THE BOOK OF THE CAT. 



194 



are not plentiful, being 

 delicate and difficult to 

 rear. 



"The time at which the 

 kittens change the colour 

 of their eyes from the 

 baby blue to orange varies 

 a great deal in individual 

 animals, from seven to 

 twelve weeks. When the 

 eyes are very deep blue, 

 they change to bright rich 

 orange or hazel ; but if of 

 a pale blue, they change 

 very quickly to a poor 

 yellow, and never get the 

 rich dark orange which 

 the deeper blue get. Therefore rejoice when 

 you see your kittens with deep blue eyes. 

 Some of our kittens have had the most lovely 

 deep blue eyes, and great has been our sorrow 

 as we found the inevitable change coming on. 

 If I could only manage to get some kittens with 

 the permanent blue eyes that the best white 

 cats have, I should indeed be proud ; but 

 thinking of the kittens with terrible white 

 chins and under -coats, which would crop 

 up in every litter and would have to be 

 drowned, quite deters me from sending my 

 orange queens to white studs with blue 



MRS. NEATE'S CAT HOUSES. 



ANOTHER VIEW OF MRS. NEATK S 

 CAT HOUSES. 



eyes ! All who have been accustomed to 

 frequent the show pens will remember 

 Miss M. Beal's splendid old orange queen 

 ' Jael,' who up to the last, although 

 nearly fourteen years old, always took first 

 prize, and was a very good specimen of what 

 an orange queen should be- of a bright rich 

 orange, without any suspicion of light under 

 her chin or chest (the usual weak point), and 

 having the splendid head, short nose, and good 

 cobby shape which all breeders strive for. 

 Short-haired orange cats are often seen about 

 our towns and villages, and are always 

 called 'sandy,' but are not, 

 I think, held in much ac- 

 count. They are distinct from, 

 the so - called ' red tabby,' 

 which is a recognised colour 

 in our shows." 



Among the prize - winning 

 females of the present day I 

 must not forget to notice Mrs. 

 Singleton's "Orange Girl," bred 

 from Miss Beal's noted strain. 

 This cat has had many honours 

 showered upon her during a 

 very short career, and as there 

 must always be a scarcity of 

 queens in this breed, this fine 

 specimen is a valuable posses- 

 sion. 



