EXHIBITING. 



allowed to remain. An efficient staff of attend- 

 ants should at once set to work to assist in 

 packing up the cats belonging to those ex- 

 hibitors who intend taking them away. After 

 these have all left, then the manager should 

 direct his attention towards those exhibits 

 that should be started by the night mails. 

 The catalogue must be consulted, and a good 

 way is to mark with a cross on the pen tickets 

 those cats that must be packed up ; and, having 

 previously ordered the railway vans at a 

 certain time, the precious packages should 

 be sent off as speedily as possible. Those 

 exhibits left over till the following morning 

 should be fed again and started at daybreak. 



There is a sense of immense relief when 

 the last hamper has been fastened down and 

 seen off the premises. And here let me say 

 how much exhibitors can contribute towards 

 the speedy and safe despatch of their pets, 

 if only they will provide substantial and well 

 appointed travelling baskets or boxes. Amidst 

 all the hurry and confusion of packing up 

 an immense amount of extra trouble is given 

 by having to lace up a hamper with string, 

 or nail down a box that has no other means 

 of being made secure ! I speak from ex- 

 perience, and therefore I plead for more 

 consideration to be extended to the show 

 manager and his assistants, and, above all, 

 to the poor pussies themselves. 



At every show that is held there are a 

 number of exhibitors who try the patience 

 and courtesy of the manager or secretary, 

 or both, by requesting to be allowed to 

 remove their cats before the advertised time. 

 Of course, it is only natural that those 

 fanciers residing at a distance should wish 

 to make tracks home and catch early trains 

 tor their own comfort and convenience and 

 the welfare of their pussies. But, looking at 

 ' the matter from a secretary's and a visitor's 

 point of view, it is certainly hard that per- 

 haps some of the best prize cats should be 

 absent from their pen whilst the public are 

 paying their money at the gate ; but, having 

 made a rule, it is best to stick to it, and no 

 cat should be taken away till the fixed hour 



"ROSE OF PERSIA. 



(I'hoto: Landor, Ealing.) 



under any pretext whatever, unless a vet- 

 erinary certificate of illness is obtained. 



It is always open to the management to 

 advertise an earlier hour for the removal of 

 exhibits on payment of a certain sum, but 

 this should be made a substantial fine, especi- 

 ally in the case of a prize-winner. A lower 

 figure might be named for other exhibits. As 

 regards cats or kittens purchased at the show, 

 it is certainly an inducement and incentive 

 to buyers if there is a rule that these exhibits 

 may be removed at any time. 



According to the rules of the two leading 

 clubs a certain fixed time must elapse before 

 the prizes are sent out. In some cases this is 

 a most uncertain and unfixed time, and many 

 complaints have been made through the cat 

 papers of the long drawn-out period between 

 the prize being won and the prize being re- 

 ceived. No doubt, immediate distribution of 

 prizes after the show would lead to complica- 

 tions, for objections might be lodged within 

 the given time allowed by the rules, and such 

 objections would have -to be brought before 

 the committee of the club ; therefore it is 

 obvious that successful competitors must 

 allow, say, a month to elapse before showing 

 signs of impatience. It is then the manager's 

 business to send the money awards, and the 



