THE BOOK OF THE CAT. 



MK. C. A HOUSE, 



EDITOR OF " FUR AND FEATHER." 



(Photo: A. & G. Taylor.) 



award three prizes in such a huge class ? And 

 I know that many superb specimens on this 

 occasion had to be content with a V.H.C. card, 

 which it would have gone to my heart as a 

 judge to place on their pen. 



If there is a prize offered for the best cat in 

 the show, the judge or judges have not to con- 

 sider which is their favourite breed or which 

 is the most fashionable colour, but just which 

 cat is the best possible type, which specimen 

 is the nearest perfection, and which is exhibited 

 in the best all-round show condition. In long- 

 haired classes the length and quality of' coat 

 and fulness of ruff go a long way towards a 

 high place in the awards, and, as I have before 

 remarked, condition is a most important factor 

 in the judges' estimation. In the self-coloured 

 classes of blues and blacks a judge should 

 make diligent search for white spots on throat 

 or stomach. Formerly cats thus blemished 

 were relegated to the "any other" class, but 

 it has been wisely decided by both clubs that 

 cats with white spots should be judged in their 

 own classes, and that this defect should count 

 as a point or points against them. This is as 

 it should be, for to place self-coloured cats in 



an " any other colour " class seems absurd. They 

 are black and blue cats in spite of a few white 

 hairs, and should be judged as such. They 

 may never aspire to a first prize, at any rate 

 at a large show ; but surely a really fine black 

 or blue cat, with correct eyes, grand head, and 

 good shape, even with the unfortunate spot, 

 should and ought to score over a poor specimen 

 with green eyes and long nose. In the tabby 

 classes a judge will first consider the ground- 

 work and markings, and to these premier points 

 special attention should be given, as there is 

 a tendency to breed tabby cats which are 

 barred only on heads and legs, the body mark- 

 ings being blurred and indistinct. It is not 

 unlikely that in due time the "any other colour" 

 class will no longer form part of the classifica- 

 tion at our large shows. Formerly this used 

 to be the largest class of any, but nowadays the- 

 entries are becoming small and beautifully less. 

 It is not worth while for a fancier to keep these 

 specimens they do not fetch any price, they 

 are not valuable as breeders, and it is quite a 

 toss up whether they can win in such a mixed 

 company. I remember the time when blues 

 were entered in the " any other colour " class, 

 and when blue tabbies were more numerous 



MR. T. Ii. MASON. 

 (Photo: C. L. Eastlake, Leeits.) 



