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Ra “ iy? ep " Rae, diane ay + S' tr fos 4 Ay ay ooh ea . ‘606T SINOA MAN ‘NAdQ LSU ‘AOIAON LSU “OSOTNOT®) INAV Euerybodys Cat Bonk Containing chapters on ‘‘ Colour Breeding,’’ ‘‘ Show- ing,’’ ‘‘Conditioning,’’ ‘‘ Judging,’’ ‘‘ Diseases and Their Treatment,’’ ‘‘How to Raise and Treat the Show and Pet Cat,’’ and many valuable prescriptions Borothy Bevill Champion } NEW YORK 1909 Copyright, 1909 By D. B. Champion Press of The Lent & Graff Company 137-139 Egst 25th St., New York fa) ANQMOOH AD Ceaz2538942 / } ) / & Eu 4 ; CONTENTS PAGE ANZOLASwANG YE CESTANS) yaar le cieaie a pia a: fag Giga gelato elas athe eculy ahs 17 ANY SSUNDEATT Si svessiey ysis in scadaye rele aveyalalsee(al ovale, sainoalalacniargl shake ttaraismsenae sraanels 46 Bilonticn Cat Club oo. 55s ses TA RRR AIT Ee VAC RE hen eg 117 PUrCtIG AR OAL A SCGCIATION or ek Crore raaluoid ai tate mai abamrel kis 118 BACKS seer yarcices Teta e vey elaieit, eine: Sielobareccheroie ckstekcueie she ede ctalniote oneal ate 22 BETES cision os ceicis same Aa RCNA ORV 5 Pa ATO ME Rey aoa Ries BES oy cela C8 23 NRW ER Pact LEG a 70's. aus) arp vad ons SoXepeye aveveteuste one e UU Sells SN fe or 34 PCM COHICENS (Accs Pe whdsi ghd Sao saree mane RODE Hse PURE Reba 65 iBide2a—Wieel Home Assaciationy iiiiic otis a rssccle cree treraia oleracea aioe 119 rerestor) Gates Clg. 2.5 scixctere eieta /all cooked meats cause dysentery, just the same as milk foods. Kittens, when healthy, are always constipated, and they need no oil or laxatives, nor any foods which cause such con- ditions; therefore, | do not recommend fish, milk, cereals, oatmeal, potatoes, etc. Milk and fish act as laxatives, and cereals produce a heated state of the blood and skin troubles. Kittens raised on a meat diet are seldom ill, and if they catch cold or contract contagious and infectious diseases, they are as a rule easy to cure and seldom succumb. Kittens should always have access to green grass or oats grown in pots; but it will be noticed they do not appreciate this until they have nearly attained their full growth; at this age they are apt to overeat occasionally, as they have prac- tically stopped growing, and then they partake of the green grass as a medicine, whenever needed. Vegetables, such as cooked spinach, asparagus, green peas, and all kinds of greens may be minced with the kittens’ meat once or twice a week, when they attain the age of eight or ten months, using, of course, only a small quantity. Roast lamb or beef, underdone, is much appreciated, without fat, of course, and minced. If a kitten shows a loss of appetite, do not force it to eat for twenty-four hours, and if you know it has been eating anything to upset it, give a 64 EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK one-grain cascara tablet, or three grains to a six-month kitten; then, if it shows signs of any particular disease, put it on invalid diet; dose as per instructions in chapters on diseases. Always remove any kitten that appears ill, even if it is only slightly upset, for often these infantile disturbances are highly contagious. Do not try to give medicines continually to your kittens; it is a great mistake. A cascara tablet or a few doses of bis- muth are all that are necessary when they are properly fed. Remember, all meat must be finely minced and thoroughly fresh, as tainted meat will upset any kitten. Kittens raised on raw meat do not become savage, as is erroneously supposed ; ill-temper is hereditary, or can also be caused by teasing and rough treatment. Kittens treated kindly never become spiteful, even though they have tasted nothing but raw meat; but if either parent is ill-tempered, it is sure to appear in some of the kittens. The average growth of a large healthy kitten is one pound a month, and several of a litter will gain as much as this, though the females and lighter-coloured kittens are not usually as large. If they weigh seven pounds at seven months, they generally make good-sized cats. Autumn-bred kittens do not grow fast during the winter. They make their growth later on, when the warm spring weather comes. When starting in the cat fancy I was informed that ninety per cent. of all kittens died. I am happy to say I have discovered that, with careful treatment, ninety per cent. of my kittens grow up. It certainly would be a poor recom- pense to any fancier to lose ninety per cent. of his young stock, and yet I know this to be the case with many cat fanciers. Robinson’s patent barley, made with sweetened condensed milk, adding a raw egg and lime-water, given once a day, makes a good third meal for young kittens; but do not let them take too much of this, and discontinue it if it deos not thoroughly agree with them. Kittens should always be raised in large, airy rooms or buildings with covered runs. Never allow them to get wet or sit on damp ground; avoid draughts and shut all windows at night, except in severe hot spells, as sudden temperature changes will produce colds. Fresh air and. exercise is essential for the welfare of kittens. Farry Sritver BELLs. Lorp Lortn. CHAPTER XXX. BREEDING QUEENS. The greatest attention should be given to the condition of all breeding queens, for unless they are in perfect health their kittens are sure to be delicate. Queens should not be bred from until they are a year old, if it is possible to keep them so long. They often show signs of wanting to mate at eight to ten months, but if they eat well and do not get thin it is best to keep them from breeding until they are at least a year old. If you possess a thoroughbred long-haired queen, and she is used to running in and out, the chances are you will be presented with a family of half-breeds before you are aware of anything happening; but this misalliance has no detrimental effect on subsequent litters of thoroughbreds. Therefore, it is best to confine your cat to the house when she is about eight months old, only allowing her out ina wired-in run or when you are able to accompany her on her strolls. The first sign of wanting to breed is unusual affection, restlessness and mewing, and in some cases loud howls; but the higher bred.cats seldom become noisy. These restless attacks last usually a week, but should they continue for weeks together, it is best to mate your queen, even though you may consider her rather young. It will be to your advantage to send your queen to a very good stud cat, rather than mate her to any moderate speci- men you may own. Choose a cat which excels in colour-breed- ing and any good points which your queen may not possess. The two cats, if possible, should be of different ages, unless, of course, both are in their prime, which is from two to six years. If your queen is very young, never mate her to a young male; and if your cat is getting old, choose a male under five years of age. The resulting litters: will be finer and stronger. The first litter is seldom as strong as those following, al- though, when, of course, the queen begins to get old, the number in the litters decreases, the kittens become delicate, 66 EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK and do not grow so large. This does not usually happen until they reach the age of seven or eight years. Many fanciers think cats are mere machines, and that they can raise two and three litters a year. When they fail to raise the kittens to maturity, they do not seem to realize that it is because the mother cat’s strength has been overtaxed. With highly-bred cats it is far best to let them have only one litter a year, especially if it is from a young queen. From a queen two or three years old, who is strong and healthy, two litters may be taken; but it is best to get a foster-cat to raise all or part of the first family; then again, if a good, strong cat has only two or three kittens at a time, she may be mated again the same year; but if a queen has four or five kittens, this should be quite sufficient for the year. In any case, in a country like this, with extremes of heat and cold, it will be found that one spring litter will be all that can be raised successfully, unless it is possible to raise the autumn litter in a warm place all winter; if not, the kittens will not grow any more than autumn-hatched chickens do. In more moderate climates the breeding seasons are dif- ferent. Take England, for instance. The winter is moder- ately warm, usually only freezing slightly, and in summer the hottest weather is about eighty degrees, and that very seldom. In such a climate animals are better breeders, because they have more strength. I remember, when in England, having great difficulty in keeping my queens from breeding a second time during the summer months; but here there is no difficulty after the first litter has been raised, the queens showing little desire to start again on another family; and, if allowed to do so, it will be noticed they have not enough strength to grow coats for the winter; whereas the cat that has only one family a year is able to grow a full coat, and get into grand show form. If your cats do not coat up in the winter, they are not in a fit condition to breed from in the spring, and cannot raise a satis- factory litter. I cannot recommend too strongly breeding only once from a cat during the year. Even from a financial point of view, it pays better, as one strong litter ready to dispose of at any time is far more profitable than two litters which are always more or less ailing. Many persons have an idea that kittens are difficult to EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK 07 raise, but they will find, if they are treated as highly-bred animals, fed and bred from to their greatest advantage, in- stead of being treated as so many money-making machines, they can be raised without difficulty. They can be worn out just like machines, for the oftener you breed from a cat, the younger it leaves off breeding, and, what is far worse, just as they should be in their prime they discontinue to breed for a year or two, from the result of too many previous litters. Breeding queens are best kept in a cattery, as when “in kitten” they are liable to get frightened or hurt. If “my lady” is a house pet, then it is impossible to shut her up, as she will get out of condition, so all precautions must be taken to prevent her injuring herself. The family may be expected nine weeks after mating, but do not become unduly alarmed should it arrive a few days or even a week late, if your cat eats and is well. A comfortable bed should be arranged in a darkened cor- ner, but should Madam Puss choose her own bed, allow her to remain if possible, and move her whenever you desire, after the kittens are born. It is best not to move them for several days, but in the meantime slip a clean warm blanket or bath-towel under them. The latter is best in very warm weather, as too much warmth in the box distresses the mother; so a blanket placed flat in the box with a bath-towel over it affords purchase for the kittens’ feet when nursing, and does not make the bed too warm. In colder weather, padding of soft material can be put around under the blanket and in the corners, form- ing a round nest. All bedding should be removed and the box swept out at least twice a week, and the towel shaken every day and changed whenever it becomes soiled. Treatment when kittening, and for raising the kittens, will be found in other chapters. CHAPTER XXXI. CATS AT TIME OF KITTENING. All cats, previous to the time of having their kittens, should be well fed on two raw meat meals a day, larger than 68 EVERYBODY'S CAT BOOK their usual meals, and no other diet given. Nine weeks elapses from date of mating before the kittens can be expected, and it is not unusual for a cat to be several days or even a week late, but nothing should be done unless the cat seems ill. Should the kittens arrive before time, you will know that the cat has been injured in some way, probably while searching for a bed or fighting with other cats, etc. If possible, the cat should be kept in one room for about a week beforehand, and be provided with a nice comfortable bed. Perhaps nothing makes a better bed than a borax soap box, taking off the lid and using two of the boards, nailing them above the back half of the box like a roof. Cut a piece out of one end of the box, so that the kittens, when they are old enough, can crawl out. This box should be painted in- side and out, and will then make quite a nice bed. Paint a light colour inside, and dark out, any tint you may desire, ac- cording to the colour of the cats you breed. These boxes are a little rough at first, but if painted over every year the wood becomes smooth. ‘The idea of the boards being made in a pointed roof over the box is to form support for a canopy, made by throwing a blanket or curtain over the roof, and leaving just room for puss to go in and out, covering the “kitten” hole at the side. This covering makes it very private for the cat, and also dark, or partially so, for the kittens, as for the first two weeks they should not be exposed to the full light on account of their eyes. A good, healthy cat, as a rule, has no trouble having her kittens, unless she is undersized; but if they become delicate from poor feeding or over-breeding, some of the kittens are apt to be dead, or are so weak as to be killed at birth, and the cat is several days having her kittens, instead of a few hours. In case a cat has been injured, and some of the kittens are dead, and the cat seems in great trouble, a quarter to half a teaspoonful of ergot of rye may be given in a little sweet milk, and repeat the dose after several hours, if you are sure there are more kittens to follow. Do not give the medicine unless you feel sure the cat is unable to have her kittens without medical assistance. Care should be taken as to the feeding for the first few days. Asa rule, a cat has plenty of milk, but in the case of an old or unhealthy one, there might not be enough milk for EVERYBODY'S CAT BOOK 69 the kittens. In such cases give the cat warm, condensed milk and egg, and if this is not successful it will be necessary to get another cat to raise the kittens. As a rule, a cat is apt to have too much milk at first, and will need no liquid for the first week or ten days, except water, and no increase of food. After the first week two good meat meals must be given, with condensed milk, egg and lime-water for the midday meal, though a third meat meal is even better, always leaving fresh water close to the bed. In case of a large family, the kittens should be fed at four weeks of age; but no cat should nurse more than four kittens, and three will fare much better. All bedding should be changed every few days; old blan- kets, shawls and bath-towels make good beds, also outing flannel. A bath-towel is best as a bed-covering, as this can be shaken every day and changed whenever soiled. The rough surface enables the kittens to get a better support for their little feet. Never use a smooth, flat surface, as their legs, constantly slipping away from under them, cause weak- ness and crooked legs. The eyes should be carefully watched about the ninth day, when they should be open or nearly so; if not, they must be bathed and opened with the fingers very gently, and then the lids should be greased with lanolin. For further treatment, see chapters on the eyes, and kitten raising. CE APL ESR x XO: FOSTER-MOTHERS. Many times a good foster-mother has saved a litter of valuable kittens. Young cats are sometimes delicate, or they become very excitable when the kittens are born, so they get neglected and die. Personally I am not in favor of introducing other cats inte my cattery amongst my kittens. They usually have fleas, worms, and perhaps a spot or two of mange, which is nc discovered until too late. I prefer to keep my queens in such condition that thev 70 EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK are able.to raise all their own kittens, and if they only breed once a year, this is not too much. Should you want to take two litters from your queen, then a good, strong, short-haired cat is very useful; if she has kittens the same day as your own cat, so much the better. A few days, or even ten days before, is better than after, for the queen should not be allowed to nurse her kittens at all, if they are to be taken away. If you cannot procure a foster in time, then let your queen nurse all her own kittens until you can get one—say within a week or ten days. In this case it is better to allow the thoroughbred queen to raise one of her own kittens. Most short-haired cats will take strange kittens easily, but on their arrival it is better to place them in a quiet room, with their own kittens, a day or two before introducing the new ones. Always be careful how you introduce the little strangers. First place one up by her face, and if she begins cleaning it, then you will be safe in placing the new kittens with her, removing one of her own as you do so; and do not leave any of the short-haired kittens with the cat. If, on the other hand, the foster shows a dislike to the new kittens, growling and swearing, you must be more cau- tious. Take two or three of the foster-cat’s kittens, and place them, with those you want to give her, in a warm bed, and leave for several hours together; then take them all to the foster, and she will usually accept them. Do not leave her without a kitten all these hours, unless you find her still dis- agreeable; then try shutting her away from both litters of kittens; remove the short-haired kittens, and let her return to the thoroughbred kittens, using all the time the same bed. If this proves unsuccessful, then you may give up any further attempts. It is seldom you will find a bad-tempered foster ; they usually take any and every kitten. Do not mix the two families unless you are obliged, as any fleas the short-haired cat may have had prior to the birth of her kittens flock on to the newly-born kittens, and by destroying these kittens your thoroughbreds do not stand much chance of getting the fleas. Always have the little short-hairs humanely destroyed. This is best done in a small wooden or cardboard box, about a foot square. Place them on a soft bed, which should first be lightly sprinkled with chloroform; shut the box for a few EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK 71 minutes, then open and pour in about an ounce more of the chloroform. Then shut the box up tightly, and wrap up in a thick cloth, leaving for several hours. If they are to be drowned, they should be tied in a cloth or bag, which must be weighted to keep them under water ; then drop into a large pail or bath of water. But to chloroform them is quicker and far less painful. Always feed and care for the foster as you would for your own cat. Remember, she is filling the same place, and if she is not properly fed she cannot raise good, strong kittens. I need hardly suggest that a good home be found for her when she has finished with the family, for surely no one who raises animals would be inhuman enough to turn her into the streets. Provided the late owners do not want her returned, it is well to find her a home near, where you can have her back another time, paying a dollar or so for her use. You may also find your friends would gladly loan you their cats every year, if they find they are carefully cared for, and it is certainly better to always obtain a good, strong, short-haired cat to raise the long-haired kittens, if it is possible to get a healthy ane. I do not advise obtaining any cat picked up in the street, or from a “Cats’ Home,” as their condition would not be good enough to raise a family of kittens properly; there is also the fear of infectious diseases. CHAPTER; Xin SHOW MANAGEMENT. It is easy to write of “Show Management,” and to give good advice, but the difficulty arises as to who is to undertake the actual work. Some will say, “Pay men or women to do it,’ but anyone who wants a show managed properly will find the greatest undertaking is to get the right person or per- sons; in fact, there is no truer proverb than, “If you want a thing done, do it yourself.” Now, as it is impossible to do everything connected with show managing personally, one must employ very responsible people, in the first place, and someone must be always in attendance during every hour of the show—that is to say, in the day-time; and at night a trustworthy man should keep watch all the time, to see that nothing goes wrong. Cat clubs should appoint a committee to supervise the work which is to be done. For instance, one should under- take the feeding, one the sanitary arrangements, another the covering of cages at night; also the crating and sending off should be carefully attended to. For the last ten or twelve years I have attended large and small shows, both in England and in this country, so I can give some little advice as to what ought to be done for the comfort of cats during a show. Firstly, I might mention that the diseases caught at shows by cats are not always due to bad show management, as most people seem to think. Have you ever sat at the entrance to a hall and watched the cats arrive, some by express and some by hand, and seen the various ways these poor cats are packed and shipped, some in open crates, some in unlined baskets, others with just a box with a wire-netting front! Do the senders, and owners realize that this is no way to send a cat travelling, and that if they do so they just send disease, and with it infection, into every show? When you remonstrate with people, they tell you their cat is used to the cold. This may be the case, but no matter what temperature your cat lives in, or how much it runs in and out of the cold, it should not be placed WHITE AIGRETTE. CHAMPION JOHNNIE l'awe JI. EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK 73 in an open or draughty box or basket, as it is then obliged to sit still and cannot keep up its circulation, and therefore a violent cold or distemper is contracted; and, by the first or second day of the show, the cat is in the worst stages of infection, and endangers the lives of all the other animals which have been packed by humane owners or brought per- sonally in a careful manner. It seems to me that clubs and promoters of cat shows would help themselves and lessen the danger of showing if they printed an “Important Notice” in their schedules to the effect that if cats are brought or shipped in unlined baskets or draughty boxes, they will not be admitted to the show. It is quite time some very stringent measures were taken to prevent thoughtless and unfeeling owners from killing their own cats, and a great many others at the same time. I know of one person who ships his cats in large cases with wire fronts, like rabbit-hutches, with no covering of any kind over the fronts, so that they can be teased and frightened all the time they are travelling. They may be only short-haired cats, but these bring illness to shows quite as much as the long-haired. This dissertation about show boxes may seem to some people unnecessary in an article on show management, but if fanciers cannot take care of their own cats when they ship them, it seems hardly reasonable to expect their cats to return home well; and if they return ill, they are the first to blame the show management, never for one moment blaming themselves for the careless way in which the cat was packed, and never thinking that they may have sent disease into the show, as well as bringing it back. The first step in managing a show is to procure an attrac- tive schedule or premium list, and get the offer of cups and medals from different clubs, associations and specialty clubs; also the offer of special prizes from private individuals, either money, silver or cups. The show should be under the rules of some prominent cat association, so that proper championship points may be given; also a full classification should be provided, thus draw- ing a much larger entry. Many poultry associations give a cat show in this way, in connection with their own annual event, providing a separate room or hall for the cat exhibits. This adds a great attrac- 74 EVERYBODY'S CAT BOOK tion to their show, and increases the gate-money considerably. After the premium list has been duly printed, it should be sent to all the prominent cat exhibitors in or around the vicinity. The names and addresses of cat fanciers can be procured from catalogues of previous shows, or from the dif- ferent cat clubs. It is usually necessary to send out at least five hundred premium lists, and to obtain short-haired cats, a few advertisements in local papers will be found helpful. It is well to fix the date for entries to close about ten days before the show date, so as to get all entered up in time for the catalogue proof to go to print. All entry blanks should be kept to verify any mistakes exhibitors may have made in entering their cats. The simplest way to enter up the entries is to procure a ledger with numbered pages and lettered address pages. Use the page numbers to correspond with the class numbers. For instance, ““Class 1—White Long-haired Male, Blue Eyes.” Enter this on page one in your book, and so on through all the classes; then, when all the entries have been received, the con- tents of the book can be copied out for the printers, with, of course, the list of exhibitors and their addresses. If the club does not own its own pens, they can be hired; about a dozen extra ones should be ordered, to use for judg- ing, etc. These pens, for a two or three days’ show, should not be smaller than forty-two by twenty-one inches each. Of course, many owners attend the shows themselves, and line their pens with some warm material, or place cushions in- side; but for cats shipped alone, their comfort should be attended to, and the pen lined with a sheet of warm wrapping paper ; this should be changed when it becomes soiled. The whole floor of the building should be swept with sawdust dampened with strong disinfectant. This lays the dust and cleans the floor. No disinfectant should be used at any other time in the hall, as it makes the air so strong that it affects the eyes and breathing of the cats, and also is most objectionable to ex- hibitors. One of the largest cat shows ever held was run entirely without the use of disinfectants, except for cleansing the pans. Many visitors and exhibitors said that it was the EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK 75 pleasantest show they had attended, as there were no strong odours. The “strong odour” which had been noticed at other times was due to the use of strong-smelling disinfectants, which do no good and make the cats very ill. Strict cleanliness is all that is necessary to make the air pleasant. A pan of dry sand should be placed in each cage. The pans can be obtained at no great expense, and should be owned by every club holding shows. A suitable pan is one of bright tin, about seven by nine inches, and one and a half inches in depth. These can be bought for seven cents each. Before using, they should be numbered on the outside at each end. This can be done with a small brush and a tin of black spirit paint in a very short time. These pans should be placed in the cages of corresponding numbers. During the show they should, if necessary, be changed several times a day, and dipped in a tub of strong solution of permanganate of potash, about a tablespoonful of the crys- tals to two gallons of water. It is best to have two tanks of this solution, dipping the pan first in one and then in the second. Drain off, and fill again with dry sand. One attendant should be kept entirely to change the pans at any time necessary during the day. At the close of the show they should be well disinfected and dried and packed away for the next year, as they will last several years, if properly taken care of. The next item is feeding. Positively no milk should be allowed in a show. It is considered by eminent physicians to be the greatest germ-breeder in existence; so surely this should not be given a cat in a show, where no one can be sure that there are no disease-germs. If cats cannot drink fresh water for three days, they are better kept at home. Various diets have been tried at shows, but I have never seen anything so much appreciated or less likely to upset a cat in confinement than minced raw meat. Someone should be appointed on the feeding committee who thoroughly understands feeding cats, and should go around with the men attendants at feeding time, with a list of the cage numbers, and mark off each cat’s number as it is fed, as sometimes cats are penned in different corners of the hall, and some cats might be overlooked or some irate exhibitor may assert that his or her cat has not been 76 BEVERY BODY'S CAT (BOOK fed; then you can show your list, and if the cat’s number is marked off the same as the others, the matter is settled. A small quantity should be fed night and morning, care being taken that kittens are not given as much as full-grown cats. This meat should be given on small-sized cardboard pie- plates or wooden butter-dishes, and about an hour after feed- ing, these, with whatever meat is left, should be thrown away, as what has remained in the hall for two or three hours is not fit to be eaten, and fresh dishes should be used for each meal. Another thing to be seen to is the emptying out of all stale water and giving fresh. This should be done at the same time as the feeding, and also twice a day. The great difficulty with a cat show is to keep it well ventilated without opening doors or windows on any par- ticular cat. A row of windows should be kept slightly open at the top, always being careful to shut those where there is too much draught. Halls are apt to become over-heated where there is a large attendance. This generally happens in the afternoon and evening. If the heating apparatus were care- fully regulated during these hours, this would be avoided. This is a very difficult matter to overcome, as it is generally thought of when it is so warm as to be unpleasant to oneself. Then it requires some time to reduce the temperature. The temperature at night also is a very important point. Of course, with furnaces banked down for the night, the hall is sure to become somewhat cooler, but great precaution should be taken to prevent the men from opening all the windows to “air the place out.” The ordinary working man has an utter disregard for cats, and all he thinks about is “getting rid of the smell,” which, of course, is impossible with fifty or more male cats in a building. Therefore, as I said before, a responsible per- son should watch the hall at night, to avoid, if possible, any “cooling off.” Never allow the sprinkling of sawdust saturated with strong disinfectant under the show benches. This is most in- jurious both to the cats and their owners. The sawdust that is used is as fine as dust, and when it becomes dry with the heated atmosphere, floats about in the air, affecting the eyes, nose and lungs, thus causing consider- able irritation of the mucous membrane. Next in importance is attending to the boxes and baskets the cats have been shipped in. These should be thoroughly EVERVBODY’S CAT BOOK 77h cleaned out and fresh hay put in before the return journey. This, I am afraid, is very seldom done, but it should never be neglected. Imagine a cat returning in a soiled box or hamper, which has probably been so for the best part of a week! This alone would be enough to make a delicate cat ill, and would certainly be most unpleasant for the strongest. There is ample time, during a three-day show, for the men employed to see to this important detail. Last, but by no means least, is the packing and sending off of the cats. This should be properly attended to by those in authority before the hall is left. The managing of a show is by no means an easy task. It is a great responsibility, end- less work and worry, very little thanks, and usually a great deal of abuse from unreasonable persons. If fanciers only knew how much they could save show managers by the careful packing of their cats, patience, and less aggressiveness, | am sure they would not complain at every little thing which goes wrong. No large show can be run without some little thing happening, and as long as it is nothing serious, why raise objections? CHAP TER XXX DV: PREPARING CATS FOR THE SHOW-PEN. One often wonders how much has really been written on the above subject—namely, the care of show cats—and how many different ways have been advised; also, whether novices really take advice, or do they know best, until experience, sometimes very bitter, teaches them, perhaps taking some years to do so. This, I think, was somewhat the case with myself. The method I now have of successfully raising and show- ing my cats and kittens is practically the same as I was first advised; yet, as a matter of fact, I have tried various experi- ments, some good and some bad, and not until recent years, may I say, have I been entirely successful. When you tell novices what to do with their cats if they wish to show them, they often remark, “If I have to take all that care I would 78 EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK not show my cats.” But really, keeping show cats is much less worry that keeping four or five pet cats. When you begin to give minute details, it appears very intricate to a beginner, so I will therefore give as simple a method as possible to care for show cats. A cat kept in clean surroundings, well fed and cared for, needs very little preparation for the show-pen; in fact, the conditioning should continue throughout the year, for, unless you keep your cats in good form always, it is useless to expect them to be fit for showing in a few weeks. If your cattery is properly kept, the inmates should need no undue amount of cleaning. In the first place, to ensure your cats growing a good coat, all old hair should be combed out in the autumn, as any old, rusty hair spoils the appearance of the new coat. Then the cat should not be allowed free run of the “garden walls,” or the new coat will get wet and soiled, worn on rough walls and fences, and torn out on bushes. I have never yet seen a cat which had its entire freedom look as well as the care- fully cared-for ‘cattery cat.” All cats are better for fresh air and exercise, but if they are allowed out in all weather, their condition both as to coat and health must deteriorate. Remember, a cat, to be in “show” form, should have a huge coat; this also takes time to grow; and to do this they must be amply fed as soon as the weather gets cool after the summer heat. The best diet to condition a cat for the winter shows is raw meat, finely minced through a mincing machine, which is better than that cut with a knife, as many cats have defec- tive teeth and do not masticate their food, swallowing large pieces of meat whole. A raw meat diet produces a wonderful coat and keeps the cats in such good health that, should they come in contact with disease or encounter cold weather when travelling, they seldom get seriously ill, as do most underfed or milk-fed specimens sent to shows. I do not say a meat diet will always grow a coat, as with- out breeding, a cat will not obtain that wealth of coat that a pedigreed animal does. I wonder how many well-bred cats one sees during the show season, which have only a few long hairs to denote they belong to the “long-haired” section! These are the cats which need to be properly fed, and EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK 79 not over-bred, then they could be easily conditioned and im- prove the appearance of our winter shows. When the cat’s coat becomes thick and long, great care should be taken to keep the hair free from mats, for one small knot in the hair will set up an irritation of the skin, and in a day or two the knot becomes one large mat, and has to be cut out with the scissors. Have all the cat’s surroundings kept scrupulously clean always; especially so a week before a show. Then, about three days before, clean the cat thoroughly by first dampening the coat with a little alcohol and water, rub well with a rough towel, clean out the ears and powder inside with boracic acid; then take a flour-dredger and dust the cat well with corn-starch, rubbing it in the coat well with the hands; the next three days should be spent in brushing out the corn-starch, as any left in the coat spoils the colour, and in many cases may cause disqualification in the show-pen to those colours it im- proves, such as chinchillas, whites, etc. A properly kept cat does not need all this cleaning; just a little around the frill and ears is all that is necessary. Before sending to a show, always cut the tips of pussy’s claws, as they may get caught in the wire on the shipping crate, and cause an accident; also, many a person lets a cat go on account of a good hard scratch; therefore, it is safer for the cat and kinder to the people and judges at shows, who have to handle them. When away from home, cats are apt to become very frightened, and even the most gentle ones will bite and scratch when handled by strange people at shows. CHAPTER) XXXV, FEEDING. More attention should be paid to the diet of an animal than any other part of its care. There can be no success if your cat is not properly fed. It must be clearly understood, if you are starting to breed pedigreed animals, and many of them, they cannot be fed as you would one pet cat, which has its entire liberty and does 80 EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK not breed. Breeding from animals taxes their strength to the utmost, and they must be fed in proportion, or they wiil become weakly and contract all kinds of diseases, especially skin diseases. Cats should be fed strictly on a meat diet; no cereals, such as oatmeal, rice, etc.; no potatoes, and, lastly, not a drop of cow’s milk, whether it is boiled or not, even should you keep a cow. We had a Jersey cow for some years, but not a cat in the place was allowed milk; in fact, few of them would drink milk after being fed on meat. Milk feeding causes chronic dysentery, and a cat or kitten so fed is never free from worms. They are also subject to skin trouble, from poverty of blood; in fact, a milk-fed cat is always in a semi-starved condition. Of course, I know cats have been fed on milk for years, and in many cases they live on it; but the same cat could be changed on to a meat diet with marked improvement. On the other hand, try changing a meat-fed cat to a milk. and cereal diet. The result will be disastrous, the cat soon being reduced to a wreck of its former self. Meat has been proved by a majority of successful breed- ers to be the only proper diet for the fancy cat. Raw beef is best, preferably minced, with bones given daily or at frequent intervals, and fresh green grass always accessible. The quantity given must entirely depend on circumstances. For instance, a cat in the summer months, if not being bred from, needs only two small meat meals a day, or as much as it will eat up quickly. Breeding cats need large meals night and morning, about half a pound of meat each during the day, and in the autumn, about September, let them have all they can eat twice a day, to fatten them up and grow a coat for the winter, giving less about January or February, unless they are kept where it is excessively cold. About March, a pinch of phosphate of soda may be given once a day for a week or two, to cool the blood and prevent the cat shedding | its hair too quickly. Cats “in kitten” should have about six ounces of lean raw meat twice a day, moistened with a little lime-water. For those keeping a number, I would advise buying a full cut shin of beef or several pounds of neck. Have this cut up and minced; then, in addition to this, a lamb’s or sheep’s haslet may be cut up and cooked, using only the best CHAMPION PETIE K. CHAMPION Lorp KEW TANGERINE. EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK 8 parts. Have this minced when cold, and use the gravy to mix it together with the raw meat. A little green vegetable may be added. Always use three parts raw meat to one of any substitute. Never use bread, but dog-cakes broken up and soaked in cold water for twelve hours, then put through the mincer and mixed with three parts raw meat, is also a good diet, as the biscuit is far more nourishing than bread or any other cereal. Bear in mind that this mixed diet should only be fed to cats which are not breeding, such as neuters, young cats, or old cats which have given up breeding, all kittens, cats “in kitten,” or nursing kittens, and all stud cats, should be fed on a pure meat diet. Fresh lamb or mutton, boned and minced, fed raw, agrees very well with cats. The fat cannot be removed, but when fed raw it does not disagree with them; but lamb or beef should on no account be fed when boiled; lamb becomes too rich, and cooked fat upsets a cat very quickly; the beef be- comes hard and indigestible. Beef hearts and pigs’ livers should never be given, and cooked beef liver very seldom; no liver should be fed raw. I have often wondered how fanciers could write to the cat papers and advocate a mixed cereal and milk diet, with an occasional meat meal. They seem to convince themselves that it is correct, but if you were to see their cats, as I have done, you would notice the poor animals are sorely in want of a good meat diet ; and when shown at the winter shows, they are conspicuous for want of coat; they look as if they had forgotten all about winter, and had retained their summer raiment. The fact is, they have only beeen provided with enough food to keep them alive, and have not had enough nutritious food to grow their coats. When you observe well-bred, long-haired cats at our win- ter shows, almost hairless, you can draw your own conclusions ; either they have been hopelessly underfed or bred from too often; in some cases both. It is far more profitable to keep just one or two cats and feed them properly than to keep a number and feed them badly. Poor diet is the root of most “ills.” CHAPTER XXXVI. BATHING AND CLEANING. Never bathe a cat unless positively obliged to; if by ac- cident puss has tumbled into anything which has badly soiled the hair, such as paint, or, as often happens, has become en- tangled with a sticky fly-paper, then, of course, a washing is necessary, and should be done immediately. To remove paint or sticky fly-paper, I have found nothing to answer the purpose so well as warm water and napthaline soap, using a little turpentine on a rag at first to the very bad patches. If the soap alone will not remove all, then put a little soda in the water. Rinse well after washing, and dry with rough bath-towels. If in winter, place in a warm room until thoroughly dry. It is a dangerous practice to wash a cat constantly, for sooner or later it is sure to contract a bad cold or pneumonia. The best way to cleanse a cat’s coat is by dry cleaning. First comb all knots out of the fur with a wire comb; then, if the hair is very much soiled or greasy, rub with a rough towel moistened with alcohol and water, half and half. Rub nearly dry, then take a flour-dredger filled with dry corn-starch, and dust the cat over lightly, rubbing the starch in around the nose and eyes with the fingers, to prevent any getting in the eyes and nose. After rubbing well into the coat with the hands, brush and comb thoroughly, and if all the hair does not become fluffy, repeat the process where necessary. It is best to do this cleaning in a bath-room, spreading a sheet on the floor, as the “dry” process is apt to cover every- thing more or less with powder. Dry cleaning does not spoil the coat, whereas a cat which is constantly washed never grows a good coat, as the soap and water removes all the natural oil, and the hair becomes brittle, breaks off, and also turns a rusty colour. A cat fre- quently washed becomes dirty much sooner than one which is “dry” cleaned, as they will not clean themselves when con- stantly washed. Zk ‘CHAPTER XXXVII. JUDGING. A good judge of cats should have had years of experience in breeding in order to realize quickly all the good, as well as bad, points in the animal he is judging; also, he must show no partiality towards the owner, nor should he favor any cer- tain cat because a long price has been paid’ for it, as that does not make it the best; for one must remember that often hun- dreds of dollars. will not purchase some of the best cats of the day. Now, if any of these things are likely to influence you at all, do not attempt to judge. You may please a few people at a show, but you will displease the whole fancy by partiality in judging. Do not try to please the owners, but put the best cats first, and the majority will thank you. Of course, it is useless to try to please everybody, because unreasonable persons are to be found everywhere. Many think, because they love their cats, they must be the best; but unfortunately people often pick out the worst show cat to make their special pet. This is a great mistake for any fancier to make. You must know, when breeding animals, that you cannot keep them all; therefore, make up your mind to make the greatest pet of the best kitten. By so doing, you educate it and improve its disposition, and make it as fearless as possible in the show-pen. Remember that most judges have their own methods, but they generally work out the same in the end; so in this article I can give the novice hints from my own personal ex- perience. For instance, it is, in my opinion, quite impossible for any judge to judge every cat with a score-card. You will find, after judging a few years, that your score-card is in your own head; that is to say, you must bear in mind all the dif- ferent points of the three or four cats you have picked out as winners, and compare them, one with the other. You will find, if you test your judgment with a score-card afterwards, that the result will practically be the same. Of course, for judging different colored cats for cups and special prizes, you might find the score-card useful. 84 EVERYBODY'S CAT BOOK In judging, never run away with the idea of one extra good point in a cat making it the winner; you must compare all their points one against the other, before deciding which is the best. Never judge cats in the show-pen; always take them out and either place them on a table or in a judging-pen; but if a cat rubs incessantly against the wire, it is better to take it out, as a long-haired cat’s beauty is spoiled when the coat is smoothed down. Do not judge a cat’s head by its appearance, but always place your hand across the front of the skull, and feel if it is wide. Another great point, and one seldom noticed by judges, is the width of the chest. This also should be felt. In fact, half the judging should be done by well handling the cats. If you are afraid to handle all sorts of strange cats, do not start to judge; without feeling a long-haired cat you cannot correctly judge it, as a wealth of coat often covers a multitude of faults. Always handle strange cats, especially males, as if you were not the least bit afraid of them. Use loose fitting leather gloves, if you wish to get a firm hold on a cat. If it should appear savage, grasp it firmly by the “scruff” of the neck, then it will be unable to scratch and bite you. I have always made a practice of handling all the cats I have made winners and have not yet received a bad bite or scratch. One must learn to be a good “handler” before one will make a good judge. At all shows insist upon having daylight for judging, as artificial light appears to alter the colour of the cats; then when the same cats are judged at another show by daylight others may reverse your decision, probably correctly, and this will reflect on your judgment. The short-haired cat should be judged for the same points as the long-hair with the exception of the coat, which should be very smooth, harsh, and short. The other points for both varieties are as follows:—The head should be round, the face short, the nose should be snubby and have a good stop—that is to say, the nose should have a decided break in the middle to make it retroussé in appearance, the cheeks, and under the eyes, should be round and very full; the eyes large and round and set straight in the head; they should not be angular in any way; the ears should be small, and set well apart, pointing somewhat forward and well tufted; the body should be cobby and very deep and broad in the chest, and the back as straight EVERYBODY'S CAT BOOK 85 as possible ; the legs should appear to be set low down, and not to continue up to the top of the shoulders. In the long-haired variety, the hair should be as long as possible, and no very short hair should be seen across the shoulders and hind legs; this is a very bad fault, as it gives a cut-off appearance to the head and frill, and shows a lack of good breeding; the legs should be short and thick, and the hair on them the longer the better, so that in this respect they in no way resemble the short-haired cats. I have seen a pedigreed Persian with legs exactly like a short-haired cat; this is very ugly, and you will find that there is a defect in the pedigree if a cat has this fault, as the better and higher bred a cat is the longer the hair is on the legs, and a corresponding length of toe and ear tufts will also be noticed. These of course, are good points. The tail should be short enough to be carried slightly away from the body, but not touching the ground or turning upwards at the end; if it does this, you may know it is too long in proportion to the length of the legs. The hair should be very long under the stomach to prevent a “leggy” appearance. The aforementioned points should give the novice a good idea of the shape of both the short and long haired cats, and the scale of points and description of colour of the different varieties given below should be all that is necessary to give any one a fair idea of how to choose their winners either in breeding or judging. One very important point which judges should be strict with, is faking of any kind. I am glad to say that, little, if any, is done with cats, but such unfair advantages as placing powder or flour on a light cat to make it lighter or to improve it in any way, should be strictly prohibited by judges and also by show committees; for where does the novice’s chance come in when the “old hands” take these unfair advantages! Any cleaning preparations can be brushed out before a show and the cat kept in a clean place until that event, thereby removing all danger of disqualification by the judges for “faking.” CHAPTER XXX Vint: SCALE OF POINTS. Orange and Brown Tabbies.—Orange tabbies to have a clear yellow or cream ground colour, with distinct rich orange markings; eyes orange. Brown tabbies should be a rich red brown with black markings ; eyes orange. There should be no shading to white in either of these varieties. dnl sshailmrehahoyNss.q ag (Kehoe NURNI\ ON EDA MARCO mM EAU A 20 Colompiangdimarimore iy iio an mi Mae 25 Colouriand expression Obieyesi ee) soeny oae 10 COarh AM COMER UUM Meh CUNY ah te 20 PS] Feo Oey A MAU BAU ALTA UH UR A ARE NS sea 15 SPUR VOL YEA MeCN Ma MONCH IG USUI em ANE 10 (Lig) a a SEAN I SEO ARIA a 100 Whites.—Colour pure white, no creamy tinge; eyes blue or orange. CUOTV CT Bahn? oa IE ar Bap SIRNAS SUES a SAUTE gg 10 PSA ANG EXPLESSOR «il ists aimee act anNe 20 Ciploaniand shame ror eves ies aun analy tilt 15 CTSEECEIO LCM TMG ee NAS UAE DAN OLN 20 BRS HOR ea IT eee Ne I We ANE a he 10 O21 08) A rN SNM ap 10 5) a1) OF AAR OE URDU EDN AS ey Apo 15 Bo 2 RR eB ny Reeay 100 Blues.—Colour must be sound to the roots, either dark, medium or light; no shading or markings; no brown tinge; eyes orange. PeAG AI EXDFeSIOM NM ucanuk ua Assy ae 15 Cprlouniandishape Oireyvesi isu wate slavery 15 ©) Fes bh HAREM a a TS Sa RE 2 MOab hatch COMGMEIOM NOAM OO Nahai ta li. AL NENE 20 Net BEC AMO} GI Eb USERS TN I RY SAEED HSL 10 7210) SARC ATS EA Hh St NP 15 EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK 87 Blacks.—Colour must be sound to the roots; no brown tinge, shading, or markings; eyes orange. Rs [ 1s ae ASN ROU PR ae STAI A EE Se ge 15 RECA ANU) EXPHESSION. es Ne CeO Us bated! 15 Calon amd Shape GE eye|s! feo) se ihe elem 15 CELINE Mites anatatidiie neva ter ta eiten 2 aiia ai ANC ura hu i Va ae 25 Ci Gre ATIC (COTAEMETONL 2 5 OU 2 Hl ie SUN ae aa 20 155565) 9 RA gh 594 SE Aa NE RSPCA IO lice al AREA eet ey A 100 Tortoise-shells—To be clearly patched with red, yellow, and black; no tabby markings; eyes orange. SUR Ui aaa yo valiey ec ccnaits ah awl efi Ua AO Ra 15 Oe | CX Di aN A SUING ONE TR ei OA 25 Colour and'expression Of eyes.) \s ok. hs 15 [a aes LAMINA Ue BAG RR A 15 Coat ANd COMEMAOM EL Leister Uiaial Ga'eiUlaras 20 Lis ray IS) SMCs tr: hb bh RRO UH SN NN Cn UO A 10 AS 9) DEIR A Se 100 Tortoise-shells and Whites.—Should have distinct patches of red, black, and yellow on a white ground. In this variety the patches are larger and much more distinct than the tortoise- shell. The scale of points is the same as the tortoise-shell. Creams, Fawns and Orange.—Fawns and creams should be even in colour, without shadings or markings. Orange should be an even rich red, no markings or shadings. Eyes for all these varieties should be orange. Plead andi expression niin mimly atte ils 15 Colourvand shape viawievese leu eiiid's iets 15 ORO ER RU Mir I Men en anata aaNet al bali 25 GALL An COMEITIOM EU Sila ier wines iilalese eh 20 UB g PSL VaRS) rly £20 LAN A PON Se al Ma 10 2156 salt MRSS MELAS aR Daa Sane ES 15 PR Ob a ie ure alana 100 Points for Silver cats, drawn up by the Silver Society of America. Chinchillas should be pale and unshaded silver, having as few tabby markings as possible. Any brown or cream tinge to be considered a great drawback. The eyes to be green. EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK AGA en ele Sh icieps Oe are One er ane 20 PIE eo ee os SL eet ae ey ae I5 Reletr tor COat Cob.) ae oh ee Heke See 25 Raat and ‘conditions. / 050002, edema 20 Colour, shape and expression of eyes...... 10 Brush orstadl. ooo eer ee eee eee 10 go. pe A een 100 Shaded Silvers—Should be defined as a pale, clear silver, well shaded on face, legs and back, but having as few tabby markings as possible ; eyes green. Any brown or cream tinge a great drawback. LTE I eh iy 9 DAE A A 2 WO RR 20 SECT (ET ah 6 aa a | hPa te A OO eh 25 Goat and condition 2 52.5 22s ea eese ns Sree 20 Colour, shape and expression of eyes ...... 10 POM OR Se teh acne ote ee eee fe) SLC”, SUT aaa NE te RAAB at Abate Bei eter M7) SY 15 Gtalk. Sin... ieee 100 Smokes.—A smoke cat must be black, shading to smoke, with as light an under coat as possible, and black points, light- silver frill and ear tufts; eyes to be orange. dense black markings. Head and expression as eee eee 20 SEMOUE IGE NEVES) 4.50 Oh «atin ake deems 15 Solemn of ander coat, i sci. ceca permet sie) 7epSeRee GE MarkIges oo) Ss ss een a 15 ADC ies Sos oS hig ele lait a ano eee ee IO Brush iee tail. 2 ohn. ce eee 10 ont (atid |COndnION : {Uo ./2e:sc tee ee eee 20 Petal. steer see Silver Tabbies——Should be a pale, clear silver with broad, sidered detrimental. Eyes orange or green. dies and ‘expressiom 3.5. see hae owe 20 Colour )-dnd :marlanics t2 iS ae oer oa ine 25 Colotit- OF: yes 2. 6.25 USS Las PSE os Ke) Ceatjand condition 02 Sit poiee esos. acl 20 Sierper’ 243 rs 2 ce. Be eee cere we bee 15 Brush or tall 2 ois eek ses os cee 10 Any brown or cream tinge to be con- ‘(SHINOW Q FOV) AVIS AvVI0d "a ) diate a Ps Sag Pee, olin tet = % 7 ee aA ae og EVERYBODY'S CAT BOOK 89 Masked Silvers—Should be a pale silver cat having dark face and legs. The lighter the body and darker the face and legs, the nearer approach to type. Plead atl expressiOm sh): 25 ce b/ci sists te al ite) MeN re vai ach she DRC LOLS 5 2 i) Sy ci sore u's les! Ses oh 20 MOTAOMAG Rye rete oa Sa hey ale a ey ddele, BS ea ae @icsaled 20 GE GRIDEENES hoes su avieie ON le ne oc b'e 3 tor s Asta 10 Wie tan CONGMION hos. Wie 3) Giada be oi ofa 15 BRIBE a Mees Na cluyoe isl shar 4i0)nibiin'! Sai 4,Anlat 15 PEPISEUMOMT TAU goo pcialccs tse -('e eet Wl wvete sow ejalera 10 Gta sas Ps se evant 100 CUAPTER XN XIX. PHOTOGRAPHING CATS. Many amateurs take “snap shots,’ but few obtain really good pictures of their cats, as time exposures are the most satisfactory. To photograph cats successfully, one requires, as nearly as possible, a home studio. This need not be permanent but may be arranged in the following manner, just before taking’ the pictures. Select a large, light window; a bay window gives good light. Near the window place a table or whatever you wish your cats or kittens to stand on, using for a back- ground a screen about five feet high; use this screen un- covered if it makes a suitable background, if not throw over it a curtain, or any other drapery which is suitable to the colour of your cat, dark colours, of course, for all light-col- oured cats and light or nearly white for darker cats. Avoid using a figured background; remember the plainer the sur- roundings the more they will show up the “sitters.” About six feet from the window hang a large white sheet, as near to the ceiling as possible, allowing it to touch the floor; this should continue right up to the screen and across to the camera, thus forming a little studio, and the white sheet will reflect the light as well as concentrating it. A sheet thrown on the ground will also improve the light, and pre- vents heavy shadows. go EVERYBODY'S CAT BOOK A northern light is always considered best for photogra- phy, but where there is no top light I have found a southern window answers best; but never allow the sun to shine on your subject. Should the rays fall just where you want to place your table, move it further into the room, or pin a piece of white muslin over the window to diffuse the sun- light. The fastest plates of films should always be used for animals, and a noiseless shutter; perhaps the best shutter is the velvet flap worked by a pneumatic ball and long rubber tube. These are imported from France. It takes two persons to photograph a cat, one to operate the camera and the other to attract the subject. The great art in attracting a cat’s attention is not to cause too much excitement. One needs many different devices; often a bunch of long grass tapped on the camera or drawn up and down the sheet at the side will catch pussy’s eye; or an imitation fly made out of a piece of black cotton or wool hung on a short stick; then draw the “fly” up and down until the cat becomes quite interested, keeping it quite still just when you want the cat to look. Always keep periectly quiet when you have once gained the cat’s attention; any movement or conversation will make the cat look in the opposite direction just as the plate is being exposed. Never be airaid of over-exposing an “animal” picture taken in-doors; the great difficulty is to get the cat to sit still long enough to get a time exposure; two or three sec- onds will not be too long. The person operating the camera should watch the cat and at the first sign of movement, drop the shutter. Often a picture can be intensified which is slightly under-exposed, if there has been no movement. li you are photographing kittens and they are too playful, you must keep them on the table and let them play until they begin to get sleepy; then wake them up with some of your “attractions” and you will probably get a good picture; but unless you have endless patience and expect to be several hours over one or two pictures, do not attempt animal photo- graphy. re CHAPTER XL. INVALID DIET. More cats succumb from improper feeding when they are ill than from actual disease; or rather an incorrect diet ag- gravates disease. In the first stages it is best to give a mild laxative, and no food for 12 or 24 hours, according to whether the patient is strong and robust, or young and delicate. In cases when the digestion is impaired, no solid food should be given; only the mildest kind of nourishment, such as Robinson’s Patent Barley made with little or no milk, with a tablespoonful of lime-water added to each hali-pint. In cases of high fever give the barley made without milk, instead of water to drink. It should be given quite cold, even iced, and made fresh twice a day. When the patient is getting a little better some sweet- ened condensed milk may be used in the barley, and later a fresh raw egg added to each half-pint containing the lime- water. If the food cannot be retained on the stomach or causes dysentery give beef juice squeezed from fresh raw beef. To make this, take a cupful of lean raw beef which has been finely minced through a meat-chopper, place it in a small basin and add about half a cup of water and two tablespoon- fuls of lime-water; stir well and allow to stand for twelve to twenty-four hours; then squeeze the meat in a piece of white muslin, expressing the juice. If the cat is very ill, use the juice weak at first and stronger later, adding less water. Feed with a rubber ear syringe at the side of the mouth if neces- sary. Great care should be taken, after a cat has suffered from severe internal trouble, when feeding anything solid. If you think your cat sufficiently recovered to need more nourish- ment, try a very little scraped raw beef; moisten with lime- water ; if this agrees, more may be given in two hours; after- wards the meat may be finely minced several times through a meat-chopper and fed sparingly at first, three or four times a day. After all long illnesses a good raw meat diet and tonic should be given to build up the constitution, otherwise 92 EVERYBODY'S CAT BOOK further complications, such as abscesses, etc., will follow from low condition. Under no circumstances should cooked beef tea, stewed meat, cereals or cow’s milk be given in any illness. One meal of such diet is more than likely to kill the patient. CEAE DBR xi. EYE TROUBLE. There are many causes of eye disease, but probably worms cause more eye trouble than any other. A cat which has worms seldom has clear, bright eyes. Worms affect the whole mucous membrane, which causes chronic running of the eyes and otherwise undermining the cat’s constitution; therefore the cat is not healthy, and when it catches cold in the eyes it becomes chronic and can only be properly cured by first ridding the cat of the worms. Some years eye trouble seems worse than others, as is the case with all diseases. Young kittens, when they first open their eyes need careful attention; if the eye is not open on the ninth day it must be looked at closely, and if any swelling is noticed the lid must be greased and then forcibly opened, or pus quickly forms inside the lids, and if neglected presses on the eye-ball and causes the kitten to become blind. After the lids have been opened the eyes must be bathed with warm cow’s milk and water, and the edges of the eyelids greased with a little crude lanolin. Eyes such as these must be attended to at least three times a day should they close up again. All kittens when first born, and for two weeks, should be kept in semi-darkness; then by degrees allow more light into the bed or room. As a precaution against sore eyes at the time they open, put one drop of one per cent. solution of nitrate of silver right on the eyelids when the kitten is only a few hours old. Only apply once. Should the eyes continue to be sore after they are first open, a lotion must be used. Zinc and rose water as made for the human eye I have found very good; or try one per cent. EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK 93 solution of Atropine, diluted with water one-half, using only one drop at night. The lanolin on the lids should also be used, even with the lotions. Should young kittens still continue to have chronic running eyes, accompanied by a head cold or sneezing, then you may be sure your kittens have worms. These must be expelled before the kitten can be healthy. For treatment see chapter on worms. I have seen a bad case of ophthalmia appear in a strong, healthy kitten, one that is known to be free from worms and fleas. This is usually caused by a cold in the eye or some foreign substance. The constant irritation causes the kitten to rub the eye violently; the lids begin to swell and the irrita- tion becomes worse. To avoid a very bad eye, blindness or a damaged eye, im- mediate steps should be taken. If you are unable to obtain the right lotion at once, keep the eye clean with warm milk and water, bathing three times a day with absorbent cotton, throw- ing away each piece as soon as it has been used; then grease the lids with lanolin, and put a little in the corners where they discharge, to prevent soreness. The cat’s claws should be cut, especially the fifth one, as often the cat scratches its own eye in its violent attempt to rub and in cleaning it. The lotion I have found most beneficial for this trouble is a one per cent. solution of atropine; use only one drop at night. Apply after the eye has been cleansed with milk and water and the lids greased. Always hold the cat for a minute or two after applying any lotion, as they will often tear at the eye directly after, thus causing more irritation. In all eye diseases the patient must be kept in a subdued light to effect a speedy cure, in fact, in cases when atropine is used it is dangerous to expose the eyes to sun light or any bright light. Never allow cats or kittens with bad eyes to sit in front of open fires or near heaters. The air should be pure and not too warm. In summer they must be kept in a cool room and free from draughts. The atropine can be used one drop night and morning in bad cases, and one drop a day as the eye gets better. After applying for a week or ten days, discontinue, and only keep the eyes greased and cleaned. Ulcers on the eye should be treated at once. They are caused by a scratch, or a neglected cold in the eyes. In ap- pearance the eye has a milky white film over it; sometimes 94 EVERYBODY'S CAT \BOOK the lids are so swollen that the eyeball is not visible, but should the eyes get as bad as this an ulcer is sure to follow. Use the same treatment given above, only a two per cent. solution of atropine instead of a one per cent., until the white film has nearly gone; then continue with the one per cent. solution until all traces of the film have disappeared. I have used atropine on cats many times and have always found it most effective, although many persons think it is very dangerous. But it only needs to be applied carefully to be efficacious. Atropine is also invaluable for a scratch on the eyeball caused by another cat or a sharp piece of wire, etc. Use one drop night and morning of a one per cent. solution. If a scratched eye is neglected an ulcer forms over the eye; then a two per cent. solution will be necessary as before directed. Yellow oxide of mercury is generally used to remove ulcers, but as it usually leaves a white spot on the eye and causes irritation when being used it is not so satisfactory as the atropine. In cases of Keratitis, which is a milky film over the eyes, a 25 per cent. solution of Argyrol may be used, one or two drops in the eyes twice daily. Keratitis often appears when the animal is in a low state of health, and after dis- temper. In all cases of eye trouble it must be remembered that the eyes must be kept clean and the lids never allowed to stick together. CHAP DERE TE: PNEUMONIA. The first symptons of this disease are loss of appetite, and a pained look in the eyes; the animal usually “squats” on its front legs and does not curl round when asleep; the breathing becomes very rapid. When you hold your ear against the lungs (which are located just under the front legs) a harsh grating noise can be heard with each breath, sometimes this noise can be heard at some distance from the cat. EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK 95 First place the patient in a small compartment or cage about two by three feet, keep in a good clear atmosphere at a temperature of 60° to 65°, allowing no draughts, place an old blanket on the floor; the sanitary pan must be removed, as when the pain becomes severe they will always crawl to the coolest spot and will be found lying in the earth or sand pan; any little accident like this causes another chill and means _ death to the cat, so only have the sanitary pan placed in the cage when someone is present. No time must be lost in treating this disease; it is usually a case of kill or cure in twenty-four hours, therefore, immedi- ate steps must be taken and the patient watched continuously until eased, otherwise there is no hope of recovery; if the case is hopeless the cat should be chloroformed ; never allow them to suffer unnecessarily. Now to return to the treatment; clip all the hair off between the front legs, then make a bag about six by eight inches; this should be of flannel if possible, sew- ing tapes across about two inches from the end, leaving the tapes long enough to tie around the neck and around the body just behind the front legs, thus hanging the bag between the front legs; this bag should be filled with bran, not full enough to make it hard and heavy; place this on an enamel or tin plate, covering another one over it; if the oven is very hot leave the bag in the oven until quite hot through; it will be necessary to make two bags so as to have one hot ready to put on as the other is taken off; the chest should not be left uncovered a minute. Before applying the hot bag laudanum may be sprinkled over it each time; this eases the pain. I do not advise mustard, as any burning sensation is apt to frighten a cat so much as to cause more harm than good. The great point in curing pneumonia is to keep as much heat as possible on the lungs. It is of course much better to nurse the cat on your lap and keep it covered while these bran poultices are being applied, but if this is impossible keep the cat as I mentioned before, in a small place all covered with a warm blanket and look occassionally to see that it has not crawled out through the tapes on the bag so as to misplace the poultice. These bran bags should be changed about every two hours, and at least twice or three times during the night fresh laudanum should be sprinkled on the bag before every application. 96 EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK I once cured a bad case in a six months’ kitten by this method in twelve hours, even though I was not able to be with the patient all the time. I found the kitten breathing in great distress and making so much noise as to be heard at the other end of the room, and in such pain she was not able to rest a minute, although she was apparently perfectly well the night before. I followed out the above treatment and after twelve hours the breathing was normal and the kitten wanted to eat and climb out of its pen; this kitten grew into one of my best cats and one from which I have bred many winners. After the breathing becomes normal and the patient shows signs of being much better remove the poultice and in its place make a flannel jacket by taking a strip of flannel about eight inches wide and long enough to go around the cat’s body, then cut two holes about the size of a fifty cent piece, cut little slits around these holes to leave room for the upper part of the leg, and yet to keep the flannel up close, these holes should be about in the middle of the strip and the right distance apart between the legs, according to the size of the cat; now inside this flannel should be laid a good thick wad of absorbent cotton to replace the hair which has been cut off, sew this cotton to the flannel, then place the cat’s two front legs through the holes and sew the two ends of flannel at the back of the neck and back. Be sure it is not too tight and allow it to come well up on the chest. The next problem is to remove this jacket without giving the patient a chill; to do this remove a little piece of the absor- bent cotton at a time until there is nothing left but the flannel, then continue removing this in the same way, not taking the last piece off until the weather is suitable. A rattling noise in the bronchial tubes and chest will sometimes be heard for months afterwards; if there is any cough give a little vaseline on the mouth or tongue two or three times a day. Remember after pneumonia a cat cannot be allowed to “rough it” until it has quite grown out of any weakness. Dur- ing the illness great care should be given to the diet. Liquids only should be given during the first stages, the best then is raw beef juice. (See invalid diet.) It may be necessary to give this with a spoon or syringe through the mouth. Nour- ishment should be given every two hours and nothing solid CHAMPION SIAM OF ROMEO. CHAMPION Rop Roy II] oF ARRANDALE. EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK 97 until the breathing is normal, then give scraped raw beef moistened with lime-water, raw eggs beaten up with a little condensed milk and water; also give quinine for a tonic, a one grain pill night and morning for a cat, or a half grain pill for a kitten; give this tonic for two or three weeks, should it agree with the patient, but should it make the cat vomit, it should be discontinued; give instead a good pinch of saccha- rated carbonate of iron twice a day, mixed with food; if this should act as a laxative give less. A good raw meat diet should be continued for some months, as this disease leaves the patient in a very low state. CHAPTER XLIII. DISTEMPER IN CATS. Distemper, probably the worst ailment one has to con- tend with in all animals, may appear in several forms—the catarrhal, which chiefly affects the eyes, nose and air passages, the throat form affecting the membrane as in diptheretic affec- tions, with pneumonia following as a complication, and lastly, but most fatal, the gastro-enteric form. We will deal first with the catarrhal form; this is perhaps the most tiresome, though not so fatal. It requires much treatment and in many cases of months’ duration; that is to say, the patient is usually left with weak eyes or chronic catarrh, which only good feeding and care, with bright warm weather, can cure. The first stage of the disease is usually loss of appetite, accompanied by vomiting of white froth, this more often on the first day. The eyes become inflamed and watery, the nose discharges a thick mucous. To treat the eyes see chapter on eye diseases. Keep the nose bathed with a little warm water and grease with lanolin around the nostrils to prevent soreness. Vaseline smeared inside the mouth three or four times a day eases the breathing and takes the inflammation from the back of the throat. In cases where the breathing is very laboured, steam the air passages by placing the animal in a bag tied around the 98 EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK neck and holding the nose and mouth over a jug of hot water to which vinegar or a few drops of eucalyptus oil has been added; repeat this treatment several times a day. If sickness continues give carbonate of bismuth every two hours, as much as will lie on a ten cent piece at each dose; make into a paste with a few drops of water and smear on the tongue; give oftener if required. Quinine, given in one grain gelatine coated pills, night and morning, all through the disease, is very beneficial as a tonic and fever reducer, but should be discontinued if it causes sickness; then one drop of tincture of aconite three times a day may be given. Give to drink, instead of water, Robinson’s Patent Barley, made with water, not milk, and add a tea spoonful of lime- water to a saucerful; make the barley thin enough to drink and give cold; this is a means of giving soothing nourishment when all solid food is refused or disagrees; in addition to this give raw beef juice and lime-water three or four times a day with a spoon or syringe. When the patient shows signs of recovery, feed scraped raw beef, only a little at a time, and continue the beef juice for several days. (See invalid diet.) In case the throat becomes very much swollen and in- flamed and the cat constantly swallows with a jerky motion of the head, the throat should be well painted inside with a 2 per cent. solution of Resorcin three times a day with a throat brush. When the throat is only slightly inflamed the vaseline may be used also in conjunction with Resorcin in severe cases. Great care should be taken to prevent infection of well animals, as cats and kittens which have not already had this disease become quickly infected, the infection even being carried on the shoes, hands, and clothes of persons attending to distemper patients; if you have only one cat do not handle other people’s cats, or you may spread the disease; if this com- plaint breaks out in one part of your cattery, do all that is possible to keep it there; let only one person attend to those which are ill, never going near the well cats, also be care- ful to keep all sanitary pans, saucers, etc., well away from the other cats. It is useless to isolate cats which have already been in the same room with infected animals, as they are sure to develop it later, even if ever so slightly, but those that are EVERYBODY'S CAT BOOK 99 really very ill should not be allowed to sleep with the slightly infected ones, as such complications as pneumonia, sore throat, etc., are contagious though not infectious. Great attention must be paid to the atmosphere in which a distemper patient is kept; the air should be clear, and fresh air admitted through an open window in which a muslin screen has been fixed, or a few inches left open, and a screen placed around to prevent draughts; and an even temperature of not less than sixty degrees or more than sixty-five should be kept. When the fever leaves the cat great care must be taken that the patient does not contract a chill, which usually causes a relapse or pneumonia. (For treament see chapter on pneu- monia.) Keep the cat in a warm bed and give warm bedding; cats which are very bad should be kept in a small division or pen, so they cannot crawl away into cold corners in the night or when the person in attendance is not present. The gastric form of distemper is the most deadly; the first hours of sickening are very dangerous, as though highly infectious, the animal appears to be in perfect health, that is to say, unless the temperature be taken. The eyes are bright, but the animal is in a high fever, much more so than in ordinary distemper; in a few hours it commences to vomit; you can then decide whether to chloro- form or try to cure your cat, for should the froth which is vomited be a clear bright yellow colour there is no hope of the cat’s recovery, and a dose of chloroform is the kindest end. No cure has been discovered for cats with this violent form of gastritis, and if allowed to die naturally the cat suc- cumbs in twelve to twenty-four hours. This form usually attacks cats of from six to twelve months of age and those of a light colour or whites, which are evidently more delicate in the stomach and, therefore, have it in the worst form. The peculiar thing about this disease is, that the cat either gets the violent form just mentioned and dies in a few hours, or contracts it so slightly that in most cases it needs no special treatment beyond continued doses of quinine to reduce the fever; in saying this I am speaking about cats which have been properly fed on meat and are strong and healthy to start with. I have known cases where a whole cattery has been wiped out by this disease, but that is only when the inmates have been fed on farinaceous foods with little or no meat all I0O EVERYBODY’S.»CAT BOOK their lives, and though they may look large and fat, they have no real strength to withstand disease of any kind. Gastritis is most dangerous when a cat is six months to a year old, but I have never lost a cat over one year or under five months of age. In the mild form white froth is vomited and the cat has excessive fever for several days; this must be reduced by one grain doses of quinine three times a day; if this cannot be given try one drop of tincture of aconite, three times a day, until the fever is reduced; care should then be taken that the cat does not get a chill; afterwards feed as directed before. Some cats get this form so slightly that it is only noticed because the other cats are ill, that is to say, they only miss one or two meals and then continue to eat as before. Some weeks after they have had this disease, abscesses are likely to appear, either underneath the stomach and other parts of the body, but more frequently on the glands of the throat, just under the chin; so if any loss of appetite should be noticed, an examination should be made; these lumps often partly form and then absorb, therefore they should be gently rubbed daily, and if they form a head they should be bathed with warm water daily until they break, which will be found better than lancing, as if the latter is not done carefully blood poisoning is apt to follow. These abscesses discharge very freely after breaking, in which case they should be syringed out every day with dioxide of hydrogen or some other good disinfectant not too strong; wipe dry and cleanse outside with absorbent cotton, then sprinkle protonuclein powder well over and as far into the wound as possible. I have found nothing so beneficial as this powder for these abscesses, and the protonuclein tablets should be given internally, one three times a day. This powder is used extensively in medical practice, and is a preparation manufactured by Reed & Carnrick, of Jersey City, but can be obtained at most of the largest drug stores. After treating the wound for several days with the powder, being sure to syringe it first, you may discontinue this treatment and then wash off the surface of the wound with warm water and a disinfectant ; dry and then grease thoroughly with crude lanolin; in a few days it will only be necessary to apply the grease. The great point is to keep the wound open on the surface EVERVBODY’S CAT BOOK IOI so as to allow it to heal right from the bottom; if the surface wound is allowed to heal the first few days the abscess will form again. If these abscesses break inwardly they are apt to cause death by blood poisoning, but in strong cats they are not dangerous. If a cat is fed large quantities of finely minced raw meat to build up its constitution, it would thus prevent many of the after-effects of distemper. Before these abscesses break the cat will not eat for sev- eral days, as the pain then is very great. The protonuclein tablets and raw beef juice should be given. When they break the cat should be kept separate, as they appear to be highly contagious. As the wound heals it should not be kept bandaged in any way, as this annoys the cat and causes it to scratch the part affected, and therefore does more harm. The causes of distemper are many; some seasons it is worse than others; colds, neglect, unsanitary conditions in a cattery will cause this disease, also sitting about out of doors in bad weather, overcrowding of the cattery, sending on long cold journeys or coming in contact with other cats so affected will also cause it. Distemper is similar to influenza in people, epizootic in horses and distemper in dogs; but here I may mention for the benefit of those keeping dogs and cats that distemper and other diseases are not communicable from one to the other. CHAT TERY XIV. SKIN DISEASES. There are many forms of skin diseases, some of which are infectious, others not infectious. Among the latter is simple eczema, which is usually caused by feeding cereals with little or no meat, producing poverty of blood. Eczema often appears on cats in the spring and also in autumn after the hot weather. The symptons are constant licking and scratching until the skin becomes raw and the hair falls out in patches; thig can only be cured by dieting and giving medicine internally. Feed only minced raw beef mixed with as much phos- 102 EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK phate of soda as will lie on a ten cent piece, twice a day, until the irritation subsides. Give no cereals or milk, as these are heating to the blood, but continue the raw meat or other meat diet, giving the soda should the irritation recur at any future date. Whole catteries will be affected by this simple eczema, causing people to think it is contagious, but this is not the case, the outbreak being caused either through months of im- proper feeding or climatic conditions. Perhaps the most troublesome disease to get amongst your cats is Black Mange; this is a parasite under the skin. The disease appears in different-sized patches; and starts on the head, around the ears, and on the front paws. The first sign is a roughness of the skin in patches, which when combed comes off, hair and all, with a yellow crust, leaving the skin grey or nearly black. This complaint attacks kittens more frequently than adults, but more especially cats which have always been fed on cereals. I have known cases where cats had to be destroyed when this disease has appeared, simply because they are in a low state of health from poor feeding. This disease does not appear on a really healthy cat so seriously as to endanger its life, but it is a troublesome complaint to get rid of, as should there be one spot left on a cat it will increase again and attack any kittens that may arrive later. On the first appearance of this disease a close examination of all the in- mates of the cattery should take place, then great care should be taken when dressing the spots, that infection does not spread. First examine the cat’s head, neck, and around the casing of the claws on the front feet. Should there be any roughness, the hair should be removed (it will come out quite easily), and dropped into a tin of hot water or kerosene, then the spot should be well dressed with equal parts of sulphurous acid and glycerine, being sure the acid is of full strength; rub or dab well into the spot, with the end of a tooth brush, from which all the bristles, except those at the end, have been re- moved with a sharp knife; use a little of the lotion at a time from an egg cup or other small receptacle. When the affec- tion is around the nose and eyes, it is very difficult to dress, and very unpleasant for the poor cat. Great care must be taken not to get the lotion into the eyes—it is not harmful, though very painful. EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK 103 The cat should be examined all over the body; the rough places can be felt under the hair, and, on a well cared-for cat the spots are few and far between, although they may appear on any part of the head, body or tail. The lotion should be used twice a day to effect a speedy cure, and the spots must be dressed until they are quite smooth and the hair begins to grow; the skin will often remain dark- coloured for months or even years aiterwards. This disease must be carefully treated, or it will remain in a cattery for a year or more; any cat which is about to kitten must be thoroughly cured, or the spots will appear on the young kittens when they are about ten days old; then the same treatment must commence all over again, only that you may have five to treat instead of one. In addition to the outward treatment, great care should be taken as to feeding, which must consist entirely of meat, such as lean raw beef, lamb, raw chicken, rabbits, etc. No cereals or milk should be given. The sulphurous acid must be pure, and of full strength, the fumes should be overpow- ering or the acid will be of little use. Great precaution must be taken to see that Sulphurous acid is procured and not Sulphuric, as the latter will burn holes in the cat’s flesh. Sulphurous acid may be applied, three parts acid to one of glycerine in obstinate cases, and may be used for any other skin trouble of similar appearance. Cats are not often subject to skin trouble, and I have never found it infectious to human beings. CHAP TER: XUV) TREATMENT OF THE EARS. Too little attention is paid to the ears, one of the most delicate organs of the cat, and, unless they are kept thoroughly clean, disease, and in many cases death, may be the result. Properly speaking, the ears should be cleaned af least once a month. Kittens’ ears should first be attended to when they commence to run about; it will often be noticed that they begin to scratch them, even at that early age. The inside of the ear should be carefully wiped out with a small piece of 104 BVERY BODY'S CAT \BOOK absorbent cotton and a little pinch of dry boracic acid powder put in to dry up the soft wax, otherwise this collects the dust, and forms a hard black mass in which tiny parasites breed in millions; if neglected these cause inflammation of the ear drum and abscesses will form, sometimes affecting the brain and causing death. These minute parasites of the ear, are greyish in colour, and can be seen with the naked eye in strong light, or with a microscope. Should these “mites” exist in the ear or even the hard black wax, the best treatment is the following: First drop in the ear a few drops of almond oil, this should be slightly warmed; work the ear about gently from the outside so that the oil penetrates into the wax; then when it appears thoroughly softened, remove the wax with an ear cleaner or a hair pin, first winding a piece of absorbent cotton around, using the blunt end of the pin; always be very careful not to clean too deep down in the ear and treat always in a very gentle manner. If the patient becomes restless, place in a bag, tying with a string around the neck; this is far the most satisfactory method of treating a restive or frightened cat. After the ear has been thoroughly cleansed, use a good pinch of the following: One part iodoform and one part boracic acid powder and mix well. Apply by placing on a glossy card, such as a calling card, bend this up on either side to hold the powder, then tip it into the ear, which should be held firmly with the other hand, as the cat will try and shake as soon as the powder touches the ear. The powder should be worked well down into the ear and any superfluous powder outside the ear wiped off, as iodoform is poisonous. One treatment is usually sufficient to kill these parasites, but careful examination should take place later to see that they have been entirely exterminated. These pests not only cause gatherings inside the ear but cause abscesses which form right at the tip of the ear between the cartilage; if these do not break naturally and disperse, they should be lanced and the contents of the swelling (which is usually a blood clot) removed, then cleanse thoroughly with water and disinfectant. This should be done by a veterinary. While the wound is healing, it should be constantly massaged or gently pulled every day to prevent the ear tip from becoming contracted, which it so often does, thus dis- figuring the cat for life. ‘(SHINOW Z 49V) WVaTD AIATIS EVERYBODY'S CAT BOOK 105 The latter form of abscess is not often seen, as it is only through long neglect that it occurs. Cold in the ears also causes serious trouble, usually re- sulting in an abscess at the base; these may also occur through weakness after an illness such as distemper. Little can be done to the patient until the abscess breaks. When it is noticed that the ear is discharging, the opening of the ear should be bathed, first with a little warm water and disinfectant, using always absorbent cotton; then syringe out the inside with an ear syringe once or twice a day; clean out and dry well as before mentioned, then use the iodoform and boracic powder mixture. Should the ear seem very sore and tender, do not use so much iodoform, only enough to colour the boracic acid. Protonuclein powder I have also found to be a great cure for these abscesses; it is very much more pleasant to use than iodoform, the later having a most objectionable odour. Protonuclein powder can be dusted in freely, as it is non-poisonous. The iodoform must be used for the parasites, and if the cats should taste any of it, they are apt to salivate, but a very small quantity is not poisonous, though care should always be taken to remove all that is possible from the fur around the ears. In treating abscesses, they must by syringed and dressed every day after first discharging; later two or three times a week, until the discharge discontinues entirely. Sometimes if the cat is delicate this disease of the ear continues for weeks or even months, therefore the cat should be well fed and given a tonic. Much ear trouble could be avoided by proper attention, never allowing them to become wet and sticky with wax; just wiping out with absorbent cotton and a pinch of boracic acid, every little while, will often prevent any serious trouble. CHAE LER XLVI: WORMS. Perhaps few fanciers have any idea how many troubles the presence of worms cause; among them are, chronic 100 EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK catarrh, fits, chronic enteritis or dysentery, general unhealth- iness, poor coat and condition and sore eyes. If allowed to increase too much, death is the result. Should a cat afflicted with these pests contract any dis- ease, it is sure to succumb, for as soon as it discontinues to take nourishment, the worms cause death. Tape and wire worms are the most common among cats. ‘Tape-worm is caused through the presence of fleas, there- fore fleas should be exterminated first (see chapter on fleas) and a worm dose should follow. Areca nut, freshly powdered, is best, allowing one grain to every pound weight of the cat or kitten; give in the morning before any food, mixed with a little very sweet milk. It is best to mix the powder into a paste first, then add a little more milk. Some cats will drink this readily, if not it should be given with a spoon; do not feed until several hours afterwards Repeat this dose after three days, then again in two or three weeks’ time. If many worms are expelled feed only Robinson’s pre- pared barley for twelve hours afterwards. (See chapter on invalid diet.) If you think your cat or kitten has a serious attack of worms it is dangerous to give a vermifuge, as, should a num- ber of worms he expelled the removal of so many at one time causes inflammation of the intestines and the patient never recovers, succumbing after a few days; therefore the follow- ing is a better treatment: Give two teaspoonfuls of lime-water in the morning be- fore breakfast, followed by a small teaspoonful of olive oil; this is a good dose for a kitten; continue the lime-water in all its food, also a pinch of salt in the morning meal for a week at least. If cats and kittens are fed on milk or starchy foods worms will exist in great numbers, these pests cannot exist if a meat diet is adhered to. Having fed your cats on milk and cereals, great care must be taken in introducing a meat diet; if a kitten which is greatly troubled with worms is suddenly fed entirely on meat it is apt to succumb to fits caused by the “rebellion” of masses of worms, as they cannot exist on meat and in this way cause the death of the kitten. When worms are present they must either be expelled or fed, and, as they live on milk EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK 107 and starchy foods this diet must be continued until the greater part of these pests -have been expelled, then introduce a meat diet by degrees, using lime-water all the time; then as soon as the kitten gets strong and healthy, feed entirely on meat— keep free from fleas and you will have no more trouble in raising kittens. Where a meat diet is strictly adhered to, and the cattery kept entirely free from fleas, you will find in a year or two no treatment for worms will be necessary. This sounds impossible, but I have proved it to my own satisfaction ; such a thing as a worm dose my cats and kittens never require. Wire-worms are more difficult to eradicate than tape, and they are also more dangerous to expel. Stronger medi- cine has to be given, and, when expelled in large quantities, they almost invariably cause death, but when left alone they cause fits which also kill; threfore the method of slow ex- pulsion before mentioned is the best, followed in a few weeks by some good vermifuge. There is no doubt the cause of the old saying “that raw meat causes fits in cats” is due to milk- fed cats (which are always greatly troubled with worms) be- ing suddenly changed to a meat diet, which as I said before is apt to cause fits, as meat is not a food suitable to worms, and causes the death of the poor cat which has been fed on milk all its life. Cats which eat rats, mice and beetles are also afflicted with these pests, and should be dosed several times a year. CHAPTER XLV TT: CARE OF THE TEETH. Great attention should be paid to cats’ teeth when kept in confinement; bones, raw or cooked, should be given both to cats and kittens several times a week, if not every day. The best bones for young kittens are raw ones, and should the kittens be quite young, all pieces of fat, small splinters of bone, etc., should be removed, leaving only the lean raw meat; if a marrow bone, the marrow should be taken out before feeding. ‘afin It is best not to give kittens bones until they are three months old, then the middle day meal can be discontinued, 108 EVERVBODY-S CAL BOOK and bones given instead. If these are given regularly during the period of teething, which is from four to eight months, there will be little trouble with cutting their teeth. If they do not gnaw these bones readily, you may be sure the kittens are being overfed, as nothing is more relished than a nice fresh bone. Remember a cat is essentially a carnivorous animal, and must be treated as such to be kept healthy. Bones are as indispensible for the cat as the dog, and without them the teeth soon get furred up and decay, giving the animal months of pain before they finally drop out. When troubled with bad teeth the cat will be noticed to refuse its food and dribble from the mouth. The teeth should be examined, and if there be one loose, it should be immediately removed; they can usually be re- moved by placing a dry, soft cloth over the tooth before pull- ing; if quickly done the cat is too astonished to protest. If any are furred they should be cleaned and scraped. The same method of extraction should be applied to the first teeth of kittens ; at about five to eight months of age, it will be noticed that some of the second teeth have appeared before the first have fallen out. During teething kittens are popularly supposed to be sub- ject to fits, but as mine never have any, | am more inclined to think the cause of these fits is the presence of worms, which, when the kitten becomes somewhat out of condition while teething, cause fits. (For treatment see chapter on fits.) Lime-water should be given to all kittens from the very first, this in addition to bones will make them cut their teeth without difficulty. When very old cats begin to lose their teeth they should be extracted, and the cat must then either be fed on finely minced meat or destroyed, as they cannot possibly eat large pieces of meat, and milk food is starvation to old animals. CHAPTERS XIE VITt. COLDS. Colds are easily contracted from sudden changes of the weather, but if cats are strong and well fed an ordinary cold EVERYBODY'S: CAT BOOK 109 passes off without any serious developments, though in cases of weakly cats or kittens a cold is apt to turn to distemper, bronchitis or pneumonia, infecting other cats in the cattery. It is therefore wiser to be cautious and isolate any cat or kitten which starts to sneeze and water at the eyes, for in any case the ordinary head cold is just as catching as the more serious forms. With kittens which are troubled with worms a head cold is a very troublesome ailment, as in their reduced state of health the cold often becomes chronic and never really clears up until the kittens are nearly full grown. For head colds keep the patient in an even temperature, feed well on invalid diet, and keep the nose washed off with warm disinfectant and water, greasing with crude lanolin; after each washing keep the nostrils as clear as possible, also treat the eyes in the same manner, should they become affected. The ordinary cold is usually only of a few days’ duration, and the appetite quickly returns; one grain of quinine in pills given night and morning for a cat and half this dose for a kitten is a good tonic, and should be given for a week or two; quinine should not be used for cats “in kitten.” If there is quick breathing and a rattling in the bronchial tube you may be sure the cat has developed bronchitis, in that case treat the same as for pneumonia. Should the cat cough and swallow a great deal, you will know it has a sore throat; this can gen- erally be seen by opening the mouth, when the back of the throat will appear very red and inflamed. Smear a little vase- line two or three times a day on the tongue, or as often as the cat has a bad coughing spell. CHAPTER XEUX: PARALYSIS. Cats very seldom suffer from paralysis, when they do it usually attacks the hind quarters, leaving them practically use- less. This is sometimes seen in kittens after worm fits, also in cats which have nursed too many kittens, or having stayed with them too long without exercise. In both these cases the constitution should be well built IIo EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK up. In the case of a nursing cat she must be removed from her kittens at once, if not entirely at least several hours a day, letting her exercise but not jump. She will probably walk lame on all her joints, and become rapidly worse if immediate steps are not taken to relieve her of her maternal duties. When paralysis occurs through old age the cat had bet- ter be destroyed, although warmth may be tried, and good feeding on raw meat. Never allow cats to lie in damp places, this will produce stiffness of the joints. Gentle rubbing of the limbs and back several times a day will be beneficial. Paralysis may also be caused by an injury to the spine by a fall, or by being shut in a door. Place a piece of flannel on the cat’s spine and iron lightly with a hot iron, not hot enough to burn the flannel; this is good in all cases. Opening medicines should be given whenever necessary. Rickets in young kittens is often mistaken for paralysis, especially when they become lame in all their joints; treatment for this will be found in chapter on rickets. LGN Wat Bal ee att Ba RICKETS, OR SOFTENING OF THE BONES. Few fanciers imagine that such a thing as rickets exists among kittens, just the same as with growing children, result- ing in deformed spines and crooked legs; this is caused by improper feeding on foods which are not bone forming. The first symptoms are lameness when jumping, and in bad cases the kittens become unable to walk at all, and cry when the spine is touched near the tail. If steps are not taken immediately to effect a cure, the cat has to be destroyed or the spine becomes shortened and a lump forms near the tail on the back, the legs become bowed and enlarged at the joints. Excessive milk and cereal feeding cause rickets, as the animal becomes too fat and the legs are not strong enough to carry the weight. Very lean meat, quite free from fat and gristle, with no other diet, will also result in rickets, also kittens bred from old cats are very subject to EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK III this disease, and need more than an ordinary diet. To effect a speedy cure, give a raw meat diet of finely minced beef, preferably shin, on account of the gristle; add lime-water, one or two teaspoonfuls at each meal. Cod-liver oil can also be given; this is far better if procured in the dry powder form, as it is almost tasteless. It can be obtained from the Risiccol Co., 118 William Street, New York. Use for a dose a good pinch on each meal; the liquid cod-liver oil or Scott’s Emul- sion may also be used. A new laid egg, beaten up and divided between several kittens is also beneficial. Keep the kittens where they cannot jump, and give them a box with a nice bed in one corner of the room. When all signs of lameness have disappeared, the lime- water should still be continued until the kitten is full grown. Cod-liver oil should not be used if it gives diarrhoea or sick- ness. Under this treatment I have seen kittens which could not stand improve in a week. I have noticed many beautiful cats ruined in size and shape by rickets when they were kittens, and strange to say the owners have been quite ignorant of the cause, many thinking their cat had been injured when young. Kittens and young cats often appear to have injured themselves by jumping from high shelves or tables; but in most cases this trouble arises from a softening of the bone, which frequently causes lame- ness after jumping, or even injury to the spine. CHAPTER ET. FITS. Many cats are subject to fits, but they do not usually occur in healthy, well cared-for cats. I have not in years had a cat or a kitten have a fit in my cattery, no matter how much frightened they have become. There are several kinds of fits which cats are subject to, the most common being those caused by worms; they may also arise from weak brain and heart trouble. The remedy in the first case is dosing for worms, after- wards feeding the patient properly, which will alter the low LZ EVERYBODY'S CAT BOOK state of health and condition. There is no cure for the heart and brain trouble except to improve the strength of your stock by taking in a strong out-cross and selecting the strongest specimens for breeding. Such troubles as weak brain and heart are caused usually by injudicious inbreeding with deli- cate stock; animals so afflicted should rightly speaking not be bred from at all, as both complaints are hereditary, and after raising cats from such parents, they are liable to die in a fit from the first shock they receive; this often happens when they are sent on a journey. Treatment.—At the first signs of a fit place the cat in a large, airy basket, in a cool, dark place, to prevent its running about and injuring itself; the moment it is quiet, remove from the basket and give plenty of air for recovery. If the cat has heart trouble it often succumbs to the first attack. If the patient shows any signs of continued excitability give a grain of bromide of potassium every hour, decreasing the doses as the cat becomes quieter. If the cat should be a long time recovering and the top of the head feels excessively hot, place a piece of ice in flan- nel, or a rubber bag is better to prevent wetting the fur, on the head, until the cat recovers. Half an hour, or less, will usually drive the blood from the brain and the cat recovers. When young kittens have fits it is usually caused by worms. Give one grain of bromide every two hours in a teaspoonful of sweetened milk, then when the kitten is seem- ingly well again, dose for worms. (See chapter on worms.) Use the bromide of potassium every hour, decreasing the doses as the cat becomes quieter, perhaps after several doses. Any cat or kitten afflicted with fits should not be allowed to become over-excited at play or allowed to run in the hot sun. If ice is not obtainable, use a cold water compress to the head. CHAPTEROLIT INTESTINAL DISORDERS. Intestinal troubles which cause diarrhcea usually arise from improper feeding, such as milk and cereal diet, decom- posed or even slightly tainted food. It may also be due to an STRONGHEART. re i ayy we { EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK II3 internal cold. The latter is the most serious, and is relieved by applying hot bran bags, but this need only be resorted to when the cat is very ill and seems in great pain. Instructions how to apply will be found in the chapter dealing with pneumonia, only in this case the bags must be placed underneath just in front of the hind legs. For ordinary diarrhcea and chronic disorder, if slight, give only Robinson’s Patent Barley, pre- pared with sweetened condensed milk. Add a tablespoonful of lime-water to the half pint, feed very little at a time, but often. Should food pass through the cat undigested, only medi- cine should be given for twenty-four hours, then start again, giving a very little of the barley, made weak at first, mixing in a good pinch of carbonate and bismuth or sub-gallate of bis- muth, the latter preferred. In the first stages of this disease one or two teaspoonfuls of olive oil to which one or two drops of laudanum have been added may be given. This is beneficial in clearing away any foreign substance, and the laudanum relieves the pain. If accompanied with sickness, sub-nitrate and carbonate of bismuth may be given alternately. These bismuths may be given frequently, even in half- hour doses in severe cases, as they serve to coat the stomach and intestines, so reducing the inflammation mechanically. If the patient is in great pain and very restless, one- eighth of a grain of cocaine hydrochloride may be given every four hours for the first day; do not continue unless the animal seems in great pain. This is the dose for a cat Young kittens fed on milk foods are very subject to diarrhcea, or should tainted meat be fed, the same thing will occur. ‘Treat as before mentioned, but they will not need the cocaine, though one drop of laudanum may be added to a small teaspoonful of Olive oil (not castor). Kittens usually become ravenously hungry with this trou- ble, then the point is to satisfy them without making the dis- ease worse, as the greatest cure for this is to give very little nourishment for a few days ; weak barley without milk should be given to drink, or water; on no account give cow’s milk, whether boiled or not. If there is no improvement on the barley and condensed milk regime, try raw beef juice (how to prepare this will be found in chapters on invalid diet) mixed into the cooked barley or given alone. 114 BVERY BODYS*CAT BOOK When the patient seems better a teaspoonful of scraped beef moistened with lime-water may be given three times a day in addition to a little barley or raw beef juice. Cooked beef tea, lamb broth, or any cooked meat is the worst possible diet at all times and is fatal in this case. All cats and kittens affected with enteritis should be sep- arated from the healthy ones, as in most cases the disease is contagious. During this illness great care should be taken to keep the patients in perfectly clean surroundings. Have the bedding changed whenever soiled, and should the cat’s coat also be soiled, the hair should be combed or cut and then cleaned with dry corn-starch. Never wash if it is possible to do without, but if compulsory wash the soiled parts with warm water, adding half alcohol; dry well with a rough bath towel, then dust with dry corn-starch. The sanitary pan should be changed whenever used. Bismuth is best shaken dry on the tongue, but as it usuaily upsets the patient, it may be mixed into a paste with a knife on the palm of the hand, then placed on the second finger of the right hand and smeared on the cat’s tongue, keeping the head up for a second, so that it adheres to the mouth and the cat is obliged to swallow it. Bis- muth can also be given with the food, and used every day un- til thoroughly cured. The patient should be kept warm if it is winter time and out of draughts, but should it be hot sum- mer weather keep the cat or kitten indoors, in the shade and cool, but not where it is damp. CHAPTER LIII. INJURIES. Any injury to a cat should be treated at once by a good veterinary, but should you be located far from a doctor, the information given below may be of some assistance. For home surgery a bottle of cocaine should be kept handy for use in case of a bad laceration caused by fighting or by a bite from a dog or another cat, or from a wound caused by a nail or ragged wire fence. First bathe the wound with a good disinfectant, such as peroxide, then paint with cocaine the torn edges of the wound. EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK 115 This has such a deadening effect that the edges of the wound can be easily sewn together. A properly shaped surgical needle is of course the best, and surgical silk to sew with. Insert the needle, within an eighth of an inch of both edges of the wound, then tie tight together, each stitch about a distance of one inch apart; the number, of course, depending on the size of the tear or cut. I have seen this done without the cat even flinching, but without the previous use of cocaine it would be useless to try. The stitches usually stay in a week, at the end of which time the cat manages to dislodge them by constant licking. If any inflammation or swelling should be noticed, bathe with disinfectant and grease with crude lanolin; this is very heal- ing and stops the irritation when healing. Only deep, long wounds need be sewn up, any surface wound only needs to be kept clean and lanolin applied daily to heal and grow the hair. In case of a broken bone a veterinary surgeon should be called in at once, if impossible an amateur mend may be at- tempted, though it is a difficult operation to get the limb into its original position. This must be done by pulling into posi- tion; then hold the limb straight, use thin splints, then bind with a soft cotton bandage. The splints should project beyond the end of the foot, to prevent the cat putting it on the ground. The wood for making the splints can be cut from a very thin, light box, or from a peach basket. Great care should be taken not to bind the limb too tightly or the circulation of the blood will be stopped and the limb will drop off; therefore in such cases a veterinary is almost indispensable. Char PER LTV. DISINFECTING. The use of all strong smelling disinfectants should be avoided, both at shows and in the cattery. All odours in a cattery can be avoided by strict cleanliness, having the sanitary pans washed and refilled once a day. For cleansing purposes nothing equals permanganate of 116 EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK potash crystals ; for ordinary purposes use enough to colour the water a light purple. This potash is used extensively in Eng- land at most of the largest hospitals; it is considered a cer- tain germ-killer, and is practically odourless; it can be pur- chased in half and one pound bottles. The only objection to it is its staining properties, therefore it must not be used for rins- ing blankets, etc., for disinfection. For disinfecting cages, rooms, etc., after distemper, make a very strong solution, using two teaspoonfuls of the crystals to a small pail of water. As this will stain the hands, all woodwork, wire netting, etc., can be wetted with a brush and short mop. After all the fixtures have been well wetted, then see that the floor is mopped all over with this strong solution; leave for ten minutes or so, then have it all dried with a mop and clean water, without disin- fectant; the floors of a cattery should be done every week in this manner, using the weaker solution only when ordinary cleansing is necessary. No soap or soda need be used, as the crystals cleanse as well as disinfect, and a cattery is safe from infection if every- thing in it is thoroughly saturated. This disinfectant has been used satisfactorily at cat shows in place of strong smelling disinfectants generally used, which affect the eyes and nose of both visitors and cats to such an extent that a temporary affec- tion of the mucous membrane results. Carbolic in any form is deadly poison to cats, therefore it should never be used in any of its various preparations. For bathing wounds a more refined disinfectant should be used, such as dioxide of hydro- gen, etc.; one which does not stain the hair, is preferable for dark cats, as both peroxide and dioxide will turn a black or blue cat red. EVERYBODY'S CAT BOOK 17 CLUB NOTICES NORTH STAR CAT CLUB, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. President, Mrs. S. B. Brossom, 3145 Clinton Avenue. Secretary, Mrs. Acnes C. Davis, 307 Third Avenue, S. E. Treasurer, Mrs. H. C. Pickett, 622 E. 17th Street. Show Manager, Mrs. S. B. Brossom. Show Secretary, Mrs. L. N. Moran, 728 Logan Avenue, N. The largest cat club in the West. Shows will be held under A. C. A. rules. For further information address the Secretary. THE ATLANTIC CAT CLUB. President, Mrs. F. E. J. Cuampion, West New Brighton, S. I., N. Y. This Club has the finest collection of Challenge Cups and Trophies, and is the only Club which gives medals to commemorate each cup won. Join to compete for these valuable prizes. Show held annually in New York. Dues $3.00 a year. For information address the Secretary, Miss R. Warp, East Twenty-ninth Street, near Avenue J, Brooklyn, N. Y. (18 EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK AMERICAN CAT ASSOCIATION. Certified by the United States Department of Agriculture. Composed of the following clubs and societies: Beresford and Boston Clubs, Blue Cat Society, Cleveland, Columbus, Colorado, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Lockehaven, Michigan, Worth Star, Pacific, Pittsburg, Royal Canadian, St:)/Louis, Syracuse, Short-Haired Cat Society, Twin City Cat Club, Silver Society, Seattle Cat Club, Tortoiseshell Society, and Washington Cat Club. Stud Books—Vol. I, $1.00; Vol. II, $1.25; Vol. III, $1.25. Mrs. Evsert E. Besse, Sec.-Treas., 5534 Union Ave., Chicago, III. Frep L. Kimmey, Pres., Morgan Park, Illinois. Mrs. Cirnton Locke, Vice-Pres., Chicago, III. BERESFORD CAT CLUB OF AMERICA. Incorporated. Founded February, 1899. The oldest Cat Club in America. Meetings, the last Friday of the month. Annual dues, resi- dent memL.+s, $2.00; non-resident members, $1.00. OFFICERS: Mrs. CLtinton Locke, President, 2825 Indiana Avenue, Chicago. Mrs. R. M. PEarE, Corresponding Secretary, 2249 Campbell Park, Chicago. Mrs. A. MELVILLE Smait, Recording Secretary, 5839 Peoria Street, Chicago. EVERYBODY’S CAT BOOK 119 CAT FANCIERS ASSOCIATION. Certified by the United States Department of Agriculture. Including the Connecticut, Chicago, Cat Fanciers’ Asso- ciation, Rochester Cat Club, Atlantic Cat Club, Toronto Nat- ional Exposition, Danbury Agricultural Society, Connecticut State Fair, Silver Society, Short-Haired Cat Society, New York Poultry and Pet Stock Association. Mrs. W. S. 'Horstra, President, New York, N. Y. Mrs, ALFRED JACKSON, Vice-President, Rochester, N. Y. R. OLTOLENGUI, Secretary-Treasurer, 80 West 4oth Street, New York. Applications for registration and stud books should be made to Miss ErHet R. B. CHAMPION, Recorder, Manor Road, West New Brighton, S. I., N. Y. BIDE-A-WEE HOME ASSOCIATION. Incorporated. 36 Lexington Avenue, New York. Country Home, Harring- ton Park, New Jersey. Supported by voluntary contributions. “A choritohle in- stitution which cares for friendless cats and do in good, permanent homes. In one year six were received, two-thirds of these being ple Funds are urgently needed to continue th’ Life membership, $100; active me’ num; associate membership, $1 per anr Booklet sent on applic THE SECRETARY, 36 Lexington Ave tt iy igs ay, ue ane ne WA aia tyne te MG 4 a eas wi \ t) en Wy, F mi en ve er] = ts ie eo Ess A = +