POAVTS" Of A CAT. 



97 



No. 10, Paw : A large, broad paw, with 

 short but not stumpy feet. In the Persian 

 varieties the tufts are an additional beauty. 



Nos. ii and 12. Body and back : There 

 is a diversity of opinion as to whether a cat 

 should be long in the body or of cobby build. 

 I incline to the latter as regards beauty of 

 form, but I am of opinion that female cats 

 with long bodies are the best breeders. All 

 cats should be low in the legs. 



No. 13, Tail or brush : In both breeds this 

 should be short rather than long, and in the 

 Persian varieties broad and spreading. The 

 tail should be carried almost on a level with 

 the body, and slightly curving upwards to- 

 wards the end. A too-tapering tail is a defect. 



Nos. 14, 15, and 16 call for no further 

 remark beyond the desirability of symmetry 

 in form. 



The foregoing list of points in a cat may be 

 of some service to novices in the fancy, but 

 it is necessary to add that, as in all animals, 

 condition is a very important factor. A cat 



may be perfect in all points, and yet if in 

 either the long- or short-haired varieties the 

 coat lacks softness of texture, and in Persians 

 the fur is matted or draggled, such specimens 

 cannot expect to find favour in the eyes of 

 a critical judge, or even an ordinary lover of 

 cats. In short-haired breeds there is an un- 

 mistakable gloss on the coat of a cat that is 

 in good health. A spikey appearance of the 

 fur always denotes poor condition, and greatly 

 detracts from the charms and chances of our 

 pets or show cats. A great deal depends in 

 keen competition upon condition. It turns the 

 scale in a vast majority of instances. There- 

 fore, as great attention should be paid to 

 this point as to those set forth in the list I 

 have given. 



A small yet distinctive feature in a cat is 

 the whiskers, and these vary in colour, accord- 

 ing to the breed. They should be strong and 

 yet sensitive, and curving slightly inwards. 

 It is supposed to be a sign of strength if a 

 cat's whiskers attain a great length. 



(Photo: C. Reid, Wisha-u.) 



