Catapult. A military engine for battering or attacking purposes. A modern toy, by which much mischief and evil is done by unthinking boys.
Cat-bird. An American bird, whose cry resembles that of a cat, the Turdus felivox.
Cat-block. A two or threefold block with an iron strap and large hook, used to draw up an anchor to the cat-head.
Cat. A strong tackle, or combination of pulleys, to hook and draw in the anchor perpendicularly up to the cat-head of the ship.
Cat. A small kind of anchor is sometimes called a cat or ketch; by the Dutch, "Kat."
Cat. "At the edge of the moat, opposite the wooden tower, a strong penthouse, which they called a 'cat,' might be seen stealing towards the curtain, and gradually filling up the moat with facines and rubbish." Read Cloister and Hearth, chap, xliii. (Davis' "Glossary.")
Catacide. A cat-killer (Bailey, 1726).
Catamount. Cat of the mountain, the ordinary wild cat, when found on the mountains, among the rocks or woods.
Cat and trap. A game or play (Ainsworth). This is probably that known as "trap, bat, and ball," as on striking the trap, after the ball is placed on the lever, it is propelled upwards, and then struck by the batsman.
Cat. A cross old woman was called "a cat"; or to a shrewish, the epithet was applied tauntingly.
"But will you woo this wild cat?"Taming of the Shrew, Act I., Scene 2.
Cat. A ship formed on the Norwegian model, having a narrow stern, projecting quarters, and a deep waist. It is strongly built, from four to six hundred tons' burden, and employed in the coal trade.
Some few years ago, Mr. E. Long, R.A., exhibited at the Royal Academy a very fine picture of Egyptians idol-making, idol worshippers and sellers; the lines from Juvenal being descriptive:
"All know what monsters Egypt venerates;Cat. A metal tripod for holding a plate or Dutch oven before the fire. So called because, in whatever position it is placed, it is supported by the spokes; as it is said a cat will always light on its feet, so the plate-holder will stand firmly in any position. These old brass appliances have now gone out of use and are seldom seen, the new mode of "handing round" not requiring them. Another reason, doubtless, is the lowness of the fire compared with the stove of former years, which was high up in the bygone "parlour grate."
Cat. Irish, Cat; French, Chat; Dutch, Kat; Danish, Kat; Swedish, Katt; German, Katti or Katze; Latin, Catus; Italian, Gatto; Portuguese and Spanish, Gato; Polish, Kot; Russian, Kots; Turkish, Keti; Welsh, Cath; Cornish, Kath; Basque, Catua; Armenian, Gaz or Katz. In Armenic, Kitta, or Kaita, is a male cat.
Abram cat. This I first thought simply meant a male cat; but I find in Nares, "Abram" is the corruption of "auburn," so, no doubt, a red or sandy tabby cat is intended.
A Wheen cat, a Queen cat (Catus femina). "Queen" was used by the Saxons to signify the female sex, in that "queen fugol" was used for "hen fowl." Farmers in Kent and Sussex used also to call heifers "little queens."
Carl cat. A boar or he-cat, from the old Saxon carle or karle, a male, and cat.
Cat. It was used to denote "Liberty." No animal is more impatient of restriction or confinement, nor yet seeming to bear it with more resignation. The Romans made their goddess of Liberty holding a cup in one hand and a broken sceptre in the other, with a cat lying at her feet. Among the goddesses, Diana is said to have assumed the form of a cat. The Egyptians worshipped the cat as an emblem of the moon, not only because it was more active after sunset, but from the dilation and contraction of its orb, symbolical of the waxing and waning of the night goddess. But Bailey, in his dictionary, says cats see best as the sun approaches, and that their eyesight decays as it goes down in the evening. Yet, "on this account," says Mr. Thiselton Dyer, in his "English Folk-lore," "it was so highly esteemed as to receive sacrifices, and even to have stately temples erected to its honour. Whenever a cat died, Brand tells us, all the family shaved their eyebrows; and Diodorus Siculus relates that a Roman happening accidentally to kill a cat, the mob immediately gathered round the house where he was, and neither the entreaties of some principal men by the king, nor the fear of the Romans, with whom the Egyptians were then negotiating a peace, could save the man's life. In so much esteem also was it held, that on the death of its owner the favourite cat, or even kitten, was sacrificed, embalmed, and placed in the same sarcophagus."
While the foregoing was about being printed, Mr. Edward Hamilton, M.D., writing to The Field, May 11th, 1889, gives information of a wild cat being shot in Inverness-shire. I therefore insert the paragraph, as every record of so scarce an animal is of importance and value, especially when it is descriptive. He states: "A fine specimen of the wild cat (Felis sylvestris) was sent to me on May 3rd, trapped in Inverness-shire on the Ben Nevis range. It was too much decomposed to exhibit. Its dimensions were: from nose to base of tail, 1 foot 11 inches; length of tail, 1 foot; height at shoulder, 1 foot 2 inches; the length of small intestine, 1 foot 8½ inches; and the large intestine, 1 foot 1 inch." It will be seen by these measurements that the animal was not so large as some that have been taken, though excelling in size many of the domestic varieties.
Of a very different character was the usage of the cat at clerical festivals. In Mill's "History of the Crusades," one reads with some degree of horror that "In the Middle Ages the cat was a very important personage in religious festivals. At Aix, in Provence, on the festival of the Corpus Christi, the finest he-cat of the country, wrapped like a child in swaddling clothes, was exhibited in a magnificent shrine to public admiration. Every knee was bent, every hand strewed flowers or poured incense; and pussy was treated in all respects as the god of the day. On the festival, however, of St. John (June 24), the poor cat's fate was reversed. A number of cats were put in a wicker basket, and thrown alive into the midst of a large fire, kindled in the public square by the bishop and his clergy. Hymns and anthems were sung, and processions were made by the priests and people in honour of the sacrifice."
"William of Malmesbury, speaking of Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester, assures us that he avoided all appearance of pride and ostentation in his dress, and though he was very wealthy, he never used any furs finer than lambs' skin for the lining of his garments. Being blamed for such needless humility by Geoffrey, Bishop of Constans, who told him that 'He not only could afford, but even ought to wear those of sables, of beavers, or of foxes,' he replied: 'It may indeed be proper for you politicians, skilful in the affairs of the world, to adorn yourselves in the skins of such cunning animals; but for me, who am a plain man, and not subject to change my opinion, the skins of lambs are quite sufficient.' 'If,' returned his opponent, 'the finer furs are unpleasant, you might at least make use of those of the cat.' 'Believe me,' answered the facetious prelate, 'the lamb of God is much oftener sung in the Church than the cat of God.' This witty retort put Geoffrey to the blush, and threw the whole company into a violent fit of laughter."
In the twenty-second year of this monarch's reign, all the former statutes "against excess in apparel" were repealed.
My old friend Fairholt, in his useful work on costume, says of the Middle Ages: "The peasants wore cat skins, badger skins, etc."
One of the reasons why the skin of cats was used on cloaks and other garments for trimming, being that it showed humility in dress, and not by way of affectation or vanity, but for warmth and comfort, it being of the lowest value of any, with the exception of lambs' skin and badgers'; and adopted by some priests as well as nuns, when wishing to impress others with their deep sense of humility in all things, even to their wearing-apparel. The proof of which Strutt's "Habits of the Anglo-Normans," circâ twelfth century, fully illustrates:
It is also stated that the Chinese fatten and eat cats with considerable relish; but of this I can obtain no reliable information, some of my friends from China not having heard of the custom, if such it is.
Again referring to the skin of the cat, vide Strutt: "In the thirty-seventh year of the reign of Edward III., it was decreed, after enumerating the various kinds of cloth that were to be worn by the nobles, knights, dames, and others, that (Article 2) tradesmen, artificers, and men in office, called yeomen, their wives and children, shall wear no kind of furs excepting those of lambs, of rabbits, of cats, and of foxes." Further: "No man, unless he be possessed of the yearly value of forty shillings, shall wear any furs but black and white lambs' skins." Lambs' and cats' skins were equivalent in value and order.
Still it appears from Mr. Charles Darwin's "Voyage of the Beagle," that tastes vary. "Doctor Shaw was laughed at for stating the flesh of the lion is in great esteem, having no small affinity with veal, both in the colour, taste, and flavour. Such certainly is the case with the puma. The Guachos differ in their opinion whether the jaguar is good eating; but were unanimous in saying the cat is excellent."
Nevertheless, we find in Daniel's "Rural Sports," 1813, that "Wild cats formerly were an object of sport to huntsmen. Thus, Gerard Camvile, 6 John, had special licence to hunt the hare, fox, and wild cat, throughout all the King's forests; and 23 Henry III., Earl Warren, by giving Simon de Pierpont a goshawk, obtained leave to hunt the buck, doe, hart, hind, hare, fox, goat, cat, or any other wild beast, in certain lands of Simon's. But it was not for diversion alone that this animal was pursued; for the skin was much used by the nuns in their habits, as a fur."
Beaumont and Fletcher in The Scornful Lady allude to the hunting of cats in the line,
"Bring out the cat-hounds, I'll make you take a tree."But although large and ferocious, the wild cat was not considered a match for some of the lesser animals, for in Salmon's "English Physician," 1693, we read that "The weasel is an enemy to ravens, crows, and cats, and although cats may sometimes set upon them, yet they can scarcely overcome them."
I scarcely think this the right conclusion, the English wild cat being anatomically different. In Hone's popular works it is stated that "Cats are supposed to have been brought into England from the island of Cyprus by some foreign merchants, who came hither for tin." Mr. Hone further says: "Wild cats were kept by our ancient kings for hunting. The officers who had charge of these cats seem to have had appointments of equal consequence with the masters of the king's hounds; they were called Catatores."
"The price of a kitten, before it could see, was fixed at one penny; till proof could be given of its having caught a mouse, twopence; after which it was rated at fourpence, which was a great sum in those days, when the value of specie was extremely high. It was likewise required that it should be perfect in its sense of hearing and seeing, should be a good mouser, have its claws whole, and, if a female, be a careful nurse. If it failed in any of these good qualities, the seller was to forfeit to the buyer a third part of its value. If any one should steal or kill a cat that guarded the Prince's granary, he was either to forfeit a milch ewe, her fleece and lamb, or as much wheat as when poured on the cat suspended by its feet (its head touching the floor), would form a heap high enough to cover the tip of the former." Bewick remarks: "Hence we may conclude that cats were not originally natives of these islands, and from the great care taken to improve the breed of this prolific creature, we may suppose were but little known at that period."
The following shows the value of the cat nearly a thousand years ago; it is to be found in Bewick's "Quadrupeds": "In the time of Hoel the Good, King of Wales, who died in the year 948, laws were made as well to preserve as to fix the different prices of animals; among which the cat is included, as being at that period of great importance, on account of its scarcity and utility.
I find in Strutt's "Sports and Pastimes" that of the names applied to companies of animals in the Middle Ages, several are still in use, though many have become obsolete; and also a few of the beasts have ceased to exist in a wild state. Some were very curious, such as a skulk of foxes, a cete of badgers, a huske or down of hares, a nest of rabbits, and a clowder of cats, and a kindle of young cats. Now cats are said to kitten, and rabbits kindle.
Mr. Darwin, in his "Voyage of the Beagle," 1845 (p. 120), in his notes of the first colonists of La Plata, A.D. 1535, says, among other animals that he saw was "the common cat altered into a large and fierce animal, inhabiting the rocky hills," etc.
Another point on which I wish to give my impressions is the act of the cat in what is termed "sharpening its claws." Mr. Darwin notes certain trees where the jaguars "sharpen their claws," and mentions the scars were of different ages; he also thought they did this "to tear off the horny points." This, I believe, is the received opinion among naturalists; but I differ entirely from this view of the practice. It is a fact, however, and worthy of notice, that all cats do so, even the domestic cat. I had one of the legs of a kitchen table entirely torn to pieces by my cats; and after much observation I came to the conclusion that it has nothing whatever to do with sharpening the claws, but is done to stretch the muscles and tendons of the feet so that they work readily and strongly, as the retraction of the claws for lengthened periods must tend to contract the tendons used for the purpose of extending or retracting; therefore the cats fix the points of their claws in something soft, and bear downwards with the whole weight of the body, simply to stretch and, by use, to strengthen the ligatures that pull the claws forward. It is also to be noted that even the domestic cat goes to one particular place or tree to insert the claws and drag forward the muscles perhaps even in the leather of an arm-chair, a costly practice. Why one object is always selected is that they may not betray their presence by numerous marks in the neighbourhood, if wild, to other animals or their enemies. I have mentioned this to my brother, John Jenner Weir, F.L.S., and he concurs with me throughout.
Before quitting the subject, I would point to the fact that when the domestic cat takes to the woods and becomes wild, it becomes much larger, stronger, and changes in colour; and there can be little doubt that during the centuries of the existence of the cat in England there must have been numberless crosses and intercrosses, both with regard to the males of the domestic cat as with wild females, and vice versâ; yet the curious fact remains that the wild cat still retains its peculiar colouring and form, as is shown by the skins preserved in the British Museum and elsewhere.
"In Ireland, strange to say, notwithstanding reports to the contrary, all endeavours to find a genuine wild cat have failed, the so-called 'wild cat' of the natives proving to be the 'marten cat,' a very different animal.
"We thus come back to the question with which we started, namely, the question of origin of the domestic cat; and the conclusion, I think, at which we must arrive is, that although Felis catus has contributed to the formation of the existing race of domestic cats, it is not the sole ancestor. Several wild species of Egyptian and Indian origin having been ages ago reclaimed, the interbreeding of their offspring and crossing with other wild species in the countries to which they have been at various times exported, has resulted in the gradual production of the many varieties, so different in shape and colour, with which we are now familiar."
"Perhaps the last genuine wild cat seen in England was the one shot by Lord Ravensworth at Eslington, Northumberland, in 1853; although so recently as March, 1883, a cat was shot in Bullington Wood, Lincolnshire, which in point of size, colour, and markings was said to be quite indistinguishable from the wild Felis catus. Bullington Wood is one of an almost continuous chain of great woodlands, extending from Mid-Lincolnshire to near Peterborough. Much of the district has never been preserved for game, and keepers are few and far between; hence the wild animals have enjoyed an almost complete immunity from persecution. Cats are known to have bred in these woods in a wild state for generations, and there is no improbability that the cat in question may have descended directly from the old British wild cat. Under all the circumstances, however, it seems more likely to be a case of reversion under favourable conditions from the domestic to the wild type.
"A recent writer in the new edition of the 'Encyclopædia Britannica' (art. Cat) expresses the opinion that the wild cat still exists in Wales and in the north of England, but gives no proof of its recent occurrence there. From time to time we see reports in the newspapers to the effect that a wild cat has been shot or trapped in some out-of-the-way part of the country; but it usually turns out to be a large example of the domestic cat, coloured like the wild form. It is remarkable that when cats in England are allowed to return to a feral state, their offspring, in the course of generations, show a tendency to revert to the wild type of the country; partly, no doubt, in consequence of former interbreeding with the wild species when the latter was common throughout all the wooded portions of the country, and partly because the light-coloured varieties of escaped cats, being more readily seen and destroyed, are gradually eliminated, while the darker wild type is perpetuated. The great increase in size observable in the offspring of escaped domestic cats is no doubt due to continuous living on freshly-killed, warm-blooded animals, and to the greater use of the muscles which their new mode of life requires. In this way I think we may account for the size and appearance of the so-called 'wild cats' which are from time to time reported south of the Tweed.
"The wild cat is believed to be now extinct, not only in England and Wales, but in a great part of the south of Scotland. About five years ago a Scottish naturalist resident in Stirlingshire (Mr. J. A. Harvie Brown) took a great deal of trouble, by means of printed circulars addressed to the principal landowners throughout Scotland and the Isles, to ascertain the existing haunts of the wild cat in that part of the United Kingdom. The result of his inquiries, embodying some very interesting information, was published in the Zoologist for January, 1881. The replies which he received indicated pretty clearly, although perhaps unexpectedly, that there are now no wild cats in Scotland south of a line drawn from Oban on the west coast up the Brander Pass to Dalmally, and thence following the borders of Perthshire to the junction of the three counties of Perth, Forfar and Aberdeen, northward to Tomintoul, and so to the city of Inverness. We are assured that it is only to the northward and westward of this line that the animal still keeps a footing in suitable localities, finding its principal shelter in the great deer forests. Thus we see that the wild cat is being gradually driven northward before advancing civilisation and the increased supervision of moors and forests. Just as the reindeer in the twelfth century was driven northward from England and found its last home in Caithness, and as the wolf followed it a few centuries later, so we may expect one day that the wild cat will come to be numbered amongst the 'extinct British animals.'
"In England in former days, the wild cat was included amongst the beasts of chase, and is often mentioned in royal grants giving liberty to inclose forest land and licence to hunt there (extracts from several such grants will be found in the Zoologist for 1878, p. 251, and 1880, p. 251). Nor was it for diversion alone that the wild cat was hunted. Its fur was much used as trimming for dresses, and in this way was worn even by nuns at one time. Thus, in Archbishop Corboyle's 'Canons,' anno 1127, it is ordained 'that no abbess or nun use more costly apparel than such as is made of lambs' or cats' skins,' and as no other part of the animal but the skin was of any use here, it grew into a proverb that 'You can have nothing of a cat but her skin.'
Through the kind courtesy of that painstaking, excellent, observant, and eminent naturalist, Mr. J. E. Harting, I am enabled to reprint a portion of his lecture on the origin of the domestic cat, and which afterwards appeared in The Field. Although many of the statements are known to naturalists, still I prefer giving them in the order in which they are so skilfully arranged, presenting, as they do, a very garland of facts connected with the British wild cat (Felis catus) up to the present, and which I deem valuable from many points of view, but the more particularly as a record of an animal once abundant in England, where it has now apparently almost, if not quite, ceased to exist.
In Daniel's "Rural Sports," A.D. 1813, the wild cat is stated to be "now scarce in England, inhabiting the mountainous and woody parts. Mr. Pennant describes it as four times the size of the house cat, but the head larger, that it multiplies as fast, and may be called the British tiger, being the fiercest and most destructive beast we have. When only wounded with shot they will attack the person who injured them, and often have strength enough to be no despicable enemy."
Still this is no proof that the wild cat, in a pure state of nature, feeds on fish. Again, it is nothing unusual for domestic cats to catch and eat cockroaches, crickets, cockchafers, also large and small moths, but not so all. In domesticity some are almost omnivorous. But is the wild cat? Taking its anatomical structure into consideration, there is doubtless a wide distinction, both as regards food and habit.
Of Dr. Samuel Johnson it is related, that his cat having fallen sick and refused all food, he became aware that cats are fond of fish. With this knowledge before him he went to the fishmonger's and bought an oyster for the sick creature, wrapped it in paper and brought the appetising morsel home. The cat relished the dainty food, and the Doctor was seen going on the same kindly errand every day until his suffering feline friend was restored to health.
Cases have also been known of cats catching fish in shallow water, springing on them from the banks of streams and ponds; but I take this as not the habit of the domestic cat, though it is not unusual.
Gray, in a poem, tells of a cat's death through drowning, while attempting to take gold-fish from a vase filled with water.
A writer in "Menageries" states: "There is no doubt that wild cats will seize on fish, and the passionate longing of the domestic cat after this food is an evidence of the natural desire. We have seen a cat overcome her natural reluctance to wet her feet, and take an eel out of a pail of water." Dr. Darwin alludes to this propensity: "Mr. Leonard, a very intelligent friend of mine, saw a cat catch a trout by darting on it in deep, clear water, at the Mill, Wexford, near Lichfield. The cat belonged to Mr. Stanley, who had often seen it catch fish."
The food of the wild cat is said to consist of animals, and in the opinion of some, fish should be added. Why not also birds' eggs? Cats are particularly fond of the latter. In the event of their finding and destroying a nest, they invariably eat the eggs, and generally the shells.
Much has been written as to the aptitude of the domestic cat at catching fish. If this be so, are fish necessarily a part of the food of the native wild cat? Numerous instances are adduced of our "household cat" plunging into water in pursuit of and capture of fish. Although I have spent much time in watching cats that were roaming beside streams and about ponds, there has never been even an attempt at "fishing." Frogs they will take and kill, often greedily devouring the small ones. Yet doubtless they will hunt, catch, and eat fish, for the fact has become proverbial.
Mr. Blaine, in his excellent and useful work, the "Encyclopædia of Rural Sports" a book no sportsman should be without thus discusses the origin of the domestic cat compared with the British wild cat:
"We have yet, however, to satisfy ourselves with regard to the
origin of the true wild cat (Felis catus, Linn.), which,
following the analogies of the Felinæ generally, are almost
exclusively native to countries warmer than our own. It is true
that occasionally varieties of the Felinæ do breed in our
caravans and menageries, where artificial warmth is kept up to
represent something like a tropical temperature; but the
circumstance is too rare to ground any opinion on of their ever
having been indigenous here at least, since our part of the
globe has cooled down to its present temperature. It is,
therefore, more than probable that both the wild and the tame cat
have been derived from some other extra-European source or
sources. We say source or sources, for such admission begets
another difficulty not easily got over, which is this, that if
both of these grimalkins own one common root, in which variety
was it that the very marked differences between them have taken
place? Most sportsmen, we believe, suspect that they own one
common origin, and some naturalists also do the same, contending
that the differences observable between them are attributable
solely to the long-continued action of external agencies, which
had modified the various organs to meet the varied necessities of
the animals. The wild cat, according to this theory, having to
contend with powerful enemies, expanded in general dimensions;
its limbs, particularly, became massive; and its long and strong
claws, with the powerful muscular mechanism which operated on
them, fitted it for a life of predacity. Thus its increased size
enabled it to stand some time before any other dogs than
high-bred foxhounds, and even before them also, in any place but
the direct open ground. There exist, however, in direct
contradiction to this opinion, certain specialities proper to the
wild, and certain other to the domestic cat, besides the simple
expansion of bulk, which sufficiently disprove their identity. It
will be seen that a remarkable difference exists between the
tails of the two animals; that of the domestic being, as is well
known, long, and tapering elegantly to a point, whereas that of
the wild cat is seen to be broad, and to terminate abruptly in a
blunt or rounded extremity. Linnæus and Buffon having both of
them confounded these two species into one, have contributed much
to propagate this error, which affords us another opportunity of
adding to the many we have taken of remarking on the vast
importance of comparative anatomy, which enables us to draw just
distinctions between animals that might otherwise erroneously be
adjudged to be dependent on external agencies, etc. Nor need we
rest here, for what doubt can be entertained on the subject when
we point at the remarkable difference between the intestines of
the two? Those of the domestic are nine times the length of its
body, whereas, in the wild cat, they are little more than
three times as long as the body."
"The Cat of Mountain, all which are of one nature, and agree
much in one shape, save as to their magnitude, the wild Cat
being larger than the Tame and the Cat of Mountain much
larger than the wild Cat. It has a broad Face, almost like a
Lyon, short Ears, large Whiskers, shining Eyes, short, smooth
Hair, long Tail, rough Tongue, and armed on its Feet, with
Claws, being a crafty, subtle, watchful Creature, very loving and
familiar with Man-kind, the mortal enemy to the Rat, Mouse, and
all sorts of Birds, which it seizes on as its prey. As to its
Eyes, Authors say that they shine in the Night, and see better at
the full, and more dimly at the change of the moon; as also that
the Cat doth vary his Eyes with the Sun, the Apple of its Eye
being long at Sun rise, round towards Noon, and not to be seen at
all at night, but the whole Eye shining in the night. These
appearances of the Cats' Eyes I am sure are true, but whether
they answer to the times of the day, I never observed." "Its
flesh is not usually eaten, yet in some countries it is accounted
an excellent dish."
"When he hath a fayre skinne, he is, as it were, prowde thereof,
and then he goeth faste aboute to be seene...."
Those who have seen the wild cat of Britain, especially in
confinement, will doubtless be ready to endorse this description
as being "true to the life," even to the "rufull noyse," or his
industry in the way of fighting. Yet even this old chronicler
mentions the fact of his being "wilde," clearly indicating a
similar animal in a state of domestication. Later on we find
Maister Salmon giving an account of the cat in his
strangely-curious book, "Salmon's Compleat English Physician; or,
the Druggist's Shop Opened," A.D. 1693, in which he relates that
marvellous properties exist in the brain, bones, etc., of the
cat, giving recipes mostly cruel and incredible. He describes
"Catus the Cat" in such terms as these:
The next appears in John Bossewell's "Workes of Armorie," folio, A.D. 1597:
"This beaste is called a Musion, for that he is enimie to Myse
and Rattes. He is slye and wittie, and seeth so sharpely that he
overcommeth darknes of the nighte by the shyninge lyghte of his
eyne. In shape of body he is like unto a Leoparde, and hathe a
great mouth. He dothe delight that he enioyeth his libertye; and
in his youthe he is swifte, plyante, and merye. He maketh a
rufull noyse and a gastefull when he profereth to fighte with an
other. He is a cruell beaste when he is wilde, and falleth on his
owne feete from most high places: and vneth is hurt therewith.
Mr. Frank Buckland also exhibited a hybrid between the wild and tame cat.
The Zoological Society, a pair of wild cats which did not appear to be British.
In 1873, Mr. A. H. Senger sent a fine specimen of hybrid, between the domestic cat and Scotch wild cat.
An early description of the wild cat in England is to be found in an old book on Natural History, and copied into a work on "Menageries," "Bartholomœus de Proprietatibus Rerum," which was translated into English by Thomas Berthlet, and printed by Wynkyn de Worde as early as 1498. There is a very interesting description of the cat, which gives nearly all the properties of the wild animal in an odd and very amusing way. It states: "He is most like to the leopard, and hath a great mouthe, and saw teeth and sharp, and long tongue, and pliant, thin, and subtle; and lappeth therewith when he drinketh, as other beasts do, that have the nether lip shorter than the over; for, by cause of unevenness of lips, such beasts suck not in drinking, but lap and lick, as Aristotle saith and Plinius also. And he is a full lecherous beast in youth, swift, pliant, and merry, and leapeth, and riseth on all things that is tofore him; and is led by a straw, and playeth therewith, and is a right heavy beast in age, and full sleepy, and lieth slyly in wait for mice; and is ware where they bene more by smell than by sight, and hunteth and riseth on them in privy places; and when he taketh a mouse, he playeth therewith, and eateth him after the play; and is a cruel beast when he is wild, and dwelleth in woods, and hunteth there small wild beasts as conies and hares."
In 1871 and 1872, a wild cat was exhibited at the Crystal Palace Cat Show, by the Earl of Hopetoun, aged three years, also some hybrid kittens, the father of which was a long-haired cat, the mother a sandy, by a wild cat out of a long-haired tabby, which proves, if proof were wanting, that such hybrids breed freely either with hybrids, the domestic, or the wild cat.
It was a grand animal, however, and most interesting to the naturalist, being, even then, scarcely ever seen; if so, only in districts far away and remote from the dwellings of civilisation. Yet I believe I saw one among the rocks of Bodsbeck, in Dumfriesshire, many years ago, though of this I am not certain, as it was too far away for accurate observation before it turned and stood at bay, and on my advancing it disappeared. The animal shown at the Crystal Palace was very much lighter in colour, and with less markings than those in the British Museum, the tail shorter, and the dark rings fewer, the lines on the body not much deeper in tint than the ground colour, excepting on the forehead and the inside of the fore-legs, which were darker, rather a light red round the mouth, and almost white on the chest which appears to be usual with the wild cat; the eyes were yellow-tinted green, the tips of the ears, the lips, cushions of the feet, and a portion of the back part of the hind-legs, black; the markings were, in short, irregular thin lines, and in no way resembled those of the ordinary black-marked domestic tabby cat, possessing little elegance of line in character it was bolder, having a rugged sturdiness, being stronger and broader built, the fore-arms thick, massive, and endowed with great power, with long, curved claws, the feet were stout, sinewy, and strong; altogether it was a very peculiar, interesting, and extraordinary animal. What became of it I never learned.
Mr. Wilson, the manager of the show, though an excellent naturalist, tried to get it out of the thick-barred, heavy-made travelling box in which it arrived, into one of the ordinary wire show-cages, thinking it would appear to better advantage; but in this endeavour he was unsuccessful, the animal resisting all attempts to expel it from the one into the other, making such frantic and determined opposition that the idea was abandoned. This was most fortunate, for the wire cages then in use were afterwards found unequal to confining even the ordinary domestic cat, which, in more than one instance, forced the bars apart sufficiently to allow of escape. As it was, the wild cat maintained its position, sullenly retiring to one corner of the box, where it scowled, growled, and fought in a most fearful and courageous manner during the time of its exhibition, never once relaxing its savage watchfulness or attempts to injure even those who fed it. I never saw anything more unremittingly ferocious, nor apparently more untamable.
The wild cat is said to be now extinct in England, and only found in some of the northern parts of Scotland, or the rocky parts of the mountains of the south, where I am informed it may yet occasionally be seen. The drawing I give above was made from one sent to the first Crystal Palace Cat Show in 1871, by the Duke of Sutherland, from Sutherlandshire. It was caught in a trap by the fore-leg, which was much injured, but not so as to prevent its moving with great alacrity, even with agility, endeavouring frequently to use the claws of both fore-feet with a desperate determination and amazing vigour. It was a very powerful animal, possessing great strength, taking size into consideration, and of extraordinary fierceness.
It is not generally known that the much-admired laburnum contains a strong poison, and is therefore an exceedingly dangerous plant. All its parts blossoms, leaves, seeds, even the bark and the roots are charged with a poison named cytisin, which was discovered by Husemann and Marms in 1864.
A small dose of juice infused under the skin is quite sufficient to kill a cat or a dog. Children have died from eating the seeds, of which ten or twelve were sufficient to cause death. The worst of it is that there is no remedy, no antidote against this poison. How many cases have happened before the danger was discovered is of course only a matter of conjecture, as few would suspect the cause to come from the lovely plant that so delights the eye.
It has, however, long been known to gamekeepers and others, and used by them to destroy "vermin." When quite a boy I remember an old uncle of mine telling me to beware of it even in gathering the blossom.
As a rule, when the animal is of value, either intrinsically or as a pet, the best plan is to consult a practitioner, well versed in the veterinary science and art, especially when the cat appears to suffer from some obscure disease, many of which it is very difficult to detect, unless by the trained and practised eye. Of all the ailments, both of dogs and cats, distemper is the worst to combat, and is so virulent and contagious that I have thought it well to offer remedies that are at least worthy of a trial, though when the complaint has firm hold, and the attack very severe, the case is generally almost hopeless, especially with high-bred animals.
In the early stages of mange, flowers of sulphur mixed in vaseline, and rubbed in the coat of the cat, is efficacious, giving sulphur in the milk, the water, and on the food of the patient; also give vegetable diet.
Another remedy: give a teaspoonful of castor oil; next day give raw meat, dusted over with flowers of sulphur. Also give sulphur in milk. If there are any sore places, bathe with lotion made from camphorated oil in which some sulphur is mixed. Oil, 2 oz.; camphor, ¼ oz.; sulphur, a teaspoonful.
Red oxide of mercury, 12 grains; spermaceti ointment, 1 oz. Mix.
The above prescription was given to me many years ago by the late Dr. Walsh (Stonehenge), and I have found it of great service, both for my own eyes, also those of animals and birds. Wash the eyes carefully with warm water, dry off with a soft silk handkerchief, and apply a little of the ointment. Dr. Walsh informed me that he deemed it excellent for canker in the ear, but of that I have had no experience.
Two drachms pure carbolic acid to 6 oz. of water well mixed for a lotion, and apply night and morning.
Cold in the eyes and sneezing may be relieved by sweet spirits of nitre, 1 drachm; minocrerus spirit, 3 drachms; antimony wine, 1 drachm; water to 1½ oz. Mix. Give 1 teaspoonful every two or three hours.
Two or three grains of santonine in a teaspoonful of castor oil, for two or three days.
Nothing like castor oil for purgation; half the quantity of syrup of buckthorn, if necessary, may be added.
Take yellow basilicon, 1 oz.; flowers of sulphur, ½ oz.; oil of juniper, 3 drachms. Mix for ointment. Then give sulphide of mercury, 3 grains, two or three times on alternate nights.
Aconite, 1× tincture. Arsenicum, 2× trituration. Antimonium tartaricum, 2× trituration. Belladonna, 3× trituration. Mercurius biniodatus, 3× trituration. Hydrastis canadensis, (Greek: phi) tincture. Sulphur, 2× trituration. Santonine.
Mr. Frank Upjohn, of Castelnau, Barnes, has also kindly forwarded me his treatment of some few of the cat ailments. Mindful of the old proverb that "In a multitude of counsellors there is wisdom," I place all before my friends, and those of the cat, that they may select which remedy they deem best:
Get a chemist to rub down a medium-size croton bean with about 40 grains of sugar of milk, and divide into four powders. One of these powders given in milk usually suffices. Large cats often require two powders. The dose might be repeated if necessary.
Dose, when drops are ordered, 2 drops.
Trituration is ordered, 2 to 3 grains.
When internal, drop into the affected ear, night and morning, 3 or 5 drops of the following mixture:
Tincture of Hydrastis Canadensis 2 drachms.
Carbolic Acid (pure) ½ "
Glycerine, to make up to 2 oz.
If external, paint with the mixture the affected parts.
Early symptoms should be noted and receive prompt attention; this will often cut short the duration of the malady. The first indications usually are a disinclination to rest in the usual place, seeking a dark corner beneath a sofa, etc. The eyes flow freely, the nose after becoming hard and dry becomes stopped with fluid, the tongue parched, and total aversion to food follows. The breathing becomes short and laboured, the discharges are offensive, and the animal creeps away into some quiet corner to die if before this its life has not been mercifully ended.
On discovery of first symptoms, give 2 drops aconite and arsenicum in alternation every 3 hours. When the nose becomes dry, and the eye restless and glaring, give belladonna.
The short, hard, dry cough will always give way to treatment with belladonna, 3× trituration, 3 grains every 3 or 4 hours.
For the difficult breathing, with rattling in the chest and bronchial tubes, with distressing cough, antimonium tartaric., 2×, grains iij every 2, 3 or 4 hours, according to the severity of the symptoms.
The symptoms are twofold, usually there is constant sneezing and discharge from the nose. Aconite, 1× tincture, 1 drop given every 3 hours in alternation with arsenicum, 3× trituration, will speedily remove the disease. Should there be stuffing of the nose, and difficult breathing, give mercurius biniod., 3× trituration, a dose every 3 or 4 hours.
The best possible remedies for this disease are arsenicum, 2× trituration, and sulphur, 2× trituration, given on alternate days, as much as will lie on a threepenny piece, night and morning, administered as above.
A most useful lotion is acid sulphurous, 1 oz. to 5 oz. of water, adding about a teaspoonful of glycerine, and sponging the affected parts twice or thrice daily.
I was anxious to know about this, as inoculation used to be the practice with packs of hounds.
It will be observed that Dr. Fleming treats the distemper as a kind of influenza, and considers one of the most important things is to keep up the strength of the suffering animal. Other members of the R.C.V.S., whom I have consulted, have all given the same kind of advice, not only prescribing for the sick animal wine, but brandy, as a last resource, to arouse sinking vitality. Mr. George Cheverton, of High Street, Tunbridge Wells, who is very successful with animals and their diseases, thinks it best to treat them homœopathically. The following is what he prescribes as efficacious for some of the most dire complaints with which cats are apt to be afflicted.
For a full-grown cat give 3 grains of santonine every night for a week or 10 days; it might be administered in milk, or given in a small piece of beef or meat of any kind. After the course give an aperient powder.
"Simple Catarrh demands similar treatment. Warmth, cleanliness, broth, and beef-tea, are the chief items of treatment, with a dose of castor oil if constipation is present. If the discharge obstructs the nostrils it should be removed with a sponge, and these and the eyes may be bathed with a weak lotion of vinegar and water."
"As regards inoculation for distemper," Dr. Fleming says, "it has been tried, but the remedy is often worse than the disease, at least as bad as the natural disease. Vaccination has also been tried, but it is valueless. Probably inoculation with cultivated or modified virus would be found a good and safe preventative."
"The symptoms are intense fever, prostration, vomiting, diarrhœa, sneezing, cough, and profuse discharge from the nose and eyes. Sometimes the parotid glands are swollen, as in human mumps. Dr. Darwin, of Derby, uncle to Charles Darwin, thought it was a kind of mumps, and therefore designated it Parotitis felina.
"The treatment consists in careful nursing and cleanliness, keeping the animal moderately warm and comfortable. The disease rapidly produces intense debility, and therefore the strength should be maintained from the very commencement by frequent small doses of strong beef-tea, into which one grain of quinine has been introduced twice a day, a small quantity of port wine (from half to one teaspoonful) according to the size of the cat, and the state of debility. If there is no diarrhœa, but constipation, a small dose of castor oil or syrup of buckthorn should be given. Solid food should not be allowed until convalescence has set in. Isolation, with regard to other cats, and disinfection, should be attended to.
"Cats are, like some other of the domesticated animals, liable to be attacked by two kinds of Catarrhal Fever, one of which is undoubtedly very infectious like distemper in dogs and the other may be looked upon as the result of a simple cold, and therefore not transmissible. The first is, of course, the most severe and fatal, and often prevails most extensively, affecting cats generally over wide areas, sometimes entire continents being invaded by it. From A.D. 1414 up to 1832 no fewer than nineteen widespread outbreaks of this kind have been recorded. The most notable of these was in 1796, when the cats in England and Holland were generally attacked by the disease, and in the following year when it had spread over Europe and extended to America; in 1803, it again appeared in this country and over a large part of the European continent.
Cats, like many other animals, both wild and domestic, are subject to diseases, several being fatal, others yielding to known curatives; many are of a very exhaustive character, some are epidemic, others are undoubtedly contagious the two worst of these are what is known as the distemper and the mange. Through the kindness of friends I am enabled to give recipes for medicines considered as useful, or, at any rate, tending to abate the severity of the attack in the one, and utterly eradicate the other. Care should always be taken on the first symptoms of illness to remove the animal at once from contact with others. My kind friend, Dr. George Fleming, C.B., principal veterinary surgeon of the army, has courteously sent me a copy of a remedy for cat distemper from his very excellent work, "Animal Plagues: their History, Nature, and Prevention," which I give in full.
In chocolate, mahogany, red, or yellow long-haired tabbies, the markings and colours to be the same as in the short-haired cats; but in points to count the same as the last in all qualities.
Spotted tabbies to count the same in all points, the only difference being that instead of stripes, the cats are marked with clear, well-defined spots.
All fancy colours to be shown in the "any other variety of colour" class, and judged according to quality of coat, beauty, and rarity of colouring or marking. The small, thin, broken-banded tabby should go in this class, as also those with thin, light, wavy lines.
All foreign, wild, or other cats of peculiar form to go into the class for "any other variety or species."
Jet-black lines, not too broad, scarcely so wide as the
ground colour seen between, so as to give a light and
brilliant effect. When the black lines are broader than the
colour space, it is a defect, being then black marked with
colour, instead of colour marked with black. The lines must
be clear, sharp, and well-defined, in every way distinct,
having no mixture of the ground colour. Head, legs, and tail
regularly marked, the latter with rings, the lines on the
throat and chest being in no way blurred or broken, but
clear, graceful, and continuous; lips, cushions of feet, the
backs of the hind-legs and the ear-points black.
| --- | |
| Total | 100 |
Ground colour, deep, rich reddish-brown, more rufous on the
nose, ears, mane, and inside the legs and belly; tip of nose
red, edged with black; blue, bright, deep, rich, even, dark
colour; silver, lighter and equally even tint; and so light
gray; and white ground, pure white.
| Markings | 15 |
Large, small in bone, looking larger than it really is on
account of the length of the hair; body long; legs short;
tail carried low, not over the back, which is a fault; fur
clean and glossy, even, smooth, and flakey, which gives an
appearance of quality.
| Colour | 15 |
In the Persian the hair long and silky throughout, but
somewhat longer at the base; Angora like the brush of a fox,
but longer in the hair; Russian equally long in the hair, but
more full at the end; tail shorter, rather blunt, like a
tassel.
| Size, Shape, and Condition | 10 |
Very long everywhere, mostly so along the back, sides, legs,
and feet, making tufts between the toes, and points at the
apex of the ears.
| Quality of Fur | 10 |
Fine, silky, and very soft in the Persian, with slightly | |
| Tail | 10 |
Orange-yellow for brown and blue tabby, very slightly tinted
with green; deep, bright yellow for silver; gray, and golden
yellow for white tabby; large, full, round, or almond-shaped,
and very lustrous.
| Ruff or Frill | 10 |
Large, very long, flowing, and lion-like, extending over the | |
| Fur | 10 |
| POINTS | |
| Head | 10 |
Round and broad across and between the eyes, of medium size; | |
| Eyes | 10 |
Large, small in bone, looking larger than it really is on
account of the length of the hair; body long, legs short;
tail carried low, not over the back, which is a fault; fur
clean and glossy, even, smooth, and flakey, which gives an
appearance of quality.
| Colour | 20 |
Black, dense, bright brown-black, with purple gloss; blue, a | |
| --- | |
| Total | 100 |
In the Persian the hair long and silky throughout, but
somewhat longer at the base; Angora like the brush of a fox,
but longer in the hair; Russian equally long in hair but more
full at the end, tail shorter, rather blunt, like a tassel.
| Size, Shape, and Condition | 10 |
Very long everywhere; mostly so along the back, sides, legs,
and feet, making tufts between the toes, and points at the
apex of the ears.
| Quality of Fur | 10 |
Fine, silky, and very soft in the Persian, with slightly | |
| Tail | 10 |
For black, orange; orange-yellow for blue; deep yellow for
gray; and gold, tinged with green, for red; large, round, or
almond-shaped, full and very bright.
| Ruff or Frill | 15 |
Large, very long, flowing, and lion-like, extending over the | |
| Fur | 15 |
Large, small in bone, looking larger than it really is on
account of the length of hair. Body long, legs short, tail
carried low not over the back, which is a fault. Fur clean,
bright and glossy, even and smooth, and flakey, which gives
an appearance of quality.
| Colour | 10 |
White, with a tender, very slightly yellow tint; cushions of | |
| --- | |
| Total | 100 |
In the Persian the hair long and silky throughout, but
somewhat longer at the base. Angora more like the brush of a
fox, but much longer in the hair. Russian equally long in
hair, but full tail, shorter and more blunt, like a tassel.
| Size, Shape, and Condition | 15 |
Very long everywhere, mostly along the back, sides, legs, and
feet, making tufts between the toes, and points at the apex
of the ears.
| Quality of Fur | 10 |
Fine, silky, and very soft in the Persian, with a slightly | |
| Tail | 10 |
Large, full, round or almond-shape, lustrous, and of a
beautiful azure blue. Yellow admissible as five points only.
Green a defect.
| Ruff or Frill | 15 |
Large, very long, flowing, and lion-like, extending over the | |
| Fur | 15 |
| POINTS | |
| Head | 10 |
Round and broad across and between the eyes, of medium size; | |
| Eyes | 15 |
To have no tail whatever, not even a stump, but some true
bred have a very short, thin, twisted tail, that cannot be
straightened, this allowable, and is true bred; but thick
stumps, knobs, or short, thick tails disqualify.
| Size and Condition | 15 |
Large, elegant in all its movements, hair smooth, clean, | |
| --- | |
| Total | 100 |
To range the same as other short-haired cats, if self same as
self, if marked same as the marked varieties, with less
points, allowing for the tail points in this variety.
| Form | 15 |
Narrow, long, neck long and thin, all to be graceful in line; | |
| Tail | 25 |
According to colour, as shown in other varieties.
| Fur | 10 |
Short, of even length, smooth, silky, and glossy. | |
| Colour | 15 |
| POINTS | |
| Head | 10 |
Small, round, but tapering towards the lips, rather broad | |
| Eyes | 10 |
Rather small, lithe, elegant in outline, and graceful, narrow
and somewhat long; legs thin and a little short than
otherwise; feet long, not so round as the ordinary cat; neck
long and small.
| Condition | 10 |
In full health, not too fat, hair smooth, clear, bright, full | |
| --- | |
| Total | 100 |
Rather of almond shape, slanting towards the nose, full and
of a very beautiful blue opalesque colour, luminous and of a
reddish tint in the dusk of evening or by artificial light.
| Tail | 5 |
Short by comparison with the English cat, thin throughout, a | |
| Size and Form | 10 |
Ears black, the colour not extending beyond them, but ending
in a clear and well-defined outline; around the eyes, and all
the lower part of the head, black; legs and tail black, the
colour not extending into or staining the body, but having a
clear line of demarkation.
| Eyes | 15 |
Very short, and somewhat woolly, yet soft and silky to the
touch, and glossy, with much lustre on the face, legs, and
tail.
| Colour | 20 |
The ground or body colour to be of an even tint, slightly | |
| Markings | 20 |
| POINTS | |
| Head | 10 |
Small, broad across and between the eyes, tapering upwards | |
| Fur | 10 |
Large; coat glossy and smooth, fitting close to the body;
eyes bright and clear.
| Carriage and Appearance | 10 |
Graceful, lithe, elegant, alert and quick in all its | |
| --- | |
| Total | 100 |
N.B. The Abyssinian Silver Gray, or Chinchilla, is the same in all points, with the exception of the ground colour being silver instead of brown. This is a new and beautiful variety.
A rich, dun brown, ticked with black and orange, or darker on
lighter colours, having a dark or black line along the back
extending to the end of the tail, and slightly annulated with
black or dark colour. As few other marks as possible. Inside
of fore-legs and belly to be orange-brown. No white.
| Size and Condition | 10 |
Soft, rather woolly hair, yet soft, silky, lustrous, and
glossy, short, smooth, even, and dense.
| Ears | 10 |
The usual size of the ordinary English cat, but a little more | |
| Colour | 20 |
Orange-yellow, slightly tinged with green, large, round,
full, and bright.
| Nose and Feet | 10 |
Nose dark red, edged with black; tips and cushions of feet | |
| Fur | 15 |
| POINTS | |
| Head | 10 |
Small, broad across the eyes, rather long than short, nose | |
| Eyes | 15 |
The colours and markings to count the same as the above. The ground colour being white, and markings the dark colour instead of white. In the markings they should be even or well-balanced, such as two black ears, the rest white; or two black ears, with black tail, and the rest white; or all white, with dark tail only. These are not very uncommon markings, but if so marked, they may also have a spot or two on the back or sides provided they balance in size of colour. But the simplicity of the former is the best.
All other fancy colours and markings must be judged according to taste, and entered in the any other variety of colours for short-haired cats, such as strawberry colour, smokies, chinchillas, ticked, black tabbies and such fancy colours.
The self colour to count the same number of points as the ground colour in tabby, namely, twenty points, and the white markings the same as the tabby markings, that is, twenty points. The other points also the same.
The markings to be: lips, mouth and part of the cheek, including the whiskers, with a blaze up the nose, coming to a point between the eyes, white; throat and chest white, and pear-shaped in outline of colour; all four feet white.
These to be the same in all points of head, eyes, fur, form, colours, tail, size and condition as those laid down for the judging of short-haired tabby cats in general, with the exception, in whatever colour the markings are, or on whatever ground, they, instead of being in lines or bands, are to be broken up into clear, well-defined and well-formed spots, each spot to be separate, and distinct, and good, firm and dark in colour; these then count as many points as a finely-striped cat in its class.
Narrow, long, graceful in line, neck rather long and slender;
shoulders receding, well-sloped, and deep; legs medium
length, not thick nor clumsy; feet round and small.
| Tail | 5 |
Long, thick at the base and narrowing towards the end, | |
| Size and Condition | 10 |
Large, lithe, elegant in all its movements; hair smooth, | |
| --- | |
| Total | 100 |
If blue, a rich, deep, yet bright colour; silver, a lighter,
yet bright tint; gray, very light; if a white tabby, ground
to be colourless; ears and nose a deep gray, the tip red,
edged with black.
| Markings | 20 |
Jet-black lines, not too broad, scarcely so wide as the | |
| Form | 10 |
Orange-yellow for blue tabby; deep, bright yellow for silver
or gray; large, full, round, and very lustrous.
| Fur | 10 |
Short, of even length, smooth, silky, and glossy. | |
| Colour | 20 |
| POINTS | |
| Head | 10 |
Small, broad across and between the eyes, rounded above, | |
| Eyes | 15 |
Narrow, long, graceful in line, neck rather long and slender,
shoulders receding, well-sloped, and deep, legs medium
length, not thick nor clumsy, feet round and small.
| Tail | 5 |
Long, thick at the base, and narrowing towards the end, | |
| Size and Condition | 10 |
Large, lithe, elegant in all its movements; hair smooth, | |
| --- | |
| Total | 100 |
Deep, rich, reddish-brown, bright red, or yellow, in the
order as above, brighter inside the legs and belly; ears and
nose deeper colour, the latter at the tip red, edged with
chocolate.
| Markings | 20 |
Dark, rich brown or chocolate, lines not too broad, scarcely | |
| Form | 10 |
Orange, gold, or yellow, in the order of the above names,
large, round, full, and very lustrous.
| Fur | 10 |
Short, of even length, smooth, silky, and glossy. | |
| Colour | 20 |
| POINTS | |
| Head | 10 |
Small, broad across and between the eyes, rounded above, | |
| Eyes | 15 |
Narrow, long, graceful in line, neck rather long and slender;
shoulders receding, well-sloped and deep; legs medium length,
not thick nor clumsy; feet round and small.
| Tail | 5 |
Long, thick at the base and narrowing towards the end, | |
| Size and Condition | 10 |
Large, lithe, elegant in all its movements; hair smooth, | |
| --- | |
| Total | 100 |
Deep, very rich reddish-brown, more rufous inside the legs
and belly; ears and nose a still deeper red-brown, the latter
at the tip edged with black. Ordinary tabby, dark gray, and
ticked.
| Markings | 20 |
Jet-black lines, not too broad, scarcely so wide as the | |
| Form | 10 |
Orange-yellow, slightly tinted with green, large, full,
round, and very lustrous.
| Fur | 10 |
Short, of even length, smooth, silky, and glossy. | |
| Colour | 20 |
| POINTS | |
| Head | 10 |
Small, broad across and between the eyes, rounded above, | |
| Eyes | 15 |
Long, thick at the base, and narrowing towards the end,
carried low, with graceful curve.
| Size and Condition | 15 | |
Large, lithe, elegant in all its movements; hair smooth, | ||
| --- | ||
| Total | 100 |
Narrow, long, graceful in line; neck rather long and slender;
shoulders receding, well-sloped and deep; legs medium length,
not thick nor clumsy; feet round and small.
| Colour | 25 | |
Black, a jet, dense, brown-black, with purple gloss; blue, a | ||
| Tail | 5 |
Orange for black, orange-yellow for blue, deep yellow for
gray, and gold tinged with green for red. Large, round, and
full; very bright.
| Fur | 10 | |
Short, of even length, smooth, silky, and glossy. | ||
| Form | 15 |
| POINTS | ||
| Head | 15 | |
Small, broad across and between the eyes, rounded above, | ||
| Eyes | 15 |
Long, thick at the base and narrowing towards the end,
carried low, with graceful curve.
| Size and Condition | 15 | |
Large, lithe, and elegant in all its movements; hair smooth, | ||
| --- | ||
| Total | 100 |
Yellow-white; gray-white, five points less.
| Form | 15 | |
Narrow, long, graceful in line, neck rather long and slender; | ||
| Tail | 10 |
Blue a soft, turquoise blue but yellow is permissible as
five points only, green a defect; large, round, and full.
| Fur | 15 | |
Short, of even length, smooth, silky, and glossy. | ||
| Colour | 15 |
| POINTS | ||
| Head | 15 | |
Small, broad across and between the eyes, rounded above, | ||
| Eyes | 15 |
Long, thick at the base and narrowing towards the end,
carried low, with graceful curve, and well-marked with
>alternate patches of black, red, and yellow.
| Size and Condition | 10 | |
Large, lithe, elegant in all its movements; hair smooth, | ||
| --- | ||
| Total | 100 |
