hazy, I give it in full.

MRS. BOND writes:-
You are possibly unaware of the great advantages, sought for in vain for so many years, which are now offered in the recognition by this Government of the United States Register and Stud-book for Cats, or the jealous ulterior motives which have prevented those who struggled hardest without success to attain these advantages, and which now prevent them from participation therein. A comparison of the relative merits of the United States Register and Stud-book over other registers existing in this country and in England seems superfluous. Registration in no other stud-book for cats carries with it the recognition of such animals by any Government or permits cats, entitled to full registration, to entry at the ports of the United States without an ad valorem duty of 20 per cent. being levied thereon. English breeders naturally look to the United States for a friend and ally in improving the breed of cats, as well as of all other domesticated animals. and we are also your greatest if not only good market for superfluous stock. The financial advantages of escaping the duties and the Custom House delays are only second to that of the prestige of cats being recognised by this Government as thoroughbred breeding animals on a par with the finest horses, cattle, sheep, and swine.

The book of rules and regulations is not patterned after nor dependent upon any existing stud-book for cats, but is based upon United States laws and departmental regulations, and is intended solely as a record of thoroughbred cats (as recognised by this Government), and, unlike any recognised stud-book for any animal, provides a record for foundation stock whose offspring may be eligible for the stud-book later. For these reasons alone, not to mention the stability and prestige which Government support affords, the book should commend itself to all true fanciers as a thoroughly adequate and desirable measure for the ultimate improvement of our pets. For these reasons, and for the additional one that no other book of a similar nature exists, or is likely to be recognised by this Government in pursuance of its policy to sanction the maintenance of only one standard record for small animals, there is absolutely no occasion for apprehension as to its ultimate success.

But its enthusiastic promoters are too full of energy to sit by and wait for this success to come. We are giving our time, our labour, and our means, in quantities which we do not stop to measure, in endeavouring to convince the wayward neophytes in our fancy of its true worth, and these efforts are not confined to America, but comprehend the covering of a much broader field. In presenting to the departments the matter of the expediency of admitting cats free of duty, the Beresford Cat Club stud-book was first offered for consideration as an acceptable record, but notwithstanding the repeated and urgent requests of Mrs. Clinton Locke, who was a neighbour in Chicago and a personal acquaintance of the Secretary of the Treasury, her book was refused on the ground that it did not meet the requirements of the law, and because it was not believed by the departments that even a suitable record for cats would be of sufficient interest to the Government to warrant official recognition. The next efforts were on behalf of the English registers, but both were refused for similar reasons.

I then induced my husband to take the matter up, which he did, though reluctantly, and, as a result, we have the United States Register and Studbook for Cats as the authorized official record, its rules having been prepared and promulgated under the direction of the officials, and even its name having been suggested by them. This success was largely due to a thorough knowledge of departmental procedure, together with the exhibition of a sincere desire to comply with the law, and a disposition to co-operate in its enforcement. Had the matter been approached in a less competent manner, the results would probably have been different.

The departments have expressed the opinion that we have produced a book which is superior in many respects to the recognised books for horses and other valuable breeding animals. It is hardly necessary to add that the recognition of another book for cats, in the near future at least, is not a strong probability. Such a thing would be hardly likely, even should the present one fail or be abused. Its recognition would be withdrawn - the department's original conjecture would be confirmed - and the matter would most likely end there. But even admitting the possibility of the recognition of another book, the concession as to the registration of foundation stock could not be extended beyond the original record, and persons desiring to register their cats in the new book would first have to record all their ancestors in the original record for foundation stock. These facts should not be lost sight of by the English fancy, since they have a large portion of our foundation stock, and the surest way for them to attain all the advantages, both as to supplying this the greatest market for their progeny, and producing an authentic and adequate record as conclusive evidence of their superiority, is by co-operation with the United States Official Register Association.

Ours is truly a labour of love, for, although we have already expended several hundred dollars, this is freely given, and not asked or expected to return. We wish our book to pay for itself, but look for no profit to anyone connected therewith, and for this reason far more can be expected of us in the way of generous co-operation than if the book were in the hands of a club which must look to it for support. The departments agree with us in this opinion.

Until receiving an expression of your views on the acceptability of the general proposition, I prefer, at this time, not to go into detail as to my idea of how co-operation can be secured, especially since this is an entirely unofficial communication. I can assure you, however, without reservation, that the Register Association stands ready, at all times, to enter upon any agreement which will work the greatest amount of general good. In the event that you are inclined to think favourably of endeavouring to promote consolidation in the matter of establishing an English and American register, I shall be pleased to communicate further with you on the subject. Of course this proposition does not contemplate any change in the Club Registers of America or England, but refers primarily to the stud-book, and to securing to all felines - past, present, and to come - a new and very desirable status.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, July 4, 1903, pg 164

THE schedules for Richmond Show on July 7th have been sent out, and, considering the attractions offered, should meet with a hearty response in the way of entries. There are sixteen classes for long-haired cats, including a ring class for neuters and a blue or silver stud-cat class to be judged irrespective of coat. There are fifteen kitten classes, of which three are for litters and one is a selling class. The British cats have but nine classes, Manx two, Siamese two, short-haired kittens one, litters one, and there I a short-haired selling class, a children's pet class, and a local class. Many of the classes are guaranteed, and there is a splendid list of special prizes.

I notice one or two discrepancies between the schedule and the entry forms. In the schedule, we are informed that for entries made later than June 27th an extra fee of 6d. will be charged, and that registration in the Cat Club of the N.C.C. is necessary. The entry form states that no registration is necessary, and that 1s. is the fine for late entries! I notice that a Cat Club registration form, but no N.C.C. form, is enclosed. As a matter of fact, making registration compulsory but leaving a choice of clubs turns the matter into the merest farce, as until that happy day arrives when the registrars will meet after all shows to compare notes, there is no means of checking entries, for when a cat is found to be unregistered in one club it must be presumed that it is registered in the other.

ON account of her approaching marriage Lady Muriel Fox-Strangways is giving up her cats, and intends to part with Mouflon. By the way, I was surprised to see the usually well-informed cat editor of FUR AND FEATHER falling into the error of describing Mouflon as a silver, though in justice to him I should say that I think his information is gleaned frim a society paper of some months back. Mouflon, as everyone knows, is a sound unmarked blue, with a lovely head and bright yellow eyes. He is descended from Timkins and Boy Blue II., and Lady Muriel bought him from Mrs. Cartwright last year.

I cannot resist copying from a contemporary a letter from that well-known and successful breeder, Mrs. Slingsby, as it so exactly coincides with my own views. She writes:- The cats and kittens flourish exceedingly in spite of the raw food which is their staple food. In the village near us the cats are miserable, undersized, unhealthy creatures, full of mange and eczema, and all sorts of horrors; on the other hand, the cats which have left their homes to become confirmed poachers, and are shot by the keepers in the coverts, are big, strong, fat, and in the finest of coat and condition. Their diet is entirely made up of raw rabbits and birds. As to gastritis, my misfortunes the year before last were started by the stable cats, common short-haired cats, of a good ratting strain. All the young ones from three to eight months died off from a violent attack of gastritis, and a young Persian and a pet short-hair in the house followed them. All the stable cats get an ordinary mixed diet and plenty of milk.

TWO good cats have just joined the majority. Mr. Furze's handsome silver tabby, Silver Green Eyes, has succumbed to acute pneumonia, and Miss R. Whitney's Unrivalled sable neuter, Persimmon Laddie, has died after a long illness. Laddie was the most beautiful sable cat I have ever seen, quite apart from his show points, which were undisputed, and I fear Miss Whitney will find it impossible to replace him.

I AM so continually asked to prescribe medicines or dressings for cats whose coats have become matted, that it is borne in upon me that many people do not know that long-haired cats almost invariably their entire coat every spring and do not grow a new one until the autumn. All cats are better for regular grooming during the six or eight weeks their coats take to come out, but for the woolly-coated specimens this is absolutely necessary, as a very thick woolly coat will get into knots in twenty-four hours, and if these are not regularly combed out the whole coat will form into a solid mat, which can only be removed by cutting it off, and when this is done unsightly bare patches are left. A silky or hairy-coated cat does not get into mats, but when licking itself it swallows such quantities of hair as frequently to cause indigestion and diarrhoea, and in some cases even stoppage of the bowels. The moral of this is that all cats should be combed regularly when moulting, and that they should be supplied with plenty of coarse dog-grass to enable them to bring up swallowed hair from time to time and so prevent its accumulating in the stomach.

WHEN patches of bare skin are left through the cutting away of mats, a bi-weekly rub with white vaseline and sulphur ointment will encourage the growth of new hair and allay any irritation in the skin. Bare ears, common in blue cats, should have a little toilet lanoline rubbed into them every other day. Breeders of blue Pomeranians - which, strange to say, also suffer from bare ears - have found this treatment most efficacious.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
DICK WHITTINGTON will be pleased to give advice on all matters concerning cats and their ailments, and will be glad to receive for insertion any interesting items of cat news that her readers may send. Queries must be written on one side of a separate sheet of paper, and must be signed with a pseudonym only for publication, but a letter giving full name and address of sender must accompany each query. A postal reply will be sent if the fee of 2s. 6d. is enclosed.. - Letters should be addressed, "DICK WHITTINGTON, care of Editor, THE LADIES' FIELD."
NOVICE. - I do not advise you to go in for unpopular colours in the hope of winning prizes. Prizes gained by default are unsatisfactory at best, and you will have great difficulty in disposing of your surplus stock, and this I understand is of importance to you. I strongly advise you to go in for orange-eyed blues. Make a speciality of the eyes, and do not have a cat on the premises whose eyes are not deep orange, and you will soon establish a a name and connection.
JEREMIAH. - Rub a very little toilet lanoline into the blue cat's ears twice a week to encourage the growth of hair.
WILLIAM. - The black patches on the foreheads of your white Kittens may, and probably will, disappear when they change their coats, but this is by no means a certainty. As, however, the vendor guaranteed that the marks would disappear, you can return the kittens if they do not do so.
SAMMIE. - Certainly it would be well to mention the sire's name when advertising the kittens, but of course you would have to tell purchasers of the flaw in the pedigree, if they purchased the kittens to breed from, though if they were sold as long-haired pets only, this would be of no importance. Lay particular stress on the colour, as we have but few good long-hairs of this variety and all are so dingy. I should certainly mention price and I think you should ask 21s. each for such very nice kittens. As to your second query, I have never before heard of a cat suffering in this way to the extent you describe. But perhaps there is some mismanagement in the matter of the substance used. Try dry garden mould, in which a handful of Sanitas sawdust has been mixed, and have the pan changed and rinsed every day; or, better still, have two pans and use them on alternate days. I should be inclined to stop the cream and eggs, unless she really requires them to keep her fat, and be careful you do not give too much raw meat.
JOSEPH. - You will find the information you desire in the above paragraphs.
JUGGLER. - I fear there is no method by which you can cure your cat of hunting. A bell hung round his neck would spoil his sport but would not keep him at home, and would betray his whereabouts to the keepers. Your only plan is to shut him up during the hatching and shooting seasons, or else to give him to someone who lives in a town. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, July 11, 1903, pg 179

MISS ROSAMOND WHITNEY writes to me from Bray to tell me of her efforts to get up an Irish Cat Show. Miss Whitney is raising a guarantee fund, and all subscriptions should be sent to her at Brayford House, Bray, co. Wicklow. It is to be hoped that Irish fanciers will rally round this enterprising lady and see that she is rewarded for her trouble by a most successful show. Should her efforts not be crowned with success I fear it will be long before another show is held in Ireland. It is sad to hear that Miss Whitney has not received the support she expected, though she posted one hundred and thirty circulars last week, besides writing to the Irish Times, a Cork paper, a Belfast, and two Dublin ones.

MISS WHITE ATKINS has parted with her pretty little white Persian queen, Aisha, to Miss Wilde. Aisha was formerly the property of Miss Packham, and was, I believe, purchased originally from Mr. Andrew Gairn, of Edinburgh. She is a beautifully-shaped little cat, with a round face and deep blue eyes.

BLUE BOY II. created quite a sensation when he appeared at Westminster in 1899, Not a large cat and slightly dingy in colour (his heritage from a smoke sire), he, nevertheless, easily defeated all the best blue males of the day. His round face, tiny cars. and perfect shape carried him through, while his yellow eyes, at a period when green eyes were the rule, formed an additional attraction. At that time Blue Boy II. was the property of Messrs. Drury Brothers, but later on he was purchased by Lady Marcus Beresford and Miss Hester Cochran. Eventually Lady Marcus became sole proprietor, and she has now disposed of him to Miss Simpson and Miss Goddard. These ladies should find such a stud cat invaluable, as, besides having won firsts at all the big shows, Blue Boy II. has sired a number of winners. His colour in later life improved very much, and I have noticed that his kittens are usually particularly good in colour.

NORTHERN fanciers will be well provided with autumn shows, for there is to be a Midland Counties Show on December 1st and 2nd, while the Northern Counties Cat Show at Manchester is to be on January 7th or 8th, and their Kitten Show on September 24th or 25th. Mrs. Slingsby is getting up a cat section in connection with the Harrogate Dog Show, and about forty-five cat classes are to be provided. In the south, Sandy on August 27th and Brighton on November 26th and 27th give us something to look forward to. '

THE HON. MRS. MCLAREN MORRISON, who was showing her dogs at the Botanic Gardens, told me that she had had very fair luck with her kittens this year, and had some good ones coming on. Mrs. Morrison possesses one Manx kitten, which is to make her debut at Richmond.

MISS DRESSER, by the way, has quite given up Manx cats, and gone in for Persians, as she got tired of waiting for Manx kittens, which never arrived, or, if they came, promptly departed this life again. It is a most curious fact that Manx cats do not breed and multiply as all other cats do. I know of one cattery in which there are four full-grown queens and not one kitten has appeared this year, though the cats run about like common farm cats. Last year once of these cats produced two litters, prematurely, and another had one kitten, but that may be considered a record!

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, July 18, 1903, pg 218

RICHMOND CAT SHOW.
RICHMOND SHOW, in the matter of entries, was a decided success, but the long-haired cats were terribly out of coat and looking their worst. In blacks or whites Lady Decies's Fulmer Snowdrop, a fine cat with lovely eyes and beautifully shown, won, followed by Miss Harper's Beckington Pearl, out of coat. Blue males after the first were not striking in any way. First went to Mrs. Allen's Blue Coat Boy II., who has a good head, grand eyes, and sound colour. Second, Mrs. Horry's Hero of Boston, a fine cat but pale in eyes. Mrs. Whatley's first prize blue female, Lady Fluff, is a lovely cat of a pale sound colour with deep orange eves and nice coat. Second, the Hon. Mrs. McLaren Morrison's Kepwick Sweet Lavender, good head and eyes, but is out of coat. Third, Miss Bland's Innisfail Blue Bell, good, even dark colour, nice eyes. and neat ears. In chinchilla males Mrs. Wilson's Rob Roy of Arrandale, in fair coat, won. In chinchilla females, Miss Wood's Princess Zeila, a nice pale cat, was first.

Smoke and silver tabby, first to Mr. Little's Vesta, a good dark smoke cat, particularly good in shape, head, and eyes; second to Miss Montefiore's Baby Abdul, a nicely marked silver tabby, with a good head, but orange eyes; third to Mrs. Cubitt's Minouche, the well-known smoke going off a little. Brown tabbies were disappointing, but the winner, Mrs.g Stead's Summerleigh Jill, is a beautifully marked cat, though out of coat.

In cream and orange males, Romaldkirk Midshipmite's colours were lowered by Miss Norris's Kew Ronald, a young cat I have always fancied, and he was well shown, his brown eyes carrying him to the front. Third, the Hon. Mrs. Mclaren Morrison's Kepwick Sunshine, a good orange tabby. The only cream female was Miss Lees's Lingmoor Myrtle. In the neuter class, first went to Miss Harmer's Bogey Moko, a good coated blue, second to Mrs. Boutcher's O'Mee Woo, a nice coloured shaded silver, and third to Lingmoor Tom, the well-known orange. Miss Lees won th e ring class with her other string, Lingmoor Harry, a chinchilla. The interesting blue or silver stud cat class wa headed by Mrs Clarke's grand green-eyed chinchilla, His Majety of Whitehall, followed by Blue Coat Boy II., and Mrs. Norris's Blue San Toy, whose eyes have gone off colour of late.

Mrs. Bennet did well in the blue pair and single kitten class, for she not only took first with a grand pair by Garboldesham Criquet, but she also bred the second, which was by the same sire. Mrs. Norris also took first with a good shaped and coated kitten by San Toy. The silver kitten classes were somewhat confusing, as the chinchilla males appeared to be amalgamated with silver tabby males and females, while chinchilla females stood alone. Miss Bartlett took some firsts with a magnificent pair by The Silver Sultan, perfect in colour, having the light undercoat tipped with silver, and big green eyes. Miss Poole also won several firsts with a pair by Tintagel, which excelled in colour, head, and eves - a most promising pair. Miss Moore's winning smoke, Topsy, should be heard of again, a beautiful kitten.

In the variety class there were some capital kittens, Mrs. Deakin's Smut is a really good black with splendid head and eyes, and was closely followed by Mrs. Baster's exquisite blue-eyed whites. The litter classes were most satisfactory, and first and second in self colours went to blues owned by Mrs. Ryecroft and Miss Lemmon, good in colour and with nice heads, though perhaps hardly so sensational as last year's winners. The variety class was headed by Miss Fisher's pretty shaded silvers, and the silver class by Mrs. Taunton's charming silver tabby family by The Marquis of Dingley.

In the short-haired classes Lady Alexander's champions were much missed. In blue males, first went to the Hon. Mrs. McLaren Morrison's Nicholas, a good cat and a capital colour, but his eyes might be deeper. In silver tabbies, Mrs. Bonny's Dame Fortune continued her victorious career; her markings are wonderful. In brown tabbies, our old friend Jim Shelley, in wonderful condition, came to the fore. Mrs. Walker showed a capital tortoiseshell and white kitten in May Queen; and Mrs. Richardson's Siamese litter by Tiam-o-Shian IV, was much admired. Miss Cartwright won the neuter class with her well-known Chote, and took second and third in the female Siamese class with a very promising brace in Kinkan and Fun, by Tiam-o-Shian; whilst first went to Mrs. Richardson's Opossum, the dam of the litter mentioned. Mrs, Temple won the Abyssinian class.

Twelve entries in two Manx classes was a triumph for the Manx Cat Club. In males first went to Mrs. Hallen's Whetstone Manx, a real goof yellow-eyed white. Rightly placed; second to Mis Cochran's black kitten, Witchampton Jimmy; third to same owner's Strathcona, an easy second. Females: First, Miss Cochran's well-known Ballochmyle Bell Stump; 'second, Mrs. Hallen's good white, Whetstone Mona; third. Mr. Lowe's Ewol Ramsay Empress, a nice black.

I AM sorry to hear that Lady Marcus Beresford is greatly reducing her cattery and has parted with several of her stud cats. The departure of Blue Boy II. was an indication of a general exodus. That handsome shaded silver, Tristram, a son of Sweetheart, has gone to Mr. Western.

MRS. SLINGSBY writes to tell me that two of her silver tabby kittens weigh respectively 3 and a half lb. and 3 and three quarters lb. at twelve weeks, and blues at ten weeks weigh 3b. 3oz. and 3lb. 9oz. Now mark the moral of this tale these kittens were reared on raw meat and Robinson's barley, made with half and half milk and water and a little gelatine.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, July 25, 1903, pg 292

I AM indeed sorry to hear of the death of Mrs. Robinson's Ch. Wankee, who was probably the best Siamese cat ever seen in this country. The list of his prizes is too long to give here, but he had taken firsts again and again at all our biggest shows. Mrs. Robinson was devoted to Wankee, and will feel his loss deeply.

IT was much to be regretted that Miss Samuel's handsome black Manx cats were absent from their pens at Richmond. Miss Samuel personally conducted her team to the show ground on Monday evening, but, finding that the tent had been blown down and the cats would have to spend the night in their baskets, she took them home again, and was unable to get to Richmond again on Tuesday. Had King Kangaroo and Golfsticks been there they would, without doubt, have been successful, as usual.

MRS. HALLEN'S white Manx did brilliantly at Richmond, and carried off innumerable specials. If I mistake not, it was at the Crystal Palace last year that he was overlooked, and so had to put up with consolatory honours, but now he has received his deserts, for he is a remarkably fine cat.

I HEAR that Mrs. Sinkins and Miss White Atkins hope to carry out their project of getting up a cat show in Southampton this autumn. The show was at first planned for last year, but it was found impossible to avoid clashing with other fixtures, and so it was postponed. With two such enthusiastic fanciers at the head of affairs and on the spot and others in the near neighbourhood the show seems bound to be a success.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
(For Rules see previous issues.)
MOUSIE. - There are various means of putting a little special condition on a cat, which is inclined to be thin, for a show. A raw egg. a saucerful of cream, or a dessertspoonful of cod-liver oil every morning will do wonders in this direction. Run a wide-toothed comb through his coat every day, but if his coat is well forward brushing is unnecessary. Change his bedding twice a week, and keep his house clean and free from dust.
JIM JAM. - If you wire off one end of that granary, making a house about 12ft. by 8ft.,. and cut a little door in the side, which should open into a wired run about the same size, you will have an ideal house for your stud cat, and he will not require any further exercise. His house should have a window with a shelf inside, also a sleeping-box full of hay. Let the grass grow long in his run, plant creepers on the wire, and let him have an old barrel or box in it sit on, and he should be perfectly happy.
PUNCH. - You have given the kittens far too much meat, and the quantity must be reduced to one ounce each a day, and the necessary bulk given by the addition of brown breadcrumbs, well-boiled rice, or Force [a breakfast cereal].
SANDY. - I fear your yellow and white cat is of no value either for show or for breeding, and I strongly advise you to keep him merely as a pet.
TROUBLE. - Rub a little sulphur and white vaseline ointment into the affected parts every third day until a cure is effected. The cat will lick sufficient of the sulphur to purify her blood and will also absorb it through the skin. It is very difficult to say, without a post-mortem examination, what caused the death of the other cat, but I should think she probably had a blow on the back of her nec. Possibly a box, or something of that kind, fell on her. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, August 1, 1903, pg 306

THE OWENA CATTERY.
THE Owena Cattery, which is situated in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A., is the oldest as well as the largest in the West, The cats have perfect freedom and are allowed to run at will in the fields which surround their abode. At five p.m. daily the doors of the cattery are closed, all the animals knowing very well that they must be in by that hour, and it is very seldom that there are any defaulters. At a few minutes to five a bell is rung, and then the animals may be seen racing in from all directions like a lot of school children.

The cat apartments are composed of several rooms, 15ft. by 25ft. in size, and are warmed by a centrally located stove, which is a very necessary article where the weather is often cold and damp. These rooms open into a large barn, which is well built and comfortable. Above this is a hayloft, 25ft. by 50ft., where the animals generally go for their afternoon nap. Between the cattery and Mrs. Owena's residence is a lawn, 45ft. by 100 ft., enclosed by a high fence, the top of which is edged with wire netting, inclined inward at an angle of 45deg., an arrangement which successfully holds prisoner all new arrivals, The runs extend from the cattery into this lawn, and are 6ft. wide, 9ft. high, and 24ft. long. Parts of trees, boxes, shelves, stands, etc., are placed in the runs for the entertainment of those cats desirous of indulging in frivolity. In each of the three runs is an arrangement which was invented by Miss Ella Ives and first introduced into her cattery several years ago. It consists of a box about 3ft. high and 4ft. wide, with an inclined roof and furnished with double doors opening and closing in the ordinary way. There is also a small door in the front and near the ground, which permits of a single cat passing in or out. This box contains lime and sand, and is a great convenience for cats in wet or cold weather, for, though in the open, it is fully protected. The opening from the box into the cattery is furnished with a small hallway which prevents cold draughts from entering.

Among the famous cats to be seen here are several which call for special mention. Owena Black Cupid is one of the few jet black cats in America. His coat is very heavy and long, and his orange eyes are very fine. He has won many prizes, and is a very lovable animal, delighting to play with the kittens that frequently scramble through the netting into his cage. He is the only cat at Owena that is deprived of his liberty at all times. Then there is Owena Rufus, a solid orange, and well known in the show pen. He has been shown five times, and on each occasion took first prize. Many of his kittens have also taken prizes, and he is valued at £100; in fact, this sum would not be taken for him. Rufus is an immense animal weighing 21lb., and is said to be the only Angora cat in America that has complete freedom, being allowed to roam at will over the commons and country generally. He takes tremendous walks, and is a magnificent climber. Princess Rujah is a small black cat of a rare type with golden eyes and glossy coat. She is Cupid's queen and won first prize in Cleveland against nine competitors, which placed her name in the first position on the Atlantic Club's challenge cup offered for the best black cat.

Miss Detroit, a beautiful Angora cat with deep blue eyes, is acknowledged by the best judges of America to be the finest specimen of her class at the present time. She is, without doubt, the most renowned cat in the English-speaking world to-day, and would win in any competition. She is valued at £200, but would not be sold for ten times that amount. Miss Detroit won first prize and a host of specials at Rochester, Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland last year, that being her first season. Her name also occupies first place on the Atlantic Club challenge cup for the best white. There are also in the cattery three fine orange females, some whites, and tortoiseshells, most of which are prize winners. Amongst the short-hairs there is Lady Bobbie, a well-marked silver tabby, the winner of five first prizes and many specials.

During the summer months many visitors call to see the Owena Cattery, some hundreds of names being recorded in the book kept for the purpose. At times there are as many as forty valuable animals to be seen together at Owena, the aggregate value of the stock being many hundreds of pounds. The pretty creatures are wonderfully healthy, and Mrs. Owena has never yet had any serious illness among her cats. The secret of success, she says, is cleanliness, proper diet, and plenty of fresh air. - F.A.J.

THE N.C.C. has published the list of Crystal Palace judges early this year, and they are as follows: British cats, except the working-men's classes, Lady Alexander; long-haired blues and litter classes, Miss Simpson; chinchillas, Mrs. Martin; longhaired blacks, also black and white kittens, Mr. James; long-haired cream, orange, smokes, and brown tabbies, Mr. Mason; neuters and long-haired tortoiseshell and tortoiseshell-an-white, Mr. Wain; silver tabby long-hairs, Mrs. Martin and Mr. Mason; Siamese, Miss Forestier-Walker; long-haired whites, Manx, Abyssinians, and working-men's classes, Miss Cochran.

I NOTICE that Mr. Witt, in writing to a contemporary, questions my statement that true orange eyes do not fade with age. The ordinary, so-called orange eye certainly does fade, but that eye is of a shade more amber than orange. There is a particular shade of deep orange possessed by very few cats - I myself have not seen more than a dozen - which never fades. A good example of this shade was seen in Miss Hamilton's Rozelle Delight, a blue kitten exhibited at Bath, which died after the show. Ballochmyle Brother Bump also has true orange eyes, Lady Marcus Beresford had a good specimen in Blossom, and Lady Muriel Fox-Strangways's Daphne is another example, while Mrs. Cartwright's Timkins and his descendants - Lady Marcus showed some of these at Slough - are notable instances.

I REGRET to hear from Miss White Atkins that she finds the cares of her large family of cats are becoming too heavy for her, and that she has therefore decided to keep only white and chinchilla Persians. The well-known Brushwood Boy, a winner at the Palace, and sire of many winning kittens, is offered for sale, and also some good queens, one of them in kitten to Boy. A recent addition to the Hedge End cattery is a family of three whites, by The White Knight out of a daughter of Ch. White Friar.

MR. VICTOR LOWE, who is an enthusiastic fancier of black Manx cats, is now the possessor of Witchampton Jimmy, the young male which won second at Richmond. In exchange Mr. Lowe has sent to Miss Cochran the black queen, Ramsay Empress, which was well placed at Richmond and Manchester, and which won first and several specials at Bath. Another cat from the Witchampton cattery which is shortly to follow Jimmy to Manchester is the yellow-eyed black, Tapacolo II., winner of second at the Crystal Palace and Westminster. It is considered advisable that Tapacolo should find a town residence, as she is an incorrigible poacher, and so, as soon as she leaves her family, she is to travel north. The said family consists of a black Manx kitten and a Griffon puppy.

IT IS curious that we should consider cats marked with white valueless, while in America they are nearly as popular as whole colours. In England a red or orange and white kitten, no matter how well bred, would be difficult to sell for 7s. 6d., while a blue with a tiny tuft of white on its throat is thereby depreciated in value quite one half. There is no doubt that the English fanciers are right in setting up such a high standard of excellence that it is almost impossible to attain thereto, but our American cousins are perhaps happier in that their wants are more easily satisfied. Of course the more important breeders in America are just as particular about their cats as we are, but they are few and far between, and at big shows tabby and white cats frequently win high honours.

THE only "off-coloured" cat which I can remember doing brilliantly in the show pen was Mrs. Pattison's Chicot, a red and white Persian, which, on account of his lovely head, shape, and coat, won the N.C.C. gold medal as best cat in the show at the Crystal Palace in 1892 at the age of eight months. He went on to Brighton and took first there, but was never heard of in catty circles again, as he retired into private life as a neuter pet.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, August 8, 1903, pg 346

AMERICAN CAT FANCIERS - MISS LOUISE PAYNE, OF LOS ANGELES.
WE publish this week the pictures of some of Miss Louise Payne's cats, which have been bred and brought up in far-off California. In an interesting letter just received Miss Payne gives us some facts regarding her cattery, which is one of the largest in that land of oranges and sunshine.

"I am sorry to be able to send only three photographs," she writes "but though I have had many pictures taken there are but very few really good ones. I think my cats must have some Indian or China blood in them, as the only thing they seem afraid of is a camera. I hardly know just what to tell you about my kennels, but I will try to give you a few facts. The name of my cattery is 'The Maizee,' not in honour of the immortal Dick Swiveller, who was wont to use the expression, spelt differently, but after my first Angora, a tortoiseshell and white whose name was Maizee. From that time, three years ago, until now my family has grown to number eighteen. The two kings of my kennels arc Black Mascot and Toodles. I cannot send you a picture of Black Mascot for he absolutely refuses to sit for his portrait, but I send you one of Toodles, taken before he left for Chicago. My Black Mascot was imported by Mrs. Leland Norton from Persia via the Pacific Ocean. He is a magnificent fellow, and won first and special in the Los Angeles Show a year ago. I have a fine mate for him in black Bess.

"In my kennels I have stock from some of the best in America. I have a blue kitten from Mrs. Clinton Locke's Beadle, also Royal Norton stock and the famous Mrs. Johnson stock, of San Francisco. Mrs. Johnson, when she died, left £4,000 for the care of her pet cats, which she had imported from all over the world. Then last, but not least, I have a pair of Royal Siamese cats - Chula, whose picture I enclose, and Frisco, who has never yet permitted anyone to take his portrait. Chula is my constant companion; she does everything but talk in our language. I say 'our,' for I know she holds long conversations in her own tongue, and I am getting to understand her very well. She can retrieve just like a dog, but with this exception. The only thing she will fetch is a roll of paper tied with a red string; she has always turned up her nose at any other colour. She has another peculiarity, and that is she will never allow anyone to whistle; if you do so she will run up and place her paw on your lips, and, unless you stop, there will be trouble, for, though she is gentle at first, she will bite if you do not take the hint she gives you.

"As regards my kennels, I have a barn divided into three large rooms. These are all heated and lighted by gas. Then I have large yard enclosed with wire, and in it are two orange trees, two peach trees, and a fig tree, all fixed with boards, so that the animals can enjoy their sun baths. Besides this, there is a very pretty grape arbour, where they can disport themselves when so inclined. Of course, my kings do not enjoy all this liberty, but they are provided with nice-sized runs along the fence, and here they put in a pretty good time.

"Out here the cat fancy has only just started, so people are not yet willing to pay big prices for animals, but from my own experience I can say I have never yet been able to meet the demand for my cats and kittens. There are several people out here who are cat fanciers, but very few regular kennels. However, what cats there are can hold their own with their Eastern friends, as was shown last year when I sent Toodles to the Chicago Cat Show, where she [he!] won first and two specials. I have several others in my kennels which I know would do me credit if they only had the chance, but to send cats from here to Chicago is too long a distance."

Teddy, a beautiful white, blue-eyed kitten, whose portrait we give, is full brother to the somewhat sedate-looking Toodles. Chula is a daughter of Sikh and Chula the elder. Both parents were imported from Siam by Hong Kong to San Francisco, and are still living. Chula is one of the finest Siamese cats in Western America, and it is a thousand pities she is located so far without the range of cat shows, for otherwise she would, doubtless, carry everything before her. - F. A J.

MISS LEESON, of Southampton, is going in strongly for chinchilla cats, and her cattery is - as, of course, it should be - very strong in "Southampton" blood. The Absent-Minded Beggar, Miss Leeson's stud cat, was bred by Miss Cochran from Lord Southampton and the celebrated Dimity, who was herself a daughter of Lord Southampton. Gossamer, a little shaded queen, who is rearing two nice kittens by The Absent-Minded Beggar, was also bred by Miss Cochran from Dimity, her sire being Blue Robin. Gossamer's kittens will be most valuable stock, but will require careful rearing, as they are dangerously inbred.

GOSSAMER herself had an eventful childhood. In the first place, she appeared a week before her brothers and sisters, and her mother quite overlooked her arrival. She was found behind some boxes cold and miserable, and her mistress being from home the household decided that she was the property of the kitchen cat, and accordingly poor Stripes was shut in the stables with the baby. (N.B. - Stripes had had no kittens for four months, and had at the moment no expectations in that line.) For five days Gossamer survived, then her mistress returned, spotted the high-bred kitten, and gave her back to Dimity, to whom three days later three other kittens arrived. Only one was alive, and the mother was so ill that that soon died. Then Dimity thought she would hide Gossamer, so she carried her under the roof and dropped her down an old chimney. She was rescued, apparently dead, but whisky and milk revived her, and she was given to a foster-mother. This worked all right for a day or two, but then the foster-mother neglected her, and once again she was found stiff and cold. Whisky and milk once more pulled her round, and a satisfactory substitute was found who reared her successfully.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, August 15, 1903, pg 387

LAST year Miss Cochran purchased from Miss Samuel one of the black Manx kittens shown at the Botanical Gardens, but it died shortly afterwards, and Miss Samuel has now most kindly presented Miss Cochran with a little sister of King Kangaroo. This kitten, which is named Heads or Tails, promises to be a most perfect specimen of the breed, for its shape is capital, with long hind legs and "turned-up" quarters, not a vestige of stump, fine close coat, and last, but by no means least, orange eyes.

A RECENT recruit to the Manx fancy is the Hon. Mrs. McLaren Morrison, who showed a very promising tortoiseshell and white kitten at Richmond.

LADY ALEXANDER has purchased from Mrs. Hallen the well-known pair of white Manx cats, Whetstone Manx and Whetstone Mona. Lady Alexander took a fancy to these cats, because she considered Manx to be in shape an exact duplicate of her old favourite, Jim Crow. The new purchase is, by the way, to be renamed Jim Dumps, thus carrying on the Ballochmyle system of nomenclature, which includes every conceivable kind of Bump and Dump.

MRS. HALLEN is entirely giving up cats for the resent, as she has no accommodation for them, but she hopes to be able to rejoin the fancy at a later date.

THE pretty little tabby kitten here portrayed is Miss Kirkpatrick's Brown Pansy, of which I wrote a few weeks ago. Pansy was born last September, but the photograph was taken at the age of three months. She is a daughter of Prince and Queenie, and was bred by Miss Burrows. With her clear, dark markings and sweet round face Pansy affords a pleasing example of a most handsome variety of cat. The blue kittens show below were fully described in a recent paragraph.

FROM our little American contemporary, the FORTNIGHTLY CATTARIAN, comes news of an agency about to be formed in England with a view to buying high-class cats for America. That such an agency, if well managed, would be an excellent thing there can be no doubt, but I fear it will be exceedingly difficult to select reliable buyers. I do not mean to insinuate that indifferent specimens will be sent out, but in cases where two cats are offered, the buyer is probably acquainted with both sellers, and while one is a friend the other may be a foe. Judge, then, if the American purchaser is certain to receive the better cat.

A SUGGESTION has been made that English breeders will not sell their best stock to America. This is, to my certain knowledge, absolutely false. English breeders will sell the best they have, but they ask extortionate prices from Americans; indeed, they ask first-class prices for second or third-class stock. I know of one particular instance. I owned a well- bred male which had once taken a third prize - by default. I was glad to sell him for £5 to an English breeder, who afterwards sent him to America at £16, and he is continually belauded in the American papers. This I consider to be rather sharp practice, because in England we can buy a really good cat for £I6, and the cat in question, a silver, had a long nose with a brown patch on it, huge cars, long spindly legs and long tail, orange eyes, and very patchy colour. His value lay entirely in his breeding, and there are so many well-bred cats nowadays that pedigrees are cheap. I think a fair profit on the deal might have satisfied the lady in question.

IT is to be regretted that Harrogate Show, on August 19th and 20th, and Sandy, on August 27th, come so near together that few cats can safely put in an appearance at both. Harrogate offers N.C.C. championships, which are a great attraction to exhibitors, but south country fanciers will probably prefer to accompany their own pets to the one day fixture, so the shows will probably both be well supported, as there are nowadays quite enough good cats in the north to make a first-class show.

THE little Siamese queen, Minthamee, has been presented by Mrs. Neild to Mrs. Robinson. Minthamee was sent to Miss Cochran from France by Mrs. Sutherland when a tiny kitten, and she is a good advertisement for the raw-meat diet on which she was reared. She had a bad attack of distemper before she was three months old, and, later on, fell out of an upstairs window and hurt her back. Eventually she grew into a thoroughly hardy, healthy little cat, of a beautiful pale, clear colour, with dense points and the bluest of blue eyes. When Miss Cochran gave up Siamese cats Minthamee passed into the possession of Mrs. Neild, and since then she and her kittens have won many prizes, so Mrs. Robinson is to be congratulated upon her possession.

By the way, I was interested to find that the system of "dry feeding" tiny chicks is slowly but surely gaining ground among poultry fanciers. So far as I can understand, the chickens are fed upon dry crushed grain. This fact is full of interest in these days, when we are all becoming converted to the theory of dry food for dogs, and many of us feed our cats and kittens on the same plan.

ONE argument which has been perpetually used against me by the "no meat" brigade is that the warm, freshly killed body of a bird or mouse is very different to a chilly piece of frozen beef or mutton. Quite so; but, in the first place, I have never recommended foreign meat, and, in the second, if I did I should suggest that it should be thawed before consumption, and it would then, I think, bear far more analytical resemblance to the sparrow or mouse than would a saucerful of bread and millk.

SOME years ago I had a cat which I gave away because she was such a poacher; since then she has practically lived on the rabbits which she caught, only visiting her home once a week. Quite recently I borrowed her as a foster mother for some puppies, and as she had to be kept shut up and yet well fed I found it difficult to keep her liver in order on any ordinary cat diet, and after a few days she went off her feed. I then discovered that the meal which suited her best and delighted her above all things was the skin, head, and parts of the inside of a fresh rabbit. Since then this has formed her supper three or four nights a week, and I have also tried it on the other cats with good results. That a cat should swallow a rabbit skin, fur and all, seems strange, but there is no doubt that fur and feathers are good for both dogs and cats, and act as a mechanical vermifuge.

MANY years ago, in an article on Siamese cats, Miss Forestier Walker said that fowls' heads with the feathers on helped to rid kittens of worms. I have given them ever since and believe in them firmly. Bones also form part of the natural diet of cats, but these should be raw, for the cooked bones of birds and rabbits do not dissolve in the stomach, an therefore, if large pieces are swallowed they are apt to cause trouble.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, August 22, 1903, pg 451

MISS WHITE ATKINS has disposed of her young blue Persian stud cat, the Brushwood Boy, to Lady Rachel Byng, who is a beginner in the cat fancy. Brushwood Boy is a very handsome cat, good in colour and eyes, and a Crystal Palace winner. I have seen kittens of his which were equal to the best ever bred. Miss Atkins is now seriously considering the advisability of parting with the incomparable White Knight and that well-known chinchilla, Tintagel.

RUMOUR says that Mouflon is likely to journey north, and take up his residence in Mrs. Ransome's cattery. If the deal comes off Mrs. Ransome is to be congratulated, for I do not know a blue cat I should sooner breed from than Mouflon. He was sired by Blue Boy II., but it is on the dam's side that his best blood appears, for his mother, the orange-eyed Ceanothus, is a daughter of Timkins, whose praises I have always sung. There are very few of the old cat's descendants left, but wherever found they are invaluable for throwing pale colour and deep orange eyes. In the hands of his breeder, Mrs. Cartwright, and this year in the cattery of Lady Muriel Fox-Strangways, now Lady Muriel Digby, Mouflon has carried on all the traditions of his race, and his kittens have been visions of loveliness.

AS may be seen by the accompanying photographs, Mrs. Gunn, of Sudbury, Middlesex, has been most successful in breeding silver kittens. The charming babies which appear in the photographs are overflowing with health and spirits, and display all the desired "points," including broad, round faces, short, thick legs, and capital coats, and, if they fulfil the promise of their youth, should make their name in the show pen this season.

A LITTER of ten orange kittens seems indeed a handful, and it is hardly surprising that Mrs. D'Arcy Hildyard's well-known cream queen, Hazeline, should have felt discouraged at the prospect of rearing such a family. All but two of the kittens, which were by Benjamin of the Durhams, succumbed, as members of so large a family often do. Hazeline has in former years successfully reared several fine families of cream kittens.

OF late several litters of ten have been reported, but where all have been reared a foster-mother has usually been requisitioned, but I remember four or five years ago Mrs. Curwen's blue queen, Sheba, produced and reared ten fine blue kittens!

MISS CLIFTON, of Skye-terrier fame, intends going in heavily for Manx cats next year. She already has a blue short-haired queen, which would be a really nice cat were her eyes of the required shade, which, unfortunately, they are not, though report says that she once had an orange-eyed kitten.

WE hear and read much of the short-haired blue or Maltese cats of America, but why do their admirers always omit to mention the colour of their eves? This would be a point of great interest to English fanciers, as though we have many nice blue short-hairs in this country only one cattery can boast of unlimited orange eyes.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, August 29, 1903, pg 486

HARROGATE SHOW.
HARROGATE Show must be described as "small, but select." Some good young cats made their debut, and the quality all round was excellent. The awarding of the medal for best short-hair to the red tabby, Lotto, which took reserve under the same judge at Westminster, caused some dissatisfaction, as, though a fine cat, Lotto is very light on chin and chest. Lady Decies's recent purchase, the lovely Fulmer Snowdrop, which won at Richmond, was the only entry in the long-haired white class, while in the black class Mrs. Crowther's Sunnyside Muffet stood alone. In blue males Mrs. Allen's handsome, sound-coloured Blue Coat Boy II. won, while her Trixabelle was first in females; Lady Decies's huge light blue Prince of Thanet was second, with Mrs. Collingwood's Royal Bobs, who is perfect in shape but loses slightly in colour, third.

The smoke and silver classes were badly filled. Mrs. Harber's round-faced Bulgerina won in the former division, while the honours in the latter were divided between Miss Simon's Silver Knight and Silver Lily and Mrs. Wilson's Rob Roy of Arrandale. In the orange male class a new face was that of the winner, Mrs. Geldard's Scarborough Jimmy, a handsome cat, but closely pressed by Lady Decies's Fulmer Prince of Orange. Mrs. Western showed her latest purchase unsuccessfully in this class, Mrs. Fendall Charles's Pooh Bah Linkwood, now known as Wynnstay Guinea Gold, by Lifeguard. Mrs. Slingsby won well with her handsomely marked silver tabby, Queen Deetina, and she also took first with a grand litter of blue kittens, by Orange Blossom of Thorpe, but when shown in the single class they were beaten by Mrs. Edmondson's Gnat. Gnat and her sister, Mosquito, also won the pair kitten class, with another couple of Mrs. Slingsby's Orange Blossom kittens second. Mr. Norris's King of Siam was the only Siamese entry, but Manx males made a capital turnout, first going to Mr. Furze's Deemster. Mr. Lowe's Mona's Queen was the only representative of the other sex. As usual, Mrs. Collingwood's grandly marked Ch. James II. had it all his own way in the silver tabby class, while Jim Shelley found no opponent among the browns. In red tabbies first went to Mrs. Hartley's Lotto, second to Lady Decies's Fulmer Red Bramble, and third to Mrs. Collingwood's Belle of Bradford. Either of the two latter I prefer to the first.

CHINCHILLA breeders will learn with regret that Tintagel is to cross the Atlantic this autumn, Miss White Atkins having sold this grand young stud cat to Mrs. Mitchelson, who is at present "doing" Europe. Now that Tintagel's kittens are making their mark in the show-pen, as they certainly did at Richmond, everyone will realize what a loss he is to English fanciers.

MRS. SINKINS wisely believes in taking time by the forelock, and arrangements for Southampton Show in December are already well advanced. Mr. Voss, who has experience in such matters, is to be secretary, and Mrs. Sinkins will herself supervise all arrangements for the comfort of the exhibits. I understand that all pens are to be especially scrubbed, and that a sitting-room will be provided for weary exhibitors if this can be arranged. I hope to be able to give a list of judges next week. I may mention that these are being invited with an eye to their special knowledge of the breed upon which they will adjudicate. The show is to be held under N.C.C. rules, and championships for all breeds have been applied for.

THE N.C.C. committee has decided to give no litter class at the Crystal Palace Show this year. This is a step in the right direction though I, personally, am of the opinion that tiny kittens are less upset by a show than are those of five or six months. I should like to see classes for kittens of from eight to twelve months only. It is unusual to see a puppy of less than eight months competing in a puppy class, and I think cat fanciers could soon be educated to see matters from the same point of view as dog owners, while the decrease in the infant mortality rate would be enormous. .

TWO well-known and successful breeders and rearers of Persian kittens tell me that they find tinned rabbit a cheap, digestible, and much appreciated article of diet. It is particularly convenient when the butcher proves, as he often does in country districts, to be a broken reed. One of these ladies gives her kittens rabbit for breakfast every morning, but, for some unknown reason, she mixes it with bread and milk. Truly a most weird concoction, though, she assures me, one which appeals to the kitten palate. I should be inclined to mix the rabbit with dry brown breadcrumbs, and I am sure that this would form a more digestible meal.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, September 5, 1903, pg 505

LADY DECIES is evidently bitten with the red tabby fancy, and at Harrogate purchased, at a high figure, the queen Lotto, which won the special for the best short-hair. The second prize winner, Red Bramble, is already an inmate of the Birchington cattery, which now contains a more than useful brace.

MR. VICTOR LOWE is to be congratulated upon the success which has attended his debut in the Manx fancy. At Bath Show he took first and nearly all the specials, and at Harrogate his cats were most successful, Witchampton Jimmy winning first and championship, and Mona's Queen also being placed first. It is an encouraging fact that the Manx male class at Harrogate was the best-filled class in the short-haired section.

MISS SIMON must feel delighted that her chinchilla queen won the championship over such a well-known winner as Rob Roy of Arrandale. For a queen to beat a male is always creditable, but occurs more often in chinchillas than any other breed, as the queens are frequently purer in colour than the males.

HAVING had one or two enquiries lately as to the points and the value of tortoiseshell short-hairs I think I may as well give them briefly. The colour should be composed of a patchwork of black, red, and yellow, and be entirely free from tabby markings or white hairs. The red should be a deep dark shade, and the value of the animal depends upon the colours being well broken up and evenly distributed. A large smudge of yellow down the face is a serious fault. The eyes should be orange. A tortoiseshell and white should have a sheet of black and red in sharply defined patches of equal size, like a chessboard, spread over the head, back, hindquarters, and tail, the chest, stomach, and legs being white, and a white blaze running up the face. Freedom from tabby markings is most important. The best-known cat of this breed, Ballochmyle Otter, had patches of red and black, not more than an inch in diameter, all over her back, and the effect was excellent. To speak definitely of the value of these cats is impossible, as the value of any animal is what it will fetch, and there is no demand for short-hairs unless of superlative merit. A really good cat capable of winning wherever shown would be readily saleable at £5 or £6, but a moderate specimen could not be disposed of at any price.

THE judges selected for Manchester Kitten Show are Mrs. Woodcock and Mr. Mason. Mrs. Woodcock dons the ermine for the first time, but Mr. Mason's unquestionable popularity is certain to draw a large entry.

ON all sides I hear complaints of the difficulty of selling kittens this year. There is no doubt that such numbers as are now bred every year will in time overstock the market, but I am inclined to think that the sellers are to blame in asking too high prices. For kittens as pets at about a guinea or 30s. there is always a demand, and inferior kittens can easily be sold cheaply if they are of popular colours. The difficulty is that the quality of our kittens has improved so much that we have very little "rubbish" to sell, and we grudge selling good kittens below their value. Let us remember, however, that kittens which were first-class five years ago will only come in with the ruck nowadays, and therefore are really only worth pet or breeding-stock prices, and it is far better to dispose of all the surplus at six or eight weeks old for a pound a piece than to keep them on crowding up the cattery, and increasing a thousandfold the risk of epidemics breaking out.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, September 12, 1903, pg 8

MRS. COLLINGWOOD is to be congratulated on her successes at Sandy Show. James II. took the special for best shorthair; the red tabby, Bell of Bradford, took second; and O'Liza, a promising little daughter of James, took second and third. In long-hairs Royal Bobs, the well-known blue, was first, and the charming little smoke queen, Gioja, also won. The sensation of the show was Mr. Shaw's fascinating white kitten, Heath Friar, which won in the novice class, though in the open class for blacks or whites it had to give place to White Friar II., and Breka. Mrs. Norris's blue, Kew Perfection, followed Royal Bobs, and in the blue female class Mrs. Hardiman won with Lady Fluff, Mrs. Clark's Ashbrittle Superba being second, and Mr. Burrell's Durham Duchess third. Only two chinchillas were entered, first going to Mrs. Wilson and Miss Ford's Moonshine, and second to Mrs. Clark's pale Ashbrittle San Toy.

NONE of the well-known winners appeared in the orange classes except Mrs. Moore's Orange Girl, which won a well-deserved first; Mr. Norris's even-coloured Kew Ronald was placed first in cream males, with Mrs. Western's Matthew of the Durhams, famed for his brown eyes, second, and Miss Cornish Bowden's Avonwick Junket third. Mrs. Western took first with her cream queen, Wynnstay Josephine, and the celebrated Miriam of the Durhams was relegated to second place.

MRS. TYRWHITT DRAKE was showing and winning with one of her exquisite chinchilla kittens, and Mrs. Bennett was to the fore with an orange-eyed blue by Garboldisham Criquet. Mrs. Western took a number of prizes in the short-haired classes; Wynnstay Snowdrop, Showboy, and Patchwork took firsts, and the silver tabby, Silver Princess, and the Siamese Kim were placed second. Mrs. Norris's Kew King of Siam was first in the Siamese class, a very lucky cat, as his colour is cloudy.

I AM sorry to hear of the death of Mrs. McLaren Morrison's Ameer. This cat was eight years of age, and was bred by Mrs. Martin from Lambkin Queen by a son of The Nizam. He was first shown by Mrs. Davies under the name of Ho Morganwy, and he and Lord Southampton were at one time the best chinchilla males on the show bench.

WHEN the Manx Club was started very determined efforts to belittle it were made in some quarters, and it was freely and publicly asserted that it would "do no good." The club has now been established for nearly two years, and it has quite justified its existence. It has steadily worked on, giving specials and guaranteeing classes, and otherwise inducing people to exhibit, until at the present time the Manx fancy may be said to be fairly on its legs, and is, at any rate, as strong as the Siamese. To no properly conducted show has the club refused its support, its guarantees and specials have all been paid up, and in every way the club has fairly refuted the aspersions cast upon it.

THE schedule of the Northern Counties Kitten Show, to be held at Manchester on September 16th, has reached me. This show is always one of the most popular, best managed, and most successful of the year. Twenty-two classes are provided - seventeen for long-hairs, two for British, one Manx, one Siamese, one for children's pets, and two for litters. Mrs, Woodcock is unable to judge, so Mrs. Balding takes long-haired blacks, whites, chinchillas, oranges, creams, and brown tabbies, besides one litter class and the variety British. Five of the specialist societies are supporting the show and giving prizes.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
DICK WHITTINGTON will be pleased to give advice on all matters concerning cats and their ailments, and will be glad to receive for insertion any interesting items of cat news that her readers may send. Queries must be written on one side of a separate sheet of paper, and must be signed with a pseudonym only for publication, but a letter giving full name and address of sender must accompany each query. A postal reply will be sent if the fee of 2s. 6d. is enclosed.. - Letters should be addressed, "DICK WHITTINGTON, care of Editor, THE LADIES' FIELD."
SAMBO. - There is no doubt that the Manx is a coming cat, and that there will be shortly a market for good, pure-bred kittens, but prices will never run so high as in long-hairs. The important points are absolute taillessness, shortness of back, and length of hind leg. After these come other points, such as coat, colour, and eyes. The coat should be rather longer and rougher than in the British cat, the head according to popular opinion should be short and broad, though in the Isle of Man the Eastern type of head is more common. Your blacks, if they are well shaped and have in addition orange eyes, are well worth breeding from. So far it has been impossible to take much notice of colour and eyes, as we have until the last year had very few pure-bred, properly shaped cats, and until these were established the minor points had to be ignored. You should join the Manx Cat Club, secretary Miss Cochran, Witchampton, Wimborne.
YELLOW BOY. - Manx kittens are very hardy, but the cats, both male and female, are shy breeders. They rarely produce more than one litter a year, sometimes not that, and their kittens are often born dead. If you can get a queen which has been proved a reliable breeder you should have no trouble. If your cat is good in shape and has no stump you need not worry much about the markings. Manx fanciers have not yet begun to consider colour the most important point, and I hope they never will so consider, though the all-round judges are trying to move them in that direction. The colour will very probably deepen with careful feeding. I should much like to see a photograph of your cat.
FLOSSIE. - You must well rub into all the affected part every other day some sulphur and white vaseline ointment. If the skin is very bad you had better cut off the hair. You must feed her entirely on raw minced beef, about four ounces daily, and give every day two grains of bicarbonate of potash. If there is no improvement after a fortnight's regular treatment please write again. I may say it is quite impossible for replies to appear in "next LADIES' FIELD."
KAOURA. - Very many thanks for your kind and appreciative remarks. I fear there is no cream short-hair at stud. Mr Kuhnel, of Bradford, had some cream tabbies a few years ago but the only one I know of now is an unmarked cream with hazel eyes, bred last year by Lady Alexander, who also owns a number of the best red tabby short-hairs, but, unfortunately none of her cats are at stud. The cream is really a beauty. Lady Decies, of Beresford Lodge. Birchington, Kent, has a very good red tabby male, and so has Mrs. Collingwood, of Bossington, Leighton Buzzard, but I do not know if they are at stud Mrs. Herring, of Lestock House, Lee, Kent, has, I believe some good sable and brown tabbies. The reason that there are so few advertisements of short-haired stud cats is that their services are so little in demand that the fees would not cover the cost of advertisement. There is no demand for short-haired kittens, and therefore people will not expend money on breeding them. You could almost certainly breed unmarked creams from a blue queen and a red or yellow tom, and you might get them from a red queen and a blue tom, but this is not so certain a method. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, September 19, 1903, pg 49

FROM Mrs. Slingsby comes a long and interesting letter telling me of the doings in her own cattery, and some details of Harrogate Show. Mrs. Slingsby's kittens have this year been remarkably healthy, also unusually big and heavy. Don Pedro of Thorpe, who started in life with markings much too pale, has improved with every moult, and is now, his mistress says, like a painted cat, and carries on the traditions of the House of Topso by throwing densely marked kittens. Orange Blossom of Thorpe, on the other hand, is throwing kittens of the palest lavender blue shade.

TRIXABELLE, the blue queen which won at Harrogate, is the property of Mrs. Allen of Tadcaster, not of Mrs. Allen of Reading, who owns Blue Coat Boy II. Trixabelle is a huge, sound-coloured, orange-eyed queen, and beat Blue Coat Boy II. for the championship. Mrs. Slingsby's queen, Deehua, also beat the sterner sex in the race for the championship for silver tabbies, being placed before her cattery companion, Don Pedro, and also winning three silver medals for the best long-hair in the show.

THERE was some confusion over the blue kittens, for some which were penned in the litter class were unfortunately overlooked in the pair and single class, while some which were winners in the single class were not judged among the pairs. Mrs. Slingsby was a victim of these mistakes, and Mr. Witt's kittens took second in the pair class.

WE have heard a good deal lately about deformed puppies and kittens, and last week I read of some kittens which were born "with the knees of their hind legs jointed the wrong way, like an elephant or a human being." Quite recently I saw a kitten which answered to this description - that is to say, its hind legs bent backwards from the hocks. I got a veterinary surgeon to examine it, and he explained to me that the ligament which came down from the front of the thigh was slack, and therefore did not hold the hock at the proper angle. He thought that bandaging might have, in time, effected a cure, but I did not care to undertake so arduous a task, as plaster bandages on a growing kitten would require very frequent renewal,

IT IS high time that the Crystal Palace cats were being looked over, with a view to getting them in form. Their coats must be kept in order, and fleas must be carefully removed. A month before the show a thin cat may have its meals increased, and a little tonic, such as a saucerful of cream, a raw egg, or a dessertspoonful of cod-liver oil, may be given daily during the last fortnight, to put on the final bloom. Remember that this rich feeding may cause liver trouble, which will be brought to a head by confinement in the show pen, so give each cat a Carter's pill immediately upon its return.

IT is good news for breeders of short-hairs that Mrs. Collingwood has placed her Ch. James II. at stud, as this is, without question, the best silver tabby male now in existence.

MISS WHITNEY is having a delightful time at Aix-les-Bains, and 1s going on to Riva and Venice. The weather has been delightful, but Miss Whitney says that she feels she is in "another world," cut off from all the shows and squabbles in the cat community.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
DICK WHITTINGTON will be pleased to give advice on all matters concerning cats and their ailments, and will be glad to receive for insertion any interesting items of cat news that her readers may send. Queries must be written on one side of a separate sheet of paper, and must be signed with a pseudonym only for publication, but a letter giving full name and address of sender must accompany each query. A postal reply will be sent if the fee of 2s. 6d. is enclosed.. - Letters should be addressed, "DICK WHITTINGTON, care of Editor, THE LADIES' FIELD."
THE GODDESS BAST. - My remarks refer to ALL cats, but, of course, more particularly to those whose owners consider them worthy of a little care and attention. Your friend is quite right in saying that a natural diet is best, and if your cat is able and willing to supply himself with meat he will thrive well. If, however, he cannot rely upon his own resources he must be supplied with the best possible substitute, which is meat, not milk. The vet. your sister consulted was presumably old-fashioned and ignorant on the subject of cats. Canker comes from many causes cold, injury, infection, or lowness of condition. To effect a cure the cat should, besides having suitable dressings applied, be put on a meat diet. I can assure you that meat feeding prevents rather than causes such complaints.
TANSY. - The dark smudges on the white kittens' foreheads will probably disappear when they change their coats, but it is not absolutely certain that they will.
DUFFER. - I strongly advise you to have nothing whatever to do with a vet, who is so ignorant as to tell you that raw meat will give your cat skin disease. His alternative diet, porridge and milk, would certainly have that effect unless it caused diarrhoea.
DURBAR. - Imported cats have nowadays no greater value than those bred in England if they are of equal merit. Some few of the imported cats are very wild and shy, but the majority are quite domesticated.
HANNAH. - You do not say whether your cat is long or short-haired, but, if the former, the fee would be from 10s. 6d. 1o 21s., and, if the latter, probably less. You will find all the information you want in the "Cat Manual," which you can procure from this office. There are a number of large catteries in Scotland. You might write to Mrs. McKenzie Stewart, Seagate House, Irvine, Ayrshire.
POOH BAH. - Three meals in the day are ample. and so long as the kitten seems healthy feed on scraps of meat from the table, a little pudding, fish, or game will do no harm, but feed principally on meat; give no milk. The kitten will shed its kitten coat soon, and will then grow its cat coat. Too much brushing is a mistake, but in the summer regular combing s necessary to keep down fleas. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, September 26, 1903, pg 115

MRS. HAZEN BOND has asked me to give publicity to the following facts: There are no "legal difficulties" whatever connected with importing cats to America. If the cat is properly registered in the "United States Register," the managers thereof will attend to everything incident to having it properly cleared at the Custom House, duty free. Inasmuch as many English ladies will not go before a notary and swear to a cat's pedigree, the Registry Association is willing to execute all papers from abroad properly (including affidavit on best information and belief) if the same are countersigned by the secretary of any club on the proving pedigrees committee, and also by the member on the P.P.C. for that club. Such applications must be accompanied by 50c. (2s.) a batch for the notary fee.

IN other words, the correct procedure is to apply to the secretary of your specialist club, which is or ought to be on the abovementioned list, for the proper forms on which to fill in your cat's pedigree. When filled in get the secretary and representative on P.P.C. to endorse it, and then forward it, with a fee of 2s., to Mrs. Hazen Bond, 310, First Street, S.E., Washington D.C. She will attend to the matter and very kindly tell applicants if they have anything further to do. This fee of 2s., it must be noted, is apart from the registration fee.

TH CAT CLUB appears to be unable to get on without the valuable Miss Simpson, and publicity has been given to the fact that, by the special request of Lady Marcus Beresford, this lady has resumed her seat on the committee.

THE Southampton Show committee are still debating the question of judges. Lord and Lady Decies were, much to the regret of everyone concerned, obliged to decline the invitation to officiate. In their absence it is likely that all short-haired classes will be undertaken by Miss Cochran.

CH. SILVER SULTAN II., the property of Mrs. W. Keep, was bred in New South Wales, and was exhibited for the first time at the Sydney Cat Show in May last, when he was awarded first and special champion prizes. At that time he was eighteen months old, and in beautiful condition, as the photo proves. Silver Sultan, named after his father, who was imported, is a grandson of Ch. Lord Southampton.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, October 3, 1903, pg 128

MISS WHITNEY writes to tell me that she is going to judge the cats at Belfast Show on November 3rd and 4th, and that there will be four classes - viz., long-haired male or female, short-haired male or female, kitten, and neuter.

MEESSRS. DRURY BROTHERS, In writing to a contemporary, give an account of what they have found to be a complete cure for that distressing complaint known as "snuffles." The nose must be regularly and thoroughly syringed with warm boracic lotion, and then a pinch of the dry boracic powder blown up the nostrils. The cat which was cured by this treatment had snuffles for ten months, and so would have been regarded by most people as incurable. The discase usually comes after distemper, and is caused by the animal not having picked up its strength quickly after the illness. It is hardly necessary to say that regularity and thoroughness are essential to the success of the treatment. This is where most people fail, they grow discouraged when two or three weeks pass without improvement. I have heard of two other "snuffle" cures. In one case the nostrils were syringed with hazeline and in the other with Condy's fluid and water.

MISS CLIFTON has purchased from Miss Christie a pair of fine black Manx cats, and proposes going in for breeding this fascinating variety.

THERE is no doubt that the Manx cat offers great attractions to the enterprising breeders, for there are so many obstacles to be overcome. In the first place, Manx cats with any pedigree are difficult to obtain, and when obtained they are often most unreliable breeders. Again, when the kittens arrive they are by no means certain to be Manx. From two half or quarter-bred cats with large stumps I have frequently bred more tailless kittens than from two pure-bred and absolutely tailless winners. One queen in particular, of which I know, invariably produces one or two high-class Manx kittens when mated to a common cat, and once when mated to a Manx male the entire family had tails. This is, of course, discouraging to a beginner, but I am glad to say that we have at present two or three breeders who have procured, with great pains, large studs of good Manx cats, and are working steadily to establish strains which will breed true to type. Miss Samuel's black Manx cats are well known, and she has so far been our most successful breeder, for in litter after litter really good kittens have predominated, though, unfortunately, very few of these have been successfully reared, as the queens have proved indifferent mothers,

LADY ALEXANDER writes to me that she has resigned the position of president of the Northern Counties Cat Club, and that she and Sir Claud Alexander have now no connection with that body.

MISS FRANCEs Simpson, who knows her subject from the tip of a cat's tail to the curve of its ear, has given us in "The Book of the Cat" (Cassell and Co.) a delightful volume de luxe, which is certain to achieve popularity. Not only does "The Book of the Cat" contain a spirited account of "pussy's" career, commencing at the early period when he was worshipped by the Egyptians and continuing down to our own day, but it is packed throughout with interesting information, including chapters on the feeding of cats and kittens, the construction of suitable catteries, the general housing of cats, and their management and breeding, as well as their discases and treatment, the latter being contributed by the well-known veterinary surgeon, Mr. Henry Gray. Neither is it only the favourite long-haired varieties who engage Miss Simpson's attention, for she has interesting and instructive chapters on short-haired cats of the classes which predominate among ordinary cat-owners, but are now in the minority with professional breeders - those, in fact, to which the great cat-artist Harrison Weir has always given the preference. Cats in America have been dealt with in a separate chapter, as have the Maine, Manx, and Siamese varieties, while there is an interesting account of "Some Foreign Cats" contributed by Mr. H. C. Brooke. As regards the illustrations, there are coloured plates of the various breeds, to the number of sixteen, reproduced from original paintings expressly prepared for the book by Madame Ronner, Miss F. Marks, and W. Luker, jun., not to speak of innumerable photographs of pussy under every possible condition, and always in the most fascinating guise.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, October 10, 1903, pg 170

FROM Mrs. Collingwood comes the thrilling item of news that she has bred a tortoiseshell and white male kitten. This most rare and valuable morsel of cat-flesh is now two-and-a-half menths old, and his mother is a red short-hair. The only other male of this colour I know of is Lady Alexander's Ballochmyle Solomon. Ballochmyle Neptune was a good specimen, but he died some years ago. It is a curious fact that long-hared tortoiseshell and tortoiseshell and white male cats are even more rare than short-hairs, though so much more attention is paid to the breeding of long-hairs. A good many years ago I believe the Hon. Mrs. McLaren Morrison bred three good tortoiseshell males from the blue male Goblin and a tortoiseshell queen, which invariably produced male kittens. Unfortunately that year there was a terrible outbreak of ophthalmia in the Kepwick cattery, and all the kittens succumbed. There was a tale of a beautiful tortoiseshell and white tom cat which was sent from India to Lady Marcus Beresford by her brother-in-law, Lord William Beresford, but, unfortunately, soon after his arrival "he" produced a fine family of kittens. This cat, a really magnificent specimen, was afterwards well known in the show-pen as Windsor Cora.

IT IS announced that the Brighton Cat Show, which is to be held, as usual, in November by the Cat Club, is to take the place of Westminster Show. This will be a terrible blow to those exhibitors who have learned to look upon Westminster as a fixture. No provincial show can take the place of a London one, and, though Brighton is a very accessible spot, I much fear that both entry and gate money will show a sad falling off. Presumably, the difficulty of obtaining a suitable hall in London has caused this exodus, but let us hope that it may be overcome, and that we shall not be deprived of what has - after the Crystal Palace, of course - always ranked as our best show.

FROM the CAT JOURNAL of America I copy the following: "Cats in Japan almost universally have short tails. Authorities tell us the bones are all there, but not normally developed." If a cat chances to come into the world with a long tail it is usually chopped off, for the Japanese object to the snaky likeness of a long tail."

MRS. JAMES talks of giving up her cats, and if she does so I fear the smoke cat will soon almost disappear from the show pen. No other exhibitor has remained so entirely loyal to this somewhat neglected breed, and Mrs. James has had such success both in breeding and showing that one had grown to regard her as a fixture. The Backwell strain of smokes has been consistently successful wherever shown, and at Manchester the other day every winning smoke kitten owned Backwell Jogram as its sire.

MISS WHITE ATKINS has not vet disposed of the White Knight, because, though she has had various offers for him, he is such a great pet that his mistress wishes to know where he is going, and that he will be as well and carefully looked after in his new home as at Hedge End. Knight is a cat who appreciates a great deal of petting and individual attention.

THE two blue queens Mollie and Shamrock have been sold to Mrs. Kirk, of Leamington, and from this we may conclude that this lady is going in for cat-breeding again. A year or two ago she practically retired from the fancy, and parted with nearly all her cats.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, October 17, 1903, pg 214

MRS. PETER BROWN tells me that she has a capital lot of kittens now. This lady does not go in for breeding, as she finds that she has neither the time nor the accommodation to do so properly. She buys male Persian kittens at three or four months old, has them operated upon, and puts them through a thorough course of house training before she disposes of them. The advantage to anyone living in a town of having a well-trained kitten is enormous. A tiny mite taken straight from its mother or even from a cattery and turned loose in big, strange house is not likely to lose much time before disgracing itself, and soon becomes unpopular with mistress and servants; whereas the same kitten a few months later and with house manners firmly implanted upon its small mind would win golden opinions all round.

SOMEONE at Shoreham is apparently overstocked with cats, and has adopted a novel method of disposing of them. Miss Cope received a post-card, signed "F. C.," announcing that Baby was being despatched to her, and Baby, a brown tabby cat, duly arrived, but no further information regarding her followed. Since then Mrs. Neate received a telegram, signed "Charles," asking her to meet two cats at the station. They turned out to be a white Persian tom and a tortoiseshell queen, but their owner evidently takes no further interest in them!

FANCIERS in general are complaining of the classification offered at the Crystal Palace Show, but I should think the remedy lies in their own hands. The omission of litter and short-haired kitten classes is the chief cause of discontent. Short-haired kitten classes are notoriously badly filled, so it lies with anyone who expects to win therein to guarantee the classes they want, as the N.C.C. cannot be expected, especially in its present financially circumscribed state, deliberately to throw away money. With regard to the litter class, that was done away with because the committee considers that the exhibition of very young kittens is a mistake. This may be so, but the opinion of many experienced fanciers is that tiny kittens, especially if accompanied by their mothers, are less upset by a show than those of from three to six months, which are of an age to realize their surroundings. The tiny babies play and eat and sleep, and take no notice of anything outside their pens, but the older ones are often much scared and excited.

THE judges so far appointed for Southampton show are as follows: Mr. Silk, all long-haired tabbies and some other long-haired classes; Mrs. Greenwood, long-haired whites and local classes. Mrs. Wellbye and Mrs. Strick have been invited to judge, but the matter is not yet decided. Miss Cochran takes longhaired blues, Manx, Siamese, and all British classes.

WHEN the question of whether cat fanciers should be allowed to deck out their cats in ribbons of the shade they consider most becoming and drape their pens is discussed the usual argument brought forward is that the judges are enabled to recognise well-known cats and are prejudiced in their favour. Speaking from a judging experience of many years' standing, and leaving common honesty out of the question, I venture to enter a strong protest against coloured ribbons and cushions. Few people are aware or the effect of strong colours upon chinchilla cats, for example. Nowadays we have movable pens, which are a great assistance, but the pink draperies used by the N.C.C. reflected a yellow tinge on pale chinchilla cats, and when one took them out of the pens to escape this they usually had such a huge pink bow round their necks that matters were not much improved. One or two cats in a class were possibly turned out in pale blue, and these by force of contrast presented such a pure silvery appearance as to give them an advantage at the commencement. I have judged cats which wore such large toby frills that it was quite impossible to discover their own frills, and I have judged black and blue cats which wore orange-coloured ribbons which caused their own deep yellow eyes to look almost green. If all of us were gifted with the taste and knowledge necessary to turn our cats out at their best all would start level, but this, unfortunately, is not so, and the cleverly dressed cat has almost as much advantage over the dowdy one as has the well trimmed fox-terrier over a dog "shown in the rough."

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
DICK WHITTINGTON will be pleased to give advice on all matters concerning cats and their ailments, and will be glad to receive for insertion any interesting items of cat news that her readers may send. Queries must be written on one side of a separate sheet of paper, and must be signed with a pseudonym only for publication, but a letter giving full name and address of sender must accompany each query. A postal reply will be sent if the fee of 2s. 6d. is enclosed.. - Letters should be addressed, "DICK WHITTINGTON, care of Editor, THE LADIES' FIELD."
BIRLINGHAM. - Siamese cats are charming, affectionate, gentle pets, and, if treated rationally, are healthy and hardy. Let your cat have the run of the house and garden, only shutting it up at night, but be careful it is never shut out in the damp. Let its diet consist mainly of raw beef, fowls' and rabbits' heads, and scraps from the table. Write to Mrs. Parker Brough, Springfield, Kettering.
POOR PUSS. - The details given are so meagre that I cannot possibly diagnose the case properly. Please write again and tell me if there is any eruption on the skin and whether the cat's digestion appears to be working all right, whether he has his liberty or is shut up, and what quantity of food you give him. While he is ill you must, of course, tempt his appetite with any dainty he can fancy, but I strongly advise you to discontinue the fish and give very little, if any, milk. Let him have a dessertspoonful of warm castor oil and note the result, and on the bare patches rub a little sulphur and vaseline ointment. For the loss of voice I cannot prescribe without knowing the cause. If from debility, give daily a large teaspoonful of Kepler's extract of malt and cod-liver oil; if from sore throat, paint the inside of the throat with perchloride of iron; or, if you cannot manage this rather delicate operation, put a pinch of chlorate of potash on the back of the tongue.
A. R. - I think the difficulties and dangers of the matter have been somewhat exaggerated, and there is no doubt that the practitioner in question errs, if such a thing is possible, on the side of humanity. Still, the operation is of doubtful advantage, so I think you are wise to let matters alone. I think your kitten will very likely grow a good frill later on. He is at the lanky age now, and even pure-bred kittens often look ugly then. When his first cat coat comes, as it will probably do about December, you will be better able to judge of his merits. Half and three-quarter bred cats often look more heavily coated than pure-bred ones, because the coat, being coarser, stands out more. I shall be pleased to advise you about mating the queen again later on. I should select a mate for her which showed "quality" before all things. From a half-bred queen the kittens will not be too "fine," as they might be were the dam pure bred, for your cat is necessarily an absolute "out-cross."
NOVICE. - A neuter cat is undoubtedly the best and most satisfactory one for you. You can get one well trained to the house from Mrs. Peter Brown, 59 Palace Road. Streatham Hill. - DICK WHITTINGTON, '

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, October 24, 1903, pg 267

THE Northern Counties Cat Club has decided to hold its show in Manchester on January 29th, and hopes that this show will be the most important it has yet held. N.C.C. championships have been applied for, a most extensive classification will be given, and specialist judges will officiate in all departments. Among those already apnointed are Mrs. Robbinson, Mrs. Balding, Miss Jay, Miss Cochran, and Mr. Mason.

I HEAR from Mrs. Bagster that the Cat Club was obliged to give up all idea of holding a London Show on account of the difficulty of engaging a good hall for the purpose. All the good halls about which enquiries were made were refused them because of the strong prejudice against admitting cats. It is, of course, a difficult matter to disinfect the site of a cat show, but the Westminster Show has, as a rule, been a clean and well-managed one, and so would not leave such unpleasant after-effects as might be expected; it is, however, needless to discuss the matter, as the Cat Club Committee appears to have quite decided to transfer the scene of its labours to Brighton.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
(For Rules see previous issues.)
ESTHER. - You must give no milk or milk food at all if the case is simply one of diarrhoea, but feed the cat entirely on finely minced raw beef, a tablespoonful three times a day, and give, every three hours until the diarrhoea is checked, half a teaspoonful of Syme's lac bismuthi. After that, sprinkle the meat with a pinch of carbonate of bismuth. If the matter has, as I fear it may, have gone further, and the motions are black and thin or mixed with slime and mucous, all solid food must be stopped and the cat fed on very small quantities (a dessertspoonful every two hours) of arrowroot made with milk and thickened with isinglass, and the lac bismuthi given as directed above. When the bowels resume a normal state, gradually get the cat on to a raw meat diet, but be careful to give the meat in very small quantities at first.
DUNDREARY. - Bathe the kitten's eyes four or five times daily with boracic lotion until the surrounding inflammation subsides, and then put into each eve once a day a piece of yellow oxide of mercury ointment the size of a pin's head, and hold the kitten for a few minutes to prevent it scratching its eyes. Do not use ordinary golden ointment.
RED CENT. - The blue kittens may be worth anything from 30s, to £5 5s. each, but I could not possibly value them without seeing them. I think your best plan is to advertise and sell them at £2 2s, each, and if any of them turn out to be prize-winners you can ask a little more next time.
MANXMAN. - Your Manx cat, if it is well shaped and has no stump, should be worth £2 to £3, or if it is a really good cat might fetch as much as £5. If it has a stump it would not be worth, at the outside, more than 15s. or 21s.
DAPHNE. - I certainly do not advise you to let the cat and dog "fight it out." The dog would probably get his eyes injured and the cat might be badly hurt, and would certainly dislike dogs more than ever. Keep the two animals from meeting at close quarters for a week or two, and the cat will then get used to seeing the dog, and, if not frightened by him, will gradually make friends.
ANONYMOUS. - The fish diet accounts for your troubles. Siamese cats require, in this country at any rate, very generous feeding, and raw beef suits them best. I think after a month of raw meat diet you will see a great improvement in your cats' condition. Bathe the eyes twice daily with boracic lotion. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, October 31, 1903, pg 306

THE CATS OF MAINE.
From an American Correspondent.
EVERYONE knows the Pine Tree State, but not everyone knows that it occupies a rather unique niche in feline history. Within its borders may be found not only the Angora, the Persian, the Manx, the Siamese, the Russian, the pure Maltese, the common short-hair, and indeed every variety of domestic cat known to this generation, but also the Coon or Shag, unknown elsewhere until transported thither from this, his natural habitat. The only domesticated and so-called "tame" member of the felidae, the cat, is not native to America. He was unknown to the Indian aborigines. Indeed, he is a very recent, comparatively speaking, emigrant to our shores. He is supposed to have arrived some time within the last two hundred years, and his travels further west are thought to have commenced much later, when, within half a century, a carload of cats was carried to California in the hope of exterminating the destructive little field mouse from that state. Within the last six months great numbers of cats have been taken to the plains of the middle west as an enemy to the prairie dog.

The cat is thought to have entered America through Maine. Being one of the first states settled, presenting unexcelled harbours and facilities for shipbuilding, she sent out some of the first American traders, and all evidence goes to show that these returned with our first "furry treasures, white and dun, from oversea."

The Angora cats of Maine to-day are undoubtedly descended from these early importations of long before the days of chicken wire and "breeding for points." They have been permitted to descend in any way they saw fit, and this was by natural selection. Where their sires and dams, their grandsires and granddams, can be shown to have been all of the same breed, in the eyes of the U.S. Government at least, they may pass as "thoroughbreds." But, unfortunately, Maine Angoras have not been carefully bred, except a prominent few in very recent times, consequently degenerates vastly out-number thoroughbreds. The same is true of every other variety of cat found in Maine, with the sole exception of the Coon, whose origin no one knows, but which is also supposed to be a "degenerate." There is no such thing as "original stock," in the usual acceptation of the term, in Maine to-day, any more than there is in Asia Minor. In Maine many suppose that there were Coons and Shags, to vitiate the blood, already firmly implanted before the first real Angora arrived. We are told, by persons who have lived many years and travelled extensively in Asia Minor, that there are now more short-hairs and degenerates than Angoras in the East. To-day, the "pure" Angora and Persian originates, except in rapidly disappearing isolated regions of Asia, only in the "catteries" of England, America, and other countries to which he (or his ancestors) has been introduced, and where he passes, for the most part, an artificial existence, and is rapidly taking on many of the intelligent and affectionate characteristics of the dog, though still retaining much of his wild, untamable nature, and ever remaining the least truly domesticated of all the domestic animals.

Of course, it is technically correct to speak of any cat born in Maine as a "Maine cat," and consequently some thoroughbred Angoras and Persians from Maine are winning distinction and covering their state with glory as a bona fide producer of this recent commercial product! So the veriest Shags are sometimes passed off on the unsuspecting as "pure Angoras" or "just as good." The "Century diet ionary" states that "the Angora is one of the finest of the domestic felidae, and is distinguished for its size and beautiful long silky hair"; that this animal "is also called the Persian cat," and that he came originally from Asia Minor. Some cat breeders of Europe show certain distinguishing characteristics between Angoras and Persians, involving quality and length of hair as well as general build of the animal. Cat breeders of America contend that the various long-haired varieties (including the Shag) have become so intermingled that it is impossible to distinguish between them, and some class them all together as long-haired cats. This is a very comfortable and convenient arrangement, to be sure, but, amounting simply to an endorsement of mixed breeding, menaces the future of good stock in America. The Coon or Shag cat of Maine is the cause of all the trouble. He is common and cheap. He must be altogether tabooed for careful breeding, and this is next to impossible.

But in speaking of a Maine cat one does not refer to the thoroughbred cat of Maine. We do not speak of the thoroughbred cat of New York, Illinois, or Texas, as the New York, the Illinois, or the Texas cat, and yet there are thoroughbred cats in each of our states. In speaking of the Maine cat we refer to a cat peculiar to Maine. This is the Coon or Shag. He is found in every state in the Union, but in every instance he or his parents came originally from Maine, and he is still called the Maine cat. Some claim that they cannot distinguish between Maine cats and other long-hairs. Such assertions are sheer nonsense. The merest tiro [novice] notes distinguishing points at a glance. What these person mean to say is that they cannot distinguish between an Angora born in Maine and an Angora born elsewhere, and such a statement Is, of course superfluous, as no one can do that.

For many years the Coon cat has been the subject of much speculation, not of a financial nature, however, for he is produced in such quantities that he is numerously and freely bestowed upon the summer visitor and annually carried in great multitudes to happy homes far away. In all our large cities, especially coincident with the return of summer camping parties from certain regions of fir and piny woods, and about the emporiums of the bird and dog fanciers during the holiday season, may be found hundreds of creatures possessing many of the external and unquestionable features of the racoon combined with all the inward alluring fascinations of the domestic pussy cat. He does not thrive well on transportation, however, due chiefly to the sudden change from the clear, cool climate of the North to the heavy precipitation of our more Southern atmosphere. But the same is true of any long-haired cat subjected to similar climatic variations. The possessor of a Coon cat never expects to enjoy the pleasure of his society for more than a few years at best, and usually expects to have to replace him in a few months. For this reason our seekers after furry pets conceive the idea that all long-haired cats are "delicate." The producer of Coons, at from 2dols. to 15dols. each, asserts that thoroughbreds are even more delicate! Ten or ﬁfteen Coons at 15 dols. each more than pay the board, lodging, and original cost of one fine, strong, healthy, and beautiful thoroughbred, whose span of life is from fifteen to twenty-five years.

Speculation in regard to the Coon cat takes the form of enquiries as to his origin. There is not, as some suppose, one Coon cat to every square inch of territory in Maine. Indeed, there appear to be some large sections of the state to which he is entirely unknown, since some lifelong residents of obscure sections, as well as visitors to small circumscribed areas, declare positively that no such beast inhabits the state. Some cat breeders of Maine regard the presence of Coons as a personal disgrace. Some tell of a household legend, in certain sections, which relates how, many years ago, there appeared a strange and solitary animal of the cat kind. He passed from door to door, biding a time by each fireside and disappearing as mysteriously as he had come, but, departing, he left behind him numerous fireside sphinxes possessing similar characteristics as himself. These hostages of his visit are thought to be the progenitors of the Maine cat. Others believe that the Coon is a cross between the wild cat or Canadian lynx, or some other member of the family, with either the fox or the racoon. Men of science have long ago demolished this theory by conclusively demonstrating that crossing of species does not occur in the animal kingdom. None of the other theories have been satisfactorily answered. Others declare the Coon to be the degenerate descendant of the Angoras brought years ago by old sea captains from distant lands, and it is generally accepted throughout the country that all our native long-haired cats (including the Coon) have descended either from these specimens brought long ago as curiosities from the Orient, or, in later times, by fanciers from Asia and Europe. Although the first organized and one of the largest of the American cat clubs states in its constitution one of the excuses for its existence to be the discovery of the origin, raison d'étre, and destiny of the Coon or Shag cat of Maine, after four years of presumably earnest investigation no evidence has vet been produced having earmarks of authority. Until some reasonable conclusion is reached we shall doubtless continue to regard him as a degenerate Angora.

No one even seems to know why he is called a Coon cat. Neither do we know whether the name was first applied in Maine or further south, in the true home of the racoon, before each migrated into the other's territory. Some Maineites tell us that they call only those cats Coons that bear the peculiar markings of the racoon, producing the "brindle" cat of literature and the brown or grey tabby of the breeder. Others say that the name is given only to such as have the grayish body colour of the racoon. This may have been the case originally, but we do not find such a cat to-day in great numbers, while we do find the Coon cat in every imaginable cat colouring. We find him especially bi- or tricoloured. His indiscriminate breeding results in spots and streaks. Especially does he appear in yellow and white and maltese and white. "Maltese," being the ordinary American designation of the blue cat of England or Russia, refers to the colour only, and is usually more of a gray or drab than a blue.

IN spite of legends, speculation, and confessed ignorance about him in his native land, the Coon cat is here and no doubt intends to stay. "He is remarkably like a racoon. His front legs are shorter, in comparison with those of the ordinary domestic cat, than his hind legs. He has a somewhat pointed nose, the unique waddle of the racoon, the overhanging, shaggy coat, and the long, bushy tail often carried close to the ground. He is sometimes very handsome and usually most affectionate." This description, when referred to a prominent resident of one of our large cities, himself the proud owner several handsome "Coons" personally brought from the coast of Maine, with the inquiry, "Did you ever see a cat like that?" received the reply, of "Why his city is full of them!" A violent repudiation of the existence of any such creature, coming from a breeder and lover of fancy cats and one-time resident of Maine, was then exhibited, and met the comment, "Just invite her here, and we will show her all she wants to see, and all brought straight from Maine."

No-one denies the existence of the Coon cat. No one denies the existence of the term "Coon cat." Is it reasonable to suppose the Coon cat is so called because no such creature exists? Whence comes it if not from a resemblance to the racoon? A certain Japanese and Asiatic dog is called the "racoon dog," because his aspect suggests a racoon. Certain dogs in the United States are called "coon dogs," because they are trained to hunt the racoon. These are usually mongrels; what we call the "sooner" breed. No cat, not even the Coon, can be trained to hunt nowadays. So his name must have some other foundation.

The Coon cat does not imitate his namesake, Procyon lotor, in the peculiarity from which the latter derives his name - dipping his food into water as if washing it before eating. His coon characteristics are scarcely noticed until he begins to walk about, P. lotor is a small plantigrade carnivorous quadruped about 2ft. long, with a stout grey-coloured body, short limbs, bushy ringed tail, broad face with dark and light markings, long pointed nose; pointed ears, hair long and hanging over the sides in a manner which gives the other nickname (Shag) to the Coon cat. Of course, these peculiarities are all greatly modified in the cat.

The term "Maine Angora" has come to be a polite and non-committal way of saying Coon cat, since the term Angora has been greatly abused with us of late years. American breeders are inclining to call all imported or thoroughbred cats Persians, so as to avoid confusion with the Maine Angoras - the Shags.

MRS. CLARKE, of Ashbrittle, has repurchased from Miss Leeson the chinchilla stud cat, The Absent-Minded Beggar. This cat, though small, is beautiful in shape and head; he is very pale in colour, and has big green eyes. As a stud cat he is invaluable, possessing, as he does, a double cross of Lord Southampton blood.

MISS FORESTIER-WALKER asks me to mention that, as the financial year is drawing to a close, she will feel obliged if all members of the Siamese Cat Club whose subscriptions are still unpaid will forward them to her, care of Mrs. Robinson, 22, Edith Villas, West Kensington, and to remind them that those whose subscriptions are in arrears cannot compete for the club specials.

SOME little stir was made in the Manx cat world when Sir Claud Alexander became the owner at a high price of the two white cats, the Lord and Lady James Dumps, formerly the property of Mrs. Hallen. I am pleased to hear that Lady James is now the proud mother of a white son, who promises in every respect to equal or surpass his illustrious sire. Like his parents, the kitten is absolutely tailless.

THE Midland Counties Cat Club will hold its show in Birmingham on December 1st and 2nd. Generous support has been given to the club by the specialist societies and by private individuals, a very extensive classification will be given, and there will be a long list of handsome special prizes. In fact, taken all round, this should be one of the most important shows of the year.

LADY MURIEL DIGBY owns a silver Abyssinian male of her own breeding, which she describes as "so pale in colour as to be almost Zaidalike." This kitten, which is now five months old, is certainly a most rare and valuable possession, and if his mistress could be persuaded to exhibit him would no doubt have a most successful career. Lady Muriel only once showed a cat, and unfortunately he died the week after the show from gastritis, having infected the whole cattery, so she is not inclined to repeat the experiment.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, November 7, 1903, pg 346

THE CRYSTAL PALACE CAT SHOW.
NEVER have I seen a cleaner, better managed show than that held by the N.C.C. at the Crystal Palace last week. There was a capital entry and some really sensational young cats made their debut. The long-haired cats were not yet in full coat, but made a remarkably fine show nevertheless. In white males Mrs. E. E. Baxter's White Friar II. took first - a big, well-shaped cat, with a fine, broad head and good blue eyes; second went to Mrs. Pettitt's Brilliant Pearl, who has glorious sapphire-blue eyes, but was completely out of coat; third was a charmingly shaped and coated kitten. In females the first prize winner was Mrs. Westlake's Darling's Daughter, a beautiful cat with broad head, tiny ears, huge blue eyes, and beautiful shape and coat; second, Lady Decies's Fulmer Snowflake, nicely shown, and a good cat with fine eyes, but loses in head and ears to winner; third, Mrs. Pettitt's Piquante Pearl, another good cat with nice eyes, but not so well shown. Black males: first, Mr. Smith's Black Bobbie, a huge cat with grand head and fine eyes: second, Miss Sanderson's Gentleman Jack, loses in size and head, but has good eyes; third, Mrs. Witham Wignall's Black Fury. Females: first, Mrs. Nott's Black Beauty, has nice head and shape and good eyes; second, Mrs. Robert's Everton Black Witch, an exquisitely shaped baby, with a glorious coat, a trifle rusty, but the best eyes in class: this also took third in the black or white kitten class, first and second going to Mr. Shaw's Heath Friar and Mrs. Knight's Baynton Monarch, two prettily shaped and coated blue-eyed whites.

In the blue male class was found the best long-hair in the show, and also the winner of the black, white, or blue novice class, Mrs. Wyndham's Neila Billi, a grand seven-month son of Orange Blossom of Thorpe. He is grand in colour, shape, and head, and has lovely orange eyes but is not quite in full coat yet; second, Mrs. Norris's Kew Sailor Boy, loses in colour, but has a fine coat, good head and eyes; third, Miss Sutcliffe's Rex, might have been higher, is a good sound dark blue, good in shape and head, and having magnificent eyes. Blue females contained another exquisite cat in Lady Decies's Fulmer Bee Bee, one of the best blues I have ever seen. In shape, coat, head, and ears she is perfect; she is a pale, sound blue, with a snubby nose and huge orange eyes; second, Mrs. A. A. Allen's Blue Coat Girlie, a good cat, but might have changed places with the third, Mrs. Allen's Trixabelle, which is deeper in eye colour and shorter in nose. In blue kittens Mrs. Wells won well with a huge pair of light blues, Devona and Blue Coat Bobbie, followed by Mrs. Millar's Regal Perseus and Andromeda, and Miss Bennett's St. Patrick II. and St. Leonard, all six kittens being excellent in colour coat, shape, and eye. In smoke males Mrs. James's well-known Ch. Backwell Jogram won, second going to Mrs. Harber's Liverpool Rattler a grand kitten, and third to Mrs. Wagner's The Speaker.

In chinchilla males Miss White Atkins tool first with Pathan - this is a grand cat and one of the palest, least marked in existence, but was dead out of coat, particularly in tail and hindquarters. Mrs. Morrison's Otto Boy Il was in capital trim, and is a magnificent animal, with a beautiful head and ears, but loses by leg-markings. Rob Roy of Arrandale was unfortunate, taking only third.

Fulmer Zaida naturally won in the female class, but want of coat placed her reserve only for best long-hair. Miss Ford's Roosalka, second, is very pure in colour and free from markings: Miss Chamberlayne's well-known Cap and Bells was out of coat. In chinchilla kittens the winner, Mrs. Rogers's Plym, is good in coat, shape, and colour, except for a brown smudge on nose. Mrs. Sinkin's Silverina is better in colour.

Mrs. James won in smoke kittens with Backwell Jollity. The orange males were very poor, but the females brought out some fine cats. Miss Roper's Marbledown Sunny is a real good tabby, but quite out of coat. Mr. Curtis's Princess Riska is less marked, but is a good deep orange, with capital eyes and coat and dark chin; the same remarks apply to the Misses Moxon's Torsicle Chrysantha.

In cream males Kew Ronald took first; very level in colour, though a little dingy, on face especially, but has a grand head, shape, and coat, and nice eyes. Matthew of the Durhams is a lovely pale clear colour, but slightly barred on tail and his eyes are getting paler. Miss Nora Lees's Lingmoor Myrtle headed the female class a grand pale clear cream, but her eyes might be darker. Mrs. Norris took first with a good orange kitten in Kew Buttercup. Miss Nora Lees was again successful with her grand orange neuter, Lingmoor Tom, looking very nice.

In silver tabby males Mr. Southby's Dingley Fashion won - a real tabby, full of quality, with capital markings and long silky coat. Mis Montefiore's Baby Abdul, second, is a big cat with fine broad head and good markings, and pressed the winner close, losing only in quality. In the female class Miss Cope's Roiall Fluffball won well, her colour and markings are exquisite; second, Mr. Southby's Dingley Dolly, very pure in colour, but fails in markings.

In brown tabby males the Misses Elliott won with Brownie, a fair cat only, which I thought might have changed places with Mrs. Herring's King Adolphe. Miss Whitney won the female class with Brayfort Honey, in fine coat, excellent in colour and markings, and possessed of a dark chin; second, Miss Meeson's Little Jolie Duvals, has a sweet face, and is well marked, but might be richer in colour. In tabby neuters Miss Bullen-Youngs won with a fine big brown tabby named Merman.

The Siamese classes were well filled. Mrs. Richardson's male Prince Titi, won; good in colour and markings, nice blue eyes, but just lacking in quality; a trifle too cobby for my taste. Mrs. Foote's Siam is darker, but has grand eyes. Miss Derby Hyde's Thames Valley Missus is a lovely colour and well marked. Second I failed to find. Third, Miss Cartwright's Kun Kan, a nice cat and well marked. In kittens Mrs. Robinson won with The Ranee, a lovely pale-coloured daughter of Wankee, second going to Mrs. Richardson's Sirdar, who 1s a little clouded in colour.

In Manx males Miss Samuel won easily with King Kangaroo, a big cat and beautifully shaped, with no suspicion of a stump, and a splendid mover. The same lady won the female class with Golfsticks, a smoke, rather small, but beautifully shaped, and absolutely tailless. Both these cats were very shy, but their double pens showed their action to advantage. Mrs. Herring's Madame Douglas, a good brown tabby, rather out of condition, came second, and took the N.C.C. salver.

Mrs. Kennaway provided the sensation of the Foreign classes in Gata-Montesco-Monte, a perfectly tame specimen of the Felis Geoffrozi. In Abyssinians Mrs. Pitkin won well with Southsea Lassie.

In the short-haired classes Lady Decies did well, winning first with her well-known blue-eyed white male, Fulmer Snowflake, and first and championship with an exquisite white queen, with brilliant blue eyes, called Fulmer Forget-me-not. Fulmer Shamrock, the nicely shaped and coated orange-eyed black, also took first. Miss S. M. Butler won with a good, well-marked tortoiseshell and white in Ayton Ladybird, while Mrs. Illingworth took first with a grand tortoiseshell, Acton Poppy. Miss Wilkinson's silver tabby male, Sweet William, is good in colour and markings, and Mrs. Bonny's female, the well-known Dame Fortune, is a really good and well marked cat. Mrs. Kuhnel's red tabby, Woodkirk Prince, was pronounced the best short-hair in the show; he is but a kitten yet, and size and markings have yet to come to their best, but his colour is magnificent. I believe he was claimed by Lady Alexander at catalogue price. In brown tabbies Mrs. Herring's Lady of Lee won; she is a good colour and well marked. Mrs. Nott won the blue female class with a very nice cat, Queen of the Blues, excellent in type and having good eyes. Mrs, Hughes's Sherdley St. Olaf headed male class. In the ring class for male cats Lady Decies won easily with Fulmer Prince of Thanet.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, November 14, 1903, pg 407

MRS. KENNAWAY was much elated by the success of her Geoffroys cat at the Crystal Palace, and Monte caused quite a sensation, for a cat of this breed is rarely so tame that it can safely be shown in an ordinary show-pen. It was unfortunate that Mrs. Kennaway's orange kitten was entered in the wrong class, as he would probably have done well in his proper place, whereas among the cream ladies he was, of course, a little "out of it."

MISS WHITE ATKINS has not yet decided upon a home for her chinchilla male, Pathan, during her absence from England. Miss Atkins was particularly pleased to know that Pathan's colour was the chief point in which he scored at the Crystal Palace. When the colour of the male cats was tested in a strong light Pathan came through the ordeal well ahead of his rivals.

I WAS sorry to notice how few of the Manx cats shown were correct in coat. A contemporary in criticizing the cats says in almost every case "good coat," seemingly unaware of the fact that a good British coat is a very bad Manx coat. A close, sleek coat is a bad fault in a Manx cat, and we must endeavour to preserve the rather long rabbity jacket which is typical of the pure-bred Manx.

A GREAT improvement is noticeable among the blue Persians, and I was amazed at the number of cats which had really good orange eyes. Lady Decies's Fulmer Bee Bee could hardly be surpassed in her sex - I cannot find a fault in her; and Neila Billi, for a seven months kitten, is a marvel, while Miss Sutcliffe's Rex is a cat I admire immensely. His eyes are huge and of a reddish orange shade.

MISS ROPER, daughter of the popular N.C.C. secretary, made her debut as an exhibitor, and was most successful, winning first in open and novice with her good red tabby queen, Marbledown Sunny.

MISS LEAKE, though, unfortunately, she was prevented by ill health from attending the show and has been obliged to part with most of her cats, must feel proud that the first and second prize-winners in both male and female silver tabby classes were from her strain.

I HAVE had numerous letters from exhibitors and visitors to the show saying that they have never attended such an excellent and well-managed cat show. The absence of a tent and the consequent wealth of light and air was a matter of general satisfaction.

LADY ALEXANDER'S entries were much missed in the short-haired classes, and particularly among the blues, which are, I think, her favourites. Mrs. Collingwood, also, was not showing her best cats, which was a pity, as James II.1 would undoubtedly have given a good account of himself.

MISS ADELA GORDON, of Griffon Bruxellois fame, is possessed of a huge long-haired smoke neuter whose intelligence and affection are so great that Miss Gordon confesses to loving him more than all her dogs.

MANGE is luckily a very rare complaint amongst cats. It is difficult to cure, as many of the best dressings are poisonous, and it is quite impossible to muzzle a cat or in any way prevent its licking itself. Without a microscopic examination it is impossible to distinguish for certain between mange and eczema, but if the disease appears in separate patches and does not merely spread from one centre mange may be suspected. The first step is to cut off all the patient's hair, and it must then, of course, be kept in a warm room. Sulphur and white vaseline ointment must be well rubbed into the skin every other day, not merely on the affected parts but all over the cat. The patient must be fed up on raw beef, cream, raw eggs, cod-liver oil, etc. It is advisable not to handle the patient more than is necessary, and to wash the hands in disinfectant after touching it, as this disease can undoubtedly be communicated to human beings.

IN treating a severe case of eczema the system is much the same. It may not be necessary to cut the hair, but the skin must be soaked before dressing in a carbonate of soda bath. In addition to the cod-liver oil two grains of saccharated carbonate of iron may be given daily.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, November 21, 1903, pg 419

THE Midland Counties Cat Club schedule calls for special mention. The judges are Mrs. Herbert Ransome, Mrs. D'Arcy Hildyard, Miss Simpson, and Mr. Mason. Longhaired cats are provided with twenty-three classes and kittens with eight. Short-haired cats have ten classes and kittens one. There are 141 special prizes, which is a truly magnificent list for so juvenile a club. I am filled with admiration for the secretary and committee who have engineered the club into such a brilliant position as it now occupies, and i confidently predict that this show will be one of the best of the year.

I AM extremely pleased to notice that the very unpopular rule which forbade exhibitors to pen their own cats has been swept away, and the same liberty is allowed as at the N.C.C. fixtures.

EXHIBITORS must note that for Brighton Show on November 26th and 27th cats must be registered at the Cat Club, for the Midland Counties Cat Club Show at Birmingham on December 1st and 2nd they must be registered either with the N.C.C. or with the Cat Club, while for Southampton Show on December 9th and 10th N.C.C. registration s compulsory, and N.C.C. championships are offered. What a farce this registration is. If there was one properly managed and generally accepted register it would be of immense value, but when we have two independent ones they are of interest merely as a record, and of value only as a means of increasing the revenues of the respective clubs.

WHEN a kitten carries off an award as best cat in show there is generally a certain amount of dissatisfaction among the exhibitors of older cats. This I consider most unfair, for if a kitten is good enough to beat full-grown cats it must be a very good kitten indeed; moreover, a cup for best in show should always be for open competition, and this would not be so if kittens were excluded. A ten-month kitten often has a certain advantage in coat over older cats, but this is amply compensated by its lack of substance in body and head. A kitten of seven months old, as was Neila Billi, the Crystal Palace sensation, is at a disadvantage in every respect when shown amongst full-grown cats, and this shows how vastly superior he must have been to all his rivals. In coat and in size he had many superiors, and yet he won with something in hand.

A CERTAIN amount of warmth has crept into a discussion in a contemporary on cat nomenclature. Lady Decies expresses annoyance that another cat has been registered by the same name as her Ch. Zaida, I believe I am correct in saying that Lady Decies's cat is registered Fulmer Zaida, and if this is so of course another cat can quite correctly be registered as Zaida or as Zaida of Hullerhurst as her owner may prefer, though, where possible, it is better to avoid the names of well-known cats for others of the same breed.

I AM extremely sorry to hear that Mrs. Strick is laid up from the result of an accident in which she was somewhat severely burned, and I hope she will soon be herself again.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, November 28, 1903, pg 498

MISS WHITE ATKINS has left her chinchilla stud cat in charge of Mrs. Gregory, of Southampton, and before her departure to Bordighera the celebrated White Knight was sold to Mrs. Kirk, of Leamington Spa. The White Knight is one of our very best white males, and his broad skull and great size add greatly to his value. I believe he weighs about 16lbs.

MRS. KIRK'S cattery is rapidly filling up, and she has a special predilection for blue-eyed white Persians. As the cats are in the care of Mrs. Greenwood, whose knowledge and experience are great, they should shortly be heard of in the show-pen.

THE question of kitten-feeding is a very vexed one. The ideal food, and the one best suited to all kittens, is raw meat in small quantities, mixed with Force or brown bread. This diet will suit healthy and delicate kittens alike, but really hardy ones will thrive well on more varied fare. It is the same in rearing puppies. All puppies will thrive well if fed dry, their food containing a large proportion of meat. For toy puppies this is almost a necessity, but terriers, collies, etc., are easily reared on "anything that comes handy." St. Bernards and other heavy breeds, on the other hand, require careful feeding, on account of their tendency to crooked legs.

IN the same way a really healthy, hardy kitten will eat meat, milk food, and scraps of all kinds, and if it overeats nature promptly comes to its aid and it is none the worse. The danger lies in the fact that we never know till we try how strong a kitten really is, and a few days of experimenting may cause serious illness. It is for this reason that I invariably recommend a meat diet, because that is quite certain to agree with all kittens, Where the kitten is already used to a mixed diet and is doing well, the only alteration I suggest is that one meal in the day should consist of raw beef.

IN households where there is a difficulty in obtaining meat for the kittens a few scraps from the joint, accompanied by brown bread and a very little gravy, will suffice for dinner, while breakfast and supper must be more or less of makeshifts. Fish I do not approve of, nor rice nor ordinary oatmeal porridge, because neither of the two latter are usually sufficiently cooked. Arrowroot is, perhaps, the least objectionable form of milk food, and Quaker oats boiled to a jelly with water and a very little condensed milk may be used. White bread and milk should be avoided, though brown bread slightly moistened with boiled milk or weak soup may occasionally be given. All milk foods should be given in very minute quantities and the effect carefully noted, so that in case of slight diarrhoea or sickness they may immediately be stopped. Lentils cooked with a little meat of any sort are excellent and very fattening, but they must be thoroughly cooked.

AFTER considering all these articles of diet carefully, I do not believe they are any more economical than meat, for, except in the case of fragile babies, scraped shin of beef is quite unnecessary. Well-boiled tripe, ox check, bullock's heart, sheep's head, etc., may all be given, and the trimmings of rabbits, fowls' heads, and all table scraps may be utilized. Liver disagrees violently with some cats, so is better omitted. Lights contain very little nourishment.

THUS it will be seen that a hardy kitten may eat almost anything in moderation, the exceptions being a full meal of milk or any milk food, fish, vegetables, rice, oatmeal, pork, or liver; one meal in the day should consist mainly of meat of some sort. Where any milk food is given worms will probably result, and therefore if the kitten shows symptoms of diarrhoea it should be fed for a few days on raw meat only, but not dosed with any worm specific.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
(For Rules see previous issues.)
TAFFY. - The Madagascar cat was not a cat at all, but a lemur, and was given a v.h.c. merely as a polite acknowledgment of its presence. Had it been a cat it would have been awarded first or second.
DOUGLAS. - Nowadays a white cat with yellow eyes would stand no chance in the show-pen. The Judge would probably not look at it twice, no matter how good it might be in other points.
SIR CHARLES. - If the mealiness on your Siamese cat's mask is not merely a temporary affection coming from ill health it is a serious fault. After a severe illness a Siamese cat's eyes remain pale for a considerable period, and its mask becomes powdered with light hairs. It would be very foolish to show him while in this condition.
DANDY DICK. - To get your cat fat quickly you may give him an extra ounce of raw beef for supper, and let him have a tablespoonful of cream every morning. You must watch carefully for signs of a disordered liver while he is being fed up, and if he seems dull and off his feed give a Carter's liver pill. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, December 5, 1903

"LOUIS WAIN'S ANNUAL" is more amusing than ever this year, and is a marvellous shilling's-worth. It contains a budget of stories by well-known writers, including John Strange Winter, Mrs. Humphry, Justin McCarthy, Arthur William a Beckett, and Fred M. White, and a sad but charmingly written story, "The Kiss of Fendarra," by the Countess of Cromartie. The opening story, really the autobiography of a Yorkshire terrier, is told by Princess Alexis Dolgorouki. Louis Wain's drawings of cats in every conceivable attitude, both serious and gay, are altogether delightful.

MRS. COLLINGWOOD is much delighted by James II.'s success at Cheltenham. Besides winning first in his class, James was awarded. for the second year in succession, the 14-guinea Colmore vase for best cat in the show. James's daughter, Toodles, another magnificent silver tabby, with wonderfully dense markings, won first in the short-haired female class and second in the variety, novice, and kitten classes. In these she was beaten by Mr. Head's blue long-haired kitten, a really first-class orange-eyed queen, which also headed the blue female class. In the male class Mrs. Ransome defeated all comers with Darius IV., the cat which she claimed at the Crystal Palace, where, under the name of Rex, he was placed third. Rex or Darius is, as I mentioned in my Palace report, a grand blue, good in head and shape, sound in colour, and possessed of brilliant orange eyes. His success at Cheltenham is all the more creditable as he has been ill since the Palace Show, and, though now quite himself again, he has hardly had time to regain his condition.

FOR some years we have heard but little of Lord Southampton personally, though the pedigree of a chinchilla cat is hardly complete without his name. At one time no other chinchilla sire was bred from, and in show-pen, turned out in Mrs. Greenwood's best form, he was invincible. His sale for £60 caused a great sensation, but after passing into Lady Decies's hands he retired into private life, and his place was filled, more or less, by his sons. The news ol his death arouses memories of his former greatness, and I offer Lady Decies my sincere sympathy on her loss. Lord Southampton was bred from the original chinchilla stock, his sire being the renowned Silver Lambkin, and his dam old Southampton Duchess, by Bundle ex I.Beauty's Daughter, who was, as her name indicates, a daughter of Beauty of Bridgeyate. Lord Southampton won championship honours under Cat Club rules only, unfortunately, so was unable to claim his well-deserved title of champion. To give a list of his winning sons and daughters would be impossible, their name is legion, from The Seraph and Dimity to Silver Chieftain and Tintagel.

THE Beresford Cat Club of America has amongst its show rules two referring to specialist clubs which would cause much dissension if brought into force in this country. Rule No. 4 says: "Only one general club will be recognised in each city. Speciality clubs will be permitted, provided that not more than one such club in one city shall specialize in the same variety or colour, and they must adhere to one (only) variety or colour." Rule 9 says: "The American Cat Show committee will only sanction one general show and one speciality show for each speciality club in any one city per annum." Excellent rules these in their way, but a club to enforce them must be very sure of its own position. I believe the Beresford Cat Club refuses to acknowledge the United States official register and stud-books, and this fact would, I should judge, prevent its becoming the ruling power in American catdom. Moreover, there would be good cause for complaint if a club were started in any particular city by an objectionable person and sanctioned by the Beresford Cat Club, for any other club started in the same city by desirable fanciers would presumably come under the ban of the B.C.C.

IN glancing through the schedule of the Chicago Cat Show, I am interested to notice that a number of committees, many of them consisting of one member only, are required. There are four secretaries, two judges, two veterinary surgeons, a president and two vice-presidents, two treasurers, some directors, a large reception committee, a show committee, a committee on allotment and transportation of cats, a feeding committee, a sale of cats committee, a press committee, a committee on music, and a committee on decorations. Truly it should be a well-managed show!

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, December 12, 1903, pg 11

CATS. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
For Rules see previous issues.
SIAM. - I do not think the kink in your cat's tail will make much difference to it in the show-pen one way or the other. Some judges like a kink and others do not, but as the Siamese Cat Club allows a variation in this respect the club judges would, of course, sink their private prejudices when officiating.
TWEENIE. - From your description I greatly fear that the cat s suffering from mange. If it is possible, take her to a veterinary surgeon and ask him to make a microscopic examination of a scraping from the skin. You must cut off all the hair and dress the cat twice a week with sulphur and vaseline ointment. You must rub the ointment well in all over the skin, and not merely on the affected parts. Feed the cat on raw beef and give every day a dessertspoonful of cod-liver oil. Let her have access to plenty of coarse dog grass.
DOUBTFUL. - If you will send me a tuft of your cat's hair I can tell you if it is a blue or a smoke, but you must send a piece the whole length of the hair.
DUNCE.- In all cases where milk s prescribed medicinally it should be given raw, unless otherwise specified. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, December 19, 1903, pg 50

SOUTHAMPTON CAT SHOW.
THE long-haired section at Southampton was undoubtedly the best, as the short-hairs suffered greatly from the absence of Lady Alexander's and Mrs. Herring's entries. Long-haired cats: White - first, Mrs. Baxter's White Friar II., not looking so well as at the Palace, eyes a little pale; second, Mrs. Kirk's The White Knight, wonderfully massive frame, in grand form; third, Lady Decies's Fulmer Snowdrop, beaten in head and ears. Black - first, Lady Decies's Fulmer Bobbie, who won easily, grand head and shape, capital colour, yellow eyes; second, Mrs.Witham Wignall's Black Fury, loses in head and shape; third, Miss Yonge's Zwarte. Blue males - first, Mrs. Ransome's Darius IV., good in head, shape, and colour, glorious eyes, coat might be longer; second, Mrs. Norris's Kew Sailor Boy, fine, big, well-shaped cat, good eyes, not sound in colour or back; third, Miss Derby Hyde's Thames Valley Pat, another good one; v.h.c., Blue Boy II., looking as young as ever. Blue females - first, Mr. Head's Totsie of Cheltenham, lovely head and shape, glorious eyes, nice colour; second, Mrs. Clark's Ashbrittle Superba, fine, big, sound-coloured dark blue, with grand eyes; third, Lady Decies's Fulmer Bee Bee, loses in eyes and colour to winners.

Smoke males - first, Mrs. James's Ch. Backwell Jogram, well known; second, Miss Chamberlayne's Sigurd the Strong, fine, big cat, though showing markings; third, Mrs. Sinkins's Teufel, good eyes, loses only in coat. Smoke females - first, Mrs. Harber's pretty Bulgerina; second, Mrs. James's Backwell Jollity, good colour and shadings; third, Mrs. James's Backwell Joan. Chinchilla males - first, Mrs. Wilson's Ardpatrick, winner also of the special for best long hair, a huge cat with magnificent bone and coat, grand shape, short legs, lovely light clear colour, only fault a very slight sandy tinge on one lip; second, Mrs, Clark's His Majesty of Whitchall, good in colour, capital eyes; third, Miss White Atkin's Pathan of Dingley, in good coat, but colour not at its best. Chinchilla females - first, Fulmer Zaida, dead out of coat who yet took the championship over the male; second, Mrs. Wilson's Lady Love of Arrandale, lovely colour, sweet face; third, Mrs. Palmer's Clifton Beauty, fine cat, a little darker in colour. Shaded silver - first prize withheld; second, Miss Bartlett's Holmersdale Silverine, a pretty little cat: third, Miss Chamberlayne's Star of the Spheres.

Orange or cream males - first, Mrs. Norris's Kew Ronald, huge, fine cat, grand head and eyes, good coat except on tail, rather dingy in colour; second, Ch. Romaldkirk Admiral, loses in eyes; third, Romaldirk Phoenix, lucky, as he is neither a cream nor an orange, though he is a grand cat in all points except colour. Females - first, Misses Moxon's Torside Chrysantha, a real good orange tabby; second, Miss Nora Lees's Lingmoor Myrtle, a pretty cream, but slightly marked.

Any other colour male - third, Miss Simpson's Persimmon II., a good brown tabby, good colour, well marked, nice head, big eyes, fine coat, but white on chin and lips. Any other colour female - first, Miss Sargent's Sunbeam, tortoiseshell, a lucky cat, as she shows hardly any black and looks sable-coloured; second, Mrs. Wilson's Carita of Arrandale. a beautifully marked, heavily coated brown tabby, chin might be darker. Neuter - first, Miss Yonge's Lincolns, a fairly good shaded silver; second, Miss Lees's magnificent orange, Lingmoor Tom. Blue kitten - first, Mrs. Wyndham's Neila Dilkusha, lovely head, shape, and coat, nice colour, fair eyes; second, Mrs. Hardy's Marco Polo, fine kitten, lovely colour, head, and eyes, out of coat; third, Mrs. Boyd's, a good kitten, rather smaller.

Chinchilla kitten - first, Mrs. Rodgers's Plym, a grand kitten, but spoilt by the brown streak down his nose; second, Mrs. Sinkins's Silverina, lovely colour, might have won; third, Mrs. Gordon Renton's Le Chat, loses in face and colour. Any other colour - first, Mrs. Cartwright's Storm, a grand smoke kitten, very big, with capital head and eyes, good coat and shape; second, Miss Yonge's Fluffy; third, Mrs. Cartwright's Dusky, a nice black.

Short-hairs. - Manx - Miss Samuel's King Kangaroo was hidden under the straw and overlooked during judging, or must have won. First, Mr. Lowe's The Deemster, fine, big cat, good shape; second, Mr. Lowe's Ewol Perlection, a lovely silver tabby, spoilt by a big stump, not long enough in hind legs. Black - first, Lady Decies's Fulmer Shamrock, in grand form, good colour, grand coat, nice head and eyes; second, Miss White Atkins's Black Bess, glorious eyes, loses in coat, and rather rusty on hind legs. White first, Lady Decies's Fulmer Snowflake, also takes special for best in show, grand form good coat, capital eyes. Blue - first, Mrs. Nott's Queen of the Blues, good colour and eyes, nice face and shape; second, Mrs. Clark's Ashbrittle Peter the Great, fine cat, spoilt by green eyes.

Tortoiseshell and white - first, Mrs. Walker's Beauty, fairly well broken colours; second, Mrs. Western's Wynnstay Patchwork. Silver tabby - first, Mrs. Bonny's Dame Fortune, clean out of form. Any other colour - first, Mrs. Pitkin's Southsea Lassie, a grand Abyssinian; second, Mr. Rhodes's Highfield King, a grand brown tabby. Novice - third, Mrs. Western's Wynnstay Tigress, a brown, neither striped or spotted but streaked, very pretty but hardly correct. Kitten - first, Mrs. Walker's Lady Sybil, a nice tortoiseshell, well broken colours; second, Miss Busby's Snowy Queen, a nice white, but yellow eyes; third, Wynnstay Tigress.

CAT GOSSIP
IT WAS surprising to see how many of the Brighton winners followed up their successes at Birmingham. Miss Cope is to be congratulated upon having engineered yet another brilliantly successful show. The long-haired classes were grand and the short-hairs gained by the appearance of Lady Alexander's team of cracks.

MISS WHITNEY'S brown tabby queens, Brayfort Fina and Honey were again successful, and her kitten, Serafina, was the best long-haired kitten in the show. Lady Decies did well, winning firsts with the exquisite blue Fulmer Bee-Bee, Ch. Zaida, Fulmer Snowdrop, and the short-hair, Fulmer Snowflake. Lady Alexander was delighted with the win of Ch. Red Prince as best short-hair, who, I think, was lucky to beat Ch. Ballochmyle Perfection, but I think Ch. Ballochmyle Brother Bump's special for best self-colour gave her even more pleasure, as this unrivalled blue is her greatest favourite. The Ballochmyle cats had a field day as usual, for they won first and second in the brace class, Ballochmyle Mermaid took first, and Ballochmyle Miss Muffet was second to Brother Bump.

MRS. SLINGSBY was another lady who did well, her huge young blue male, Titan of Thorpe, winning in blue males, and the well-known silver tabbies, Don Pedro and Queen Dechna, heading the silver tabby classes, while her blue kittens both won second prizes. To Orange Blossom of Thorpe go chief honours as a sire, for his kittens won first open blue males, third blue females, first brace, second blue male kitten, and second blue female kitten.

MRS. NORRIS'S well-known cream Kew Ronald was pronounced the best long-hair present, and her blue Kew Sailor Boy took second place to Titan, while the lovely orange kitten, Kew Buttercup, won two seconds. Mrs. Collingwood won with James II., and his daughter Toodles, being the best kitten, won a special offered by Mr. Witt, of a blue kitten, Gladys of Lozelles, which won third in its class. Sir Claud Alexander made his first appearance as an exhibitor of cats, showing a magnificent pair of white Manx, The Lord and Lady James Dumps. The Lady James, who is, I believe the best Manx cat I have ever seen, won first and numerous specials, but quite a sensation was caused by the degradation of The Lord James, who took only reserve, though he runs his wife very close and was far ahead of anything else in the class. The most remarkable feature of the show was the fact that in all but three open classes - blue male, brown tabby male, and tortoiseshell - the first prizes and many of the seconds and thirds went to well-known winners.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
DICK WHITTINGTON will be pleased to give advice on all matters concerning cats and their ailments, and will be glad to receive for insertion any interesting items of cat news that her readers may send. Queries must be written on one side of a separate sheet of paper, and must be signed with a pseudonym only for publication, but a letter giving full name and address of sender must accompany each query. A postal reply will be sent if the fee of 2s. 6d. is enclosed.. - Letters should be addressed, "DICK WHITTINGTON, care of Editor, THE LADIES' FIELD."
REMEMBER. - I am exceedingly glad to hear that your cat is all right again. I fancy that what you refer to was merely a normal occurrence. There is always "something else" on these occasions. The kitten is certainly very heavy. There is no fear of cats or kittens getting too fat. If they are over-fed they quickly lose condition.
HEDGEHOG. - Your cat's death was very sad, and it is impossible to account satisfactorily for it without a post-mortem examination. I do not think it could have been cold, but from your description I think that he may have died of carbolic poisoning. Carbolic dressings are very dangerous for both cats and dogs, as the poison, even if not licked, may be absorbed through the wound. Russian cats are now known as short-haired blues, and none of our best cats are imported but are bred from English cats, the colour being apparently a "sport." Whether imported or not, they are strong, healthy, and hardy cats. All cats should be shut up at night. A kitten is better without any milk at all. Milk is not a natural food for cats, and in a wild or even semi-wild state they would never see it after they were weaned. Siamese cats are the most fascinating and affectionate of pets, but as kittens they require a little care to guard them from damp and draughts. but after they grow up, if they are well fed and have plenty of liberty, they are quite hardy.
BUNNY. - Cream colour, with seal points, is the most desired colour in Siamese cats, but most, if not all, darken with age, and a pale fawn, or even a golden brown colour, if level, is quite correct. I am told that in Siam the dark cats are most valued. In England a level fawn colour is considered better than a patchy, clouded cream. If well fed on raw beef, fowls' heads with the feathers on, and scraps of cooked meat, and kept dry and out of draughts during kittenhood, they are not any more delicate than other cats. On no account keep them in a room with a stove, but let them have plenty of fresh air. The address you ask for is Mrs. Brough, Springfield, Kettering.
SNAP. - You really cannot expect a tiny kitten to find its own way out of doors. You must supply a shallow pan of earth or sawdust in the room where it usually lives, and, until it has learned manners, do not let it be very long absent from that room. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, December 26, 1903, pg 90

THE CATS OF GRAND RAPIDS.
THOUGH there are not a great number of catteries in Michigan, U.S.A,, the one at Grand Rapids, owned by Mrs. K.S. Riser, takes an important place among the foremost kennels of the kind in America. It has not been founded very long, having come into existence less than three ago, and was the natural outcome of its owner's extreme fondness for cats. When she first started a real cattery Mrs. Riser did not possess a great number of prize animals. Indeed, most of them would certainly never have succeeded in securing a blue ribbon in thing more important than a village show, for Mrs. Riser had so much innate affection for felines of every description that she never could refuse to accept a cat when it was offered to her, whether the animal was a prize-winning Angora or a vocalist from a neighbour's yard. In this way Mrs. Riser got together a collection of animals whose parentage could never have been found in any stock book, and whose points of beauty were not such as to gain recognition in the showring. But by degrees the poor specimens were weeded out, only the best retained, and some really famous cats purchased, until at the present moment there is no better cattery in the States than that at Grand Rapids.

Until a couple of years ago Mrs. Riser's cats had free run of the house and had no special place of residence, though their comforts were looked after as carefully as though they had been so many children. Indeed, Mrs. Riser acknowledges that she spoiled and petted her cats until they became almost unmanageable and took liberties which no well brought up animals would have thought of. Many of the cats had been given to friends who had guaranteed for them a pleasant residence with all "home comforts," and when the family had been reduced to half a dozen Mrs. Riser began to look round for some first-class animals who would bring lustre and honour to her kennels. Her initial choice fell on a magnificent Persian, Lord Shawmut, son of the famous Silverton, the pride of the South Weymouth Kennels, and grandson of King Royal. A little later, when Shawmut became somewhat tired of a bachelor existence, Lady Zella was purchased, a beautiful pure white Persian, the daughter of Uncas and Sylvia, and grand-daughter of Musjah and Persia - a family record which, perhaps, accounted for her somewhat disdainful demeanour and great beauty. This handsome couple have had a numerous family, and, as Mrs. Riser states with some pride, their offspring have all been gifted with considerable personal attractions - "not a homely one amongst them," to quote her exact words. All the kittens were smokes and silvers, and so great a love has Lady Zella for things of beauty (she is never tired of examining her own features in a mirror) that Mrs. Riser dreads to think what would happen if by any extraordinary freak of nature she should have an ugly son or a plain daughter. Indeed, should such a thing happen, her owner would not be surprised if she were to choke them with her own paws before they had an opportunity of opening their eyes.

Soon after Lady Zella's debut Mrs. Riser obtained a white queen - a beautiful little lady, the daughter of Royal Norton and Silver Belle. As her family increased Mrs. Riser found it necessary to enlarge her accommodation, and therefore had a special building erected for them. "My cattery," she says, "now consists of two separate structures. The smaller of the two is used only in case of illness, and should my family become sufficiently numerous to occupy both buildings I should have a small 'sanatorium' attached. This is absolutely necessary, for it is very unwise to keep sick cats in proximity to healthy ones. Even when it is nothing worse than a cold it is bad, for while some cats will get over such a trifle in a few hours, others of a more delicate constitution will probably develop pneumonia - a dangerous malady, which spreads with alarming rapidity.

"The two buildings are subdivided into rooms, one having four and the other two, and each room is furnished with sleeping boxes and wide window seats on which the cats may lie and enjoy a sunbath - for each room has a south aspect. The boxes are provided with comfortable beds covered with washable quilts, which are aired and thoroughly beaten every day. The sleeping compartment is divided by curtains, and everything is as neat and clean as a model nursery. Connected with the buildings are fine long runs, each one separate, so that it is perfectly easy to keep the cats apart even when they are enjoying their recreation. These runs are enclosed with 1 inch mesh poultry netting, and the roofs, which are about 8ft. high, are concreted, covered with sods, and planted with bunches of catnip, while in summer the houses are almost hidden with vines."

Regarding the care of her cats, Mrs. Riser follows no particular rule save that of common sense. She keeps the pretty creatures warm and dry, gives them plenty of exercise both outdoors and in, and varies their food from time to time. Unlike many fanciers, she believes in raw meat, chopped very fine, as she finds it makes the coat glossy, and the animals are less likely to develop skin diseases. Once a week she feeds them on boiled fish mixed with potatoes and rice, while as a very great treat she occasionally gives them a meal of tinned salmon and rice, a food which most fanciers would view with horror. And yet the cats seem to flourish, and there are no healthier animals in America than those in the Grand Rapids cattery. Of course, illness does occasionally visit them, and when it does Mrs. Riser does not experiment with her pets. She employs a regular veterinary, and always gives the medicines ana carries out his instructions herself. In consequence, it is very seldom that those cat ailments, which must visit all kennels at times, ever become very serious.

The beautiful photographs which accompany this short paper, and which Mrs. Riser had specially taken for THE LADIES' FIELD, were made by Mr. Roy T. Gillett, one of the cleverest outdoor artists in Michigan, who spent an entire day before the restless creatures enabled him to make satisfactory negatives.

The pride of the kennels (and, being a lady, she is quite aware of the fact) is Pretty Miss Tom, who is seen in one of the photographs taken with Lady Sissy's handsome son Richard. Lady Sissy herself, whose photograph we hope to give some day, is the daughter of Royal Norton. She is pure white, and, though only eighteen months old, has already secured several valuable prizes. Mr. Marguerite is the son of Shawmut and Lady Zella, and is only nine months old. He has not yet been shown, but is already looking forward to carrying off at least half a-dozen blue ribbons at the coming show. Shawmut, seen clinging tenaciously to a Chinese helmet, hardly looks as sweet-tempered as his mistress declares him to be; but perhaps his position is a trying one, not to mention the several arguments he had with the photographer before consenting to have his portrait taken. He is a magnificent animal, and has paws which a tiger cub might envy. Shawmut is head of the kennels and is fully aware of the fact, having taken the opportunity on more than one occasion to demonstrate the same to any new comer who attempted to argue the point. He is an excellent family cat and a great assistance to his mistress in upholding harmony in the cattery.

Sweet Marie is the happy mother of three kittens, who are all shown together in a hamper in which the proud parent brought them up. The Doctor, who was born on March 30th, 1902, is a very fine black and white, and though not yet a prize-winner expects to do something in that line before long. He has a small, black patch on the side of his nose, which rather detracts from his beauty, but otherwise he is a handsome fellow and extremely well mannered. There are many other beautiful cats at Grand Rapids, and Mrs. Riser has every reason to be proud of the success of her establishment. According to present arrangements many of her animals will probably be seen at the approaching show in New York, which the promoters promise shall be the most important exhibition of the kind ever heId in the American metropolis. - F.A.J.

THE PRINCIPAL topic of the week in catty circles is, of course, the proposed winding up of the Cat Club at the end of the year. Everyone has known for some time that Lady Marcus Beresford was retiring from the cat fancy, but most people thought that the Cat Club would be carried on as before. I was told on good authority that Miss Simpson and Miss Gant would be at the head of affairs, but I have now heard from Miss Simpson's own lips that she has neither time, money, nor inclination to undertake the task, and that the club is really coming to an end. This will be a matter for general regret, as, though of course far from perfect, the club has done good work in the cat fancy, and has raised that spirit of rivalry which is, I think, essential in keeping other clubs up to the mark. What will be done with the challenge prizes and the show-pens, which are, of course, the property of the members, has not yet transpired.

A RUMOUR has reached me that the wonderfully successful Midland Counties Cat Club is about to be affiliated to the N.C.C.

SIR CLAUD ALEXANDER has added to his very select team of Manx cats Mr. Furze's well-marked brown tabby, Mona's Isle, which has been very successful at the recent large shows, and has only been kept out of premier honours by the presence of some of the cracks of the breed.

MR. SMITH'S Black Bobbie has found a new home with Lady Decies, and is now known as Fulmer Bobbie. This grand young cat, after winning first and championship at the Crystal Palace, found himself at Brighton and Birmingham placed below some of his previously vanquished foes. At Southampton he had his revenge, not only winning first and championship, but being one of the four best cats in the show.

SHADED silvers appear to come and go in a really startling manner. Mrs. Western's Tristram, who has won several firsts, and who has always been regarded as a typical shaded cat, was at Southampton passed by the judge, who dubbed him a chinchilla. He certainly looked very light.

MESSYBEAST - OLD CAT BOOKS

You are visitor number