ORANGE PERSIANS. 



191 



I do not think orange cats have ever been 

 very popular, and I have remarked at shows 

 that a certain number of people refuse to give 

 anything but a passing contemptuous glance 

 at the classes which contain what they call 

 " those yellow cats." 



A very common defect among orange Persian 

 cats is the white or very light chin. Some- 

 times there is the still more damaging blemish of 

 a white spot on the throat, spreading, perhaps, 

 further down the chest. It is very rare to find 

 an orange that has really a dark under-lip, and 

 chin level in tone with the body colour. The 

 white lip is a bugbear to breeders and exhi- 

 bitors, for Nature repeats itself, and judges 

 make notes of the defect ; and in these up-to- 

 date catty days of specialist clubs and standards 

 of points a cat full of quality failing in one 

 particular is too often a white elephant, if 

 desired for anything more than a pet. I have 

 observed that orange cats will sometimes 

 develop a light or nearly white chin in their 

 old age. I never consider a white spot or tuft 

 of white hairs such a blemish to a cat if these 

 are on the stomach, as compared with the same 

 defect on the throat. Such a spot would not 

 be so likely to be handed down to successive 

 generations ; and, of course, a blemish that 

 has to be sought for in an obscure part of the 

 body is not such an eyesore in a self or tabby 

 cat. I have often observed orange cats with 

 very light hair underneath which has almost 

 approached white ; but such defects are some- 

 times only temporary, whereas a white spot on 

 the throat or a white chin remains once and 

 for ever. 



In the early days of the fancy, orange cats 

 were decidedly more tabby marked than they 

 are in the present day. A noted one of this 

 type was " Cyrus the Elamite," born in 1889, 

 and bred by Mrs. Kinchant, an enthusiastic 

 fancier at that and later periods. In 1893 and 

 1894 Mr. Heap exhibited a handsome orange, 

 " Prince Charlie," at the Crystal Palace. He 

 also owned another, called " Prince Lyne," of 

 the same breed, the celebrated tortoiseshell 

 " Queen Elizabeth " being the mother of both 

 these cats. " Puff " was exhibited by Mrs. 



Spackman in 1894 ; this orange cat was not 

 much marked, and " Lifeguard " was bred 

 from him. It was about this date that un- 

 marked orange Persians became more fashion- 

 able. Among females, " Lifeguard's " sister, 

 " Goldylocks," owned by Mrs. Marriott, was 

 one of the very best queens ever shown. Mrs. 

 Foote, who is still well known in the fancy, 

 had several beautiful orange females, notably 

 "Marigold," "Buttercup," and "Cowslip." 

 With these-cats Mrs. Foote tried to breed un- 

 marked creams and oranges, " Ripon," a noted 

 cream, being the sire. She built up several 

 storeys of her catty castle, but then sold them 

 to Lady Marcus Beresford. " Trilby," litter 

 sister to " Zoroaster," a famous cream, was 

 one of the brightest and deepest coloured 

 orange females or, indeed, orange cats that 

 has ever been seen. 



Coming down to the present day, I may re- 

 mark that the number of orange cats placed at 

 stud is very limited. A great loss to the ranks 

 of male orange Persians was " Lifeguard," for- 

 merly the property of Lady Marcus Beresford. 

 This cat was almost unmarked, of a beautiful 

 bright shade, and had an unusually round head 

 and short face, with Ion? silky coat. He was 



" LIFKGUAKn." 



FORMERLY THE PROPERTY OF LADY MARCUS BERESFORD. 

 (Photo -. E. Landor, Ealing.) 



