Various Colours
Those who have had much to do with breeding, and crossing of animals,
birds, or plants, well know that with time, leisure, and patience, how
comparatively easy it is to improve, alter, enlarge, or diminish any of
these, or any part of them; and looking at the cat from this standpoint,
now that it is becoming "a fancy" animal, there is no prophesying what
forms, colours, markings, or other variations will be made by those who
skilful selection. We have now cats with no tails, short tails, and some
of moderate length, long tails bushy and hairy; but should a very long
tail be in request, I have no doubt whatever but that in a few years it
would be produced; and now that there is a cat club constituted for the
welfare and improvement of the condition, as well as the careful
breeding of cats, curious and unforeseen results are most likely to be
attained; but whether any will ever excel the many beautiful varieties
we now have, is a problem that remains to be solved.
This concludes the numerous varieties of colours and the proper
markings of the domestic cat, as regards beauty and the points of
excellence to be observed for the purposes of exhibition. These are
distinct, and as such, nearly all have classes for each individual
colour and marking, and therefore it is imperative that the owner should
note carefully the different properties and beauties of his or her
particular specimen, and also as carefully read the schedule of prizes
with such attention as to be enabled to enter his or her pet in the
proper class; for, it is not only annoying to the exhibitor but to the
judge to find an animal sometimes of extraordinary merit placed in the
"wrong class" by sheer inattention to the printed rules and
instructions prepared by the committee or promoters of the show. It is
exceedingly distasteful, and I may say almost distressing, to a judge
to find a splendid animal wrongly entered, and so to feel himself
compelled to "pass it," and to affix the words fatal to all chance of
winning--"Wrong class." Again let me impress on exhibitors to be
careful--very careful--in this matter--this matter of entry--for I may
say it is one of the reasons which has led to my placing these notes on
paper, though I have done so with much pleasure, and with earnest hope
that they will be found of some value and service to the "uninitiated."
Of course there are, as there must be, a number of beautiful shades of
colour, tints, and markings that are difficult to define or describe;
colours and markings that are intermediate with those noticed; but
though in themselves they are extremely interesting, and even very
beautiful, they do not come within the range of the classes for certain
definite forms of lines, spots, or colourings, as I have endeavoured to
point out, and, indeed, it was almost impossible to make a sufficient
number of classes to comprehend the whole. Therefore it has been
considered wisest and even necessary as the most conducive to the best
interests of the exhibitor and also to simplify the difficulties of
judging, and for the maintenance of the various forms of beauty of the
cat, to have classes wherein they are shown under rules of colour,
points of beauty and excellence that are "hard and fast," and by this
means all may not only know how and in what class to exhibit, but also
what their chance is of "taking honours."
As I have just stated, there are intermediate colours, markings, and
forms, so extra classes have been provided for these, under the heading
of "any other variety of colour," and "any other variety not before
mentioned," and "any cats of peculiar structure." In this last case, the
cats that have abnormal formations, such as seven toes, or even nine on
their fore and hind legs, peculiar in other ways, such as three legs, or
only two legs, as I have seen, may be exhibited. I regard these,
however, as malformations, and not to be encouraged, being generally
devoid of beauty, and lacking interest for the ordinary observer, and
they also tend to create a morbid taste for the unnatural and ugly,
instead of the beautiful; the beautiful, be it what it may, is always
pleasant to behold; and there is but little, if any, doubt in my mind
but that the constant companionship of even a beautiful cat must have a
soothing effect. Therefore, not in cats only, but in all things have the
finest and best. Surround yourself with the elegant, the graceful, the
brilliant, the beautiful, the agile, and the gentle. Be it what it may,
animal, bird, or flower, be careful to have the best. A man, it is said,
is made more or less by his environments, and doubtless this is to a
great extent, if not entirely, a fact; that being so, the contemplation
of the beautiful must have its quieting, restful influences, and tend to
a brighter and happier state of existence. I am fully aware there are
many that may differ from me, though I feel sure I am not far wrong when
I aver there are few animals really more beautiful than a cat. If it is
a good, carefully selected specimen, well kept, well cared for, in high
condition, in its prime of life, well-trained, graceful in every line,
bright in colour, distinct in markings, supple and elegant in form,
agile and gentle in its ways, it is beautiful to look at and must
command admiration. Yes! the contemplation of the beautiful elevates the
mind, if only in a cat; beauty of any kind, is beauty, and has its
refining influences.
More
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Puss In Boots Le Chat Botte
Is from the "Eleventh Night" of Straparola's Italian fairy tales, where Constantine's cat procures his master a fine castle and the king's heiress, first translated into French in 1585. Our version is taken from that of Charles Perrault. There is ... Puss In The Corner[l]
[L] The Boy's Own Book. This is a very simple, but, at the same time, a very lively and amusing game. It is played by five only; and the place chosen for the sport should be a square court or yard with four corners, or any place where there are f... Remedies And Strengthening Medicines
Aconite, 1^{x} tincture. Arsenicum, 2^{x} trituration. Antimonium tartaricum, 2^{x} trituration. Belladonna, 3^{x} trituration. Mercurius biniodatus, 3^{x} trituration. Hydrastis canadensis, [Greek: phi] tincture. Sulphur, 2^{x} ... Royal Cat Of Siam
POINTS HEAD 10 Small, broad across and between the eyes, tapering upwards and somewhat narrow between the ears... Self-colour Black Blue Gray Or Red Short-hair
POINTS HEAD 15 Small, broad across and between the eyes, rounded above, below tapering towards the lips, nose ... Short-haired Spotted Tabbies Of Any Colour
These to be the same in all points of head, eyes, fur, form, colours, tail, size and condition as those laid down for the judging of short-haired tabby cats in general, with the exception, in whatever colour the markings are, or on whatever ground, ... Siamese Cat
Among the beautiful varieties of the domestic cat brought into notice by the cat shows, none deserve more attention than "The Royal Cat of Siam." In form, colour, texture, and length, or rather shortness of its coat, it is widely different from ot... Signs
D'Urfey, in his poem on Knole, speaks of "The Cats" at Sevenoaks. "The Cat" or "Cats" is by no means a common sign. The subject is well alluded to in "The Cat, Past and Present," from the French of M. Champfleury, translated by Mrs. Cashel Hoey,... Sleeping Places
I much prefer a round basket filled with oat straw to anything else; some urge that a box is better; my cats have a basket. It is well to sprinkle the straw occasionally with Keating's Powder or flour of sulphur, which is a preventive of insect anno... Spotted Tabby
For spotted tabby the best brown are those got by mating a spotted red tabby, the darker the better, and a brown and black spotted female. These should be carefully selected, not only for their ground colour, but also for the roundness, distinctness... Superstition And Witchcraft
A very remarkable peculiarity of the domestic cat, and possibly one that has had much to do with the ill favour with which it has been regarded, especially in the Middle Ages, is the extraordinary property which its fur possesses of yielding elect... The Abyssinian
I now come to the last variety of the tabby cat, and this can scarcely be called a tabby proper, as it is nearly destitute of markings, excepting sometimes on the legs and a broad black band along the back. It is mostly of a deep brown, ticked wit... The Angora
The Angora cat, as its name indicates, comes from Angora, in Western Asia, a province that is also celebrated for its goats with long hair, which is of extremely fine quality. It is said that this deteriorates when the animal leaves that locality. T... The Black Cat
It is often said "What's in a name?" the object, whatever it is, by any other would be the same, and yet there is much in a name; but this is not the question at issue, which is that of colour. Why should a black cat be thought so widely different... The Black-and-white Cat
This is distinct from the white-and-black cat, the ground colour being black, marked with white; while the other is white, marked with black. The chief points of excellence for show purposes are a dense bright brown-black, evenly marked with white... The Blue Cat
This is shown often under a number of names. It was at first shown as the Archangel cat, then Russian blue, Spanish blue, Chartreuse blue, and, lastly, and I know not why, the American blue. It is not, in my belief, a distinct breed, but merely a ... The Brown Tabby Cat
The tabby cat is doubtless one of, if not the most common of colours, and numbers many almost endless varieties of both tint and markings. Of these those with very broad bands of black, or narrow bands of black, on nearly a black ground, are usual... The Cat As A Tormentor
Shakespeare, in "Lucrece," says: "Yet foul night-waking cat, he doth but dally, While in his holdfast foot the weak mouse panteth." In an essay on "The Art of Ingeniously Tormenting" (1753), the cat is alluded to in the frontispiece--... The Cat Of Shakespeare
Shakespeare mentions the cat forty-four times, and in this, like nearly all else of which he wrote, displayed both wonderful and accurate knowledge, not only of the form, nature, habits, and food of the animal, but also the inner life, the disposi... The First Cat Show
On the day for judging, at Ludgate Hill I took a ticket and the train for the Crystal Palace. Sitting alone in the comfortable cushioned compartment of a "first class," I confess I felt somewhat more than anxious as to the issue of the experiment.... The Law On Cat Killing
An "Articled Clerk," writing to The Standard with regard to the illegality of killing cats, states: "It is clearly laid down in 'Addison on Torts,' that a person is not justified in killing his neighbour's cat, or dog, which he finds on his land, ... The Manx Cat
The Manx cat is well known, and is by no means uncommon. It differs chiefly from the ordinary domestic cat in being tailless, or nearly so, the best breeds not having any; the hind legs are thicker and rather longer, particularly in the thighs. It... The Persian Cat
This differs somewhat from the Angora, the tail being generally longer, more like a table brush in point of form, and is generally slightly turned upwards, the hair being more full and coarser at the end, while at the base it is somewhat longer. T... The Russian Long-haired Cat
The above is a portrait of a cat given me many years ago, whose parents came from Russia, but from what part I could never ascertain. It differed from the Angora and the Persian in many respects. It was larger in the body with shorter legs. The ma... The Short-haired White Cat
This of all, as it depends entirely on its comeliness, should be graceful and elegant in the outline of its form and also action, the head small, not too round nor thick, for this gives a clumsy, heavy appearance, but broad on the forehead, and ge... The Tortoiseshell
POINTS HEAD 15 Small, broad across and between the eyes, rounded above, below tapering towards the lips, nose ... The Tortoiseshell Cat
I now come to the section of the short-haired domestic cat, a variety possessing sub-varieties. Whether these all came from the same origin is doubtful, although in breeding many of the different colours will breed back to the striped or tabby col... The Tortoiseshell-and-white Cat
This is a more common mixture of colouring than the tortoiseshell pure and simple without white, and seems to be widely spread over different parts of the world. It is the opinion of some that this colour and the pure tortoiseshell is the original... The White-and-black Cat
This differs entirely from the black-and-white cat, as just explained, and is the opposite as regards colour, the ground being white instead of black, and the markings black on white. For exhibition purposes and points of excellence, no particular... The Wild Cat Of Britain
The wild cat is said to be now extinct in England, and only found in some of the northern parts of Scotland, or the rocky parts of the mountains of the south, where I am informed it may yet occasionally be seen. The drawing I give above was made f... Tip-cat
Is a game played with sticks of a certain length and a piece of wood sharpened off at each end, which is called the "cat." A ring is made on the ground with chalk, or the pointed part of the cat, which is then placed in the centre. One end being sma... Tortoiseshell And White
POINTS HEAD 10 Small, broad across and between the eyes, rounded above, below tapering towards the lips, nose ... Tortoiseshell-and-white
If tortoiseshell-and-white are desired, then a black-and-white male may be selected, being bred in the same way as those recommended for the pure tortoiseshell, or one without white if the female has white; but on no account should an ordinary tabby... Tortoiseshells
I place these first on the list because, being an old pigeon fancier and somewhat of a florist, I deem these to be the breed wherein there is the most art and skill required to produce properly all the varied mottled beauty of bright colours that a ... Trained Cats
That cats may be trained to respect the lives of other animals, and also birds on which they habitually feed, is a well-known fact. In proof of this I well recollect a story that my father used to tell of "a happy family" that was shown many years... Usefulness Of Cats
In our urban and suburban houses what should we do without cats? In our sitting or bedrooms, our libraries, in our kitchens and storerooms, our farms, barns, and rickyards, in our docks, our granaries, our ships, and our wharves, in our corn marke... Various Colours
Those who have had much to do with breeding, and crossing of animals, birds, or plants, well know that with time, leisure, and patience, how comparatively easy it is to improve, alter, enlarge, or diminish any of these, or any part of them; and lo... Washing
Most cats have a dislike to water, and as a rule, and under ordinary conditions, generally keep themselves clean, more especially the short-haired breeds; but, as is well known, the Angora, Persian, and Russian, if not taken care of, are sure to req... Weather Notions
"Signs of Foul Weather," by Dr. Erasmus Darwin. In a poem, the well-known relative of the eminent Charles Darwin describes the various natural indications of coming storms. Among the animals and birds he notes the cat: Low o'er the grass th... White
Of English, or short-haired cats, the best white are those from a tortoiseshell mother, and as often some of the best blacks. These whites are generally of soft yellow, or sandy tint of white. Although they have pink noses, as also are the cushions ... White And Black
For white and black choose evenly marked animals, in which white predominates. I have seen three differently bred cats, white, with black ears and tails, all else being white, and been informed of others. I failed to notice the colour of the eyes wh... White Long-haired Cat
POINTS HEAD 10 Round and broad across and between the eyes, of medium size; nose rather short, pink at the tip... White Short-hair
POINTS HEAD 15 Small, broad across and between the eyes, rounded above, below tapering towards the lips, nose ... Worms
For a full-grown cat give 3 grains of santonine every night for a week or 10 days; it might be administered in milk, or given in a small piece of beef or meat of any kind. After the course give an aperient powder. MANGE. The best possible rem... Worms
Two or three grains of santonine in a teaspoonful of castor oil, for two or three days. ...