BREEDING AND EXHIBITING 65 



Do not mate tabby-marked cats with self-coloured ones. 

 For instance, a blue Persian queen should be sent to a stud 

 cat of her own colour, or to a Black, not to a brown or 

 orange Tabby. Breeders have lately been crossing Blues 

 with Chinchillas, or Silvers, and some good results have 

 followed, but this should not be attempted if the Silver is at 

 all heavily marked with stripes. In this case the litter 

 might consist of blue Tabbies, and although these are 

 pretty cats for pets, they are useless for breeding or show 

 purposes. 



I have always considered that the mating of a good amber- 

 eyed Black queen with a pale Blue male is most satisfactory 

 in results. I have seen several examples. In one litter two 

 almost perfect blues and two black, in the other, one blue 

 gem and three blacks. The blues were particularly sound 

 in colour and had the round orange eyes, which are so 

 attractive in black cats. 



It is not always that the best blue-eyed Whites or orange- 

 eyed Blues are bred from parents who are both possessed of 

 these desirable points, so don't distress yourself if you have 

 an odd-eyed White queen, but send her to a good blue-eyed 

 White stud, and some in your litter may yet have the 

 coi rect-coloured eyes. 



It is very seldom, if ever, that a Blue stud cat retains the 

 deep tones of orange or yellow in his eyes. These get 

 lighter with age and service. This fact does not, however, 

 affect the progeny. Orange eyes are rarer in Blue cats of a 

 pale tint than in those of darker colour, and it is more 

 difficult to obtain absolute soundness of colour in light 

 Blues than in those of a medium shade. 



In order to obtain the nice rich tawny colour so desirable 

 in brown Tabbies, one is tempted to try mating with an 

 Orange. I have found, however, that the experiment has 

 resulted in a description of tortoiseshell Tabby which is no 

 good for breeding or showing purposes. If your Tabby 

 queen is rather drab in tone, select a good sire of the 

 golden brown order, and you will be rewarded. 



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