igo 



THE BOOK OF THE CAT. 



blue that failed ! I once noticed an advertise- 

 ment in one of our cat papers which announced, 

 " For sale, a unique orange Persian male with 

 perfect deep blue eyes " ; but I also remarked 



Orange cats make a splendid foil for other 

 varieties. This is especially the case as 

 regards blues and blacks ; the contrast in 

 colour enhances the beauty of each. I know 



that the age of this unique specimen was not one lady who, having an eye to the artistic, 



" TORRINGTON SUNNYSIDES." 



THE PROPERTY OF MRS. G. W. VIDAL. 



(Photo: G. W. Vidal.) 



given, and 'I did not think it was worth while 

 to write and inquire. 



The texture of coat in this breed ought to be 

 particularly soft and silky, and is often of great 

 length and thickness. The kittens when born 

 are usually dull in colour, and gradually 

 brighten as they grow older. As is well known 

 to cat fanciers, orange females are rarer than 

 orange males, so their market value is higher. 

 There is, therefore, always a flutter of excite- 

 ment on the arrival of a litter, and too often 

 fate has decreed that all are males ! 



keeps a blue and an orange neuter, and a lovely 

 pair they make. I think the largest cat I ever 

 saw was an orange neuter that simply filled 

 the show pen with a mass of bright colour but 

 he had a white shirt front and white gloves ! 

 As regards mating orange cats, they make 

 a good cross with blacks and tortoiseshells ; and 

 if a brown tabby lacks the admired tawny or 

 golden tint, then an orange may assist to 

 brighten and improve the general tone, and do 

 away, perchance, with that drabbiness which 

 is so undesirable in a brown tabbv. 



