224 RABBITS, CATS, AND CAVIES 



neighbours and yourself, but they are naturally fond of 

 warmth and comfort, and are sure to suffer in their health 

 and appearance from the exposure. 



A well-fed, well-housed animal, whether horse, dog or 

 cat, should look sleek and glossy in coat and be a credit 

 to its owner, which night-prowling cats are not likely 

 to be. 



There is no doubt the long-haired varieties are more 

 delicate and require greater care and attention than the 

 short-haired. 



One thing they are apt to do which is very injurious in 

 preening their coats, as all the cat family, large and small, 

 are in the constant habit of doing if in good health, is to 

 lick off with their rough tongues some of the loose hair of 

 their coats, and this often causes serious internal troubles 

 by forming into pellets and balls. 



To guard against this as much as possible, they should 

 be brushed gently and regularly with an ordinary hair 

 brush, with rather long bristles. I prefer cleaning the 

 coats with fine flour, to washing, which is not natural to 

 cats, and generally much resented by them. 



Although I remember, when I first obtained the white 

 Manx Cat mentioned in my sketch of that variety, he 

 took up his residence for a day or so in one of our 

 chimneys, and was in consequence so much the colour of 

 a sweep that we were obliged to wash him, and I 

 was surprised to find he made much less of the affair than 

 we did, so that in all probability it was not his first 

 experience of the process. 



Kittens should be left six or seven weeks with their 



