BLACK PERSIANS. 



iii 



K1TTKX BRED BV MISS KIRKI'ATKICK. 



(Photo : K. Landor, Baling.) 



healing powers. In Cornwall, sore eyes in 

 children are said to be cured by passing the 

 tail of a black cat nine times over the part 

 affected ; and in some parts of the country 

 the presence in the house of a black cat is 

 both an antidote and a cure for epilepsy. 



1 think that most cat fanciers are inclined 

 to believe in the possible luck that a stray 

 black cat may bring them, and perhaps be 

 more inclined to take in a stranger of this 

 particular breed than one of another colour. 



There is an old Scotch proverb that says : 



" Whenever the cat o' the house is black, 

 The lasses o' lovers will have no lack." 



The celebrated '' Fawe " strain of black 

 Persians is well known in the fancy. Dr. 

 Roper has sent me some notes on his famous 

 prize-winning cats, together with some useful 

 information regarding the breed with which 

 his name has become associated : 



" For many years black Persians were a 

 most popular breed ; but, like fashions, for 

 the time being other colours, I regret to see, 

 are obtaining more notice from fanciers. For 

 years I plodded away to breed what I con- 

 sidered a perfect black Persian ; at last my 

 labours were crowned with success. \Yhat 

 can equal a richly coloured, heavily coated, 

 deep orange-eyed black ? 



" In breeding blacks, like any other colour, 



it is essential you should procure the best of 

 stock, and be prepared to give a fair sum for 

 such, otherwise you are almost sure to be dis- 

 appointed in your results, and, maybe, retire 

 as a fancier of this colour and try some other ; 

 but you will meet with the same fate if you 

 hold the same views as to expense. A black 

 Persian should be perfect in colour, with 

 absence of white hairs, cobby in shape, short 

 in leg, tail bushy and not too long, eyes large 

 and deep-orange, a good broad head, ears short 

 with tufts and well set apart, short face, coat 

 long and silky. 



" Having stated the points, I will now give 

 my experience of breeding. 



" In my opinion, it is most important the 

 sire should be a black, and one of his parents 

 a black, whatever colour the queen is. I have 

 had greatest success in breeding from a black 

 sire and a tortoiseshell queen. Through this 

 cross you may get either blacks or tortoise- 

 shells. As an instance I quote ' Johnnie Fawe ' 

 (black) and Champion ' Dainty Diana ' (tor- 

 toiseshell). From these I have bred many 

 good blacks, amongst them ' Dick Fawe,' 

 ' Lady Victoria,' and other good ones ; also 

 good tortoiseshells, three of them having taken 

 championships. Blacks may also be bred 

 from a black and a blue, or two blacks in 

 this case, cross the sire with one of his pro- 

 geny, which I have found very successful. I 

 admit there are other ways of breeding blacks, 

 but in my experience the three ways I have 





MRS. LITTLE'S BLACK PERSIAN " COLLKKN." 



(I'lio/o: D. Kn/tle, Beckenlmm.) 



