262 



THE BOOK OF THE CAT. 



" I consider that Siamese cats are much 

 cleverer than other breeds, and with patience 

 can be taught several clever tricks. I in- 

 tend to go in more largely for them in the 

 future." 



Several of Lady Marcus Beresford's Siamese 

 found their way into Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins' 

 possession, and were exhibited from time to 

 time, always gaining great distinction. Mrs. 

 Hawkins possesses a daughter of "Tachin," 

 and so hopes to keep up this unique strain. 

 Mrs. Hawkins has some of the best arranged 

 and very solidly built catteries at Brighton, 

 of which I give an illustration. These are 

 specially adapted for the breeding of Siamese 

 and silvers, the two varieties which find 

 favour at Shalimar. A long experience with 

 Siamese enables Mrs. Hawkins to write with 

 authority, and I give her notes as given to 

 me for the benefit of my readers : 



" The first thing you have to consider with 

 regard to these animals is that when newly 

 imported they are naturally delicate, and must 

 be hardened off, so to speak, just as our 

 delicate foreign birds have to be ; that is to 

 say, you cannot treat them at first as you would 

 our ordinary fireside cats. If you are for- 



MISS AKMITAGE S " CORA. 

 (I'lioto : Salmon Sr Katchan, New Bond Street, W.) 



tunate enough to pick up newly imported ones, 

 even if you have to pay a good price for 

 them, they will prove a good investment ; and 

 perhaps you may be able to get some from one 

 of our numerous cat fanciers, though they are 

 very scarce at present and difficult to obtain. 

 My advice is to get the best possible pair, and 

 let them breed in the spring in the house, if 

 you can let them have a spare room, which 

 need not be warmed in any way. Leave the 

 mother quietly with the kittens ; and, having 

 provided a warm bed and bedding for them 

 previously, leave them to nature as much as 

 possible, just going in now and then to see 

 that all is going on all right, and giving the 

 mother warm milk, etc., and coaxing her to 

 get used to you. 



"Siamese cats are particularly gentle and 

 affectionate, and if you are kind to them 

 they soon get to know and love you. It 

 is a pity their nature is not more copied 

 by human beings then we should not 

 have so much dissension and wrangling in 

 our cat fancy. But this is a digression ! 

 As the kittens get on it is as well to have 

 a warm place outside prepared ready for 

 them ; but do not put them out too soon, 

 and if any show the slightest suspicion of 

 cold they must be brought! in and allowed 

 to get over it completely before being turned 

 out in the garden or outhouses, with the 

 others. 



" My own Siamese kittens were born in a 

 cat house in my garden at Brighton, but 

 they were June kittens, so by that time we 

 were having very nice weather. The father 

 and mother I had as kittens ; I pulled them 

 through their baby ailments successfully, 

 and as soon as the weather was pro- 

 pitious and sunny I put them in 

 their outside houses. Siamese and 

 chinchilla kittens (both of which 

 I go in for) must be hardened off 

 gradually. They are just like Eng- 

 lish children brought from abroad, 

 who have to be carefully nurtured 

 at first and trained to get used to 

 our English climate. 



