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THE ANGORA CAT
HOW TO BREED, TRAIN AND
KEEP IT;
WITH ADDITIONAL CHAPTERS ON THE HISTORY, PECULIARITIES
AND DISEASES OF THE ANIMAL
EDITED BY
ROBERT KENT JAMES
WITH THIRTY-FIVE ILLUSTRATIONS FROM LIFE
Boston:
JAMES BROTHERS
1898
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HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY
FROM THE ESTATE OF
MRS. CHARLES ROBERT SANGER
FEBRUARY u. 1936
Copyright, 1898,
By JAMES BROTHERS.
Press of Wallace Spooner,
No. 17 Province Street, Boston.
Digitized by
Google
PREFACE.
The purpose of this volume is not to dwell upon the
scientific breeding of cats, or to discuss their detailed
anatomy. It is the aim instead to present a book
which shall by simple statement and ample illustration
guide the amateur in the care of the Angora cat.
There are many excellent authorities on the cat, and
many books on the subject, notably those by St. George
Mivart, Ph. D., and A. Chauveau, but there has seemed
to lack a book which should meet the requests and in-
quiries of lovers and owners of high-bred cats, not
thoroughly acquainted with the history, description and
peculiarities of this animal. The Angora cat-book is
intended to fill this demand in a modest way.
The book has been divided into several chapters,
properly indexed for convenience sake. The origin
and history of the cat has been briefly touched upon.
How to train a cat and the care of a cat are amply dis-
cussed, and the chapters on breeding and . mating will
be of especial interest and value. The diseases most
common to the Angoras and directions for their treat-
ment are also given, and additional information upon
feeding, transportation and preparation for exhibition,
has been carefully prepared.
The value of the book is greatly increased by the
introduction of thirty-five photographs of the Angora
cat from life, for which the authors are indebted to the
Walnut Ridge Farms Co.
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CONTENTS.
PAGE
ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE CAT 7
HOW TO TRAIN A CAT 9
CARE OF THE CAT 12
Housing for Breeding 12
Housing for Pleasure 13
Feed 15
BREEDING AND MATING 19
Hereditary Influences 19
The Law of Variation 20
Breeding for Color 22
Breeding for Form 23
Mental Characteristics 24
Inbreeding 27
Breeding in Line 27
Family Resemblance 30
EX ii IBITION AND TRANSPORTATION 31
On the Bench ^
Washing and Grooming 34
DISEASES .OF THE CAT 37
General Rules 37
Fleas and Lice 39
Worms , 41
Rheumatism 42
Distemper 43
Mange 45
Poison 47
Fits 47
Asthma 48
Diarrhoea 49
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CONTENTS.
DISEASES OF THE CAT— (Continued.) ^ag*
Canker 50
Constipation 51
Colds 51
THE CORRECT ANGORA 52
DIFFERENT COLORS OF ANGORAS 54
TABLE TO DETERMINE PERFECTION IN CATS 56
ENTRY FORM FOR EXHIBITIONS 57
RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR EXHIBITIONS 58
FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT 61
A Cat Letter 61
"Rats" 65
How A Cat Falls 67
Anatomical Structure 68
Cats and Sentiment 69
A Forgotten Prisoner 72
Her Want Supplji d 72
Persian Cats 73
Queer Things About Cats 74
Attentive to Cats 74
Cat Tales 75
The Homeless Cat 76
Four- Footed Friends 81
Emblematic Signification of the Cat 84
My Cat Tom 85
Foreign Cat Shows . . 87
A Cat Stcry 88
Beauty of the Cat 89
A Child's Discrimination 90
Best of all Fads 91
The Subway Cats ~ 95
A Hospitable Cat 99
Electrical Character of the Cat 101
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ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE CAT.
Our common cat, familiar in many varieties of color-
ing, is not a tamed descendant of the Wild Cat, but
seems, like other domestic animals, to have come from
the East. It is usually, though not indeed with absolute
certainty, regarded as the descendant of the Egyptian
cat, which was certainly domesticated in Egypt thirteen
centuries B. C. From Egypt the domestic cat spread
through Europe, certainly before the Christian era, but
at first sparsely, and confined to those who could afford
a high price for the pet. It is quite possible that other
species may have been domesticated elsewhere ^nd
have mingled with the Egyptian breed. Rolleston and
others have believed that the domestic mouse-killer of
the ancient Greeks and Romans was not the cat at all,
but the white breasted Martin, for which felts is good
Latin.
The fur of the cat is longer than that of the other
feline tribes and it bears a greater resemblance to
leopards than to lions. The idea of majesty is not con-
nected with it, however. There is yet a wild species
in existence which inhabits the mountainous and wooded
districts of the northern part of England, as well as
sections of our own country.
Dr. Huidekoper writes in his book on the cat that " it
can now be accepted that the so-called domestic cat of
to-day is the descendant of certain wild species existing
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8 THE ANGORA CAT.
on the several continents ages ago, when the first mem-
bers were subdued, subjugated, and by handling, reduced
to house-pets, or at least to that semi-domestication
which renders them familiar with man, and useful in
stables and granaries for the destruction of small ver-
min, or to be petted in dwellings as companions."
The Angora cat is but one of the many species of the
feline tribe, including the, tiger, the lion, the leopard,
the ounce, and the jaguar, not to mention numerous
other supposed variations. The history of the cat is the
history of the Angora, its most aristocratic representa-
tive. The Angora cat is one of the most beautiful ani-
mals in the world. Those of us who are familiar with
this cat's markings will remember its long silky hair and
superb ruffy tail. The Angora originally came from
Angora, not from Angola, though the animal often gets
called the "Angola" cat. Its native place, however, is
not Angola in Africa, but Angora in Asia Minor, which
is also well-known for its goats.
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HOW TO TRAIN A CAT.
It is not an easy matter to train a cat. Much pa-
tience and perseverance is required to bring about the
performance of even the simplest of tricks. The most
satisfying results may be reached by taking the kitten
at a very early age, three months old not being too
soon. To begin with, however, the first trick is no trick
at all. It is rather the formation of good habits in the
little kitten. The house is a natural abode of the fash-
ionable cat, and she is very much at home in her sur-
roundings. To make her a clean cat and perfectly
housebroken comes only by thorough patient teaching
on the part of the mistress.
For the cat's convenience arrange somewhere in the
cellar or washroom a shallow box, a foot and a half
square, filled with sand or sawdust. This she must be
taught is the proper place to perform certain functions
of Nature. In order to impress this fact upon the feline,
at the first offence, the cat's nose must be rubbed, not
gently but severely in the place where she has tres-
passed. After this she should be carried without delay
to the box and held there a minute or two, patting her
gently the meanwhile. This is an infallible rule, and
never fails of success if persistently followed for a week
or ten days.
The cat is by nature an excessively cleanly animal
and if not allowed to exercise at will out of doors should
be provided with means for remaining so.
Then again, by nature, cats are afraid of dogs. They
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IO THE ANGORA CAT.
take a sudden terror at the sight of them, and look upon
canines as common enemies. This aversion to dogs
can be overcome, to a marked degree, if the kitten is
taught gently and firmly that the dog after all is dis-
posed to make friends. It is not possible to make the
Angora friendly to every dog it meets, but it is compar-
atively easy to keep the house dog and cat on intimate
terms. When the kitten is very young she should be
placed constantly near the dog, on his front paws, on his
back, and across his tail. The dog is by far the more
intelligent animal of the two and he will immediately
understand what is expected of him. The kitten will
" spit " and ruffle her fur, but if the dog is made to en-
dure these preliminaries to a firm friendship, the ten-
dencies to show fight on the part of the cat will wear
away soon enough. If once an attachment is made be-
tween a dog and a cat the friendship is cemented for-
ever, and the remainder of their existence will be passed
in friendly rivalry for their mistress's attention.
It is nature, again, that makes a housed Angora equal
to a common cat in its tendency to destroy without
provocation every Canary bird in the house. It may as
well be impressed first as last upon the cat that " Polly/*
the parrot, and " Dick," the canary, have equal shares on
life with herself. The flitting and chirping of a canary
is madness itself to the cat, and the only efficacious
means of killing this desire is harsh and severe. "An
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure " is an old
saying, but in this case the ounce must be stretched to
a baker's dozen. There are three ways in which to
break the cat of this evil, the first of which is perhaps
the simplest. The first time the cat is discovered
watching the movements of the canary in the cage, a
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SILVER BLUE KITTEN.
12 WEEKS OLD.
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HO W TO TRAIN A CAT. 1 1
severe slap across the head will bring pussy to her
senses. A repetition of this chastisement each time
she is caught will soon teach the cat that the nursery or
dining-room is not for her exclusive benefit. Another
manner of procedure is to hold the cat in your arms
close to the side of the cage near enough for the canary
to peck at her. Still another, and the most effective of
all, is to take a cat inclined to disturb the house birds
and tie about its neck a dead canary, or a stuffed artifi-
cial substitute, and leave it in that position for a couple
of days. The cat is so thoroughly frightened that ever
afterwards she is inclined to leave the bird pets alone.
It must be borne in mind, however, that in order to
train a cat properly the utmost patience and persistence
must be practised. If the animal is rightfully and
kindly treated while young, the same nature will follow
it along in life and make it always a delightful pet.
The above three suggestions are essential to the well
training of all Angoras. We now come to the subject
of tricks. In teaching the Angora one or more tricks,
a great deal depends upon the person who has the mat-
ter in charge. It requires patience again and yet, after
all, the kitten is quick to learn. Some cunning tricks,
those of lying down, sitting upon the hind legs, giving
front paw, kissing, jumping through one's arms, jump-
ing rope, crying, praying, and sitting at the table, can
be taught to a bright intelligent Angora with but very
little difficulty. There are others that might be added,
including ringing a bell, playing dead, shutting a door,
or opening one with a latch to it and making pussy fol-
low you about the house or street. After each perform-
ance you should reward the cat either by caresses or
by giving her a morsel to eat.
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CARE OF THE CAT.
Housing The fact of housing cats has not been gener-
* of erally understood, because of their scarcity and
ree ing ^ e f ew p eo ple who have interested themselves
large enough to get together more than a few specimens.
This point then is one that depends greatly upon cir-
cumstances and conditions. If one is to keep only a
few cats it is not necessary to provide any special house
or buildings for them, because the owner himself has
better accommodations in his own house, his kitchen, or
his cellar, than if he had built for him a cattery or spe-
cial building. Then again, if one is to keep a large
number of cats, he runs great risk in housing many to-
gether, because of their liability to become sick, or the
chances of their fighting which is quite sure to occur as
in a poultry yard. Cats are more likely to fight than
roosters, and it is certain that where a number of males
are confined together that one male is likely to become
"cock of the walk," and in doing so he scrimmages
greatly with others, either injuring them or knocking
them about so as to harm their beauty and general use-
fulness. Should a house, or any quarters be provided
for cats it is best that they be water tight, as rheuma-
tism, colds, and other diseases follow dampness and ex-
posure.
The best housing that we have noticed is one built
on the same general plans and principles as that of a
hen house. If six or a dozen cats are to be kept to-
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CARE OF THE CAT 1 3
gether, a house fifty feet long by thirty feet wide and
seven feet high with a slope of one foot, with plenty of
windows to admit sunlight; is very comfortable and
serviceable. Be careful, however, that the house is
water proof and wind proof. Racks can be made so
that cats can "roost." Shelves may be put about with
straw or hay for bedding. If a yard is necessary we
would advise wiring it like that of a poultry yard, with
the exceptions of a top netting in order that the cat will
not climb up and get out. Cats should not run much
during the intense heat of the day, and should always
have access to fresh water and, if possible, be allowed
to run about in the grass. The animal does not perspire
through the skin at all, but wholly through the tongue.
We believe that if a fancier intends erecting a building
for catteries, it would be best for him to investigate the
matter thoroughly and to find out the best hygienic and
sanitary conditions under which cats may be housed and
kept successfully. There is no rule by which one can
be governed in these matters.
Housing The question has often been asked us "How
for are we to care for our cat when in the house ?
If I have one or two cats, how must I house
them ? " This question is a very simple one to answer,
because the only thing to do is to allow the animal the
same freedom that you would an ordinary cat. To an
ordinary cat you do not give much attention, nor should
one give too much attention to an Angora. The less
done in some points the stronger and more healthy the
animal. We do not deem it necessary to have any spe-
cial quarters for a cat, where there are but two or three
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14 THE ANGORA CAT.
of them, still, of course, it is well to provide a small box
and place it either in the kitchen or the cellar, or in any
warm place, so that the cat can go there when it likes
and feel that it is his bed. The cat is very intelligent
in some things, and if you teach it to go there nights
you wilt always find it seeking that spot whenever it
has occasion to sleep. The cat usually likes to steal
away some part of the day, and when a box is near at
hand it is very likely to take refuge in that.
It has often been asked us if we advise keeping the
cat in the cellar, or must it be kept where it is warm.
This question is more difficult to answer, as the temper-
ature of some cellars is different from others. Still the
natural tendency is that an Angora should not always
be kept where it is warm, because a long furred animal
usually hails from a cold climate ; and while we do not
recommend always to keep the cat in a cold place, still
the fur is liable to increase in length where the cat is
kept in a cool place. The cold produces more hair, and
with the Angora the more hair better the animal. If a
cat has an opportunity of resting occasionally in some
warm place, there will be no harm in allowing it to roam
about in the cold cellar, or out of doors for that matter,
but we would not advise letting one of these expensive
little pets be obliged to stay in a cold cellar where it is
liable to be damp and chilly. Give it freedom ; if it
chooses to go there do not interfere.
We should also advise people to allow their cat as
much out-of-door exercise as possible. It is very injuri-
ous to keep a cat in the house, not allowing it to roam
about and play as it has been in the habit of doing before
it reached the age when it was purchased by some city
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SOLID BLACK. CHAMPION MAX.
WINNER OF FIRST PRIZE AND SPECIALS, BOSTON, 1896-7.
OWNED BY MRS. E. R. TAYLOR.
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CARE OF THE CAT \ 5
person and made a pet. If one could see the frolics of
a young cat, running about catching grasshoppers,
climbing trees and going out to the tiniest branches to
get a peep at a little bird, he would not be surprised
when we advise allowing the cat as much out-of-door
exercise as possible.
The value of the Angora rather prevents it from hav-
ing the usual freedom an ordinary cat enjoys. Where
it cannot be allowed to roam about, as in busy cities and
towns where it is likely to be stolen or to stray away,
we would suggest that during some part of the day it be
allowed to sit in an open window. A well trained ani-
mal will behave himself and enjoy the privilege of watch-
ing objects, and during this time it gets a great deal of
fresh air and is a great deal better for having it. We
would not advise one, of course, to let the animal stay
in the window in severe weather, still we leave that to
the judgment of the owner.
A variety of methods of feeding cats is preva-
Feed. lent among fanciers, and it would be quite diffi-
cult for us to lay out any special diet which
would be considered the proper and only method.
But a beginner can easily improve on what is said and
regulate his cat's diet and habits by what experience
has taught some of us. The cat, however, should never
be allowed to gorge himself, for it will disorder his di-
gestion as well as bring about a host of other diseases.
A kitten for the first three months after he is weaned
should be fed four times a day. After five or six
months three times a day is enough until the age of one
year is reached, when two a day is sufficient, a light
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1 6 THE ANGORA CAT,
meal in the morning and the principal meal in the eve-
ning. There are many kinds of food that one can feed
successfully, and it is quite difficult for us to state
which one would be the best for an individual specimen.
Still, where there is one or two kittens we would sug-
gest that you give them the leavings from the table,
nicely cut up and prepared in a dainty manner. Raw
meat and raw fish are most injurious. They are apt to
cause humor and worms. Cooked meat and cooked
fish, if cut up, can be fed with great success. A little
goes a great ways, and we would not advise one to feed
this oftener than once a day. Young kittens, if
brought up from wee little things by the owner, can be
taught never to eat meat, but when an animal has be-
come a year old it is necessary to allow it to grow as it
should and then it will have the life and snap which be-
longs to a cat. Too much meat is apt to have a bad
effect on the hair. For that reason we advise feeding
moderately.
Really the best food to place before a cat is milk and
oatmeal. Other cereals can be fed with great success,
but oatmeal is more apt to be found in the homes of the
people, and while the cat has been brought up on it for
generations it is something that they take to very
quickly and can thrive on. An over-fed cat is easily
detected from its habits. Better keep your cat hungry
than to gorge him. A hungry cat is more likely
to be lively and will do some hunting, but an over-fed
cat will never catch mice or rats, especially if he has all
the meat he wants. Some fanciers say that where a cat
is wanted for the catching of mice and rats it is best to
feed cereals, because the animal has naturally a taste for
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CARE OF THE CAT. 1 7
meat, and when he does not have it brought to him he
is inclined to get hungry for it and when he finds a rat
he is satisfied. A little fresh fish may be given occa-
sionally, and now and then a morsel of uncooked liver
or other meat, care being taken to remove the fat. Any
vegetable for which the animal shows a fondness may
be given with discretion. Remember to see that the
cat always has access to plenty of fresh water and fresh
grass, grass being a genuine panacea for all their minor
troubles. Some people recommend giving the cat its
food only in the morning, as it makes it more wakeful
and fresh at night when it is hungry. Where the ani-
mal is not doing well, a change of diet is often benefi-
cial. Close observation has shown that cats will eat
certain kinds of grass at certain times to purge them-
selves voluntarily. There is no question but that grass
is a mild physic. In most kennels it is a habit to feed
cats twice a day, which is advisable rather than to feed
the animal only in the morning, as it is too long for
them to go without food otherwise. It is, however, a
matter of dispute among the best breeders. Perhaps a
heavy meal at night and a light meal in the morning is
more to the taste of many. The simplest rule to go by
is to feed clean, wholesome food, and never allow the
animal to stuff, or let it have food between meals, ex-
cept that which it gets itself.
Food for kittens should be prepared more carefully
than for cats. We advise the warming of milk. In
young kittens milk is inclined to cause worms, but if it
is heated, any trouble of this kind is avoided and the
kitten is benefitted from the same. In cats it does not
specially matter about the food being warm, yet a pet
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1 8 THE ANGORA CAT.
cat always enjoys a little attention being shown in the
preparation of his meals. We do not advise leaving
food about continually so that the kitten can eat when-
ever it chooses. It is best always to remove the dish
when the cat has finished. When the little kitten is
about to commence eating, milk should first be given.
It is a wise plan to scald the milk, allowing the same to
cool off before feeding. In warm weather a spoonful
of lime water should be added to the milk ration, unless
new milk is used. Milk is a sufficient diet up to three
months, then oatmeal and milk, with leavings from the
table, well seasoned.
Never give raw meat or fish. Cooked fish is always
good in small proportions, and the animal thrives better
on fish than any other substance. Meat should only be
given in small quantities, and not too often in warm
weather, except in extreme cases, where an animal can-
not thrive unless it has it. Warm food is most bene-
ficial.
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BREEDING AND MATING.
The systematic breeding of cats may and should be
carried out upon the same general principles as that of
our other domestic animals. The natural laws are the
same for all, and only need to be carefully observed to
make success reasonably sure in establishing and fixing
any particular type desired upon a family or strain. The
first and most important of these great laws of Nature
is the law of
t " Like produces like " is the old proverb.
Influences! ^ e onCs P rm S wu *l resemble one or the other
of its parents, or to a certain extent both of
them, modifying the peculiar characteristics of one by
dissimilar traits in the other.
Usually, all other things being equal, it is the stronger
and more vigorous parent that will have the greater in-
fluence in determining the character of the offspring,
but this is not always the case. An animal whose an-
cestry have been bred to a particular type, or for an
especial purpose through several generations acquires
what is known as prepotency, or a power to transmit
down to its posterity the qualities which it has inherited
from those before it.
This fact is well known to the breeders of other animals,
and they are exceedingly careful to select their breeding
stock, but particularly the male, because of a supposed
possession of this prepotent or dominant power. To
19
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20 THE ANGORA CAT.
obtain fast travelling colts, the sire must come from a
family noted for speed through several generations, and
butter producing cows with great records can in the same
way be traced back through a long pedigree of cows bred
for many years with the production of butter as the
main object.
But beside this law of hereditary influence, there is
what is sometimes called
The Law This is manifested first in the effect which
°* r the one parent may have in modifying the
influences of the other. This is often taken
advantage of by breeders in changing the shape or mark-
ings of that which they desire to produce, by so mating
the parents that the fault of one will be counteracted or
modified by the opposite fault in another.
If one animal is too heavy and coarse in head, neck or
forequarters, they mate it with another that is corre-
spondingly light, and if one is too light in the hindquar-
ters the other should be exceptionally well built in that
point. If the same fault exists in both parents it becomes
intensified in the offspring until it becomes a serious
deformity.
But in mating for this purpose it is not well to make
too violent a cross at first. Keep within the same lines
of blood, and modify by degrees perhaps through several
generations. If the difference between the parents is
too great it is probable that the offspring will take en-
tirely to one or the other parent, and possibly so much
so as to exaggerate the very defect which it was intended
to correct.
There are also the variations known as " sports," in
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BREEDING AND MATING. 21
which there appears no strong trace of either parent, b*&
a revertmg back to some distant ancestor, possdfcly long
forgotten. Thus we have known an Ayrshire cow, a
breed whose color is usually a light red and white,
pied or mixed, or a red roan, to produce a calf that was
pure white with red ears and muzzle — the type of a
breed known in Wales as long ago as the year 1200, a«d
a few of which are said to be allowed to run wild in the
woods of a certain park in Great Britain but never to be
sold or allowed to be intermingled with other cattle.
Whether she went back six hundred and fifty years or a
shorter time to some ancestor of that breed for her color
and marking we know not. H er calves when she was mated
with an Ayrshire bull, took the regular Ayrshire type
and color without more of white than usual among that
breed. But in an animal so prolific as the cat, it would
be better to avoid breeding from such a " sport " or vari-
ation, unless it was desired to perpetuate and fix the new
type, which might be done by selecting another sport of
the same kind to cross with it, if it could be found.
Some variations or sports are produced by accidental
causes, or by the effects of impressions strong upon the
minds of the female parent before the offspring were born.
Bible readers are familiar with the history of the ring-
streaked, spotted and speckled cattle, goats and sheep,
which Jacob produced among the herds of Laban, by
placing before the mothers his sticks peeled in stripes,
and the history of horses and cattle contain many in-
stances of calves and colts which resembled neither of
the parents, but some animal in an adjoining yard or
pasture, where it was in sight of the mother daily. But
this properly belongs to the question of
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22 THE ANGORA CAT.
Breeding This is a matter which has been given but
* of little attention by the breeders of cats, until
very recently. We think some progress has been
made, and more will be when more care is taken in the
mating for that purpose.
All who have attended a Poultry Exhibition know
how much has been accomplished in this line among our
domestic fowl. We have many breeds in which black,
white and buff varieties are as distinct as if they were
separate breeds. We have the variegated plumage of
the Barred Plymouth Rocks, .the Silver and the Golden
Laced Wyandottes, the Partridge Cochin, the Domin-
ique, and the beautiful Golden and Silver Laced Sea-
bright Bantams, each reproducing their own colors as
surely as they do their own kind.
This has not been done by accident, nor in one or
two generations. It has required many generations of
careful selection and mating to fix these colors perma-
nently, and a rejection for breeding purposes of all that
showed a tendency to revert or sport back to any other
color.
We believe the same care can fix the colors of cats as
well, and we can breed at will the solid colors, white,
black, yellow or maltese, or the varied markings of the
tortoise shell, or the stripes of the tiger, if we give our
care to it for a few generations.
We know now a white cat, whose mother, grand-
mother, and great-grandmother were pure white, with-
out a colored hair on them, and we believe none of the
four have ever dropped a litter of kittens in which there
was not at least one pure white, and often another of
peculiar marking, white with the exception of a black or
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MALTESE MALE CAT.
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BREEDING AND MATING. 23
dark stripe between the ears, from an inch and a half to
two inches long, and from a half inch to an inch wide.
This where no pains has been taken in mating, but
where they have been allowed to mate promiscuously
with such cats as they met in their midnight rambles.
This then shows a prepotency or power of reproduc-
ing itself in color, which we think might have been
greatly increased if care had been taken and efforts made
to mate only with males that were white or nearly so.
Breeding and for size or for peculiar markings may be
*** effected in the same manner. We will once
more refer to the instances in the Poultry
Show. The stately Brahmas and Cochins nearly as
large as a turkey, and the diminutive Bantams of but a
few ounces in weight have been brought to what they
now are by selection of the largest or the smallest speci-
mens of the breeds, as might be desired, to be mated
together. The size and shape of the comb, and even
the number of points it may have, the length of the wat-
tles, the feathers on the toes, or the crest on the head,
and all the general shape of the bird are matters upon
which arbitrary standards have been established, and
which are controlled by the breeder.
Thus we have the Single Comb, the Rose or Pea
Comb, the erect comb or that which lops over to one
side ; the five toes of the Dorking, the feathered legs
and toes of the Brahma and the Cochin, or the bare legs
of other breeds, as the standard calls for.
That certain types may be fixed upon the cat we
know, because certain families or strains of blood are
locally notorious for peculiar markings. The double
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24 THE ANGORA CAT.
paw, or the having of eight or ten toes upon each fore-
foot and in some cases upon all the feet, are hereditary
and reappears in every generation, even without care in
mating. With care they could be fixed and perpetuated
as surely as the long hair of the favorite Angora, or the
pendulous ears of the less well known Chinese variety,
or the lack of a tail upon the Manx.
But there is yet another point to which breeders of
cats may turn their attention, which is that of maintain-
ing or increasing certain
Some people who have not made a study
Characte ' f °^ t * ie cat as a domestic animal may smile
at the idea of there being a difference in
their mental or intellectual capacity, or even deny their
possessing any mental powers at all. They cannot deny
the possession of what is known as instinct, though they
might doubt that the cat possesses it in the same degree
as the dog.
The ability of the dog to follow the track of his mas-
ter among the thousand footsteps of a crowded city ; of
the hound to follow its prey ; of the pointer to assume a
certain position when it scents its game ; of the collie to
herd cattle and sheep or even poultry, and of the New-
foundland to rescue the drowning, sometimes manifested
by bringing ashore against his will some unlucky swimmer
taking his morning bath, they would call instinct, and
not a mental power capable of being taught, and much
less of a reasoning faculty.
But even this which they call instinct is but an hered-
itary power or faculty increased by years and genera-
tions of special training, and if not lost by disuse is cer-
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BREEDING AND MATING. 25
tainly weakened if the animal is not given opportunity
to exercise it. The collie after being kept only as a
house dog for a few generations is not much easier
trained to herding than another dog, and the hound or
pointer is but a poor hunter if its mother has never
been used for that purpose.
But there is as much difference in dogs and cats in
regard to their capability of being taught or trained as
there is in children. Particularly is this the case when
they are to be learned something for which they have
not an inherited faculty or instinct. Some learn readily
almost anything, understanding all that is said to them,
while others seem absolutely stupid.
One need not go to menageries to see the effects of
training animals, even to do that which is contrary to
their natural instincts or propensities. Almost every
one has seen dogs which would bring hat, cane or slip-
pers, or carry and bring messages at the word of com-
mand with as much appearance of intelligence as human
beings.
The cat is naturally a beast of prey, and cats are usu-
ally considered as unsafe companions for birds and
chickens, and as having an undying enmity to dogs, but
dogs and cats are often trained to live together in har-
mony, often becoming much attached to each other. We
have seen a cat whose favorite resting place when he
could get it, was to crawl in between the forelegs of a
large English mastiff, with his head under the dog's chin,
and who would allow a litter of puppies to run around or
climb over him without resenting it, though he allowed
no familiarities from other dogs.
We have known a cat so well trained that its mistress
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26 THE ANGORA CAT.
would not only allow it to remain in the room with a
litter of small chickens playing about the floor, but would
leave it in the yard with them for hours, when it would
allow the chickens to climb on its back, nestle down in
its fur, or pick at its tail, but it would also at once drive
away any other cat which came into the yard, with as
much vigor as a cat would attack a dog when she had
kittens in the shed.
We believe this capability of learning easily and
quickly can be transmitted by inheritance, as well as
docility and gentleness of disposition. Every breeder of
experience knows that an animal of vicious propensities
though made so by bad management and harsh treat-
ment, will be very apt to transmit those qualities to its
descendants, though they may be modified some by the
influence of the other parent, and more perhaps, by kind
treatment.
Certain tricks and ways in the cat seem to be inherited
by the kittens, or to be more easily learned by them than
by kittens whose parents had never been taught such
tricks, but this may in part be due to the imitative faculty.
An old cat which had been taught by a boy to perch on
his shoulder, instead of taking the position more usual
among cats, in his lap, has had several kittens, all of
which climb to the shoulders of the members of the fam-
ily as soon as they can climb at all. Jumping through
hoops or over obstacles are tricks often taught to cats,
and if female cats their kittens soon learn to perform the
same feats.
The breeders of cats will find not only much amuse-
ment in educating their pets in various ways, but more
in watching to see how far the influence of such teach-
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BREEDING AND MATING. 2J
ing will extend to the next or later generations, until the
task laboriously learned by the first may become an in-
stinct or an inherited quality.
In breeding to fix or establish a certain type in cats as
in other animals or in poultry, some breeders have felt
obliged to resort to
Or mating together of close relations as being
Iafcrecdifflgt more alike in the point to be fixed than two
would be from different families. While in such
cases it sometimes seems to accomplish the desired result
as can be done in no other way, it should be avoided
whenever possible. It has a tendency to weaken the con-
stitution of the offspring and to impair the health and
vigor, even sometimes to the extent of causing barren-
ness.
A more preferable way of reaching the same result of
fixing the type or characteristics of a breed is what is
called
Breeding This differs from inbreeding, in that three
|° or more generations are allowed to pass before
l,M * breeding back into the same blood, and then
it is only upon the side of one parent.
The most noted of the fast trotters or pacers of the
present day have been bred in this way. Their owners
point with pr'de to the number of times they can trace
back in their pedigree to some noted animal cf the olden
time. If seven or nine crosses of Hamiltonian or Mam-
brino or Messenger blood can be discovered, separated
by having had one or two out-crosscs of other good
blood between the coming together again, they feel that
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28 THE ANGORA CAT.
they have inherited from their ancestry both the nerve,
the muscle, and the lung power necessary to attain high
speed and maintain it to the end of the race.
The famous cow, 8th Duchess of Geneva, which was
sold at auction a few years ago for $40,600, was an ex-
ample of breeding in line, from a strain which we think
first had its type or character established by inbreeding,
and she was valued at that enormous sum because she
was thought to be the most thoroughly representative of
that particular blood that was known.
The most noted butter producers among the cows of
the present day are examples of breeding in line, and
often of very close breeding, and many of them can be
traced back through their sires and dams, several times
to cows of established records years ago.
It is because they are supposed to have inherited the
butter-producing quality and to be able to transmit
it to their descendants that they are valued at thousands
of dollars, and their calves will sell readily for hundreds
of dollars, as soon as old enough to be moved.
Whether we shall see the time when the breeding of
cats of pure blood in any of the breeds will ever attain
the dignity that has been reached by the breeding of
horses, cattle and dogs, or whether higher prices are to
be obtained in the near future for those which have been
bred by intelligent breeders, with a fixed purpose in
view, we will not attempt to predict.
Some indications point that way now. Already more
care is being taken in mating them for breeding pur-*
poses than ever before. The pedigrees of those which
can be traced back to prize winners in the show room
are being carefully recorded, and prices have been ad-
vancing under such conditions.
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BREEDING AND MATING. 29
Some breeders are paying more attention to breeding
for particular colors and markings than they have done,
and are meeting with as good a share of success as at
first rewarded those who began to try years ago to
breed poultry "true to feather/' and to the requirements
of an arbitrary standard.
They will need patience to follow it out upon these
lines, and to continue in the face of many disappoint-
ments, and also the courage to reject for breeding pur-
pose many which are so good as to be very near right,
yet not quite up to their ideal.
If to color, shape, and other markings, they add as
essential to a house pet docility and intelligence, or
capability of being taught, they will make their task
even more difficult, and yet more pleasant when they
approach to success, while to reach it will be to have
become almost the creator of a perfect animal.
We will not do more than to hint at the future possi-
bilities in the breeding of cats as a business, or as a
pleasure.
The fixing of colors and of peculiar markings so that
they will be reproduced with almost absolute certainty,
and the ensuring of desirable qualities as a household
pet have been spoken of. We believe they can be
reached by a few generations of careful mating and
selection, and with them will come also certain other
characteristics according to the fancy of the breeder.
To return once more to our illustration from the poul-
try yard. Among the Light Brahmas the Felch, the
Williams and the Corney strains are, or were once, so
fixed that while all conformed to the requirements of
the poultry standard, and were so much alike that the
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30 THE ANGORA CAT.
inexperienced eye would see no difference in them, the
expert readily distinguished them almost at a glance.
The same thing may be said of other strains of popular
breeds, as the Hawkins strain of Plymouth Rocks, the
Bonney strain of Brown Leghorns, and others that
might be named.
This is that indescribable something known as
which a stranger will sometimes notice be-
Resembl Y tween two brothers who might be thought
by their intimate friends to be entirely un-
like in complexion or feature, but which would be
plainly apparent to one seeing them for the first time,
particularly if he had been previously acquainted with
the father and grandfather. This resemblance rs often
marked between cousins, and sometimes appears after
the lapse of several generations.
To the founder of a strain or family of cats there will
be much of pleasure in seeing the results of their care,
something perhaps of fame, and surely a remuneration
in money when the desired type is fixed and becomes
popular, as does almost any type of any animal that can
be reproduced with uniformity.
All this may be attained by care in intelligent and
systematic mating and breeding — in the cat as it has
among other animals or among poultry, or so we confi-
dently believe.
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EXHIBITION AND TRANSPORTATION.
To prepare a cat for exhibition is not an easy task.
The interest in competitive exhibitions has been stead-
ily growing, and so great is the pleasure they afford and
their value in furnishing abundant material for crit-
ical study of the cat in its improved state that they may
confidently be expected to multiply and each year bring
to us newer developments and incite us to further study.
The average exhibitor, having decided to enter his
Angora, at once sets about getting it into condition to-
appear at its best. There are two ways of performing
this, one being right and the other wrong. Unfortu-
nately, the latter is by far the more popular, yet as far
as form goes, the only legitimate way to put an Angora
rightly into condition is to rely upon proper manage-
ment. When the condition for honors is badly "off,"
being under weight, out of coat, bad disposition, and
with poor health, it is well to start in with proper medi-
cines and training, which will have such action on the
animal as to overcome all unnecessary and disagreeable
elements which any prize-winning animal must possess.
It is well to take the Angora when it is young and
enter upon a systematic training. Exercise is one of
the principal things, and with a rigid diet, if they are
conducted under hygienic rules, are very essential and
beneficial. Steady, slow work should be the rule at first
in all instances. The amount of exercise required de-
pends upon the existing conditions, the state of health,,
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32 THE ANGORA CAT.
the endurance, and the individual peculiarities. Ob-
viously the matter of exercising is one that requires
knowledge and care. It will certainly be necessary to
understand the nature of cats thoroughly, their limit of
endurance, and to study them intelligently for the pur-
pose of determining where they are weak and need devel-
opment.
Some think that Angoras can be conditioned quite
as well by medicine as by proper hygienic methods.
Arsenic, the most popular agent for this purpose, is both
a tonic and a deadly poison, and can only be given mod-
erately and carefully with safety. This is far from being
suitable for conditioning cats, for although they seem to
fatten after taking it, the rounding out is not occasioned
by a healthy deposit of fat.
When all these suggestions have been carefully car-
ried out, it is well for the owner to get his Angora accus-
tomed to himself so that it will know him and become
fond of him. These points are valuable in many ways,
more especially if the animal is to be exhibited where the
owner can visit his cage and attend to the cat himself.
Cats being prepared for exhibition should be kept away
from other cats and made to get accustomed to confine-
ment.
In sending cats to exhibitions or shows, comfortable
crates, or boxes should be provided large enough to per-
mit them to stand and turn about with ease. The boxes
should be constructed so that air may be freely admitted
at the top and sides. The crates should be as light as
possible, very strong and durable. Avoid drafts in box-
ing. If the cats are to go only a short distance, place
milk-soaked bread in tin cups rather than bread and
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EXHIBITION AND TRANSPORTATION. 33
water, for fear that the water might be tipped over, thus
soiling the crate and injuring the cat's fur in transit.
Excelsior is a suitable bedding to place in the box, and
especially desirable, when it can be obtained, for health
and sanitary reasons. There should be destination cards
tacked on both sides and the top of the box. Be sure to
put into the box plenty of food on long journeys, so that
it will last a longer period than it will take the cat to
reach its destination. Never let a cat enter upon a jour-
ney with a full stomach. A hungry cat is in better con-
dition to travel than an over-fed one. Another impor-
tant thing for the shipper to observe is not to put a pad-
lock on the basket, as so many people are inclined to do,
enclosing the key in a letter to the secretary of the
exhibition. Now there are many chances that this key
will not arrive, and the poor kitten remains in the basket
awaiting the arrival of the secretary and the key. Should
neither come, or the former without the latter, the ani-
mal is obliged to remain in the basket longer than he
ought, remaining there until some other method is
adopted to release him.
After the cat has arrived at the exhibition
„, and is placed on the bench by the attendant,
he should be given a proper location and not
placed in an unsuitable spot where it is likely to come in
contact with drafts and cold. If a kitten is attended by
its owner, or a friend, it is more likely to receive better
attention and be placed in more desirable places than if
a kitten is allowed to go unattended. The appearance
of your cat is everything at a show. Judges are attracted
to your cat by its fine manners, condition, and breeding.
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34 THE ANGORA CAT.
A soiled specimen, no matter how beautiful it may be,
is greatly disqualified, if allowed to remain so. When
the cat is on the bench, it should be fed sparingly until
it is back home again. Those who are unaccustomed
to dog cakes, biscuits, and other food provided by the
exhibition should be fed on their regular diet or their
appetite will fail them and the animal will soon be on
the decline. It is noticed, however, that there are only
a few cats taken from their homes and placed on exhibi-
tion that have a regular sharp appetite, nor do they ap-
pear in as fine condition because of their strained senses,
which make them think that they are in a lost world.
Bear in mind not to allow your cat to be handled, nor let
him be fed out of cups or saucers which are likely to
come in contact with other cats during the exhibition.
It is a wise policy for owners of valuable cats to provide
their own cups for feeding, and should any improper
treatment be the rule of the day at the exhibition an
exhibitor has a perfect right to remove his animal from
the show if he believes the animal is endangered or
injured while it is remaining. Another important thing
to consider in the return of the cat is to see that it is
placed in its own box or basket, and that the labels are
properly attached and but one address is given. A great
many of these small matters, which have been men-
tioned and others which might have been mentioned, are
specially valuable in the sending and returning of cats
to shows or any other places.
Washing The care of the hair is very important.
**& t From the birth of the kitten the skin should
** be watched and not allowed to get dry or
humory. A small soft brush should be used for the first
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EXHIBITION ANb TRANSPORTATION. 35
ten weeks, and then a stronger one. Never comb the
hair. It will greatly pull thfc hair and break it, which
will in time cause the cat to lose much and shorten the
remainder. Snarls will never appear if a cat is groomed
each day.
The hair may be long and yet not silky. To make
soft, silky hair brushing is necessary. Much sickness is
caused by bathing the animal with medicated soaps, as
it is natural for a cat to go over its body afterwards with
its tongue, thus causing the poison to enter the stomach.
In washing the cat, it is not specially necessary more
than once a month, unless it be a white specimen.
When the hair becomes blackened, the cat should be
taken to a warm plfcce, and if not accustomed to water,
should be gradually made to understand that the water
will not harm it. Then bathe it a little with a soft
sponge, lathered with some good castile soap, bearing
in mind always to rub down instead of up, thus prevent-
ing the ruffling of the hair and breaking it. Apply un-
til the animal is soaked that the soap and water may
reach the skin.
If a mild tonic is necessary to soften the skin and
make it a little healthier, it would be well to apply when
the cat has been soaked, so that it will reach the pores
of the skin and not remain on the outer hair. Be care-
ful not to allow the cat to get at any place where it is
likely to become dirty again, because the hair when wet
is likely to catch dirt, and in this state it will be buried
underneath the outer hair and this will become matted,
thus causing little snarls to be created. It is well for
one if they desire the cat to be in perfect condition, and
to have a soft, silky fur, to rub the hair dry with some
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36 THE ANGORA CAT.
soft towel. After this has been performed, allow the
cat to remain in a box near the stove where it can get
dry before it is allowed to enter into the cold or wander
about the house. Many people are apt to use perfumery
on their cats, and while it does not injure the animal
specially, still if the perfumery is not of the very best it
is apt to injure the skin, lodging on the pores and caus-
ing an unhealthy skin. Too frequent washings of the
hair are apt to cause it to come out, and too vigorous rub-
bing is apt to break off the hair, which is very tender,
and special pains should be taken in this respect.
To prevent the loss of the hair, and to restore it when
lost, circulation should be stimulated by washing every
morning the affected part with cold water, drying by
the friction of a rough towel, and afterwards brushing
with a stiff hair brush.
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DISEASES OF THE CAT.
INTRODUCTORY.
Diseases of cats are not unlike those of a human
being. Besides being subject to common diseases, like
Catarrh, Diarrhoea, Distemper, Fits, etc., cats are not
unfrequently infested by parasites either external, as
by the itch mite, causing walling and baldness, and by
fleas, or internally by threadworms and tapeworms.
Fits of vomiting are often due to small thread-
worms in the stomach. The bladder worms of mice
and rats become the tapeworms of the cat. When-
ever a cat becomes ill from a disease which is more
than trivial, whether it be a fever, inflammation of
one of the organs, or an injury from some source,
it shows its illness more decidedly than most other
animals. With the commencing illness a cat loses
its appetite and seeks a dark, quiet spot where it
wants to remain out of sight. The nose becomes
warm. There is inappetence, or total loss of appe-
tite. The coat becomes dry and harsh. The animal
lies quiet, sleeping most of the time, unless there is
some degree of pain, when it gives evidence of trouble
by constant crying.
At first symptoms of digestive trouble and even in
fever and other illnesses, if the cat can reach a grass plot
it immediately eats a quantity of grass, which is swal-
lowed and retained in the stomach until it is irritated,
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38 THE ANGORA CAT.
producing vomiting, showing an action of the intestines.
Many have expressed surprise that a cat kept constantly
in the housi does not thrive better than one that is
allowed to rove uncared for, subjected to all irregulari-
ties and abusive treatment. It can be readily seen that
the nourishment and medicine obtained from the small
blades of green grass has a decided stimulating and
effective action on the system of the cat.
The diseases of cats, like those of other animals, are
divided into diseases of the respiratory system, which
include cold, catarrh, bronchial troubles, and other dis-
eases of the lungs ; diseases of the digestive system,
including those of the stomach, intestines, and the liver ;
constitutional diseases, such as fever, distemper, glan-
ders ; and external parasitic diseases, such as fleas,
mange, and worms ; nervous troubles ; and local dis-
eases of the eyes, teeth, and claws. There is a science
in the administration of medicine. To well broken cats,
fond of their owners, the administration is sometimes
an easy matter, but again in one equally well broken
and affectionate disposition, it is an excessively difficult
matter. A pill, or powder, forming the substance usu-
ally used, can oftentimes be included in a small piece
of meat, or other food, which the animal will easily swal-
low. Liquid medicine must be poured into the mouth,
and it is oftentimes a difficult task to do this as the cat
is bound to allow some of it to escape, and the full dose
is not swallowed. It is necessary to repeat in order
that the cat has proper dose stimulant. Sometimes
medicines and stimulants can be given in water or milk,
but where the medicine has a bad taste, the cat is sure
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DISEASES OF THE CAT. 39
not to patronize the liquid. If one is careful to provide
a warm quiet place for a cat when it is sick, it will be
found that this will add much to the comfort and speedy
recovery of the animal. A cat never makes an apology
for intrusions, or asks favors other than as a matter of
consequence. Never scold, frighten, or shake a sick
cat. It matters not how cross they may be at first,
they soon come to understand that the treatment is for
their comfort and will quietly submit after a short while.
Care must be taken to guard against their bite, how-
ever, as the bite of a cat is always a serious thing. For
treatment, taking medicine, etc., the sick cat should be
snugly rolled in a sheet, its paws at its side, mouth
pressed open and a bit of wood laid across the lower
jaw, behind the eye teeth, will prove all that is neces-
sary. The following paragraphs on diseases, carefully
prepared, and in many respects quite brief, will tend to
help the lover of the cat in administering medicine
and caring for his pet when sick.
Fka* It is not necessary that cats should have fleas
and
Lice*
and Qr y lce ^ an( j wnere one or t w0 animals are k e pt
it is more the neglect of the owner than the
fault of the animal at the appearance of such parasites.
Lice are caused by dirt, and if cleanliness is thoroughly
looked after they will disappear. Fleas will breed when
the animal is not properly looked after, or if it is
allowed to run about with other animals, or if it is
permitted to roll in the ground injudiciously. The
long hair of the Angora makes a nice resting-place for
all such parasites, and if the cats are not properly
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40 THE ANGORA CAT.
groomed or washed in time, they will increase and
cause the animal mugh trouble and make it a miserable
looking subject. Oftentimes we have noticed that a
beautiful specimen will get a single flea, and in a short
period the animal will be completely covered with fleas
and its body a mass of blotches and sores where the
fleas have destroyed the hair. The animal in scratch-
ing will either pull out its own hair or seriously injure
the skin from constant biting.
It is well in cases of this kind, in order to thoroughly
remove the fleas or lice, to first wash the animal thor-
oughly with some carbolic soap, or other wash that is
recommended. Be specially careful that the prepara-
tion is not liable to poison the cat, because in licking
itself dry the kitten is apt to swallow the substance and
get the drug into its stomach, upsetting this organ and
causing an internal trouble. Any ordinary soap and
water makes a good wash, and while the animal is wet a
person is better able to go over the body with a fine
tooth comb and remove any of the parasites which may
be on the animal. This done thoroughly once will
prevent many washings and also trouble sure to
follow.
Fleas and lice are more frequent in summer than at
any other season of the year, still if the animal js jxoi
properly cared for at all times they are liable to
make their appearance. It is known that some oats are
never free from them. This is occasioned more by lack
of care than anything else. A cat that is well groomed
and washed frequently never has any trouble in this
way, and is usually made to look beautiful with the sim-
plest remedies.
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DJSE4SES OF THE CAT 4 J
Every cat and kitten has worms. It seems
Worm$. as though they were bred with the cat. To
rid the cat of worms is quite like keeping
hair from growing on its body. You can give it all
Jiin^s of mediping apd treat it with the best atten-
tion, but worms ^re sure to be with the kitten. The
onjy thing to do is to prevent them from increas-
ing. They are the cause erf many serious and fatal
diseases, which destroy a gr#at rn^ny kittens every year,
and are a source of disease ponstantly. There are three
general kinds of worms, the maw worm, the round worm,
and the tape-worm. The symptoms of the presence of
worms are generally $. depraved appetite, a harsh, un-
healthy state of skin, and irregularities of the bowels.
The maw worm is from one-half to one inch long, of a
milky white color. The round worm is of & pale pink
color, six to eight inches long, and is either passed in
the faeces, or is vomited from the stomach in consider-
able numbers coiled together in a ball. The tape- worm
is £ flat, tape-like worm, often many feet in length, con-
sisting of short joints, making it difficult to eject entirely.
Tape worms in kittens are numerous, and no animal is
free from them until the head is passed, for as long as
this remains it will develop fresh egg-producing seg-
ments, which are passed, and prove the means of the
diffusion of the parasite. The best agent for ordinary
yse to expel the tape-worm is areca nut in doses of one-
half a drachm to two drachms, according tQ the size of
the patient, which should be combined with cathartic.
Oil of Turpentine is always available, and Qan be freely
used. About three fluid drachms is the maximum dose.
It acts thoroughly and effectively. Worms irritate the
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42 THE ANGOEA CAT
stomach and intestines, producing indigestion, constipa-
tion, inflammation of the bowels, and death. They in-
terfere with the appetite and wreck the system gener-
ally, and oftentimes reduce the cat to a living skeleton.
Fits, which frighten people, are traceable to the pres-
ence of worms, although in rare cases a cat infested with
these parasites keeps fat and sleek, but it is a mis-
erable bag of bones. There are other remedies for
worms, such as calomel and similar drastic purgatives.
The linseed oil drench is exceedingly valuable.
A great many people would think that
Rheumatism, rheumatism was not frequent with cats,
but it is quite so. Although it is very apt
to make its appearance in the spring and when the
animal is aged, the disease will also come if the ani-
mal is allowed to be over-fed. To come in contact
with wet and dampness is also liable to bring on
rheumatism. Rheumatism, however, is generally due
to damp, ill ventilated places where the cat has to lie
close to the ground. If the cat runs all day long in the
wet grass, or is in the house a great deal, and is
obliged at night to lie in damp, low places, illy venti-
lated, rheumatism will generally result. This disease is
confined principally to the muscular system, which
sometimes causes the animal to become paralyzed, more
generally in the hind legs. Usually if rheumatism at-
tacks a young kitten it is very apt to remain and become
chronic. The only remedy one can suggest is to keep
the animal in a warm, dry place, feed regularly, and give
plenty of exercise.
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DISEASES OF THE CAT 45
It is not necessary that a cat should have
Distemper, distemper, nor is it likely that one will hive
the disease before it dies. Everyone knows
distemper, at least, by name, and there is no more
necessity for a cat to have distemper than for every
child to have the measles or typhus fever. Good
food, comfortable quarters, and other judicious treat-
ment render attacks less likely to occur. Distemper
kills many cats in the course of the season if not prop-
erly handled. It is claimed that damp, poor housing, lack
of proper care, and unsuitable food are specific causes.
However, the essence of the disease is probably frtini
some poison admitted from without. The disease 1 is very
contagious. It is always best if one has a large number
of cats that are subject to distemper to either remove
them, or remove the invalid. In cases where the 1 dis-
temperis very serious, and a fancier has other valuable
cats, it would pay him to have the specimen killeti.
Distemper is more likely to happen in youfig animals
than in old ones. Almost always the first thing noticed
in an animal coming down with distemper is the loss of
appetite, and husky cough, sounding as if the cat was
trying to get a piece of straw out of its throat. There
is also a tendency to sneeze, but not as often as the
husk which may come with a common cold or influenza.
In distemper the strength and flesh rapidly fail and
waste, while in a common cold the cough may continue
for days without much alteration in either. The white
of the eyes is more or less reddened, the color being of
a bluish red cast. When the brain is attacked, the eyes
are more injected than when the bowels or lungs are the
seat of complication. The corners of the eyes have a
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44 THE ANGORA CAT,
small drop of mucus, the nose runs more or less, which
sometimes as the disease goes on is much aggravated by
rilling up with a brownish matter. Such are the regular
symptoms of an attack of distemper, which gradually
increase in severity until a convalescence is effected, or
death ensues. The disease usually has a run of three or
four weeks. When the head is attacked, there is a run-
ning from the nose and eyes. If there is a fit it is a
good evidence of brain affection. A raving madness
sometimes comes on, which latter is a fatal complication.
The cat is oftentimes when in this weak state a victim
of palsy, which will remain with it the rest of its life.
Should inflammation of the lungs intervene the danger
is very great, and characterized by rapid breathing with
a cough, running from the nose and eyes, and the expec-
toration of a thick, filthy mucus. However, if the skin
is attacked, it is considered a more favorable sign, and
is followed by a breaking out of pustules on the thigh
and stomach. The cat should be kept very quiet and
not annoyed. There should be no exercise 6f any kind.
The diet should be very carefully considered. Warmth,
cleanliness, and care will cure more cats than anything
else. In the early stages the bowels should be gotten in
good order by a mild dose of physic, and after the violent
symptoms are abated it is well to give a good tonic.
This disease is more apt to occur when there are three
or four cats kept together, or allowed to run about in the
neighborhood. It will also occur should an animal be
boxed and shipped to some distant destination and sub-
jected to all kinds of weather and treatment. Good care
and proper food generally brings the animal round to
good health again. The food must be nourishing. Well
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DISEASES OF THE CAT 45
boiled oatmeal, milk, or beef-tea are good. Beginning
in the early stages, and following the directions above,
the poisoning of the blood, which is the essence of dis-
temper, is completely neutralized and destroyed by this
nursing.
Mange is very common with the Angora,
Mange* and if it once gets the best of the skin, it
will increase and disfigure the cat and make
life miserable. Mange is a parasitic disease, and can
be communicated from one animal to another. It
is also troublesome to get rid of. The skin of the
back and neck is generally attacked first, the disease
extending to other parts of the body and bringing
on local troubles when it affects the eyelids, ears,
and feet. The cat's appetite can be good, but from ex-
haustion, scratching, and irritating it, especially when
the skin is excited by warmth or after eating or drinking,
the animal becomes thin. As the cat scratches itself,
it conveys the parasites by its claws and paws to other
parts of the body and communicates the disease to other
surfaces. In this way the hair generally drops out in
patches. Mange is sudden in its appearance, and is
often found in young kittens, or kittens after having the
distemper, while cats are very apt to have it and are
harder to cure than when young. Mange is also caused
by some digestive derangement. The cat suffers very
much from irritation and does not aid itself by letting
the sores alone, but constantly bites, scratches, and
tears itself in every possible way. Various modes of
treatment are recommended by different authorities.
Undoubtedly the cause is filthy surroundings, dirt,
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46 TItE ANGORA CAT.
damp, arid poor living. The only sure way to rid cats
of the mange where the disease has taken a stronghold,
forming sores &nd scabs oh the surface, is to remove the
scabs and be careful that there is not remaining any bits
of diseased flesh, which is liable to crop out again and
cover the animal with sores. The feet and ears should
be especially examined. The diet must be attended to at
once and a laxative dose given the cat. Follicular mange
is less contagious, originating in patches over the head
and about the cheeks and lips. It invades the whole
body, especially the legs, stomach, and sides, rendering
the cat a loathsome object. There is some scratching
and loss of hair, as in the true mange. A good treat-
ment is to thoroughly wash the cat in resin ointment
thickened with sublimed of sulphur and then diluted
with oil of juniper. Ariother good preparation is a
dressing consisting of sixteen parts each of sublimed
sulphur and whale oil blended with one part each of
mercurial ointment and oil of turpentine. Of course, in
using such preparations one has to be specially careful
that the ointments are not allowed to remain too thick
or too long on the cat without removing, because th£
animal is very apt to lick itself dry and is sure to take
into its stomach any washes, etc., that may be oh itfc
body. Thus, if possible, if one wishes these ointments
to remain on the cat for some time, it would be well to
muzzle the cat for a time each day that the sores may
heal without running the chances of the cat being sick
from swallowing the preparations. In feeding, we
would suggest the simplest diet, such as cereals well
cooked, and a little fish, cooked. Meat would be injuri-
ous, as it tends to heat the system, which of course at
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DISEASES OF THE CAT 47
this time is dangerous. Allow the cat as much fresh air
and exercise as possible, and keep its face cool and its
eyes thoroughly washed out in warm water. There are
many things one could use to speedily cure mange and
other skin diseases, but in treating a cat it is quite un-
like a dog because one must be cautious that he does
not poison the cat from putting on preparations which
would injure it if allowed to get into the stomach.
Where the presence of any kind of poison is
Poison* suspected, prompt and energetic action is neces-
sary. The first thing to be done is to excite
vomiting so as to eject the poison as soon as possible
from the stomach, or to neutralize its action by the use
of antidotes. A liberal dose of luke-warm water, slightly
salted, generally has a good effect, but it is safest to use
at once sweet oil or melted lard. After such an experi-
ence a course of cod liver oil is advised with a generous
diet. There are so many kinds of poisonings that it
would be quite difficult to give a treatise on them all,
but one can act wisely and treat the animal the same as
if it were a human being.
Fits is a disease probably more dreaded by people
Fits, than any other on account of the terrible appear-
ance which is presented by the cat and the sud-
denness of the attack. By fits we mean a violent and
involuntary contraction of the muscles of the whole,
or part, of the body which consists in some affection
of the spinal system of nerves. Convulsions and
fits are dangerous, some are very dangerous, and
some even fatal. The ones to be feared the most
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48 THE ANGORA CAT.
are those which occur after dropsy of the brain has
set in, several falls or bruises, or after any acute attack
of brain or bowel diseases. They are very likely to
occur between the age of two and seven months. The
cause of fits is irritation of the bowels from indigestible
food, worms, excessive crying, pains, anger, or joy. A
dangerous form develops from overloading the stomach
with indigestible food. The effect generally commences
in the eyes, which are first fixed in one position staring^
but as the case advances, they become agitated and turn
up beneath the upper eyelid, leaving only the whites
visible. The eyelids are sometimes open and sometimes
shut. The eyes are frequently crossed. The muscles
of the face next become affected and the mouth is dis-
torted into various shapes. The jaw is firmly fixed and
there is foaming at the mouth. In severe cases the
body is violently convulsed, the head is drawn backward
or to either side. The body may become stiff and rigid.
A fit may last but for a few minutes, or it may continue
for several hours. The first thing to be done is to pre-
pare a warm bath and submerge the cat as soon as possi-
ble. Cold water poured on the animal has a desired
effect, and after it has come out of the fit no other treat-
ment is necessary. The cat should be wrapped in a
warm flannel or woolen blanket. If the patient does not
improve under this treatment give an injection of tepid
water which may be mixed with a table-spoonful of sweet
oil with a little castile soap-suds. Repeat this as often
as necessary to produce an evacuation of the bowels.
Old cats are usually the worst sufferers from
Asthma* this disease, the wheezing and spasmodic breath-
ing being very painful, not only for themselves
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BLUE MALTESE MALE.
OWNED BY MISS ELEANOR CARPENTER.
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DJSEASES OF THE CAT 49
but for their owner's feelings. Over-feeding or sweet
and unsuitable food, is very often the cause in other
cats. A dose of from five to ten drops, according to age
of cat, of spirit of sulphuric ether, given in milk, gives
immediate relief. Asthma is prevalent among cats which
have been kept as pets and over-fed without proper exer-
cise. The trouble is sometimes very dangerous, because
it tends to wreck the system and causes the cat to lose
flesh. If an old cat has asthma the best way to relieve
her is to put her to rest. There is really no cure in the
last stages, especially where a cat has become very fat
and old.
Diarrhoea is a very serious ailment with
Diarrhoea. Angoras. If not properly treated and han-
dled the disease will cause the death of the
animal quicker than almost anything else. Diarrhoea is
caused by an inflammation of the mucous membrane of
the bowels and' often comes on through change of diet,
exposure to cold and wet, or by some improper food,
irritating the canal, or by an epidemic influence. Kit-
tens are very liable to diarrhoea after being weaned, and
they suffer from it through eating portions of food
which have turned sour from being allowed to stand.
A dose of castor oil will generally produce a decided
evacuation of the bowels and carry away the irritat-
ing substance. If taken in ' time, diarrhoea may
be easily checked. If allowed to run on, it will termi-
nate in dysentery. Strengthen the animal by giving
a spoonful of brandy. Feed on bread and milk with
no meat. If looseness continues give a half-spoonful
of paregoric.
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50 THE ANGORA CAT.
There are two kinds of canker to which cats
Canker* are subject, one canker of the mouth and the
second canker of the ear. Probably the for-
mer is more serious and troublesome, owing to the diffi-
culty in reaching the canker. Cats are stubborn things
to doctor, especially those that are not pets. One has
to be very patient and quick to administer successfully.
Canker in either case is caused by the blood, the impuri-
ties of the system showing themselves in this manner.
A good cure is to physic the cat, feed light food, wash
the mouth in listerene or alcohol diluted. Canker of
the ear is caused by exposure, lack of cleanliness or in-
jury to the ear. The disease produces an inflammation
of the membrane of the ear. This makes the cat con-
tinually scratch at its ear and shake its head. Upon ex-
amination a red, inflamed appearance of the ears, which
has a hot, feverish feeling, is found. There is in ad-
vanced stages a dark brown discharge of blood or pus,
foul smelling and offensive. External canker is an ulcer-
ous sore, which forms on the edge of the ear, which is
associated with internal canker, but is often caused by
the ears being torn or bruised by brush or twigs, when
it exists alone. It is recommended in the latter case to
lance the canker when soft enough, washing clean in all
cases with luke-warm water, sponging out the ear well,
adding to the water a little disinfectant, and drying with
a cloth. A thin cap should be placed over the cat's
head to keep it from shaking its ears. When the sys-
tem is very much reduced a good tonic should be given,
and the cat fed liberally with nourishing food, and the
bowels regulated with a mild physic.
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DISEASES OF THE CAT 5 1
If cats or kittens become constipated it
Constipation, generally comes from their not being prop-
erly exercised or fed. It is likely to ap-
pear when they are fed upon bread and meat without
vegetable food. Their bowels are apt to become very
costive, and a mild dose of physic is efficacious. This
will usually prove effective and no further treatment is
necessary. Castor oil or olive oil are good to use, also
calomel. Let the cats have green grass, if possible.
This is nature's medicine for them.
The usual cause of colds and coughs is expos-
Colds, ure to cold and wet, as well as damp, unwhole-
some quarters. Symptoms are sneezing, water-
ing of the eyes, with a slimy discharge from the nose.
The cat usually walks about lifeless, being very anxious
to coddle near a fire or in some dark place. The urine
is quite scanty and high colored, while there is consid-
erable fever, the bowels being very costive. The cat
should be removed to a warm, dry place where it can
also obtain rest and quiet, and a dose of physic given to
operate the bowels. All cats are susceptible to coughs
and colds at every stage of their career, most generally
those that are made pets. A good remedy is to put
a little seasoning in the food, such as pepper, while
allowing the animal a diet that will furnish strength,
such as cooked meat, or even warm milk, or warm beef
soup. Bathe the head frequently with a soft sponge
and warm water or alcohol. Keep the eyes clean and
the nostrils free. Groom the cat often and see that
the bowels are moved regularly.
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THE CORRECT ANGORA.
An Angora is judged by practically the same points as
a dog. Cats are of two classes, long haired and short
haired. The points to be considered first in an Angora
are its hair and coat, then the eye, tail, body and ears.
The coat includes the mane, and frill, as well as the ear
tufts, which last show plainest of all perhaps any admix-
tures of short haired blood. These mixtures of short
haired blood are often purposely made, since the short
haired cat is imposing. The head should be orange
shaped and show breadth between the eyes and be strong
boned. The eyes should be round and open. The nose
should be short and tapering. The teeth should be
good, and the claws flat. The upper leg should lay at
close angles. The lower leg should be straight. The
feet should be small and round, and a good cat
should be deep chested, but light framed. The neck
should be slim and graceful. The ears should be medium
in size with rounded points. The back should be square
and high, the tail long and tapering. In judging more
particularly the fur, it is well to consider the length,
quality, and the thickness. The Queen Elizabeth ruffle,
which name is often given to the fur about the neck,
should be exceedingly long and wavy. Another impor-
tant point is the color of the coat, which means its rich-
ness and purity, and the tail, which includes size and
carriage. The eyes again are given considerable impor-
tance, especially in the white and self-colored ones.
5 2
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WHITE, WITH BUFF SPOTS*
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THE CORRECT ANGORA. 53
Angoras vary in form, color, and disposition, the qual-
ity of their hair, which is more wooly on some specimens
than on others. They vary also in the shape and length
of their tail, the ears, and the size of their eyes. The
body should be long and graceful and covered with long,
silky hair with a curly tendency. The legs should be of
moderate length in proportion with the body. The claws
should be sparsely covered with hair, still a tuft of hair
growing out between the toes is an indication of high
breeding. The tail should be long and flat with a broom-
like hair, which if abundant, correspondingly increases
the cat's value. The richness of the coloring is another
important point of the animal. One of the most essen-
tial matters, however, in selecting an Angora is its dis-
position, arid that should be carefully considered. The
Angora is at its prime at fifteen months of age. Before
this age its hair is not sufficiently developed to give full
beauty and grace, which is characteristic of the animal.
Probably no animal of its size possesses more of the
qualities just mentioned. It is petted and cared for like
a child and lives like a king or queen in the new home
to which it is welcomed.
In selecting an Angora it is best to buy one about three
months to six months old. For the first two months
the kittens are subject to indigestion and milk fever, and
from the second into the third distemper, which is the
greatest danger. After the kitten reaches six months
and has kept well, there is little danger of its getting
sick and dying from the effect of anything that would
not come to the ordinary house cat.
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DIFFERENT COLORS OF ANGORAS.
In speaking of the colors of the original Angora, there
can be but three distinct shades traced, that is, the white,
the black, and the buff. Yet to-day we have as many
combinations and colors as there are cats, but scientific
breeding has caused many of these colors to be created,
and they are avast improvement over some of the origi-
nal colors, allowing the white to creep in and forming a
very beautiful combination. Judges claim that the solid
colored cat is to be preferred rather than the mixed col-
ored cat, but the fancy of the people is for a. mixed col-
ored cat with regular markings, thus the coloring is very
artistic and is not at all confining as in the solid colored
cats like black and buff.
The colors now that predominate are the black, brown,
blue, maltese, buff, and gray, which are called solid col-
ors, and the black and white, brown and white, blue and
white, maltese and white, buff and white, ermine (white
with black spots), tiger and white, and tortoise shell,
which are termed mixed colors.
A cat to be called a black or a buff cat must have a
very rich coloring clear and distinct. There is much
difference in the shades, which in one animal becomes it
better than in others. The black with the white, while
it is exceedingly pretty, would not look as well as if the
cat was a tawny black and white. Probably one of the
hardest colors to produce clearly is the buff. There are
as many as six different shades, still the richest coloring
is the one which bears closely on to a rich fawn shade.
54
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DIFFERENT COLORS OF ANGORAS. 55
A streaked buff cat, although sometimes richly marked,
has not the value that a clear colored one has. The
color of the animal is the most important thing for one
to consider. Oftentimes a very beautiful and graceful
specimen is discarded owing to its color and markings.
For this reason in breeding one cannot give too much
care and attention in making such selections as he, him-
self, believes would be stylish and correct.
The hardest colors to produce are the solids, and while
at present the price is much higher for these specimens,
it is believed that as soon as the public gets educated to
the fact that other colors containing a small portion
of white, mixed correctly, the mixed colors will be
quite as popular. The color and breeding, while in
many instances will come true in the kittens, is not
always a safe rule to rely upon, because it is known that
a pair of white cats have bred three kittens representing
the different colors of the rainbow. It would naturally
be supposed that the mother and father were inbred, but
this is not so. It is a peculiar characteristic of the ani-
mal. It is, however, best, if one is following the breed-
ing of cats for colors, to have the mother and father of
the same color, and if the kitten comes of the same color
as its parents it can be safely selected to mate again
with the same color, and so on, until finally a distinct
family of that color will be created. Now, it is impor-
tant for the fancier to know that while the mother may
be of one color and the father of the same color, if the
mother is allowed intimacy with another male during
pregnancy it is liable to produce the color of the third for
her kittens. It is well then for one to keep the pairs
separated as much as possible.
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56 THE ANGORA CAT.
TABLE TO DETERMINE PERFECTION IN CATS.
The following table, arranged by Mr. Huidekoper,
shows the points which determine in the eyes of judges
what constitutes perfection in feline beauty :
LONG-HAIRED CATS.
D
orq
S
&
3.
O
0*
•1
S
W
CO
n
p
\Sr
^
*
r+
VARIETY.
o
•
O
O
•
Any self-color
except white
20
16
12
12
12
—
5
8
5
IO
100
White ....
20
15
12
12
10
—
5
10
6
IO
100
Tabbies, any
color 15 10 10 10 15 15
5 5 5 10 100
SHORT-HAIRED CATS.
O
o
ST
s
5.
a o
3 g*
W
8
H
n
o
D
H
o
Tortoise Shell 30 20 10 10 5
1 Black 30 — 20 15 10 1
White .... 25 — 15 20 10 1
Blue 35 — 15 20 10
Any other color 25 — 15 25 10 1
Tortoise-shell and white 30 20 10 10 5
Silver tabby 25 25 10 10 5
Red tabby 30 20 15 10 5
Brown or other striped
tabby 30 20 15 10 5
Spotted tabby 25 30 10 10 5
Any variety or color,
white markings ... 20 30 15 10 5 5 5
10 10
5 10
5 10
5 10
5 10
IO IO
IO IO
5 10
5 10
5 10
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
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PURE WHITE ANGORA MALE*
A HEAD STUDY. OF A REMARKABLE CAT.
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ENTRY FORM.
57
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RULES AND REGULATIONS.
Adopted by National Cat Show for Exhibitions held by the Society.
I.
Competition is open to all.
ii.
Prize lists and entry forms may be had on application
to the Secretary, National Cat Show. No entries will
be received unless made on the regular entry form.
A charge of two dollars ($2) will be made on every
cat or pair of kittens entered in the several classes.
The form of entry, properly filled out, together with en-
trance fees, must be sent to the Secretary, National
Cat Show. If the entry is accepted, a receipt will be
sent to the exhibitor, which receipt must be produced at
the close of the show, or cats will not be delivered.
IV.
An address label and circular of instructions will be
forwarded to each exhibitor, together with a metal num-
ber, which must be attached by a collar or ribbon to the
neck of each cat, and which number will agree with the
cat's cage and with its number in the catalogue of
entries.
58
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BLACK AND WHITE MALE*
16 MONTHS OLD.
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RULES AND REGULATIONS. 59
v.
Each cat must be securely packed in a separate bas-
ket, except in the case of pairs of kittens, which must
be sent together.
VI.
Cats will be fed and attended to during the exhibi-
tion, and cages will be provided. But cats are received
for exhibition only upon the express condition that the
show will not be responsible for any loss of or damage
to cats, boxes, baskets, cages, etc., that may happen
from any cause whatever during the exhibition, or to
cats whilst being unpacked, penned or packed, or in
transit to or from the show.
VII.
Exhibitors will be responsible for the correct descrip-
tion of the cats they show, and must be careful to enter
them in their proper classes.
VIII.
Each cat shown must be the bona fide property of the
exhibitor, and each cat or pair of kittens can be shown
in one class only, except for special prizes.
IX.
Exhibitors desirous of selling their cats must state
the price, including basket, etc., and the price must be
stated on the entry form, which price will be printed in
the catalogue of entries. Ten per cent, will be deducted
from all sales made. In case of any loss or damage to
cats sold, it must be borne by the purchaser. Cats must
be paid for at the time they are claimed, and the money
for the same must be paid to the manager of the show.
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60 THE ANGORA CAT.
x.
Labels, properly addressed, will be sent to each ex-
hibitor. The address for the return of the cat must be
written on the other side of the label by the exhibitor.
The carriage or expressage of cats, must, in all cases, be prepaid.
XI.
One badge of free admission will be sent to every ex-
hibitor. In case of. transfer or other improper use of
said badge the same will be forfeited.
XII.
Exhibitors of cats may, if they wish, take them home
each day after the close of the show on the deposit of
$5 with the manager and the production of the receipt
for entrance fees, which deposit will be forfeited if the
cat be not returned by nine o'clock each morning. If a
prize cat be taken away and not returned, the prize will
also be forfeited.
As it is difficult to get at the baskets in which the cats have
been sent to the show when packed away, it is requested that ex-
hibitors wishing to remove their cats for the night will bring a
basket for that purpose.
XIII.
Any exhibitor in any way interfering with or remov-
ing any cat from its cage during the show, without the
consent of the Superintendent, will forfeit any prize
that may have been awarded.
XIV.
The judges will be empowered to withhold any prize or
prizes in any class if, in their opinion, the cats exhibited
do not possess sufficient merit. The decision of the
judges will, in all cases, be final.
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TIGER AND GREY FEMALE.
OWNED BY MR. F. I. DANIELS
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT.
The following imaginative letter written by a
Letter* cat to a ^ ormer mistress will be better appreci-
ated when it is known that the facts are based
upon an actual experience of a homesick little kitten :
To "Miss Edith" : — At last I have found a place
to rest and write in. Am in an old shed, or part of one,
facing the cold Charles River near Exeter Street. I am
grateful for this ray of sun that falls upon me, and the
quietude of the old shanty. I think it must be Sunday,
for all the people that pass have solemn faces. How I
wish I could hear some one laugh again.
But what a time I had wandering to this spot, and
shall I ever forget my first sad night out in the cold
world all alone. But I prefer it to the grand home on
Commonwealth Avenue.
O ! such a reception ! Those black people that seemod
to control the house made such a noise, and acted so
strangely I had to cry. Everything, they thought, was
too nice for me to smell of, or even step on. I was
driven from room to room, at last to the cellar, to wait
until my new Mistress came. O, what a feeling of in-
tense horror when I first beheld her. I tried so hard to
go to her, for I did want kindness so much from someone,
but she was so homely, and had such grand things on,
that I was afraid. Just as I had mustered up my cour-
age and resolved to meet her, I heard her say, " that I
was a dirty ', miserable, wild cat" and then she turned on
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62 THE ANGORA CAT.
her heel and slammed the cellar door on my poor foot,,
(for I, like a fool, tried to follow her.) O ! such pain \
How I did stand on three legs and moan, but no one
heard me, and I was so hungry, sleepy and disappointed.
How I did wish my good Grandma Ellis had never gone
away tp stay all night again, and again wished I had
been born a common cat. This being sold for dollars is
too much. I fully resolved then and there if I ever could
I would make my escape. O to get away from these
terrible people — my poor foot, it hurt me so. I began
to wonder how I could run. I think it must have been
three hours I sat, moaning with pain, before anyone
came into the cellar, and how I started, for I must
have had a short nap. Then a big mouthed black
woman, with a white cap on, sat a dish of hard bread
and potato skins down to me. She flew up-stairs as
though I was going to bite her. O ! I was so disgusted
and homesick I could eat nothing, it was so unlike
Grandma Ellis's food. The door opened into the
back yard (how good the world seemed to me I longed
so for the open air.)
An old man came in, bringing on his shoulder a basket
of coal. Now came the chance. I shook in every limb.
Should I run or stay in this horrible place over night ?
I tried to run away, but my poor *foot was too sore.
Then the door closed ; when the old man had emptied
his basket he came to me and kindly said, " You poor
kittie." How gratefully I purred to him, for the touch
of his dirty hand did me good. I did not care how dirty
I was. I did wish I could follow him, but he was too
busy bringing in the coal to take me away, so I quietly
skulked off into a dark corner to bide my time.
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PURE WHITE MALE.
OWNED BY MR. STE.VENS.
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT 63
Night came — everything grew dark (still we cats can
see only colors change). I had to eat a piece of hard
bread. At last I was taken into the kitchen and looked
over. A big fat man with a red face took me. He was
in full dress, and had little time to look at me. He
seemed to blame my new mistress for getting me, and
said the children would kill me. O ! horrors ! Then I
was pushed down cellar again. Some old milk that was
half water was turned into a rusty tin dish, but I was
too homesick to relish it. When all was quiet I heard a
little sound like a mouse. Yes ! My grandma should
have seen me eat that mouse. Then I slept on the top
of an ash barrel until morning came. I had fully made
up my mind to escape, come what might. Soon I found
my opportunity, for the black man was slow in taking
in the milk, and as my foot was nearly well I ran and
jumped past him. How I did go, and it seemed to me
he made no attempt to catch me. Over fences and
down alleys I ran. It was quite early. I met a few cats
going home, they looked at me but did no harm. I had
just time to climb a high fence when a big black dog
came along. He had a nice bone in his mouth, it did
smell so good it made me hungry. Well, I walked,
skulked and crept, had to avoid many small boys, but I
went on, till at last I heard a cry. How sorry I was to
meet a poor, disabled cat. She had one leg badly hurt.
I felt I must be friendly to her, and am so glad I was,
for she proved to be a good friend to me. She told me
of this dear old shed, and how to get here, and who to
avoid. O ! if she had lived to come with me, I might
have been a happy fellow at last, but it was not to be.
As we were creeping along on the fence, a bad boy
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64 THE ANGORA CAT.
came along, and a stone hit poor tabby and she fell.
Then I don't know how it all happened, for I jumped
and ran under a slanting board to wait my time. When
all was quiet I looked for my poor friend Tabby, and she
was dead before me. O, how I cried then ! The only
friend I had met to go so soon. But I had to move on,
for I feared the boy. I heard a cry of " Old rags or
bottles." I looked around to see if it was anyone I
knew. I only saw a kindly man, who said some-
thing to me I did not understand. I wondered if he
had food in the big bag thrown over his shoulder. I
wanted to follow him, I was so dazed and hungry. At
that moment I thought how I had refused the dry bread
and potato skins. How I did long for them, but I had
to hurry on hoping to meet some swill men, as Tabby
suggested we should. I soon came across some food.
Many cats had been there before me, but I was so hun-
gry I could eat anything. Anyway, I felt I had more
strength, and if I did suffer I was glad to run away.
Then I thought of my old home on Thatcher Street, in
Medford, and the false kisses Miss Edith gave me. O!
if I could only have made my hair grow faster perhaps I
might have stayed. But still something else might
have been wrong with me. I may not have been the
finest specimen in the world, but I do know I had fine
parents, and after all I am glad I left her, for she was
always telling people around that I had such short hair,
and seemed so disgusted with me. I only hope she will
find another little Max as true and loyal to her as I was.
I don't really know what is to become of me. I only
know I have found this nice shed that dead Tabby told
me about, and shall watch and listen for the little ragged
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WHITE, WITH BUFF SPOTS.
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT. 65
girl with dirty hands to feed and caress me as she did
old Tabby, and bring me milk. But I shall not cry for
milk, as Tabby said she was very poor. If I could only
catch that sparrow, but it's too far away.
This would not have happened if I had been born a
common cat, would it ? Because common cats are not
bought and sold. I am so cold I cannot write any more.
My love to Grandma Ellis and Mr. Roger. And
Miss Edith, if you ever hear a noise like a splash in the
water, then a cry, it is poor short-haired Max — hungry,
cold, and tired of life.
"Max Muffet."
Teddy was only five years old when he began
"Rats." to use slang, copying it from the "big" boys
at school.
His mamma was much concerned about this habit and
on one occasion had washed out his mouth most thor-
oughly with soap suds ; but this did no good, for that
very afternoon he came home and told her that a boy
had "swiped " his slate pencil.
"Teddy," she said that night, after tucking him into
bed and hearing his prayers, " wont you try to stop this
dreadful slang ? "
But Teddy, unmindful of his mamma's anxious face,
turned his curly head away, and in a very sleepy voice,
said, "O, wats."
What do you suppose happened next ?
He heard a hurrying, scurrying and squeaking, and
then a sharp little voice said, " Here we are." He rubbed
his eyes and looked all around, and there, sitting upon
the footboard, were two great rats.
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66 THE ANGORA CAT.
Now Teddy, never a brave boy, had a great fear of
bears and rats, although he had seen neither alive.
Jimmie Bett's white mouse was the nearest to a real
wild animal that he had seen ; but then, he had seen
them in books, plenty of them, and knew just how they
looked, but he never remembered such big rats as these,
" really and truly as big as our Tabby," he afterwards
told his sister Susie.
He was so frightened he couldn't say a word, even
call his mamma.
" Here we are," repeated the rat, looking straight at
poor Teddy.
" Go 'way," said Teddy at last in a frightened little
voice.
" But you called us," said the second rat ; perhaps you
wanted more than two," and the small creature gave
three loud squeaks.
In a twinkling, more rats began to spring from every
direction until the room fairly swarmed with them ; they
hung from the pictures and curtains, scampered over the
furniture and even peeped into the water pitcher ; they
raced under the bed, and he felt sure they were sitting
upon the headboard, but he dared not turn to look.
Oh ! it was dreadful the way they squeaked and
jumped, their funny little tails frisking about and their
eyes gleaming like tiny coals of fire in the dark.
Teddy's eyes popped out in terror, and his curls seemed
curls no longer, but as straight and bristly as Tabby's
fur when Carlo chases her. He expected every moment
the ugly things would run over him, perhaps eat him up.
He had heard the big boys talk of such things.
" Ugh ! " he said, and he pulled the bed clothes over
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SILVER GREY AND WHITE,
OWNED BY MR. FREEMAN I. DANIELS.
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT 67
his head. Just then he felt them* running up the spread,
and with a shriek of terror he sprang up and '■ — awoke,
to find his mamma holding a lamp above him, and saying,
" Whatever is the matter, Teddy ? "
"Oh ! mamma, drive 'em out ! drive 'em out ! he said,
still hiding his head.
" Drive what out, Teddy ? There's nothing here."
" The wats, can't you see 'em ? There's hundwards
and hundwards."
"Teddy, dear, you've been dreaming," said his mamma,
as she cuddled the trembling little fellow in her arms,
" it's that boiled ham, I ought not to have allowed you
to eat it at night. See, there are no rats here."
Teddy looked, and sure enough there wasn't a rat to
be seen. " I know there's one in the pitcher, I saw him
fall in," he said.
"Not one, dear, see?" and she brought the water
pitcher to the bed, "you've had a bad dream, that is all."
Teddy said nothing, but then and there decided he
would never say " rats " again, and he never has.
How a M. Marey has been studying this problem, by
^ taking sixty instantaneous photographs per sec-
ond of a falling cat, from different points of view.
He finds that a cat always falls on its feet, provided it
has a distance of a yard to fall in, and enable it to make
a half turn in the air, so as to get its feet undermost. It
holds its paws vertically, and manages to preserve this
position during the rest of its fall, in spite of the initial
movement of rotation taken by its body. The mechan-
ical explanation is simply that the animal, by thrusting
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68 THE ANGORA CAT.
forward its left limb, shifts the centre of gravity of the
whole body, so as to make it revolve upon the axis of
the spine, until the feet reach the ground. An old solu-
tion of the question is that the legs of a cat are so long
that when stretched out they over-balance the body.
Moreover, a cat does not hurt itself by a fall from a
height, not only because it invariably falls on its feet,
but because the structure of the cat's back and spine is
extremely flexible. The muscles of its legs, also, are
extraordinarily strong and numerous, and further, it has
elastic pads or cushions consisting of a mass of fibrous
tissue and fat on all its feet, seven in each forepaw and
five in each hind paw. The cat nearly always alights on
these pads, which, by reason of their elasticity, break the
force of its fall.
The anatomical structure of the cats is
Anatomical . ,. r i , . .
Structure. indicative of great strength and activity;
the jaws are very powerful, bearing teeth-
shaped like wedges thin and sharp, requiring but little
force to cut through the flesh on which they feed ; the
structure of the joint admits of no lateral motion, and
the whole force of the immense temporal and masseter
muscles is exerted in a perpendicular or cutting direc-
tion. To assist in tearing their food, the surface of the
tongue is covered with numerous horny papillae. These
may be felt, on a small scale, on the tongue of the do-
mestic cat. The tongue is rather an organ for removing
muscular fibres from bones, and for retaining flesh in
the mouth than the organ of taste.
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PURE WHITE MALE.
FATHER BLACK, MOTHER WHITE.
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT. 69
When Sancho-Panza said, " ' Yo no estoy
Cats and p ara j ar m jg as a un g a t » — « \ am no t fit to
Sentiment* . ,, , , . . . .
give crumbs to a cat — he was thinking of
his own humiliation, and not of the diet proper to cats.
It seems, however, that cats ought not to be fed with
crumbs. This we learn, and many other useful things,
from an excellent little treatise on " The Cat : Her Place
in Society and Treatment," by Miss Edith Carrington
(George Bell and Sons). Miss Carrington champions
the cause of the domestic cat, and makes out a very
strong case, if her anecdotes are to be trusted, for its
sagacity, its manners, and even its morals. She thinks,
with Chateaubriand, that the human race has hitherto
done scant justice to the sterling qualities of this ani-
mal. There is the old libel, for instance, that the cat
attaches itself to places, but not to persons. Yet cats
have been known to die of grief at the death of their
owner. Nor is the cat the "faddling hedonist" that a
vain people imagineth. It is simply an Idealist, and
therein is it distinguished from that crass Realist, the
dog. Cats make stepping-stones of their dead selves to
higher things, and, according to the late Professor Ro-
manes, will sometimes place crumbs on the snow as a
bait for birds. One bad quality is to be admitted against
them ; they are slow to forgive, and have been known
to keep the memory of a dose of cayenne pepper rank-
ling for weeks. But put a little butter on their paws,
and all will be well. This reference to anointing the
feet, to our mind, clearly shows the Eastern origin of the
cat. The hygiene of the cat is a rather complicated sub-
ject, but Dr. Gordon Stables has simplified it by arrang-
ing a "Cat's Medicine Chest," which maybe had for
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70 THE ANGORA CAT.
one guinea, with directions for use. When you have
cured your sick cat, he will very likely show his grati-
tude by bringing you dead mice to eat. A cat Miss Car-
rington knows arranged no less than six corpses on the
mat for the benefit of his preserver — a mouse, a spar-
row, a butterfly, and three cockroaches. Full justice is
done in this little book to the cat's conversational pow-
ers, but its tendency to pass from the ordinary tone of
conversation to unearthly yells is rather disingenuously
passed over. From a recently published letter of Cole-
ridge — which we recommend to Miss Carrington for
her next edition — it would seem, however, that in this
respect we are luckier in England than they are in
Malta. " He who has only heard caterwauling on Eng-
lish roofs can have no idea of a cat-serenade in Malta/'
writes S. T. C. " In England it has often a close and
painful resemblance to the distressful cries of young
children ; but in Malta it is identical with the wide range
of screams uttered by imps while they are dragging each
other into hotter and still hotter pools of brimstone and
fire. It is the discord of torment and of rage and of
hate, of paroxysms of revenge, and every note grumbles
away into despair. ,, This reminds us of the cognate
subject of cat-calls, once so valuable an aid to theatrical
enjoyment, and the theme of a delightful paper in the
Spectator. "A Fellow of the Royal Society," writes
Addison, "who is my good friend, and a great proficient
in the mathematical part of music, observes very well
that musical instruments took their first rise from the
notes of birds and other melodious animals ; and what,
says he, was more natural than for the first ages of man-
kind to imitate the voice of a cat that lived under the
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BLUE AND WHITE,
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT. 7 1
same roof with them ? He added that the cat had con-
tributed more to harmony than any other animal, as we
are not only beholden to her for this wind instrument,
but for our string music in general." Here is a field of
inquiry which Miss Carrington neglects.
Much might be said about the cat in literature.
Sedentary in its habits and given to placid meditation,
it is peculiarly the author's companion. And so we find
the poets singing its praises, from Cowper and Words-
worth to Mr. Lewis Morris, of Pen-bryn. There is not
a more delectable page in all Boswell than that which
tells of Johnson's fondness for his cat Hodge — "for
whom he himself used to go and buy oysters, lest the
servants having that trouble should take a dislike to the
poor creature." "I recollect him one day scrambling
up Dr. Johnson's breast, apparently with much satisfac-
tion, while my friend, smiling and half whistling, rubbed
down his back and pulled him by the tail ; and when I
observed he was a fine cat, saying, ' Why, yes, sir, but
I have had cats whom I liked better than this,' and
then, as if perceiving Hodge to be out of countenance,
adding, ' but he is a very fine cat, a very fine cat, indeed.' "
A very different sort of writer, Theophile Gautier, sur-
rounded himself with a veritable menagerie of cats ; and
Pierre Loti even goes so far as to provide his cats
with visiting cards — "Madame Moumoutte Chinoise,
Deuxieme Chatte, chez M. Pierre Loti." Sterne, weep-
ing over his dead donkey, is not one tithe as sentimental
as M. Pierre Loti over the death of his beloved
Moumoutte. Without sentimentalizing, we may all do
something to check the abominable cruelty of leaving
cats to die of starvation in empty houses.
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72 THE ANGORA CAT.
Last night I could not go to sleep for
p°!^° thinking about my little kitten, which dis-
appeared some time during the afternoon.
While lying in bed wondering what had become of her,
I heard a long, pitiful wail, which sounded like the half-
smothertd cry of a frightened child. My papa went out
to see what it was, and found that the cry came from a
neighboring cottage, which had been closed for the sea-
son and vacated by the people who had lived in it. He
also found that the cry did not come from a child, but
from a cat which had been forgotten and locked up in
that deserted house. The doors and windows had been
boarded up, and there was no way to get in or let the
poor frightened cat out. There was nothing to do but
to break open a door, and this was done with as little
damage as possible, and the poor, hungry pussy released,
and the door nailed up again. That cat seemed to un-
derstand what had been done for it, and showed its
gratitude as plainly as if it could talk. Of course no one
would intentionally leave a pet shut up in a house to die
from hunger and thirst, but some one who love their pets
are careless and forgetful.
An amusing rebuke was recently adminis-
Su K d. tere d i n England to one of those sharp bar-
gainers who are always on the alert to get
more than their mioney's worth. The offender in the
present instance was a woman, who sent the following
advertisement to a London paper : " A lady in delicate
health wishes to meet with a useful companion. She
must be domestic, musical, an early riser, amiable, of
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT. 73
good appearance and have some experience in nursing.
A total abstainer preferred. Comfortable home. No sal-
ary." A few days afterward the advertiser received by
express a basket labeled : " This side up — with care —
perishable." On opening it she found a tabby cat, with
a letter tied to its tail. It ran thus : " Madame — In
response to your advertisement, I am happy to furnish
you with a very useful companion, which you will find
exactly suited to your requirements. She is domestic,
a good vocalist, an early riser, possesses an amiable dis-
position, and is considered handsome. She has had a
great experience as a nurse, having brought up a large
family. I need scarcely add that she is a total abstainer.
As salary is no object to her, she will serve you faith-
fully in return for a comfortable home."
In enthusiasm for cats the shah of Persia sur-
O^ passes all other royal devotees. He has fifty of
them ; and they have attendants of their own,
with special rooms for meals. When the shah goes
away, they go, too, carried by men on horseback. The
late czar of Russia was very fond of the feline tribe.
When visiting the King of Denmark on one occasion,
he alarmed the menials by rushing out very early in the
morning to the gardens. From the window of his sleep-
ing-room he had seen a big dog attack his favorite black
cat, and, without staying to complete his toilet, he had
fled to her rescue. The famous royal cat of Siam is a
large, white, short-haired variety, with black face, and a
peculiar formation of ear. Its preciousness may be
judged from the fact that it once took three gentlemen
of influence three months to procure one for an English-
man at Bangkok.
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74 THE ANGORA CAT.
Perfectly white cats are invariably deaf ;
&o Ct&* ^^ are SUre t0 ^ G ^ t ^ ie y ^ aVe ^ Ue e ^ eS *
The Egyptians considered the cat a sacred
animal and usually mummified its remains. The cats of
the Isle of Man and those of North Borneo are all tail-
less. All of the mummy cats unearthed in Egyptian
tombs have red hair. There are three times as many
muscles in the tail of a cat as there are in the human
hand and wrist. At the end of each hair of a cat's
whiskers is a bulb of nerve fibre which makes that par-
ticular hair a very delicate "feeler/' A cat's head has a
regular partition wall projecting from its sides inward,
which, naturalists say, is a provision against concussion
of the brain.
A lady who lives near the Jardin des Plantes,
-. or old Parisian Zoo, is a providence to the
stray cats of her neighborhood She feeds
daily a hundred at the Bercy wine market, where they
are allowed to live in the cellars. This lady believes in
the transmigration of souls, and says she feels as if she
was formerly incarnate in a woman who hated animals.
Her extreme sensibility to their sufferings is, she also
feels, the punishment meted to her. She has in an out-
house a number of mutilated and sick cats that she res-
cued. Another lady attends to the cats in the Palais
de Justice, the Central markets, the prefecture of police
and the Sorbonne. There are thirty cats at the Palais
de Justice. They are in the habit of being regularly fed.
When anything prevents their benefactress coming in
the nick of time they go out to meet her, and follow her
to the court at the west side of the Palais. A number
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT 75
of policemen witness her arrival, and help. She is
pleased to think that she has awakened a spirit of hu-
manity in the police force. Policemen who know her
are loth to destroy cats, or to pass. them on to vivisectors.
Falstaff once declared that he was " as melan-
Cat
Tales, c h°ly as a g*b cat " — l ^ at ls to sav » an °ld cat -
The cat is supposed to have originated in Persia,
and some have assigned "pers " as the origin of " puss."
In Lorraine, if parents wish to discourage the addresses
of a young man to their daughter, they send him a kit-
ten. But sometimes love laughs at kittens as well as
locksmiths. Shylock lived at a time when there was a
very strong prejudice against pussy, yet he seems not to
have been tinged with the superstition of the period, for
he speaks of her as the "harmless, necessary cat." Ac-
cording to Australian mythology, the moon was formerly
a cat, which fell in love with a man's wife, was discovered
and beaten by the injured husband and ran away and
has been wandering ever since. It is a popular but
wholly erroneous notion that the cats suck the breath of
children, thereby causing their destruction. As late as
1791 a coroner's jury in England found that a baby
eighteen months old came to its death from this cause.
Many thousand cats were burned to death in the great
fire in London in 1666. Pepys, writing in his diary of
that terrible event, says, " I also did see a poor cat taken
out of a hole in a chimney joining on to the exchange
with the hair all burned off the body and yet alive." It
portends great misfortune if the cat leaps over a corpse,
and in some countries the cats are locked up while the
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76 THE ANGORA CAT.
body remains in the house. It is thought this supersti-
tion gave rise to the custom of sitting up with the dead.
In some parts of England, however, it is believed that a
cat will not remain in a house where there is a corpse.
The " For goodness' sake ! what's that you have
Homeliest g 0t now p»» as k ec j a tired-looking woman as
she saw her small daughter come panting
into the kitchen of the tenement flat, clutching some-
thing apparently all frantic legs.
"Jus' a kitty," said Maysie, simply, disentangling it,
and setting it upright on the floor.
"Well, I never did!" exclaimed the mother in dis-
may. " Why, Marg'ret Williams ! are you crazy ? I
never saw such a homely creature in all my born days.
It'll bring us bad luck, sure, with that wicked. green
eye, and that mean, yeller one. Ugh ! You just take
it straight back to the gutter that you fished it out of."
At this, I regret to say, Maysie began to cry.
"Oh, well," relented Mrs. Williams, "I reckon we'll
keep her till she's all cured up, anyway."
So Maysie kept her cat ; and pity blossomed so
quickly into love that she was perfectly blind to its
peculiar ugliness, and fondly fancied it the dearest,
sweetest, and loveliest kitty in all the world, when on
the very next Sunday Mrs. Williams read out suddenly
from her great big newspaper "A National Cat Show at
Madison Square."
"What's that?" asked Maysie, who was sitting at
her feet, playing with Rags, as she had called her poor
little foundling.
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT. 77
" What 's a national cat show?" repeated Mrs. Wil-
liams, uncertainly. "Why, it's — it's a show of cats, I
suppose ; and it's to be held next Wednesday in Madi-
son Square Garden."
" Oh, yes," cried Maysie, excitedly, " that must be
where that bad boy in the street told me to send Rags ;
but I thought, o' course, that he was just foolin'. He
said that maybe I'd get a prize for her. Do you — do
you think that I might, mother ? "
Mrs. Williams hid a smile behind her newspaper as
she read of the gorgeous Angora, Maltese, Persian, and
other rare and beautiful cats that were to be exhibited
by the richest and most fashionable ladies in New York;
but she only answered absently, " I shouldn't wonder."
This was enough. In the course of ten seconds May-
sie had decided in her own mind that she would take
Rags to the show.
So early Wednesday morning Mrs. Williams stood
calmly and unsuspiciously tying her bonnet strings
before the glass, and said : " Good-by, deary. I'm going
to sew at the Jones's to-day; and, if all those Jones
babies don't kill me with their noise and fretting, I'll be
back home by the usual time."
"Good-by, mother," said Maysie, kissing her, as she
thought, "If she only knew what Rags and me's going
to do, she'd be mos' as 'cited as I am."
Then she skipped into a nice fresh little calico dress,
caught her hair back with an old yellow ribbon, so she
could tie the new red one around Rags' neck in a fasci-
nating bow, which, however, would slide around right
under her chewed-off ear ; then, cramming her into the
market basket, she set off with a light heart, if a heavy
load, for Madison Square.
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78 THE ANGORA CAT.
It was a long walk, many blocks north, and many
more west of where she lived. She had gone only a
very little way when Rags poked her head through a hole
in the old basket, and Maysie was obliged to take her
out entirely ; and, with kitty under one arm and the bas-
ket on the other, she plodded painfully along. At last
the beautiful yellow tower of the garden cheered her
sight.
Even then, however, although it seemed hours since
she had left home, she was still too early to be admitted,
and so had to stand and wait near the side door marked
" Entrance for Cats," as the big policeman told her.
At last a carriage drove up to the great front door of
the building ; and a lady descended from it, followed by
a maid in a white cap, carrying a basket.
She was such a very pretty lady, and so beautifully
dressed, that Maysie liked her on the spot, and thought
it would be only kind to inform her that she was not at
the right entrance for cats, and must wait at the side
door with her.
The lady smiled when she told her, and she said :
" Oh, thank you ! you are very good. I see that you
have a cat, too. Is it to be in the show ? "
"Oh, yes!" answered Maysie, decidedly. "Don't
you think she '11 get a prize ? "
u Pro-probably," said the lady, turning away for an in-
stant, and shaking so strangely that Maysie thought she
was cold.
" Suppose we go into the show together ? "
"Why, we can't, can we? " asked Maysie. "It ain't
open yet, is it?"
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT 79
" Not to every one," said the lady ; "but I am one of
the patronesses, and I fancy they will let us in."
And sure enough they did.
" Here is a little girl who has a cat that she would
like to exhibit," said the lady to a gentle-looking man
inside, who seemed to be managing everything. "I
know it's rather late to enter it, but " — And she whis-
pered something which made him smile and look almost
as queerly at Maysie as the lady had done.
However, he gave Rags a nice cage, with soft straw
in it, and a little medal with a number on it to hang
around her neck by a scarlet ribbon.
" Now you had better go upstairs and wait," he said,
" while I see to what class she belongs. The show won't
be on for an hour yet, and the judges cannot award the
prizes until then."
Soon the lady joined her there, and chatted with her
so very delightfully about cats and dolls and Christmas
trees, and all the dearest and loveliest things, that she
hardly realized how time was passing, until suddenly she
heard a great crash in the room behind her.
"It's only the band," explained the lady. "They
play to open the show. Come, we can go in now."
Oh, wasn't it beautiful ? All lit up with " 'lectric "
light ! Row after row of cages crossed the floor, in
each of which blinked and stretched and softly purred a
lovely, lovely kitty.
In fact, they kept getting more and more wonderful
and beautiful as Maysie and the lady went on and on ;
but in her loyal little soul Rags's mistress would not ad-
mit that any one of them was prettier or sweeter or
half as clever as Rags.
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80 THE ANGORA CAT.
" You know," she cried, looking up innocently into
the lady's face, "Rags ain't never even seen a bird, les-
sen it's a sparrer ; and she ain't never smelt a flower in
all her life, so wouldn't you think they'd give her a
prize, jus* to keep her from feelin' bad ? "
" Yes," I would, indeed," said the lady, heartily ; and,
stooping, she opened the door of the Angora's cage,
and, taking out the very loveliest bowl of roses, gave
them to Maysie. " We will put these in Rags' s cage
when we find it," she said, " so she shan't feel neglected
any longer, poor little thing. It's all right," she added,
as Maysie looked at her in bewilderment. " This An-
gora belongs to me."
"Oh, I didn't mean that your Nangora oughtn't to
get a prize," cried Maysie, conscience-stricken. " I-I
only meant that she isn't Rags."
" I understand, dear," said the lady. " Of course, she
isn't Rags. There are the judges," she whispered sud-
denly, " and they are coming from the other side of the
room. Now we will go over there and look for Rags ;
and, if they have given her a prize, it will be written
upon a card and hung on her cage, where we can see it
in an instant."
" Oh, my ! " said Maysie, trembling with excitement :
" do you suppose everybody what's got a cat here feels
like I do now? "
" I hardly think so much so, dear," said the lady, smil-
ing, as she drew the little figure tenderly along.
At last they stood before Rag's cage. Maysie put
both hands over her eyes, and peeped fearfully through
her fingers.
" Oh ! oh ! " she cried. " I believe I see a card."
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT 8 1
" Yes," said the lady, "you do."
" What's on it ? " fairly shrieked Maysie. " Oh ! what
is on it ? "
"P-r-i-z-e, prize ! " read the lady. " Ten dollars prize
for the ug — for Rags."
" My ! " said Maysie, and she burst into delicious tears
of pure joy.
Then the great, severe-looking judges came up, and
congratulated her, and counted out into her two little
hands all the heap of money that was the prize ; and she
had to tell the story of Rags's rescue all over again to
them.
"And now," said the lady, " I will drive you home."
So she did ; and didn't all the children in the neigh-
borhood run out to see who was getting out of the fine
carriage that stopped before the tenement, and weren't
they surprised to find that it was just Maysie? And
didn't Mrs. Williams laugh and cry and scold and pet
her all at once when she heard the great news ?
"Dear, dear ! " sighed Maysie, dizzy with happiness ;
"what a jewel Rags is ! "
" Yes," said her mother, " who'd have thought that
she'd have brought us such luck by her very home-
liness?"
" Homely ? " cried Maysie. " Why, mother, you for-
got that she's got a prize."
" So I did," said Mrs. Williams, starting guiltily. " So
I did, of course."
Evidence that "cat culture" is not only
F ." , an agreeable feminine pursuit, but one for
which the girl on the farm has peculiar ad-
vantages, is furnished by the recent experiences of a
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82 THE ANGO&A CAT
Chicago young woman. More than that, its promises of
financial success are in advance of the majority of " pin
money " or "wheel money " schemes. Miss Wheatley,
of Chicago, read the published statement that Mrs. W.
K. Vanderbilt, now Mrs. Perry Belmont, paid the gen-
erous sum of $1000 for her white Angora cat. If Mrs.
Belmont considered an Angora cat a proper and neces-
sary ornament to her palace, might it not be that lesser
society leaders were anxious to follow the example of
this member of New York's four hundred ? Only a
little investigation was necessary to demonstrate to Miss
Wheatley's satisfaction that this was an undeniable fact,
and its strongest proof was in the difficulty which she
encountered in finding where two or three thoroughbred
cats could be purchased. She reasoned that if pure-bred
Angoras were practically unobtainable, even at a high
figure, the market must be good, and the risks of engag-
ing in the venture were consequently small. After
about three months of correspondence, she contrived to
obtain a very handsome cat through a bird store in Bos-
ton, but she could not learn the location of the " cat
farm " from which it was procured. Through similar
channels she secured one or two more fine animals as a
foundation for her stock of breeding animals. In recount-
ing her experience as a cat culturist, Miss Wheatley said
to the present writer :
" Without making an exhibit of my balance sheet and
bank book, I can say that there is no reason why any
young woman with tact, a liking for pets and ordinary
feminine business ability, cannot make a nice little sum
by raising thoroughbred Angoras ; and the girl on a
farm has every advantage over her city competitor for
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PAIR OF WHITE KITTENS.
6 MONTHS OLD.
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT 83
the reason that green grass is just as essential in cat
raising as it is in raising stock. The Angora kitten
must have its grass, as well as the gosling. All things
considered, the country girl is in a position to conduct
her cat farm at a fraction of the expense incurred by a
similar enterprise in the city or the suburbs. But what is
still more important, she can raise a much more hardy
grade of animals.
" How much money would be required as a capital to
start with ? It would be well to have $100, but of course
it could be done for less, very much less, if the beginner
were willing to buy kits and wait for them to develop.
A male and two females of excellent breeding stock and
of suitable age can be bought for $100. That is allow-
ing $40 for the male and $30 for each of the females.
As pure white cats are the most valuable, which also
means the most salable, it is best to select a white stud
cat and one white female, having the second female of
some desirable color. And on the score of color, which
is an important consideration, it should be said that the
colors in the order of their desirability are as follows :
Pure white, with golden eyes ; pure buff, which is usu-
ally described as the ' red ' cat ; yellow, silver gray, tor-
toise shell, tiger stripe and black. Solid or 'self ' colors,
as the fanciers call them, are better than the mixtures.
" As to profits, a good mother cat will raise a family
of two to six kittens twice a year, so the future census
estimate can be compiled on this basis. My experience
indicates that, at the present demand, there is little diffi-
culty in disposing of any sturdy kitten of good color for
$10, and a pure white or yellow, with golden eyes, will
readily bring $25 to $50. But the chance diamond for
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84 THE ANGORA CAT.
which the cat breeder is always looking is the pure white
with blue eyes and sound hearing. To find such a gem
in a litter of kittens means at least $50 to the fortunate
owner. A kennel and a runway made of wire 'chicken
fencing/ fully one-half of which is shaded, is the best
kind of place in which to house the cats. The runway
should have plenty of fresh grass and should be planted
with catnip. It is well to plant vines outside the wire
netting and let these provide a natural shade.
" How to market the cats is not so difficult a problem
as it might at first seem to be. Society ladies are the
most frequent purchasers of these dainty and beautiful
pets. They really constitute the market, and can best
be reached through a small advertisement in the high-
class society papers of the city. Some country girls
might be able to arrange with city friends to receive
and sell the pets to city customers. Occasionally a
bird store can be found which will keep cats in stock
and handle them on commission."
After giving these practical directions for the found-
ing of a "cattery," Miss Wheatley displayed Caprice,
the queen of her Angora flock, which was secured in
Boston. Undoubtedly the finest Angora patriarch in
Chicago is Sidney, owned by W. Ioor of Morgan Park.
Emblematic The figure of the cat has certain signifi-
Signification cations when reproduced in art. In the
of the Cat* * 1 . r 1
hieroglyphics of the ancient monuments of
Egypt a cat represents false friendship, or a deceitful,
flattering friend. In heraldry a cat is an emblem of
liberty, because it naturally dislikes to be shut up ; and
therefore the Burgundians, etc., bore a cat on their ban-
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT. 85
ners to intimate that they could not endure servitude.
It is a bold and daring creature, and also cruel to its
enemy, and never gives over till it has destroyed it, if pos-
sible. It is also watchful, dexterous, swift, pliable, and
has good nerves — thus, if it falls from a place never so
high, it still alights on its feet — and therefore may de-
note those who have such forethought that whatsoever
befalls them they are still on their guard. In coat-armor
the cat must always be represented as full-faced, and not
showing one side of it, but both its eyes and both its
ears. Argent three cats in pale sable is the coat of the
family of Keat of Devonshire. In recent years it has
become the emblematic animal of newspaper offices and
the editor's chair.
We did not bring him up, or else he
My Cat Torn, would not have been so bad.
A gentleman found him in the street
and brought him home to his wife. She took him and
named him Penelope. He was a very greedy cat and
very ill bred, too. He could never learn how to lap
milk. Even now, although he is over three years old,
he does not know how to lap milk. When he was very
small he used to sit in the saucer and lap the milk
around him. When the lady moved she gave him to
us. Then he began to learn some manners.
I named him Tom. Then, as he was very cross, and
would growl and try to bite when any one touched him,
I was determined to break him of this bad habit. So I
hung a strap on the door-knob, and every time he
growled or tried to bite, I whipped him. After whip-
ping him several times I broke him of this habit, and
now he is very affectionate.
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86 THE ANGORA CAT.
Then I began to teach him some tricks. I taught
him to go under a chair and put his two paws on the
rungs ; then I would slap them, and he would slap me
back He would look very cunning sitting there, with
one paw on the rung and the other paw lifted in the air,
ready to strike me, and his eyes shining very big and
black. It makes him very angry to point your finger at
him. The first time I did it I did not know that it
made him so angry* and I pointed my finger at him and
knelt down to see what he would do. He looked at me
for about three minutes, and then, before I had time to
know what he would do, he lifted his paw and struck me
on the cheek. He did not scratch me. Oh, no, for I
taught him to keep his claws in when he struck me.
Another thing I taught him to do was to come when I
called him, and to stay where he was when I didn't.
He had a way of coming into the kitchen every time I
went there, in hope of getting something to eat. So
every time he came where I didn't call him I threw
water on him. Pretty soon, when I went out of the
kitchen, I would find him sitting on the door sill. I
would whip him for disobeying me.
Then, at other times, when I had made him go out of
the kitchen, he would steal softly to the kitchen door,
stick his head in, and stay that way till I looked up.
Then he would draw his head back, then put it in again
after a while, till I made a jump at him ; then he would
fly into the dining-room, and stay there until I called
him to breakfast or supper, whichever it happened to
be.
Although Tom is very mischievous, I think a grfeat
deal of him, and would not part with him if I could help
it.
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT 87
Poiclgn The display of dogs, cats, rabbits, cavies,
Sf* &c, at all the great shows in Great Britain
and Continental Europe is not entirely con-
' fined to the commoners, as is generally supposed, but
Princes, Dukes, Lords, and others high in the charmed
circle of nobility enter their pets in open competition
against all comers, be they of the royal house or the
laboring man. His Highness, the Prince of Wales, and
his lovely Princess both exhibit their dogs at all the great
shows, while the names of Dukes and Duchesses,
Lords and Ladies, can be found in any of the catalogues
where household pets are entered for competition.
While the proportion of exhibitors of high-bred dogs
is vastly in excess of those who show cats of high de-
gree, still at the great cat shows royalty bends itself,
and its possessions of Angoras, Persians, &c, are bas-
keted off to the great cities, there to compete with the
lesser lights of the world, and when prizes are won the
owners are filled with as much delight as if they had
won a small fortune.
The march of time, the equality of thought and
action, the breaking down of the belief that royalty is
hedged about with a divinity, the equality, too, of man
now recognized, gives to the judges who enter the show
ring to adjudicate upon the merits of the subjects
brought before them the right and power to award
prizes to the most deserving, whether it be the property
of "H. R. H." or his poorest subject. The wonderful
advance made in all sorts of sports has infused a new
blood in all mankind, as evidenced when we see royalty
competing at the Athenian games and the Prince of
Wales, for instance, showing his dogs and taking sec-
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88 THE ANGORA CAT.
ond prize to Mrs. Tottie's Tambour, and the Princess
holding a similar position to Mr. Stark's Chanter.
Many strange anecdotes have been related
s which seem to show almost human intelligence
and reasoning power in animals ; but the follow-
ing true incident, suggests the possession of even higher
qualities : On a farm in Indiana there were two cats, and
in the barn each had a nest of kittens of about the same
age, on opposite sides of the haymow. One of the cats
fell sick ; she had a little cough, and wasted away till it
became apparent that she would not long be able to care
for her family. One day the two old cats were noticed
sitting on a beam in the barn, and the observer was im-
pressed by something unusual in their actions. They
seemed to be absorbed in the consideration of some
important question. After this had lasted for some time,
the well and strong cat got down from the beam, and
going to the nest of her afflicted friend proceeded to
carry the kittens from it one by one to her own nest on
the other side of the haymow. The dying mother
watched every motion of her sympathetic friend until
the last kitten had been safely transferred to the home
of the other family, and then she dragged herself from
the beam, went out of the barn, and was never seen
again. The other cat brought up both families as one,
treating all alike, until they were old enough to*shift for
themselves.
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT. 89
Beauty A beautiful cat is a very beautiful animal, as
™ much so in its way as any living creature. An-
atomists tell us that no animal possesses a body
better fitted for its special purposes or a greater strength
in proportion to its weight. To seek to bring such a
creature to the highest state of physical beauty is there-
fore a worthy object. The fact that we are bestowing this
trouble on one of the most useful of our animal friends
makes it all the more worth while. At the same time care
should be taken not to develop the physical qualities of
the cat at the expense of the moral. If we obtained beauty
in exchange for the domestic virtues of the cat, our loss
would be great. Eminent men of science believe that
the higher qualities of the dog have been injured by the
practice of breeders seeking only a superficial excellence.
To such an extent is this true that a mongrel is often a
more intelligent animal than a pure bred dog of the
noblest breed. The danger of injury to the character of
the cat by the practices of breeders arises from a some-
what different cause. He is an animal quickly driven to
wildness by neglect or by harsh and unsympathetic treat-
ment. Virtues developed through centuries of intimate
association with the household may be impaired or lost
by a change in the conditions of life. It is essential to
the maintenance of the highest qualities of the cat that
he should have the full benefit of the refining and edu-
cating influences of the home. The cat must not be put
apart with certain animals of exactly the same appear-
ance as himself, as dogs are. If that were done the cat
would be shut away from the life and scenes he loves,
deprived of all serious interests in life and of all oppor-
tunity to pursue his own peculiar inclinations. He would
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90 THE ANGORA CAT.
become fierce and unsociable as well as less intelligent.
He must have the fullest and freest personal liberty con-
sistent with the well-being of his neighbors. In that
case he usually divides his time equally between human
society and his own species. He then becomes an agree-
able, useful and intelligent companion, cunning in all
the ways of the cat family. He learns to open the back
door, to find the most comfortable places in the house,
to keep an eye on mice holes and to be on hand before,
during, and after meal times. These remarks are not
fanciful. The writer met in London a dealer in cats,
who said he was familiar with certain " catteries," or
kennels for cats, of which there are several in England.
These cats are deprived both of personal liberty and of
the society of - human beings and all but a few rigidly
selected members of their own species. They become
fierce and unintelligent, and their habits are altogether
unrefined. This disquisition is made merely in the inter-
ests of the cat. It is not, in fact* likely that the cat
will ever suffer at the breeder's hands to the extent to
which the dog is said to have done. The cat should
always be considered first as an individual possessing a
complex personality, and second as an example of physi-
cal symmetry.
A pretty child, a charming three-year-
tv . . .. old, was not long aero presented with that
Discrimination. ' a t> r
most tormented of pets, a nursery kitten,
saved from the drowning that awaited the birth of its
brothers and sisters. A short time afterwards the child's
mamma added two members to the family circle in the
shape of twins. On being taken into the nursery to see
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT 9*
them, she gazed on them for a short time, looking with
much curiosity from one to the other. Then, patting
one of the plump little cheeks with her rosy finger, she
said, u I think we will keep this one, papa."
44 Best There resides in Boston a gentleman who lost
^^ both his parents while he was an infant, who
Fads," , ,. . , . , ,
has no living relative nearer than a second
cousin, and who has never married. Possessed of ample
means he lives a life of leisure, and has plenty of time
for the cultivation of fads. Sitting in his well-appointed
library the other evening, he told a reporter who had
asked how he managed to escape ennui that he had tried
a number of remedies, but found none so effectual as
the pursuit he was at present engaged in. He was much
interested in athletics during his stay in school and col-
lege, and for a time after his graduation, and used to
attend all the important "events" in whatever part of
the country they occurred. But after a while these lost
their attractiveness, and his attention was turned to
horses. For several years he patronized trotting, own-
ing a number of noted steppers, and then he tackled rac-
ing. That ceasing to be as engrossing as when he first
tried it, beside proving a very expensive sort of sport, he
severed his connection with the turf, sold his horses, and
interested himself in dogs, setting up kennels, where he
bred several varieties of canines with no little success.
But an unusually severe epidemic decimating his packs,
he became disgusted, and disposed of the breeding estab-
lishment, together with such dogs as had not succumbed
to distemper.
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92 THE ANGORA CAT.
Then — of all things — he devoted himself to cats.
" You understand, of course," he said, " that I haven't
started a ' cat farm ' like those the papers tell of in Maine,
Iowa and several other states ; for the object of those
'farms/ as I understand it, is simply to breed animals
for their skins. It is only as a recreation that I have
gathered together a collection of the finest and best bred
specimens of the feline race that I could find. I like
cats. They are sensible animals. They know more
than dogs, in spite of what the natural histories say.
They are not so effusive, so gushing, as dogs, but they
are capable of lasting attachments for human beings —
again malgre the admirers of caninity — and I feel that I
have among my cats much firmer friends than ever I
had in my kennels. Of course there are disreputable
cats, just as there are disreputable dogs and disreputable
men and women, but that is more a matter of miseduca-
tion, or lack of education, than any natural inclination
to go wrong. Most cats respect themselves. They
have a great deal of natural dignity, and if a slight is put
upon them they feel it keenly. Dogs will suffer all sorts
of indignities from their masters, and kiss the feet that
kick them. But if a cat's self-respect is hurt, he resents
it ; he does not soon forgive, and rarely forgets it. I
can easily see how the ancient Egyptians came to ven-
erate the feline race. One of their deities, Aeluris, had
a cat's head on a human body, and we are told by
Diodorus that at one time whoever killed a cat in Egypt,
even by accident, was put to death. I brought home
from the land of the Pharaohs, long before I became in-
terested in the living animals, the mummy of a cat, em-
balmed, swathed and encased with as much care as was
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A MOTHER AND FAMILY,
KITTENS, 7 WEEKS OLD.
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT 93
given to human bodies. The old Romans, too, respected
the cat The Roman Goddess* of liberty was repre-
sented with a cat lying at her feet. No animal, you
know, is so great an enemy to constraint as a cat.
" Still, cats are teachable, as many patrons of the
variety theatres who have seen the 'cat circuses/ and
the more limited number of persons who have essayed
the task of instructing their pets will testify. Several
of my cats will perform all the trkks that dogs achieve.
They know I am their friend and will not hurt them, and
they very quickly comprehend what I want them to do.
" If it wasn't for making myself conspicuous I would
put some of them through their paces at the coming
poultry show in Mechanics' building, where there is to
be a department allotted to cats. As it is, I shall ex-
hibit several specimens of each variety that I have.
Would you like to see some of them ? The greater part
of my feline flock I keep in the second story of my
stable, but there are several in the house, as a sort of
reward of merit. The katisphile tapped the electric
knob by the library door several times in a peculiar
fashion. I spell out ' p-u-s-s ' in the Morse alphabet on
the electric bell down stairs," he said, "and the cats are
sufficiently acquainted with telegraphy to know that I
am calling them."
While he was explaining this there was a scampering
in the hall outside, and four magnificent cats rushed in
and up to him with every demonstration of affection that
a cat can show. When he seated himself a big cat
perched itself on each of his shoulders, and the two others
occupied his knees — all purring like so many coffee
mills.
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94 THE ANGORA CAT.
One after another obeyed an order to get down on the
floor and give a performance, " shaking hands/' jumping
over obstacles, lying down, rolling over, feigning death,
sitting up, walking on the hind feet only, mimicing lame-
ness and doing numerous other things at the word of
command with the utmost docility, coming back after
they had accomplished their feats with tails proudly held
straight up, and receiving congratulations with many
evidences of satisfaction.
One huge Angora was sent to the hat-rack in the hall
for his master's gloves. He brought only one, and when
informed of the fact, hastened out again and trotted
back with the other. " I never knew so much had been
published about cats," said the owner of these remark-
able animals, "until I began to look into the matter.
See here ! " He showed the reporter an alcove in the
library where on the shelves were perhaps a hundred
books in nearly all the modern languages, every one of
them concerning the feline race, and some of them beau-
tifully illustrated. Perhaps the most curious volumes in
the collection were a dozen bulky scrap books into which
the owner had pasted stories about cats from American,.
English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian and
Scandinavian papers. As soon as my friends knew I
was collecting these things," he said, " they began cut-
ting out and sending to me from all parts of the world
everything about cats they could find in newspapers and
periodicals, and I believe these volumes cannot be dupli-
cated anywhere. One, as you see, is devoted wholly to
pictures in which cats figure, and they range from fine
engravings from the magazines down to caricatures
that have appeared in the daily press." As an example
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT 95
of the completeness of the collection it may be noted
that nearly twenty pages of one book are devoted to par-
agraphs, more or less humorous, about the New York
Sun's famous "office cat " that is supposed to devour
rejected manuscripts. On the reporter's departure, each
of the great cats gravely advanced and offered a paw for
a parting shake, and miowed a "good-by."
The On one evening in December, Superintendent
Subway Gould of the Boston subway had his attention
attracted toward a glossy coated handsome
black cat that walked straight down the gradient on
the Public Garden, and made her way to where
the superintendent was sitting. She looked appeal-
ingly into his face as if she had been cast out into the
world and was begging for a place to pass the night.
The big heart of the superintendent was moved to pity,
and he spoke to the wanderer as he would have addressed
a dear friend. " You have no home. You are in trouble
and want a place in which to pass the night ? Well, let
me see what I can do for you," saying which he went
over to a long line of barrels that stood against the
northerly wall, and in which had been packed a quantity
of tiling to be set up in one of the subway bays. The
barrel was half filled with nice sweet hay. " Here," con-
tinued the superintendent, "is just the place for you,"
and he picked up the outcast and tenderly laid her upon
the improvised couch. " Rest here, to-night, and per-
haps I can do better for you to-morrow." After seeing
that the door to the pumping chamber was securely fas-
tened and bolting the picket gates under the portal, the
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96 THE ANGORA CAT.
superintendent proceeded up the incline, happy in the
thought that he had done a good act even if the recipient
of his kindness was nothing but a dumb animal. The
next morning, soon after the superintendent finished his
morning meal, he stepped into a nearby meat market and
purchased five cents' worth of steak for his charge in the
subway. He had it cut into small pieces so that it might
the more readily be masticated, and its good quality the
better relished. The superintendent was always the first
comer to the subway in the morning, and on this occa-
sion he took special pains to arrive early in order to see
that no harm came to his lodger from some one not
acquainted with all the circumstances. He sprung the
lock on the picket gates, taking care to look about for
any sign of the night's occupant of the barrel, but she
was nowhere in sight. The great flinty corridor was as
quiet as a tomb save the soft rippling of water through
the channel of the invert in its hurry to reach the dark
depths of the drainage well. The superintendent tip-
toed up to the chamber, and removing the boards that
nearly covered the top, peeped into the interior. Two
big green and gold eyes met his, and just the faintest
suggestion of a whimper issued from the partly opened
mouth. " Well, my lady, it's time you were up," spoke
the superintendent, as he reached down and lovingly
stroked the black glossy fur. " Here, I have brought
you a very nice breakfast, and I want you to get up and
enjoy it." But there was no disposition displayed to
leave the barrel, and the superintendent was puzzled.
" Haven't had rest enough, hey ? Well, sleep away as
long as you like," but, just as the boards were being
replaced, a faint mew reached the ears of the superin-
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT. 97
tendent, which caused him to make a more thorough
inspection of the interior of the barrel, when lo ! he dis-
covered that instead of having one lodger he had six.
Yes, there they were, five of them, nestled close to their
mother, totally unconscious of the distinction of having
come to life in Boston's #7,000,000 subway. The sight
caused the big heart of the superintendent to bubble
over with joy and he proceeded to make all the members
of the family as comfortable as possible. As time went
on Superintendent Gould became very much attached to
the little subway colony, and one of the first sights shown
to visitors was the family in the barrel. At the end of
three weeks there was exhibited a disposition on the
p^rt of the newcomers to know more of their surround-
ings, and they were lifted out and allowed to run up and
down the cold wet concrete flooring. Their mother kept
a close watch, ready to spring to their rescue in case
they fell into the rapidly moving water in the drain pipe.
There was sunshine in the heart of every member of the
family, although their house was of cement and steel
into which only faint rays of light ever penetrated. But
it's not all sunshine in this life ; even when the day is
brightest, trouble may be casting its shadow across our
way, and so it proved with Superintendent Gould's set-
tlement.
Several nights following a great storm came out of
the north with the effect that the automatic pumping
apparatus in the first section became disarranged and
ceased to work. The inflow soon crept up to the bottom
of the occupied barrel, and then reached the straw bed.
The whole family was awakened by the freshet, and they
set about looking for a means of escape. This was found
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98 THE ANGORA CAT.
in a long board that rested against the side of the wall.
The mother assisted her children to this temporary place
of safety with great difficulty, and finally took up a posi-
tion near them, and settled down to a patient wait for
the superintendent. But before he arrived the water
threatened to swallow up the whole colony, as it was
within three inches of the mother s front toes when Mr.
Gould threw back the gate. He was quick to take in
the situation, and apply a remedy, but it was some time
before all the members of the settlement recovered their
usual equanimity. This was a pretty narrow escape, but
it did not compare with a later experience in its blood-
curdling effect. About eight days after the threatened
flood one of the inspectors came into the subway and
wanted to be shown the cats, as he termed them. After
having been conducted to the barrel, he said in an un-
feeling voice, " Have all the kittens drowned except the
black one. I will take her myself." Now, Superintend-
ent Gould had no more idea of drowning those kittens
than he had of drowning himself, and if the inspector
could have looked into the superintendent's heart he
would have seen there disobedience of his superior's
instructions. How to save his family of little ones from
the sentence of death was the superintendent's chief
thought. Finally he concluded to take the entire lot to
his hotel and distribute them among his friends. When
he went home that morning three of the kittens occupied
the right hand pocket of his big ulster, and two the left.
The mother was left in the barrel. After it had been
learned that these high bred waifs of the subway had
arrived at the hotel, there were a dozen applications by
the boarders to get possession of them, but, of course,
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THE ORDINARY CAT*
AT ITS BEST.
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT 99
thefe were only five persons who were fortunate enough
to secure the prizes. These kittens, in addition to being
the only members of their species born in the Boston
subway, have a strong and most remarkable physical
characteristic in that their fur is as thick as the wool on
the back of a sheep. It seems that nature, in thus
clothing them, had wisely provided against the cold and
the damp of the subway. Another peculiarity is the
location of their eyes, they being far down on the face
and close to the nose. They are, perhaps, the most
knowing kittens in Boston, and, withal, the most playful.
On account of the place of their birth it was at first
thought to put two of them on exhibition in the Zoo.
Their owners prized them so highly, and fearing some
harm might come to them finally withheld their consent.
Before the family was broken up the entire lot was
christened. The names selected were Subway, Gradient,
Portal, Beam and Girder, all of which make very pretty
nicknames as follows : Subby, Grady, Porty, Beamy and
Girdy. A singular coincidence in connection with this
whole affair is that the number of the offspring corres-
ponds exactly with the number of transit commissioners.
A In a chateau of Normandy lived a favorite
Hospitable cat> w hich was plentifully supplied with food,
and had grown fat and sleek on her luxurious
fare. Indeed, so bounteously was her plate supplied,
that she was unable to consume the entire amount of
provision that was set before her. This superabundance
of food seemed to weigh upon her mind ; and one day
before her dinner-time, she set off across the fields, and
paid a visit to a little cottage near the roadside, where
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IOO THE ANGORA CAT.
lived a very lean cat. The two animals returned to the
chateau in company, and after the feline hostess had
eaten as much dinner as she desired, she relinquished
the remainder in favor of her friend.
The kind-hearted proprietor of the chateau, seeing this
curious act of hospitality, increased the daily allowance
of meat, and afforded an ample meal for both cats. The
improved diet soon exerted its beneficial effects on the
lean stranger, who speedily became nearly as comfort-
ably sleek as her hostess.
In this improved state of matters, she could not eat
as much as when she was half starved and ravenous with
hunger, and so after the two cats had dined there was
still an overplus. In order to avoid waste, and urged by
the generosity of her feelings, the hospitable cat set off
on another journey, and fetched another lean cat from a
village at a league's distance. The owner of the chateau,
desirous to see how the matter would end, continued to
increase the daily allowance, and had at last, as pension-
ers of his bounty, nearly twenty cats, which had been
brought from various houses in the surrounding country.
Yet, however ravenous were these daily visitors, none
of them touched a morsel until their hostess had fin-
ished her own dinner. My informant heard this narra-
tive from the owner of the chateau.
In the conduct of this hospitably minded cat there
seems to be none of the commercial spirit which actu-
ated the two Mincing Lane Cats, but an open-pawed lib-
erality, as beseems a cat of aristocratic birth and breed-
ing. The creature had evidently a sensex>f economy as
well as a spirit of generosity, and blending the two qual-
ities together, became the general almoner of the neigh-
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"DANDY." LIGHT CREAM BUFF.
OWNED BY MRS. W. H. SHOLES.
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FACTS AND FANCIES OF THE CAT IOI
boring felines. There must have also been great powers
of conversation between these various animals, for it is
evident that they were able to communicate ideas to each
other and to induce their companions to act upon the
imparted information.
The Electrical The extraordinary electrical character of
Character t h e ca t is well known. On a cold, bright
° ' day, if the cat be stroked, the hairs of the
fur bristle up and electrical sparks issue therefrom accom-
panied with a slight crackling. It appears, too, that the
animal may be so charged with electricity that it will
give a severe shock to the holder. In order to produce
this result the cat should be placed on the knees and one
hand placed on its breast while the other is employed in
stroking its fur. Cracklings and sparkles soon make
their appearance, and in a short time, if the party con-
tinues to stroke the animal, he will receive a sharp elec-
trical shock which may be felt above the wrists. The
cat seems to suffer as much as the experimenter, for on
giving forth the shock she springs to the ground in ter-
ror and seldom will permit a repetition of the same
process. This electrical endowment may probably ac-
count for the powerful effects which are produced upon
cats by slight means, for example, if a hair from her mis-
tress* head was laid upon a cat, it would writhe about
on the floor and twist her body into violent contortions
and would endeavor with all her might to shake off the
object of her fears. Even the mere pointing of the fin-
ger at her side was sufficient to make her fur bristle up
and set her trembling, if the obnoxious finger was at
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102 THE ANGORA CAT.
six inches distance from her body. On account of the
superabundance of electricity which is developed in the
cat, this animal is found very useful to paralyzed persons
who instinctively encourage the approach of the cat
and derive a gentle benefit from its touch. Those who
are afflicted with rheumatism often find their sufferings
alleviated by the presence of one of these electrically
gifted animals. It is worthy of notice that cats do not
invariably display the same amount of electricity, but
give out more or less of that marvellous power according
to the person who handles them. This phenomenon evi-
dently is caused by the different amounts of electricity
which reside in different individuals.
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the Library on or before the last date
stamped below,
A fine of five cents a day is incurred
by retaining it beyond the specified
time.
Please return promptly*
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