86 



THE BOOK OF THE CAT. 



secretary of the club is generally accountable 

 for the distribution of the : ' specials," which 

 certainly call for a special acknowledgment 

 from the recipient to the donor of these prizes. 



As regards the financial aspect of a cat show, 

 the first important point is to make the entries 

 pay for themselves that is. supposing your 

 prize money in each class is i, ios., and 55., 

 then you need twelve entries at 35. to carry 

 you through. And here let me remark that, 

 considering the character of our first-class 

 shows and the value of the special prizes 

 offered, I am inclined to think that entry 

 fees are too low, and that they should be more 

 in accordance with the fees charged at dog 

 shows. It is always advisable to make a 

 difference between members of the club hold- 

 ing the show and outsiders. Thus, if 55. is 

 the entry fee for members, then 6s. or 75. 6d. 

 might be charged to non-members. New 

 recruits to a club are often gained by this 

 arrangement. The usual commission on sales 

 is 10 per cent., and then there is the gate 

 money, which somehow is generally disap- 

 pointing, for truly the outside public are not 

 partial to cats, nor attracted to exhibitions of 

 the feline race. I have always contended that 

 exhibitors themselves ought to be charged an 

 entrance fee say, half - price admission on 

 presentation of their exhibitor's pass, which 

 in many cases would only be sixpence, yet 

 one or two hundred of these small coins would 

 materially assist the exchequer ; and surely no 

 cat fancier would grumble at this tax on their 

 resources when the}' consider how much 

 trouble and expense is entailed in providing 

 them with a favourable opportunity of ex- 

 hibiting their pets, and with a possibility of 

 winning golden guineas and silver trophies. 



Another plan is to advertise in schedules 

 that exhibitors of more than, say, two entries 

 would be allowed a free pass. Fanciers will 

 be tempted to send additional cats, and thus 

 swell the entries, in order to secure their free 

 admission ticket. I do not think it would be 

 a bad plan to have a " Contribution Column " 

 on the entry forms for members' and exhibitors' 

 voluntary donations towards the expenses 



of a show which, if well managed, is worthy of 

 the utmost support from the cat-loving com- 

 munity. 



" Every mickle makes a muckle," and it 

 should be the earnest desire of each individual 

 member of a club to do something, however 

 small, towards keeping a balance on the right 

 side of their treasurer's accounts. 



BUYING AND SELLING. 



I believe that a Bow Street magistrate once 

 asserted that anyone owning a stud dog or 

 selling a dog was, in the point of law, a dealer. 

 I do not know if the same decision would 

 apply in the cat world. Anyhow, there are 

 few fanciers who do not desire at some time 

 or other to dispose of their cats and kits ; and, 

 again, there are many who keep stud cats, yet 

 cannot be considered dealers in that sense 

 of the term. The best way to set about 

 trying to sell our surplus stock is to advertise 

 in the cat papers, in which case it is advisable 

 to fully and fairly describe our animals and 

 to name the price required. If profit is to be 

 considered, it is not advisable to keep kittens 

 more than eight weeks. Very soon after this 

 period they begin to lose their flumness and 

 grow leggy in appearance. There is also the 

 risk of illness and death. It is better, there- 

 fore, to be willing to accept a moderate sum 

 for kittens at eight weeks old rather than to 

 keep them to see how they turn out. It is 

 a clear case of " a bird in the hand is worth 

 two in the bush." 



I have always thought that there is a good 

 opening for any enterprising person well 

 versed in cat lore and cat fanciers to start 

 an agency in London, where cats and kittens 

 might be sent on approval, for would-be 

 purchasers to call and interview them. There 

 might be a system of messengers who would 

 meet cats and see them off at London stations. 

 In connection with such a cat agency a register 

 might be kept of cats for sale or cats wanted and 

 arrangements made as at the Army and Navy 

 Stores for having a certain number of animals 

 on view. These could be boarded at so much 

 per week, and commission charged on the sale. 



