22O 



THE BOOK OF THE CAT. 



" Into the latter ' Master Ruffie ' made his 

 debut without any of the numerous anxieties 

 encountered by his celebrated parent. The 

 way was paved for him, and when he appeared 

 at the Crystal Palace show in 1899, in all the 

 full glory of his youth and beauty, it was 

 difficult for the judges to realise that it was 

 not their old favourite who was now confront- 

 ing them through the wires ! 



" ' Master Ruffie ' has only been shown on 

 two occasions in 1897 as a kitten, and in 

 1899 at the Crystal Palace, when he returned 

 home with his box literally filled with cards, 

 his winnings including three first prizes, four 

 specials, and a championship. 



" I am sorry we can manage to get no really 

 good photo of ' Master Ruffie.' Time after 

 time we have attempted it in studios, out of 

 doors, by means of professionals and amateurs 

 including many kind relatives and friends 

 with their ever-ready little Kodaks ! ' Master 

 Ruffie ' steadfastly refuses to face the camera. 

 Again and again the button is pressed in 

 vain, and only the glimpse of a vanishing tail 

 upon the negative is all we have to show as 

 ' Ruffle's ' portrait ! 



" But we have only to look at ' Birk- 

 dale Ruffle's' picture, and we have ' Master 

 Ruffie ' too ! The only difference between 

 them is that the. latter is a very cobby 

 little fellow, being perhaps shorter in the 



MISS WHITNEY'S " BKAYKOKT PRINCESS. 



(Photos: W.Lawrence, Dublin.) 



legs, which makes him appear to be a some- 

 what smaller cat than his father. In fact, at 

 the Crystal Palace show he was pronounced 

 by the judges to be perfect in every point. 



" ' Birkdale Ruffie ' was noted for the ex- 

 treme beauty of his expression ; he had cer- 

 tainly one of the most characteristic faces ever 

 seen in a cat, and his son inherits the same. 

 The former was constantly the subject of 

 sketches in the illustrated papers, those by 

 Mr. Louis Wain being especially lifelike. 



" Some of ' Master Ruffle's ' descendants are, 

 I believe, in the possession of Miss Witney, 

 and have met with great success in the show 

 pen. 



" Our cattery is built on the principle of 

 shepherds' huts, each house having a separate 

 wire run, with shrubs planted, and a thick 

 wall of ivy in the background, which gives a 

 picturesque appearance to the whole of the 

 little colony. In summer a mass of luxuriant 

 hops makes a welcome shade from the hot 

 sun. 



" The houses are warmed by gas stoves, on 

 which the cats love to sit, purring contentedly, 



and with the pretty 

 curtained windows, car- 

 pets, wickerwork arm- 

 chairs, and cosily cush- 

 ioned benches, I think 

 ' Master Ruffie ' and his 

 seven feline playmates 

 have a pretty easy time 

 in this tempestuous 

 world ! 



' The one bone of 

 contention is that the cats have 

 appropriated the sunniest cor- 

 ner of the garden, their houses 

 having the much desired south- 

 ern aspect, which our gardener 

 looks at with longing eyes for 

 his beloved peaches and early 

 peas. Happily, he bears the 

 little occupants no grudge, and 

 when we go from home takes 

 over the whole of the cattery 

 into his charge." 



