290 



THE BOOK OF THE CAT. 



Alexander, and formerly the property of Mr. 

 Hughes ; ' Sedgemere Black King,' winner of 

 several championships and first prizes, origin- 

 ally owned by Mr. Sam Woodiwiss. 



" An explanation may be deemed due to 

 my readers for having included blues amongst 

 the English types, but as the clubs have 

 recognised this breed, and sanctioned their 

 being catalogued amongst the English exhibits, 

 I felt justified in adopting this course ; more 



" CHAMPION BALLOCHMVLE PERFECTION. 

 OWNED BY LADY ALEXANDER. 



particularly as the country of origin still 

 remains a matter of speculation." 



Mr. T. B. Mason's name is a household 

 one in the cat fancy, and 'this most popular 

 judge has been kind enough to set down 

 some of his many experiences, and a little 

 of his universal knowledge, for the benefit of 

 my readers. 



" For more than twenty-five years I have 

 taken a very great interest in all our minor 

 pets, so the breeding and exhibiting of cats 

 has had a large share of my attention. I look 

 at the past, and compare it with the present, 

 and I am more than satisfied with the progress 

 made and the high-water mark of excellence 

 attained. In the 'eighties, when that noted 

 North Country breeder the late Mr. Young, of 

 Harrogate, was hard at work laying the 

 foundations of markings and colour in the 

 silver tabby, orange tabby, and the tortoise- 

 shells, which has resulted in making the strains 



of the North Country short-hairs so far ahead 

 of all others, he had little or no idea that in so 

 brief a time the cat fancy would develop into 

 such an important one as it is at the present 

 time. In recent years we have seen the 

 National Cat Club, the Cat Club, and a great 

 many specialist clubs formed for the special 

 object of breeding cats to perfection in colour 

 and markings. Standards have been made and 

 issued by noted breeders, who have met 

 together and have exchanged 

 ideas, so that at the present 

 1 time we have standards that 

 are ideals of perfection. 

 Shape, colour, markings, coat, 

 and colour of eyes for each 

 separate variety are all plainly 

 stated. All this interest, to- 

 gether with the holding of 

 many big shows in different 

 parts of the kingdom, have 

 brought into prominence a 

 great host of fanciers, includ- 

 ing many ladies holding high 

 1 positions in the best class of 



society. No wonder, then, 

 that there should be a call for 

 a standard work dealing with all varieties of 

 cats. In the few remarks I have to make 

 on short-haired cats I shall take the self 

 colours first. They are, I believe, our oldest 

 variety ; the black or the white cat is to be 

 found in many a household. In some parts 

 of the North when I was a boy it was said 

 to be a sign of good luck to have a sound- 

 coloured black cat, with a coat like a raven's 

 wing, with not a white hair to be found 

 in it. If you have one like this in your 

 home, with a good round head, neat ears, and 

 rich orange eyes, let me ask you to take great 

 care of it. If you reside in a district where 

 shows are held either in connection with the 

 local agricultural society or in the winter 

 time in the town hall in connection with the 

 local fanciers' society by all means enter it, 

 and you will find you have an exhibit of 

 real value. We possess grand examples of 

 first-class blacks in Lady Alexander's ' Black 



