THE LONG-HAIRED CAT 137 



THE LONG-HAIRED BLUE CAT 



Until the comparatively recent advent of the Creams 

 and Chinchillas, I think there is no doubt cats of this 

 colour have been the most popular of any, and I am not 

 sure, even now, if there are not more of them to be found 

 than of any other variety of long-haired cat. 



Many of them are exceedingly beautiful, and they 

 lend themselves to such a variety in shades, from the 

 deepest slate blue to the palest lavender, that fanciers can 

 usually find something to suit their taste. 



Show committees, from the Crystal Palace down- 

 wards, have done much to foster the growth of the favour 

 which has been bestowed on the Blues ; as many attractive 

 special prizes have been offered for the best male, best 

 female, best single or pair of kittens, and probably more 

 valuable prizes have been won by Blues than by all other 

 kinds of long-haired cats together, and for a long time, 

 if not still, there were many breeders and fanciers who 

 kept no other variety. 



Where the cats are not divided by sex, I think a large 

 class of Blues is one of the most difficult to judge, as you 

 will often find four or five quite distinct shades of the 

 colour, and, if they are fairly in coat, the running is 

 sometimes very even. 



In this variety, I think, more than in most, the females 

 are sometimes better than the males, and I have often seen 

 one of the latter gain the coveted prize, as " Best in the 

 Show," but in these days it requires a good and almost 

 perfect specimen to do that at one of the larger shows. 



