SILVER OR CHINCHILLA PERSIANS. 



157 



not speaking, of course, to the fortunate few 

 who have won their laurels, and of whom I 

 would I might learn ; although I rather 

 suspect their secret of success is but the 

 result of continual study, coupled with ex- 

 treme care. Would not an enormous increase 

 of size and weight soon become evident in 

 the occupants of our catteries if, when a 

 queen was about to be mated, her owner 

 would first carefully study the list of points 

 provided by the Silver and Smoke Persian 

 Cat Society (previously quoted in this work), 

 jotting down those good qualities to which 

 she believes her queen may lay claim, and 

 then selecting that sire possessing the points 

 most wanting in her own cat of course, never 

 forgetting relationship ? The old rule about 

 in-breeding is ' once in, twice oat,' as all old 

 fanciers know ; but where silver Persian cats 

 are in question, I would most strongly urge 

 that this adage be disregarded, and, as a rule, 

 avoid in-breeding entirely until a stronger race 

 of silver cats is established, cats with frames 

 equal to those big blue beauties we see at 

 our shows. I think that in a comparatively 

 short time of course, always avoiding tabby 

 blood, breeding chiefly for bone our silver 

 cats may be very different to those of to- 

 day, those who own too fairylike limbs to be 

 beautiful. 



" A word about our famous sires and, by the 

 way, we may congratulate ourselves on having 

 within reach so many beauties. Often I have 

 letters asking for advice as to which stud 

 such and such a queen shall visit ; and, in 

 addition to the above suggestions, I would 

 remind the owner that length of journey 

 should be taken into consideration, and the 

 fact that if the chosen sire is extremely popular 

 it may be that a better result may be gained 

 if the queen is sent to one not so much in 

 request, especially if the owner of the stud 

 cat has not been warned before of the visit of 

 your pussie. However, most owners of stud 

 cats are extremely careful in limiting the 

 number of visitors, and few object to keeping 

 Sir Thomas free for a week beforehand if 

 given due notice. 



" Do let me urge all whom it may concern 

 to keep Madame in close confinement for 

 several days after her return home. Indeed, 

 in the interest of the owner of both stud and 

 queen this is of vast importance, and many a 

 disappointment is due to this seemingly small 

 neglect. Puss does not always return as one 

 would wish, however great the care given her 

 whilst away on her holiday, and may take 

 her matrimonial affairs into her own paws 

 with results^ most unsatisfactory to everyone 

 but herself. When the kits arrive, do not if 

 you have reason to expect valuable kittens as 

 a result of the mating leave more than two 

 or three with the mother (I am, of course, 

 speaking of silver kittens) for reasons I 

 shall directly state. By far the best plan is 

 to procure (some time before the birth of 

 both litters) a good big English cat as foster 

 mother, one known to have brought up a 

 previous litter not an old cat. The usual 

 method of substituting her foster for her 

 own babies is to take away the mother cat 

 for a few minutes of course, out of sight 

 and, removing one of her own kittens, rub 

 the little silver baby with the hay of the nest 

 and against the other kittens so that the 

 strange smell sense of all others so wonder- 

 fully developed in animals may not raise 

 suspicion in the foster mother. Then the 

 next day remove one or two more. 



" May I, at this point, plead that the little 

 kittens taken from their mother for your 

 benefit should not be drowned ? If they 

 must be sent along the silent road to 

 the Quiet City, let it be done mercifully 

 and by chloroform. Such wee things may 

 rest easily in a big biscuit box, the lids 

 of which usually close tightly, and about 

 I oz. of chloroform poured on a piece of 

 flannel or sponge laid on a small saucer 

 by their side will send them painlessly to 

 sleep. 



" The reason I strongly advise that the 

 English foster should nurse the best of the 

 litter is but an echo of the old cry, ' Want of 

 bone.' Fed by the sturdy British puss, the 

 delicate tiny balls of silver fluff will gain 



