ORANGE PERSIANS. 



195 



So long as there are two cat clubs and two 

 registers there will be a confused multiplicity 

 of names, and so yet another orange male 

 called " Puck " inhabits the cat world. This 

 handsome fellow is owned by the Hon. Mrs. 

 McLaren Morrison, to whom I had the pleasure 

 of awarding first prize and many specials at 

 the Botanic show held in June, 1902. His vivid 

 colouring and well-shaped limbs and splendid 

 eyes will always make him a conspicuous 

 specimen in the show pen. Alas ! his photo- 

 graph does him but scant justice. Quite a 

 surprise packet appeared at the Crystal Palace 

 show of 1902 by the appearance of a very 

 handsome young male in " William of Orange " 

 exhibited by Mrs. Stillwell, and bred from 

 Dr. Roper's noted black " Johnnie Fawe " and 

 tortoiseshell queen " Dainty Diana." This 

 cat was awarded first and many specials, and 

 was claimed by Lord Decies at catalogue price. 

 As " William " was not a year old when he 

 won his laurels, it may readily be believed that 

 he has a distinguished career before him, and 

 may add another to the long list of winners 

 owned and exhibited by Lady Decies. No 

 orange male cat is better known in the fancy 

 than that splendid fellow " The King's Own," 

 belonging to Mrs. Neate. He has had a most 

 successful career, and may be considered as 

 nearly self-coloured an orange as any yet 

 exhibited. 



Mrs. Neate is a devoted admirer of this breed 

 and also a great cat lover, and has recently 

 started an arrangement for boarding cats, and 

 truly I know of no place better adapted for 

 successful cat keeping than the home of Mrs. 

 Francis Neate, at Wernham, near Marlborough ; 

 situated as it is in the very heart of the country, 

 a mile from any other house, her cats can enjoy 

 their liberty with perfect safety. 



A large range of brick-built and slated out- 

 houses has been converted into catteries and 

 comfortably fitted. All have wooden floors, 

 wire doors, and large runs attached. A number 

 of portable houses and runs are dotted about 

 the kitchen garden and meadows. An empty 

 cottage serves as an isolation hospital, or place 

 of quarantine for cats returning from shows. 



A herd of pure-bred goats supply the inmates 

 of the cattery with milk, and rabbits, which 

 abound, form their staple food when in season. 

 The largest of the outhouses is fitted with a 

 Tortoise stove, carefulty guarded. The pride 

 of Mrs. Neate's cattery is, of course, the famous 

 orange stud "The King's Own." He is the sire 

 of the two winning orange queens " Mehitabel 

 of the Durhams " and " Glory of Prittlewell." 



Fitting mates for him are " Wernham 

 Titmouse "^(tortoiseshell-and-white), " Evening 

 Primrose " (a cream daughter of " Cham- 

 pion Midshipmite " and " Hazeline "), also 

 " Mimosa " (an orange bred by Miss Cartmell 

 from " Richmond Bough " and " Mistletoe ") ; 

 these occupy the house adjoining the stables. 



" Champion Bundle " and " Betsy Jane," a 

 lovely little blue with glorious orange eyes, are 

 the only blues of the establishment. Latterly 

 Mrs. Neate has reduced her own stock of breed- 

 ing queens, and makes a speciality of receiving 

 cats during the holidays. Judging by the 

 number of cat fanciers who sent their pets to 

 Mrs. Neate during the summer of 1902, it is 

 certain that a great want has been most 

 efficiently supplied. Not only does Mrs. Neate 

 give personal supervision to her catty boarders 

 and visitors, but they have splendid caretakers 

 on the premises. These custodians are Mrs. 

 Neate's big St. Bernard and a chow-chow, who 

 jealously guard the Wernham cattery. These 

 dogs are on the very best terms with the 

 feline inmates, and the strange pussies very 

 soon appear to settle down to an amicable 

 cat-and-dog life. The accompanying photo- 

 graphs, as will be seen, were taken in the depth 

 of winter. These brick-built houses, slate 

 roofed and with wooden floor, are splendidly 

 adapted for keeping the cats snug and warm 

 during the cold weather. One of the buildings 

 illustrated is 25 feet by 15 feet, and has three 

 windows. This house is provided with large 

 table, shelves, and chairs, and cosy sleeping- 

 boxes. An outside wire run, of the same 

 length and width as the building, is erected for 

 an exercise ground in summer weather. 



Mrs. Neate has kindly supplied me with a 

 few notes on orange Persian cats : 



