CATS IN AMERICA. 



323 



difficult to obtain when young ; and though 

 they are so handsome and can be reared and 

 left to run about the house till a year old, as 

 they arrive at ma- 

 turity they become 

 what the ladies call 

 " impossible." The 

 ocelot with increas- 

 ing age grows hope- 

 lessly savage, and 

 will kill anything put 

 in his cage that he 

 is capable of hand- 

 ling, and even to his 

 keeper 'he is a prob- 

 lem. This evidence 

 is not hearsay, but 

 is from one who tried 

 for a long time to do 

 something with these 

 beautiful animals. 

 They are, when in 

 condition, one of our 

 handsomest speci- 

 mens of the cat 

 tribe. 



One of the most 

 fascinating little cats 

 I ever judged was a 

 little Marguay cat 

 from Brazil, exhib- 

 ited by the Zoological 

 Society of Chicago, 

 and though quite small and delicate-looking, 

 it seemed perfectly healthy, and, as in the 

 case of the lynx, was as tame and affec- 

 tionate as possible, and seemed delighted to 

 be noticed and handled. I cannot help think- 

 ing that if obtainable and kept pure this would 

 make one of the most beautiful of exhibition 

 cats. Small, of a reddish-brown colour, and 

 clearly spotted all over, with beautifully 

 shaped and small ears, which are black-and- 

 white, this cat is gentle, sweet, sizeable, 

 and possible as a pet. I have never seen it 

 excelled by anything among the cat tribe ; 

 and having handled this cat a good many 

 times during the show, I may say it was one of 



the tamest and best-natured cats I ever came 

 across in the show-room, and certainly the most 

 beautiful short-haired cat possible to imagine. 



On one or two 

 occasions we have 

 had Australian cats 

 exhibited, and they 

 were funny little 

 beasts, sitting up 

 like a. squirrel, and 

 with much the same 

 shape of head. When 

 genuine they are 

 most quaint, but do 

 not seem to live long 

 here. A very clever 

 fake was carried out 

 with these cats at 

 some of the early 

 shows or, rather, I 

 should not say with 

 these cats, but an 

 imitation of these 

 cats. When the sup- 

 ply became limited, 

 someone became 

 clever enough to aug- 

 ment the number by 

 shaving the long and 

 ragged native short- 

 hairs, and so well was 

 it done that they not 

 only won prizes, but 

 on one occasion one was bought by a judge 

 after winning, when to his purchaser's disgust 

 a month or two later he turned out to be an 

 ordinary yellow torn with his coat on ! 



The Australian cat fell into disfavour after 

 a few of these experiences, and it has not 

 been possible to resuscitate him. 



We often hear of the Pampas cat of South 

 America being in certain catteries, but so far 

 at the shows none have been produced, and 

 I am inclined to think these also are of the 

 impossible brigade on account of their savage 

 disposition. It is a pity that some enter- 

 prising fancier does not try to tame these 

 wild species. 



MRS. CHARLES A. WHITE. 



AN AMERICAN CAT FANCIER. 



(Photo : Bolls, Chicago). 



