REARING OF KITTENS. 



341 



these are all considered first, and length and 

 beauty of coat are rather apt to be overlooked. 

 The amateur cat lover should provide him- 

 self with a female cat or kitten of fine health 

 and luxuriant coat, and treat it precisely like 

 any other " well done by " domestic pussy. 

 Probably by the time she is twelve months 

 old she will have insisted on matrimony. This 

 is worth a little consideration and trouble, 

 but if the choice lies be- 

 tween a healthy, hardy long- 

 haired torn at large in your 

 own neighbourhood 

 and a pedigreed 



trophies, and have to be won four times before 

 becoming the property of the exhibitor. 



Over against the mistaken motto of " Hap- 

 hazard " we must place the password of 

 "Selection" if we would become successful 

 breeders. Selection clever, thoughtful, pains- 

 taking selection lies beneath all real success. 

 I am not denying that excellent results are 

 obtained occasionally by accident, but these 

 happy flukes want follow- 

 ing up if any permanent 

 good is to be effected. 



Having a queen 

 of a given colour, 



A LITTER OF EIGHT, BELONGING TO MISS SAVEKY. 

 d'hoto: H. Warschawski, St. Leonanls-on-Sea.) 



prisoner at a distance, I should recommend 

 the local monsieur. 



What you want is physique and a fine 

 appearance, and you are more likely to get 

 them in this way. 



Many owners of Persians have been quite 

 content to rear saleable kittens of average 

 merit, and trust for their show reputation to 

 fine animals bought from others. 



To encourage breeders special prizes are 

 offered at shows to those who win a first 

 prize with a cat whose mother was in the 

 exhibitor's possession at the time of the 

 kitten's birth. They are very handsome 

 22* 



you should, as a rule, mate her only with a cat 

 of the same colouring, and be especially careful 

 not to cross self-colours with tabbies. 



Now selection, as too often understood, 

 means just this : A male cat makes a great 

 sensation at a show and wins many prizes. 

 He is the right colour, therefore to him you 

 will send your queen. What can be simpler ? 

 Why this fuss about the difficulty of breeding ? 



But' you are a novice, and know nothing of 

 the value of the pedigree owned by the winning 

 monsieur. It is not so much he himself as 

 his inherited tendencies you have to consider, 

 for assuredly they will reappear in his children. 



