CATS OF THE PAST. 



Crystal Palace in 1871, and since then he has 

 taken an active part in the cat world. Of late 

 years, however, he has been failing in health, 

 and it was suggested that some testimonial 

 should be offered to him in his declining years 

 by his many admirers and cat-loving friends. 

 Our Cats, that popular weekly publication, 

 opened a list in their columns, the result being 

 a handsome piece of plate, which the veteran 

 F.R.H.S. was asked to accept. In his reply 

 acknovyledging the gift, he writes : " Kindest 

 and best wishes to those warm-hearted and 

 truly unforgetful friends who have contributed 

 towards the very handsome testimonial." 

 Then he goes on to allude to the first cat show 

 and to his prophecy regarding the growing 

 popularity of the cat family : " Did I expect 

 the outcome to be what it is ? Yes, and no. 

 I fully expected large shows and more of them, 

 and a ' Cat Press,' and in the papers cat 



columns for the universal and worthy favourite 

 cat. But in another way I am disappointed, 

 and that is for the neglect of the short-haired 

 English cat by the ascendancy of the foreign 

 long-hair. Both are truly beautiful, but the 

 first in intelligence, in my opinion, is far in 

 advance of the latter." Therefore, with a hope 

 that Harrison Weir may yet live to see the 

 English short-haired cats still more widely 

 loved and appreciated, and given better classi- 

 fication at^otir shows, I will pass on to my 

 chapter on present-day cats and cat clubs. 

 and the many other institutions and societies 

 which are the outcome of the rapid strides 

 that have been made in the cat fancy since 

 the day when Harrison Weir was laughed 

 at by his incredulous and astonished rail- 

 way companion as they travelled together 

 to the first Cat Show held at the Crystal 

 Palace in 1871. 



LADY ALEXANDER'S " BROTHER BUMP." 



CHAMPION SHORT-HAIRED BLUB. 



