BREEDS AND VARIETIES 



I DO not intend to discuss the ancient history of cats, or to 

 raise the question as to whether they were amongst the 

 animals who entered the Ark ; nor is it necessary to allude 

 to the Wise Men of the East who worshipped the cat as a 

 deity : I wish rather to confine my remarks to cats as they 

 are known to-day. Of these, then, there are two distinctive 

 breeds, viz., the Long-haired or Persian Cats, and Short- 

 haired or English and Foreign Cats. 



In both long- and short-haired breeds there are " self- 

 coloured," "broken-coloured" and "any other coloured" 

 varieties. Apart from the length and texture of fur, the 

 points of the animals are practically the same, whether long- 

 or short-haired. They should be cobby in build and short 

 on the legs, the head should be round and broad, eyes large 

 and full, nose short, ears small and wide apart. So much for 

 the general contour of the cat. 



With the majority of fanciers the long-haired cats are 

 the most popular. I will start with the self-coloured long- 

 haired cats, viz., Black, White, and Blue. 



I do not think sufficient attention or admiration is given 

 to Black Persians, and very few fanciers have taken up this 

 handsome breed. The Black Class is generally the worst 

 filled at our Shows, and yet a black cat is said to bring luck, 

 and a black cat does not show the dirt ! In the early days 

 of the Fancy, the question of eyes was one left in abeyance, 

 but now we have a special standard for each breed, and 

 blacks must have orange or even amber eyes to find favour 



B 



