THE LIBRARY OE THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

PRESENTED BY

PR A D OF. A K CH RLES A . OFO ID N MRS . PRUDENCE W . KOFO ID

T H E C A T

A GUI DE TO THE CL ASSI FI CATION AND VARIE TIE S OF C ATS AND A SHORT TRE ATISE UPON TH E IR ARE DISE ASES AND TRE ATME NT C , ,

B Y’

H E RUSH SHIPPEN U ID KOPE R M. D .

V R R L F R E TC . ETE INA IAN (A O T) . U H R O F TH E AG E OF T H E D M S C D M L S A T O O E TI ATE ANI A , ’ C R C OF TH E H R S S F D F C OF M L S ONT A TION O E OOT , I ENTI I ATION ANI A

E TC .

WI TH O VE R TH I R TY I L L US TR A TI ONS

N E W Y O R K D A P P E T N A N D M A N . L O C O P Y 1 895 C P Y R H 1895 O IG T , ,

BY D. P P E TON AND CO P N A L M A Y . J P AINE E O N . S S . H H , Q

P res id ent of th e Am erican S ociety for th e P revention

of C uel t to ni m al s New ork r y A , Y , in a ecia tion o his wo k whi h h a ne so m u h t ih ppr f r , c s do c o

crease the care of the h om e ca t and to allevia te the suf

e in s o the wai this book is es ec ull e ica te f r g f f, r p tf y d d d

BY

THE T AU HOR .

m35 09 9 4

P RE FA C E .

HEN , a month ago, the National Cat

Show became an established fact, and inquiries were being made in regard to the

of classification and qualities cats, I learned that none of the booksellers in New York had any literature upon the cat “except a technical Mivart : In book by St . George The Cat : An troduction to the Study of Backboned Ani ” ll f o G . mals, and the sma er book ordon Stables

I determined to prepare the present guide , which I present to the public interested in the

- - useful stable companion and pretty house pet . U ffi nfortunately, I was moving my o ce to the New York College of Veterinary Surgeons at

of the time, and many my books, manuscripts, and personal notes were boxed up and have

n w been u available for reference . I have dra n vi PRE FA CE freely from the list of books to be found in ll the Bibliography . The i ustrations are drawn

’ “ G Mivart s mostly from St . eorge book, The . ” “ ” Cat , from Our Cats, by Harrison Weir,

’ “ ” from Chauveau s Anatomy and

’ “ ” Raill s Z o s e et o logie . I am e p cially indebted

rin n RT R RWIN ROW N . su e te to A HU E B , Esq , p

of Z o c G dent the o logi al ardens of Philadelphia, for editing the chapter upon the Z oology of the Feline Species ; and I am glad to avail m y self of this public Opportunity of repeating my thanks to him .

R I E N H IDE K E R USH SH PP U OP .

New Y o oll e e of Vete ina S u eons rk C g r ry rg ,

154 E ast Fift - seventh S t eet y r , w Y A il 16 1 5 Ne o 89 . rk , pr , ( NI NTE NT S .

AP TE R I CH . PAGE ZOO OG C P I TI N OF THE CAT FAM I L Y L I AL OS O , W ITH A DE S CR IP TIVE LI ST OF TH E VAR I OU S FE LINE SP E CI E S

AP TER CH II .

AN OU TLINE OF THE ANATOMY OF TH E DOME S TI C CAT

AP TE R CH III .

TH E OR I G IN OF THE DOME STIC CAT AND AR E T E V I I S . Th e Wild Cat Th e E gyptian Cat

L ONG -H R ED T AI CA S . Th e Ang ora . Th e P e rsian

S OR T - R E D T H HAI CA S .

Th e Tortoise - sh ell Th e To rtoise - sh ell-and - Wh ite Th e Brow n Tabby Th e Spotted Tabby CONTE NTS

Th e Sh ort-haired White Cat S elf- colo red Cats Th e Black Cat

Th e Black -and - Wh ite Cat Th e Siam ese Cat

Th e Manx Cat

T I CHAP ER V. R E F TH E AT CA O C .

Hou sing Feed

G elded Cats Transportation

APTER CH V.

D E E F TH E AT I S AS S O C . Evidence Of Disease ase Of th e Re at m Dise s spir ory Sy ste .

B ronch o-pneumonia i ea f th e i t m D s ses o D g estive Sy s e . G astritis

Constipa tion and Diarrhoea

Cons i u ion isea t t t al D ses .

G landers

Canker of th e E ar Milk-fever C ONTE N TS 1X

P AGE u T u Nervo s ro bles. Convulsions or Fits

i i P ara s tic D seases .

M ange

isease of th E D s e y e .

Diseases of th e Teeth . is a e of t D e s s h e Claw s . P O SON I S . ADMIN I S TR ATI ON OF ME D ICI NE ANE STH E TICS DE STR OYING CATS

P TE R I CHA V .

E TYMOLOG Y AND SY NONYMS OF TH E CAT EMBLE MATIC SI G NI FI CAI’ ‘I ON OF TH E CAT

APPENDIX

OG R Y BIBLI APH .

THE COMPARATIVE ANATOMY OF TH E DOM E STICATE D D L L . D t h u au M . . E AN A A . C a ve . . e c . n li sh IM LS By , , , ( g D A l l i n N w Yo . ton 8 t ans at o . e e Co . 1 9 1 r ) rk, pp , .

A M N O . H en All e n e Nich ol son A UAL OF ZO LOGY By ry g , N Y D M D D M A . etc . e o . A S c . . w l . . . eton Co . , , , rk, pp , 83 18 .

E E E NT DE E ME E E T A R E P r L M S ZOOLOGI DICAL G ICOL . a A B ill t P a is As elin et H u 18 . a e . s o eau 86 . r , g , TH E CAT : AN INTR ODUC TION TO TH E S TUDY OF BACK

NE AN E P E M S t. . G eo e BO D IMALS, S CIALLY AMMALS By rg D F R i h Mi r P h . . . . N va t . S W t 200 ill u ti n ew , , stra o s . ’ Y h l c ibn 2 o C a e s S e s S on s 189 . rk, r r r , OUR T AND T THE : TH E R R E T E CA S, ALL ABOU M I VA I I S , M N R E TC T AND E E NT AND FO S H . HABI S , A AG M , OW, By

H a iso n W ei P e i ent of th e N ation al Cat rr r, r s d

N h ifflin . l ub . Boston and ew Y o H ou ton M Co C rk , g , ,

1889 .

THE CAT : I TS NATU RAL HISTORY ; DOM E STIC VARIE

T M N E Ph il i M . E E NT AND TRE T ENT . I S ; A AG M , A M By p Rul e . on on Sw an S onn en sch ein CO . L d , D Joh n OM E STIC OR FANCY CATS (ill u strated) . By J n n en i s . on on L . U cott G ill 189 3. g L d , p ,

TH E CAT I TS T R D E E AN D M N E E NT . HIS O Y, IS AS S, A AG M

D a e . B h H n l t n on H en J . Y t e o o ab e a u s . o r L dy C L d , ry r k

W . CATS : THE I R POIN TS A ND CLASSIFICATION . By

N n n D ean 85 S on . G n t l M . D . M R . . o o o o S ab es . C . rd , , , L d ,

M . D . M . TH E D T B n tabl es C . E CAT . G o o S OM S IC y rd , , ,

R N R utl e 8: S ons . . . on on G e o e o e L d , rg dg

xi

TH E OA T

CHAP TE R I .

ZOOL OGICAL PO SI TION OF THE CAT WI TH A DE S CRIPTIVE L I S T OF IE VARI OUS FEL INE S PE C S .

O O O C Y L G I ALL speaking, the cat is a

Carnivora mam mal belonging to the order ,

fl h - es . or eaters Modern classification, based chiefly upon characters drawn from the bony skeleton —which changes Slowly with develop mental processes through the cour se ofgeologic

Of time , and preserves the evidences common ancestry much longer than the softer parts Of the organism divides the carnivores into thr ee

as C noidea suborders, known y , containing the

Arctoidea in dogs, wolves, foxes , and jackals ; ,

di of S O clu ng bears, racoons, and most the 2 TH E CA T — fur - called bearing animals otters, weasels,

d E lur id u . o ea sk nks, ba gers etc ; and with , — , four families : Viverridoe the musk- cats or civets and genets , with the paradoxures and — ichneumons ; Hyoenidce the three species Of

P roteles of hyena, with the aardwolf, or , South

Cr to rocticloe i one Africa ; yp p , contain ng but

of savage little member, a native Madagascar,

“ ” ’ called foussa ; and finally the cat s own lid e en. family, the F The degree of perfection reached by any liv ing organism is Simply the amount of Speciali zation or adaptation which it has undergone in its relations to the special natural conditions

i r under which its l fe is passed, and measu ed

of by this standard , the cat is the most perfect l . th a carnivores Feeding upon o er anim s, which it must pursue with noiseless stealth and cap

u ture by an exertion of s preme activity, the cat has padded feet which make no sound in move ment ; muscles of enormous power and bul k in proportion to its Size , and attached to bones addressed to each other at such angles as to form the most complete system of springs and levers for propell ing the body known in the

4 TH E CAT

of all vision under either extreme . Add to these th at the coloring of cats is highl y assim ilated or l , as it is termed, suited to concea ment among the various shades of ground and fo l — liage among which it ives as, for instance ,

bufi l al the tiger, y ye low, with vertic bars Of

u black, is said to blend perfectly with the p right yellow bamboo stems which stand out against the gloomy interspaces of tropical jun

of gles ; and the leopard and jaguar, a similar l yel ow, with dark spots and rosettes, living

not dil largely in trees , are rea y perceived among the mottlin g of light and shade result

of ing from the maze leaves , boughs, and wan dering rays Of sunlight ; while the cats Of one

of color, like the lion and puma, are neutral l Shades Of gray or yel ow, harmonizing well

incons ic with earth tints on open plains, and p uou s under any surroundings . It is thus seen that, with all mammals in the field , none prob ably is so well armed for the battle of life as is the cat . This general type of structure is common to

all cats , such variations as there are , being only i in minor characteristics, but Sl ghtly related to ZOOL OGI CA L P OSI TI ON 5

if . their l e habits And psychologically, too , there is quite as much uniformity all cats i are carnivorous, preferring to discover and k ll their own prey ; all are ferocious and sangui nary , loving retirement ; moving with conc eal

ff n ment and stealth ; never a ronting da ger, but fighting desperately w hen inj ured or when escape is no longer possible . All climb with ease , excepting only the tiger and lion , whose bul k has probably deterred them from acquir i ing the habit . SO pers stent are the characters

of both body and mind in this family, that in

Spite of thirty -five centuries or more Of dom es tication - , the household tabby to day preserves far more Of its ancestral traits than any other of - of the four footed associates man .

all Cats are found over the world, except in the Australian region , Madagascar and the

West Indies . They are mainly tropical and

- heat loving, although a few species range far to the north, as the tiger in Asia and the puma

- in America . The short tailed lynxes also pre d in ominate northern regions .

are l l - They natural y a wel marked group , and for the present purpose may be regarded as 2 6 TH E CA T

elis forming a single genus, F ; the characters

of upon which most the genera were based , which various systematists h ave attempted to set Off from the main stem , being uncertain, variable , and hard to specify . Some members of l s the genus vary great y in ize and color, and we have far from complete knowledge of all

ff Of u the di erent kinds cats under nat re , but those most commonly recogni zed at the present time may be briefly recounted

1 I E R li i ri e s t s . . The T G (F g ) The title Of king Of beasts has long been conferred upon the lion but by right should be borne by , — the royal tiger his superior in beauty, size, Th and strength . e ingenious observations upon the muscular capacity Of anim als made by the Rev . Mr . Houghton , at Dublin, Showed the strength of the tiger to exceed that of the lion by a full quarter ; and on a fe w occasions when they have been matched together, the — tiger has always proved the victor in modern days as well as in the arenas of Rome .

Tigers are found all through southern Asia, K and away to the north in Siberia and orea , and in the larger islands of the Indian Archi ZOOL OGI CAL P OSI TI ON 7

l n Cev o . pelago , excepting Borneo and Their vertic al bars of. black and yellow need no de scription ; the sexes are alike , save that the female is somewhat small er and less power

- fully buil t. A full grown male Should measure about ten and a half feet from tip of nose to end of tail, and in good condition Should weigh about four hundred and fifty pounds . Twelve foot tigers are never seen in life , and owe their existence only to wilful or careless measure

or of ment, more commonly to stretching the elastic Skin when freshly removed . Tigers thrive well in captivity, but do not , as a rule , w breed freely . Strange to say, hybrids ith the lion are not uncommon in menageries .

l v 2 . I e The L ON (F. o) has a very extensi e geographical range over the whole of Africa and southern Asia into India, and , as might be expected in encountering such a variety of i f climates and surroundings , l ons from di ferent parts sometimes present marked contrasts in

or appearance . Some are lighter darker in color ; some males have an enormous growth oflong dark hair about the neck and Shoulders

on and the under Side Of the body, while in 8 TH E CA T others it is little more developed than in the f . n female But these di ferences . are purely i di

s vidual, and have no pecific value . Indeed , Mr .

. . Of F C Selous , the famous hunter and explorer

South Africa, says that in wild lions the mane never reaches the develop m ent Shown by many

Specimens in menageries . Young lions are

Spotted all over the body at birth ; the Spots usually disappear at from two to three years Of m age, about the time the ane begins to Show, but not infrequently they remain indistinctly

' on the Sides and abdomen throughout life . African lions are usu ally larger than Asiatic specimens , the male being always the larger, and scaling perhaps four hundred pounds in

of weight, with an extreme length ten to ten and a half feet .

E RD . ardn 3. The L OPA (F p s) covers very much th e same countries as the lion , but is more con

r stant in its yellow backg ound Of color, covered with rosettes Of black spots . It varies greatly — , howe ver in Size some specimens especially , — , Old males in India reaching a bulk double that of average individuals . Some naturalists and almost all sportsmen erroneously regard ZOOL OG I CAL P OS I TI ON 9

these large examples as a distinct species, which

al they c l the panther . Black leopards are not uncommon, in which the spots Show faintly in

i difi erent certain l ghts, outlined in degrees of black ; these are only what is called mel anistic

v indi iduals, and make their appearance in the

same litter as cubs of ordinary color . Leopards are from five to eight feet long, and are small f enough to climb trees without di ficulty .

4 N E n . u cia ul The OU C (F. ) is pec iar in that it is rarely found below the snow-line in the

Himalayas Of India, which it inhabits up to an altitude of eighteen thousand feet ; it is also found in central Asia, always at great eleva

of tions . It is about the size the leopard ; but as with most inhabitants of cold climates , the

n fur is lo g and dense , and the tail is much more h bushy t an in any other cat, though tigers from

Siberia Often exhibit these characters as well .

The ounce is pale yellowish gray, spotted all

n over, though the Spots Show less te dency to form rings or rosettes than in the leopard . The only Specimen of th is animal which has been brou ght alive out Of its native country was ex h ibited in th e Z o Ol ogical Gardens at London 10 TH E CAT

” 1 94 - in 8 . The name snow leopard is often applied to it .

M concolor h l l 5 . The PU A (F. ) in abits a ofcon tinental America from Hudson’ s Bay to the — Straits of Magell an a range more extensive than that of any other cat . It is an adaptable l anima , and is equally at home in the cane

of brakes the lower Mississippi, the jungle

Of or of swamps Brazil , at altitudes twelve thousand feet in the Rocky Mountains . In l North America they are usual y gray in color, and without spots when adult, though the cubs are spotted like young lions and probably the

n - young of all the o e colored cats . In tropical

d n regions they Show a isposition to rufous ti ts , and skins from South America are sometimes f o a rich red tan . This species is known by

“ ” “ many vernacular names, panther, cou

” “” “ ” - gar, lion, and mountain lion being

v among them . The latter names appear to ha e arisen from the fact that the early discoverers of America took the puma to be a female lion — an ani mal whi ch it resembles in a general

ni ab way, owing to its u form color and the sence of a mane .

12 TH E CAT

river . The species h as been known to occur as far north as the Red River in Louisiana ; it was formerly not uncommon on the lower Rio

G and rande in Texas , ranges far to the south U in ruguay and Argentina .

7 . C O DE D I E R m a ro l c ce is . The L U T G (F. ) This

six n fine species , about and a half feet lo g, is last in the list Of large cats . It inhabits south h t e . eastern Asia , with some Of outlying islands

It is of a brownish gray, with darker patches

m n irregularly disposed in vertical arki gs .

B - cri ta r I E T I E R CAT . s e The TH T G (F p ) , stricted to Thibet, and similar to the last Spe cies, but much smaller .

’ F NT E I A ri r 9 . AN R t stis O S C T . (F ) , pale g ay, variously spotted, and marked with rusty brown ; found in China .

1 DE N AT m rnn n is 0 G O C . oo e s . The L (F ) about

- four feet in length , uniform red bay in color,

n with a few indistinct spots o the sides . This i beaut ful species comes from India, where its exact range is not fully made out.

rina Th FI IN AT . rirer 1 1 . e SH G C (F ) a heavily l built cat, gray in color, very irregu arly marked

- with dark brown spots . The body is about ZOOL OG I CAL P OSI TI ON 13

thirty inches in length, and the tail about ten .

of It is an inhabitant southern Asia and Ceylon .

Al fish one among cats, it lives upon and fresh h it water mollusks, whic captures for itself .

12 EN E E CAT ben n . S . ale sis The B GAL (F g ) , a

di of very beautiful species from northern In a,

w or u a ta ny fulvous gray, with the us al irreg f ular dark markings . Specimens o this and the two preceding species are at present livin g in the coll ection of the Z oOl ogical Society Of

Philadelphia .

1 w a t . TI a i . 3 The WAGA (F. g ) This is also a

or Bengalese cat, yellowish in color, and more

r less spotted o striped .

14 M RB E D I E R - AT m rm ra . C . a o ta The A L T G (F ) ,

- of d u a spotted, yellowish gray cat me i m Size , J inhabiting Burmah , Malacca, ava , and Borneo . 1 5 . E R L serral m The S VA (F. ) , a oderately

Af or large rican cat Of rusty tawny color, with black Spots on the body and rings on the short

of tail, and with very long legs ; an inhabitant

Of the whole Africa .

16 - . DE I ED AT ri ttila G O N R C . The L HA (F ) , a

- l reddish brown cat with smal dark spots, found

n o the west coast of Africa . 14 TH E CAT

1 R F I N AT n l G R C . e ecta 7 . The AY A CA (F g ) , a

i G am Small gray, Spotted Species nhabiting bia .

18 E R A INE AT r ' alina C . se i . The S V L (F ) , very

l l of Simi ar to the last, but yel owish instead gray, and found in Sierra Leone .

E T ardalis 19 O O . . The C L (F p ) , a beautiful and

s very variable cat, sometime gray, often yel

n m r low, but always elega tly a ked with spots, streaks, and blotches of dark and occasional l F - ybrownish gray . ull grown Specimens are sometimes four feet long, and the sexes are

n of is Similar . The ra ge the species about the

bu t same as that of the jaguar, they are more common than the latter in the southwestern

anim l s United States . These a are said to be easily tamed, but in the experience Of the l writer they are usual y savage , and less readily dom esticated than many other members Of the l fami y .

2 M ti r na 0. R Y . i The A GA (F g ) , a spotted, gray ish cat found in the low woodlands Of Central and South America .

’ 2 R AT ui na 1 E FF Y C . . G O O S (F g g ) , a small

Spotted cat of South America . ZOOL OGI CAL P OS I TI ON 15

E T- I KE AT ardinoi 22 O O C . des . The C L L (F p ) , a small species from Bogota, South America .

2 Y R NDI . a uarundi 3. The AGUA U (F y g ) . This anim al and the succeedi ng one are remarkably different from most cats in external appear ance . The body is long and slender, the legs

Short, the neck long, and the head elongated

t so and fla tened, that the animal at a first

Of w l glance has the aspect a large ease , rather

n f of than o e o the Feliclce . This species is a h dark gray, sometimes brownis , Often almost black, and is of uniform color . The body is less i than two feet long, and the ta l is of equal length . G l It is found from the Rio rande to Brazi .

24 R e ra . The EY A (F. y ) , similar in form to

of - the last, but usually a reddish tan or brown

- ish yellow color, and considerably larger . Its range is about the same . 25 l ll . CO LOCOL L O . co oco o The (F ) , a whitish

of gray Species, about the size the common cat,

b o n with lack stripes the back , sides , and side of the face ; an inhabitant ofG uiana and north western South America .

2 - rubi inosa 6 . R STY OTTE D CAT . The U SP (F g ) ,

of a graceful, pretty little cat a greenish gray, 16 TH E CA T

i somet mes with a rusty tinge, with elongated, sparsely scattered black spots, which give it almost the color of the rich moss - colored bark

Of a tropical tree ; an inhabitant of Ceylon and f portions o continental India .

2 E hinen i 7 . C IN SE CAT . c s s The H (F ) , pale yel

w d - w lo ish gray, with ark bro n spots, and white on the under surface of the th roat and body ; an inhabitant Of Canton and the island of Formosa .

2 nu 8 . AT mi ta C . The SMALL (F ) , much like the Chinese Cat, but smaller and with Spots rather more elongated ; an inhabitant Of the

Indian Archipelago .

’

2 JE RD N AT r n . s O C . e do i 9 . S (F j ) Thi cat is much like the last two Species, but has a shorter tail, darker and more distinct spots .

J AT a an 0 N C . r ensis 3 . The AVA (F j ) , known

n o ly from a skin in the British Museum .

1 - T I E D - TE D T 3 . Y RE D T A S S O C . The BU H A L , P (F en tilnra of - p ) , about the size the house cat gray ;

h . Spotted ; from S anghai, China

- m icrotis 2 E RE D AT . 3 . The SMALL A C (F ) Mon golia .

~ l m e a otis . L AR E E ARE D CAT . 33. The G (F g )

- lanice s 4 F T E DE D CAT . 3 . The LA H A (F p p ) , a ’ z ooL OG I CAL P OSI TI ON 1 7

i dark- brown cat w ith silvery tips to the hairs ; from Malacca, Sumatra, and Borneo .

A badia n RNE N BAY T . 35 . O C a The B A (F ) , other unspotted variety .

li ata TI N CAT . ca . 36 . The EGYP A (F g ) This r Species varies from a pale yellow to g ay, with darkish bands on the legs and toward the end

on of the tail, and distinct horizontal bands the

of - sides the face . This long tailed cat is prob ably one Of the main sources Of o rigin of the domestic cat .

I D T atus 37 . The W L CA (F. c ) is found through out Europe and western Asia, although it has become extinct in England . The color is dark

com gray, banded and Spotted, and the tail is i l parat ve y short .

8 . NDIAN I D r T to uata . 3 The I W L CA (F. q ) This eat r much resembles the Eu opean Wildcat, but

so is lighter in color, not distinctly banded, and more graceful in its form .

39 - J N E AT . h aa . CO ON C C c s The MM U L (F ) , an

of . inhabitant Of India, moderate size

4 - ta 0. ORN TE J NC E CAT . orna The A U L (F ) , from northwestern India ; pale brown, with very small spots . 18 TH E CAT

41 . TE E CAT andatit . c s in The S PP (F ) , an

of habitant Bokhara .

42 W ’ AT . S C . sh awiana SHA (F ), from Turkes tan .

43 M N . L m anul The A U (F. ) , the beautiful

of b I wildcat Thibet, Mongolia, and Si eria . t l w is sma ler than the common cat, ith long , soft l hair, yel owish white in color, with some black

on markings the legs and body .

44 STRAw or AT . S C . a er The PAMPA (F p j os) . This cat represents in South Ameri ca the f Manul o Asia .

45 N RT E RN YNX F l ncu . O . s The H L ( y ) , a mod

' erate- t sized cat, wi h a heavy body, powerful l limbs , a very Short tai , and sometimes with tufted ears, inhabits the northern portions of

Asia, Europe , and America . The relationships existing between these cats are even yet some

bu t to what Obscure, it seems best regard them all Of one Of as Species , which the Canada lynx

or of and the red lynx , wildcat catamount, the

- United States may be well marked varieties .

The color ranges from gray to reddish brown ,

or always more less Spotted and banded , and much lighter on the under side of the body .

20 TH E CAT

fore, regarded as forming a distinct genus,

C noelurns or y . The color is yellow, more less pale, and the whole body is covered with small dark spots . The head is small, the neck some

u - what arched, and in f ll grown males a Short

e mane is often develop d . The long legs give this curious cat somewhat the form of th e

of greyhound . It is comparatively gentle dis

and position , in India, as is well known, is very generally used for hunting or coursing ante

n lope upon the Open plains . The a imal is a

of native India, southwestern Asia, and a large f portion o Africa . A not very well character iz ed e w Sp cies , kno n as the woolly cheetah, is said to exist in South Africa . Many other supposed species of cat have been described ; but most of them rest upon f imperfect and insu ficient material, while many Of the others may be regarded as individual variations from some of the above better

of known forms . With increased knowledge portions of the earth which at present are little known, others will doubtless be added to the HAP TE R II C .

AN OUTL INE OF THE ANATOMY OF THE

D ME TI AT O S C C .

HE skeleton of the cat difi ers from that of man and those of the other domestic animals onl y in trivial details which allow such modification as is needed by the habits of th e animal . Figures 1 and 2 give the outlines of the

of external conformation the cat, and the same animal in section , showing the propor tionate relations of its skeleton to its exterior

n as a whole . To any o e familiar with the skel etons of other anim als it wil l be seen at once

or that the thorax chest, as Shown by the curves of n 2 l the thirtee ribs in Figure , is very smal in proportion to the body when compared with

of that other animals . This means a small lung Space , which leaves behind it, however, 3 2 1 22 TH E CAT

— FIG . 1 E X TE R IOR

— 2 . R E T R R T N KE E T FIG . LA IVE P OPO IO OF S L ON To TH E H E X TE RIO R OF T E CAT . ANA TOM Y 23 an immense area for the digestive tract and f the organs o propagation . The head is

n . rou ded, and the jaws are rather short The

and s eyes are large , separated by a con iderable

cars interval . The become narrow as they as

s cend, and each tands with its deep concavity directed forward and outward . The neck is a little shorter and less voluminous than the head . The front limbs are shorter than the

s of an hind limb , and consist each upper arm, a forearm , and a paw with five short toes . t Each hind limb has a thigh , a leg, and a foo f h with four toes . The proportions O t e body are such that both the elbow and knee are

l e placed close to the trunk . It wil be se n

- that the shoulder blade, the arm, and the fore

li e arm at very closed angles, as do also the

Of thigh , leg, and foot the hinder extremities . This conformation indicates at once a charac ter of action of the cat with which we are all

. al Of familiar The sm l lung area allows quick , i of . act ve movement, but not prolonged work The large space for digestive tract and prop agation shows that the animal is capable of

k of of ta ing advantage all the luxuries food, 24 TH E CAT

w o ith a space for st rage , or is, again, able to

of resist the demands a long famine . The an gul ar joints of the legs show power and possi bilit of i w y qu ck movement, ithout, however,

or great Speed extension of stride . It must be understood here that the enor mous j umps which the cat is capable of tak ing are due to the great power and the closed angles of the j oints of its legs ; whereas the

of or stride the animal at a walk, trot, run is very limited . Figures 3 and 4 Show the skull of the cat w ill h and its dentition . It be seen t at the

’ cat s teeth are set at more or less of a hooklike

th e angle, with the points turned toward inside of v the mouth, which gives it a ery powerful f hold o anything which it grasps . The cat has 4 thirty teeth in all . It will be seen in Figure — which represents the teeth of one Side of th e — j aw that there is first in front a row of in

i r r — Six all c so s (th ee o n either side in ) , which

l u are very small, and are practical y r dimentary in this animal ; then two enormous tush teeth , which enable it to grasp its prey in the Shape of the mouse , bird , or a simple piece of meat, ANA TOM Y 2 5

3 K F E . . S O TH AT FIG ULL C .

. 4. E R NE NT D ENT T N OF TH E AT FIG P MA I IO C . i I nciso s c anin es or tush es m P em ol a s r ; , C ; p , r r ; M l i n o a s . , r 2 6 THE CAT and hold it firm ly ; then posterior come the premolars—three in the upper jaw and two in the lower jaw of each side and behind these — the molars one in each jaw . In the tempo rary or milk dentition of kittens the molars are

bu - i t s x . absent, leaving twenty teeth These , it will be seen (Figure have enormous strong

- o roots set in the jaw b ne , while the points are

Sharp and cutting ; which allows Of the man gling Of any solid food which may be taken ,

d not of while it oes permit grinding it, as is

or necessary in the herbivorous animals, even , to a certain extent, in the omnivorous animals .

eat n s The , like the dog, after havi g once gra ped its food , tears it to a certain degree , and then m swallows it whole, when its powerful sto ach and organs of digestion all ow of the rapid dis

of d integration what it may have swallowe .

of s The muzzle the cat is soft, with long coar e

“ ” s s ribris hairs, ordinarily called the whi ker (

O of u see . ) , which are really rgans to ch These

’ like the hairs on the end Of a horse s muzzle

o f of are or those most the domestic animals, deeply imbedded in the Skin , touching at their

sensor e n roots y nerv s , which i dicate to the ani

28 TH E CAT

di roun ng the nostrils, as is seen in the figure, represented by the tw o dark orifices of the

- nostrils, surrounded by the grayish hook lines

s turning in oppo ite directions . The pads of the feet of the cat consist of

fibro - bulbs Of a elastic , fatty material , covered by an excessively thick and dense epithelial

— . 6 R HT RE O F AT C . FIG . IG FO PAW A

is membrane , which , however, nothing but a modification of the connective tissues and epi th el ial covering wh ich form the skin of the

of bod rest the v, but is condensed in order to meet the requirements of the extra friction which is demanded of those parts of the feet which come in contact with the ground and

’ must bear th e animal s weight . These pads in

n the forefeet are seven in umber, as shown

‘ in Figure 6 . In the hind feet there are only ANA TOM Y 2 9

n of five . Each pad co sists a mass of fibrous

triobed one i tissue and fat, and a large s placed beneath the ends of those bones on

re re which the animal rests in walking, as p sented in the figure here given . One essential character of the anatomy of the entire cat tribe consists in the arrangement

f of l o the claws at the end each toe . Whi e the nails of the fingers and toes of man and of the

of on toes the elephant, the hoofs the extremity of of h the legs the horse, cattle, and suc ani mals, are fixed and practically immovable , and while these same appendages in the claws i x of the dog and many other an mals are fi ed, while slightly movable in the softer tissues

e which imbed them , in the feline species th y e are exc ssively movable . In the cat tribe there is in the soft ti ssue which covers the third pha

of or lanx, or the last joint the toes, a pocket hi U socket w ch holds the claw . nder ordinary circumstances, and when the animal is at rest, th e is w claw dra n back into the socket, and i held imbedded there by an elastic l gament, as will be seen in the upper illustration of

h al of 7 . Figure When , owever, an anim the cat 30 TH E CA T

s tribe wishes to gra p anything, and use its

extrem i claws , it flexes the bones of its digital

s tie , and tightening the tendon which is seen on the under- surface of both ill ustrations of

R E T E E . 7 U P E R R E : AT FIG . P FIGU CLAW S , H LD BAC BY E T L E N T L E R R E : DR N LAS IC IGAM . OW FIGU CLAW AW N BY NTR T N OF TE N N E E T DOW CO AC IO DO B LOW, LAS IC

L E NT S TR E T HE AND R TR N . IGAM C D , CLAW P O UDI G

7 it Figure , draws the claw forward and t downward, thereby stretching the elas ic liga d ment . This can rea ily be verified by taking

at your own cat perfect rest, and after patting it gently on the head, pass the hand down over

of the ends the toes, when you will find that ANA TOM Y 31

the claws can scarcely be felt ; however, the instant the cat has been wakened and starts

or sub to play, resists the handling it has been

ected aw j to , the claws protrude as the p and the foot are flexed . It is not in place here to go into detailed anatomy of the cat . Reference has already been made to the slight development Of the

r s respirato y sy tem . The digestive system of th e cat is comparatively simple . The stomach is the ample , and intestines which follow it, while convoluted in order to be contained in a

not constric limited space , are subject to the tions which are found in the horse and some

i of the larger domestic an mals, and it is rare th at we have in the cat troubles coming from

of di obstruction the gestive tract, unless the animal has by accident swallowed some enor mous foreign body . HAP TER III C .

THE ORIGIN OF THE DOME S TIC CAT AND I T ARIE TIE S V S .

V HA E referred tersely in Chapter I . to

un the Wildcat, the Egyptian Cat (which dl i doubte y orig nally was a Wildcat) , and the

American Wildcat ; but I now repeat a descrip tion of these, as they are unquestionably the f f source o origin o the Domestic Cat .

TH I D n E T . cat s W L CA (F ) .

While the Wildcat of western Europe is undoubtedl y one of the strongest factors in the origin of the ordinary short - hair ed

- of - Of house cat to day, and the description it

u of - sho ld be original, and that the house cat

so by comparison , the latter is much more familiar to us all that it is simpler to describe the Wildcat by comparison . The Wildcat 32 VARI FTI E S 33 differs from the house - cat in being larger and stronger in its body . It has a head which is broader and more heavily boned, and a short,

n thick tail which does ot taper . Its whiskers

of are more abundant, and the pads its feet

8 . THE T . FIG . WILDCA

of d . are , in the males a eep black In color it is a yellowish gray, with a dark longitudinal mark along the back, and it has dark stripes descending more or less vertically on the Sides

I ts and transversely on the legs . tail is ringed h wit black, and is black at the end . In other i words, it is marked much l ke the domestic

Tabby . 34 TH E CAT

THE Y TI N CAT li a . ca ta EG P A (F g ) .

The Egyptian Cat is a nati ve of northern

of Africa, and was the parent the cat tamed

l o n by the Egyptians, and undoubtedly a so e

our - of the originators of own house cats . The Egyptian Cat is considera bly smaller than the

of European Wildcat . It is a yellowish color

on and l darker the back , very light on the be ly . The stripes on the body are not well marked

on though slightly more SO the legs . The tail is Slightly ringed .

TH E E RI N I D T l n u ril n . c s AM CA W L CA (F y f s) .

The American Wildcat is very similar in

th e formation , color, and character to Wild

Of u r cat E rope , but is somewhat stronge and

nd in stouter . It u oubtedly has been a factor th e breeding of certain domestic cats in Am er ica, but so little so that no importance need be attached to it .

It can now be accepted that th e so - called

Domestic Cat of tod ay is the descendant of certain wild species existing o n the several con

36 THE CAT

h k C rist . The earliest nown representation of the cat as a domestic animal and pet is at Ley

of N den , in a tablet the Eighteenth or ineteenth

n Dynasty, wherein it appears seated u der a chair . In Egypt it was an object of religious worship and the venerated inmate of certain

B ba i . or u st s temples The goddess Pasht , the

of w as m goddess cats, , under the Ro an empire ,

’ represented with a cat s head . A temple at

- d Beni Hassan , edicated to her, belongs to the I f D Th oth m es V . o period Of , the Eighteenth y

t 1 500 R C . nas y, Behind this temple are pits con taining a multitude of cat mummies . The cat was an emblem of the sun to the Egyptians . Its eye s were supposed to vary in appearance with

of un the course that luminary, and likewise to der o ac g a change each lunar month, on which count the animal was also sacred to the moon . Herodotu s recounts instances of the strangely exaggerated regard felt for it by th e dwellers t on the Nile . He tells us tha when a cat dies a natural death in a house, the Egyptians shave

Offtheir eyebrow s ; and that when a fir e occurs they are more anxious to save their cats th an

i n to extinguish the confl agrat o . VARI E TI E S 37

The cat was a common animal, known to the Greeks at the period when Athens represented li the civi zation Of the world ; and later, in the

G reco - Italian civilization of Herculaneum and

of e Pompeii, in the south Italy, and in the p riod s - of Roman upremacy , it was a well known animal and the pet of courts and l adies’ bou f doirs . The first account o its domestication in G reat Britain comes at a comparatively late period . A canon enacted in the year 112 7 forbade any abbess or nun to use more costly fur than that of lambs or cats ; and the cat was an ob

Of jcet the chase in royal forests, as is shown

n 1239 by a license to hu t it of the date , and by a Similar charter given by Richard II . to the f abbot o Peterborough . $ $ In r sum , from the foregoing it is evident

or that the domestication of the cat, at least its subjugation , which renders it a companion i of mank nd, took place at a very early period , probably synchronous with the first civilization of A an . S man himself pussy is an imal which , while savage, wild, and unmanageable in early l age and its natural state, is yet smal enough 33 TH E CA T

n to be easily handled, and sensible e ough to become reasonably sociable when it has good c are and plenty Of food , we can readily imagine that even in the earliest o f times the young of the Wildcat was caught and brought home

or of s o f to the caves tents the fir t mankind, to be a companion and pet of the children . Its

ft l s u l thri y, usefu habit Of mo sing and kil ing

so it vermin made it useful , that was probably protected and cared for at a period when man kind first laid up storehouses of grain for

u - winter or f ture use . I doubt if to day the cat in the largest city of Europe or the United States is any more of a domestic animal than it was when the nomad Aryan traveled from

Asia to the west Of Europe . We have seen from the foregoing that the Domestic Cat probably comes from several

- sources . The Long haired Cats derived their origin from the Indian , Bengalese , and various

of u smaller Wildcats Asia and so thern Russia,

or and are known as the Asiatic, Eastern, Long h aired Cats . VARI E TI E S 39

N —AI RE D T L O G H CA S .

THE S I T OR STE RN AT A A IC EA C .

- s The Long haired Cats, otherwi e known as

or s the Asiatic Ea tern Cats , vary only Slightly t in conformation , but grea ly in color and in the quality of their coats . The coat may be

woolly in texture , may be coarsish in texture , or it may be as fine as silk ; but more com m only there is a mixture of an upper coat of

s s silky hair with a clo e , woolly under coat grow im ing around the roots of the former . An portant quality in all Long- haired Cats is the

“ ’ ” or y s s frill lord ma or chain , which is a cre t of hairs around the neck at the line where th e fur of the cheeks pointing downward meets f that o the neck pointing forward . They

vary in their eyes, ears, and the length and

n - form of the tail . The Lo g haired Cats include l the various fami ies known as the Angora, the

h I II Persian, the Russian, the C inese , and the dian . 40 TH E CAT

THE AN R GO A .

(Called also Angola

Cat h as The Angora , which a close relation

of to the Persian, comes from the province

Angora, in western Asia, is also well

—AN R ; 9 . FIG . GO A

lk h known for its goats , with fine , Si y, long air which is used in the manufacture of soft

n shawls . The A gora has a small head, with

ll - defined a rather short though we nose , more angular than the Persian . The eyes should be

a u l l rge and f l , and harmonious in color with VARI E TI E S 41

the coat of the animal . The ears are rather

of h large , with a tuft air at the tip ; but they

no do t look large , as they are imbedded in the

n i v lo g fur wh ch co ers the head and neck . The body should be long and graceful, and covered w l r of ith a ong silky hai , finer than that the h Persian , and anging in tufts and clusters, with a slight tendency to woolliness at the base

Of the h airs ; the legs somewhat short ; and the

u tail long and c rving toward the end . The hair on the tail should be long at the base and

Shorter toward the end of the tail . f The colors o the Angora Cat are varied . The black Angoras and dark Slate - color s should have orange eyes ; and they, with the blues and the whites, are the most valued, although the light fawns or reds and mottled grays are much esteemed . Mr . Weir says that he does not believe that long-haired Tabbies can be true Angoras .

THE PE R SI AN CAT.

The Persian Cat difi ers fr om the Angora

al l in sever essential detai s . The head is rather larger, with ears less pointed, although 42 THE CAT

n these als o have tufts of hair at their poi ts . l The eyes are large and fu l . The Persian is

and larger in the body, and has broader stronger loins, and from its stronger con formation equals in its activity and strength the graceful form of the more tiger- like An gora . The tail in the Persian is rather longer,

s turn slightly upward at its tip , and has a

of h end greater growth air at the , instead of

of as n at the base the tail in the A gora . The colors of the Persian are variable ; they may

h and be white , black, blue , c inchilla, smoke, variable degrees Of Tortoi se - shell and Tabby ;

u for s b t Mr . Weir is again authority the tate ment th at the Tortoi se - Shell and the dark marked Tabby are not Persian Cat colors, but are Obtained by crossing with the Short -haired

Tortoise - shell and also with the English Tabby

The black is the most valued of colors in th e d Persian . A goo , rich , deep black, with orange colored eyes and long flowing hair and a h eavy mane , constitutes the most perfect form . The

s next color in value is light late or blue , which may vary much in its Shades from a lilac hue

- to a deep blue tone . Then follo w the various

44 THE CA T

- of Short haired ones, because the longer hairs the former blend with one another and do not

i of allo w so d stinct a line demarcation .

RT- AI RED T S HO H CA S .

THE R E AN R E TE RN AT EU OP O W S C .

' - oth erWI se k now n The Short haired Cat, as

u or one the E ropean Western Cat, is the de

W in rived from the European Wildcat, ith an f term ixture of the blood o the Egyptian Cat . Whatever may have been its original form which was probably sim ply a modification of — the form of the Wildcat and its color which undoubtedl y at first was the same as th e — grayish coat of the Wildcat it has changed but little except as to a m odification of size and

of odd a change color, which is no more than the alterations Of color of any other animal removed from its natural surroundings and living in civil ization . The varieties we make

Of the Short - haired Cat of tod ay are real ly somewhat arbitrary, and based upon color ; but we do find that certain deviations of conforma VARI E TI ES 45 tion correspond with certain varieties of color ; and it is a fact that by selection of the breed

of ing like and like , the probability is that the progeny will be like the parent ; and yet this is not a fixed fact . We have curious and inex

of plicable variations color, especially in the

of breeding of the cat . One the most curious of - these is exemplified in the Tortoise shell . It is easy to obtain a beautifully marked fem ale

Tortoise - shell ; it is difficult to find a good male

- Tortoise Shell ; yet, having found both, and hav i ing bred them , wh le the young females may all

out o - turn go d Tortoise shells , the average male

or will be a red yellow Tabby . Careful selec tion and breeding in cats has been an object of

attention only for a comparatively few years . It is but a matter of less than half a century

n u h si ce cat shows have been in vog e , and t at much attention has been paid to these animals ;

u and ndoubtedly in a few years, when we pay the sam e attention to the breeding of our cats which we have to that of the thoroughbred

all our - horse and sporting dogs, we will Obtain m ore definite and satisfactory resul ts . The ex hibit division and classification of the 46 THE CAT — as varieties of cats which , I have just said is — , based principally on color will be found in the Appendix .

It w ill be seen that in the Prize List of the National Cat Show (tide Appendix) the classi

fication of color is not quite so extended ; and

so justly , as it will require a certain amount of time and more systematic breeding to divide

of dl the classes cats more rigi y . The general d n i in ivisio s w ll now be given detail , with a

of resum e Short outline each variety, and then a of th e character or qu alities which the animal Sh ould present as to the conformation and shape

Of d Of its th e its hea , the color eyes, form and

o f s th e feathering its ear , conformation of its

d set of th e bo y , with the neck and the shape

of and carriage the tail, the color and quality h Of its coat, and the character w ich is wanted

. in the. appendages of the extremities

- E THE TORTOI SE SH LL .

m all d ani h at (Som eti es c e Sp s C s . ) — - sh HE AD . The head of the Tortoise ell should be rather small, broad across the forehead and VARI E TI ES 47

on between the eyes, rounded top, with a nose W rather longish, the hole having a somewhat

Th e is n bullety appearance . head carried o a

u rather longish neck, which adds grace , nder

e . som what savage aspect, to its appearance

n E S . EY The eyes are rou d, brilliant, and vary in color from a brigh t amber to an orange

u yellow ; the darker the h e the better .

R S . s I n S IZ C EA The ear are medium , rounded

s at the apex , and broad at the ba e , giving them

u u set an ang lar form . They Sho ld be well

o r apart and carried well cocked erect, giving

a bright appearance .

C NF R TI N s - O O MA O . The Tortoi e Shell is rather a smallish eat ; but allowance mu st be made for the fact that th e immen se majority of Tor

- m h all toise shells are fe ales , w ich in the cat fam ilies are smaller than the males . The bodies

th e th e ul are rather long, giving animal gracef

or turn of the tiger leopard .

IL — TA The tail is long, thick at the base ,

h as tapers toward the end , and an upward

v f l s cur e . Patches o color on the tai hould be as distinct as they are on the body .

CO T C R AND I TY — A OLO QUAL . The Tortoise 48 TH E CAT

ll shell in color is black, red, and ye ow ; the less h black the better . The t ree colors Should be

w - defined distinct, in ell patches, with sharp

of lines demarcation between them . The color

r should be rich and deep , and any blu in the

— T T E - H E 11 . R CAT . FIG . O OIS S LL marking or intermixtur e of the color becomes

a weak point in it . The hair should be short,

u lie close to the body , silken in text re , and have ll a glossy or bri iant appearance . According to th e i - h markings , a Torto se S ell may be a very

or homely animal a most beautiful one . Any

dis u alifie white absolutely q s the animal . There VARI E TI E S 49 is a popul ar superstition that Tortoise - Shell s

al l i are females ; but th s is not the case , for while females are in the majority, males are often to be found, and sometimes are grand,

l l . beautifu , arge animals

ME RIT - l one of S . The Tortoise she l is the

of all li of best hunters of the fami es the cat, is a most patient mouser, and is brave to the

- afi ectionate extreme . It is not over , and some times even sinister and most ill tempered in its disposition .

THE RT I E - E -AND - ITE TO O S S H LL WH .

Another variety of the Tortoise - shell which is frequently seen is one in which there is an in termixture of a certain amount of white w on hich is usually seen in a blaze the face , a white breast, and white forelegs and hind

s leg , the latter not usually having SO much

as the former .

E D — H A The head is small, broad across the forehead and between the eyes . It is round above and depressed toward the lips . — YE - E S The eyes are orange yellow, full ,

l . arge , round , and lustrous 50 TH E CAT

RS z n EA The ears are medium in si e , arrow

at and round at the apex, and broad the base, l giving them a conical form . They shou d be w ell set and erect .

FOR . M The body is long and narrow, crested

by a long, slender, and graceful neck . The Shoul ders are sloped in harmony with the lithe

v body, which , with the shortish legs, gi es this

e cat the typical f line gait .

I - TA L . The tail is thicker than that Of the — Tortoise - shell especially so at the base although some Tortoise - shell - and - White Cats

l is h ow have a rather thin tail . The thick tai ,

u ever, preferable . The tail Sho ld be marked

s with black, red , and yellow blotche , and not white .

— R N COAT COLO A D QUALI TY . The hair is

' somewhat coarser than in the pure Tortoise l She l . More white is allowable in the Tortoise

Shell- and - White than in the Black - and- White “ h . t e Cat If white is entirely distinct, with a clear line of demarcation between it and the black , yellow, and red, as exists between these

of is latter colors , a considerable amount it per f o . missible, and adds to the beauty the animal

5 2 TH E CAT — the face, four white feet, a white breast but the latter not surrounding the neck like a

—is ul collar very pop ar, and is called Dutch

” a n rabbit m rki gs . These cats, however, Should

- have good, distinct Tortoise shell markings over the back and tail .

IZE AND CONDITI N s - S O . The Tortoi e shell and- White is decidedl y larger than the Tor

- toise shell in size , and is lithe and elegant in its motion . It is especially beautiful when young, but is apt to become lazy when Old the more so the more white there is in its markings . These cats are excessively cleanly,

of of and vain their white , spending much their time in keeping themselves clean .

BBIE TA S .

The Tabby is one of the commonest of col ors of , and is found in many breeds the cat ; and still a very well- marked Tabby is com

r i l pa at ve y rare . The Tabbies are divided into the Banded Tabbies and the Spotted Tabbies .

“ ” “ f T—he name o Tabby is derived from Atab a street in Bagdad celebrated for the manu

’ of its or moire facture watered silks, which VARI E TI E S 5 3

” when sold in England were called atabi or tafi ety and from the Similarity of the

of stripes the banded and the brindle cats , the

“ ” latter were called Tabby . Weir says that in the south Of England (Norfolk and Suffolk) the

Tabby is called a Cyprus Cat ; and he found in

’ “ 1730 A ” Bailey s Dictionary ( D . ) that Cyprus

of of i i was a kind cloth made s lk and ha r, Show

on ing wavy lines it, and coming from Cyprus .

” ” ff or Evidently, therefore , the Ta eta Tabby

h n t e ot . indicates striping, and the color The Tabby presents numerous varieties in di color and shade , but may be vided into four general classes 1 . The Brown Tabby . 2 . The Spotted Tabby .

3 or . The Blue Silver Tabby . 4 . The Red Tabby .

Th e B rown Tabb y .

The Brown Tabby has a ground color of di a rich, red sh dark brown, with no white ,

of and even, regular bars and bands solid , i sh ning black over the face, head, breast, sides,

e i back, b lly, legs, and ta l . The face, legs, 5 54 THE CA T

of breast, and belly should have more a rich

red orange tint than the back . The bands l should be gracefu in curve , distinct, and

— 13 A E - . . W R KE T FIG LL MA D ABBY .

clearly defined, so that there is a perfect m arcation in the line between the black and

no t the brown, and mixed and blurred . The Banded Tabby should not be spotted in any way, beyond a few spots which almost always VARI E TI E S 5 5

14 - . . M R KE T N Too R FIG BADLY A D ABBY (BA DS B OAD) .

occur o“n the face and sometimes on the fore . legs The clearer, redder, and brighter the

” brown the better . 5 5 TH E CAT — HEAD Not too large ; not too wide ; rather longer than broad . — OSE . N Deep red, bordered with black .

YE S — E Orange , slightly greenish in shade .

R i EA S . Med um .

E G S — n of L Rather lo g, for grace action .

O Y — o and B D L ng narrow, with deep chest .

I L — r TA . Long and tape ing .

FE E T — s . Black ; black pad and claws, yellow ish white around .

Black lips and brown whiskers are allowable , but - orange tinted are far preferable , and pure white should disqualify .

B r wn S oran e-brown A o Tabby hould be g .

The dark brownish - gray Tabbies are simply ordinary Tabbies .

T otted abb he Sp T y .

The Spotted Tabby m ay have any base color which is common to the cat . This base color may be brown , red, or yellow ; but whichever color it is, it must be Spotted with black .

for There should be no bands whatever, when these exist it makes a poorly marked Banded

Tabby . What were lines in the Banded Tab VARI E TI E S 57

ul u ul by Sho d be interr pted reg arly , leaving

- m black spots, which in a well arked Spotted

or Tabby appear in lines, straight, with grace

— . 15 . A S TTE T B FIG PO D A BY. 58 TH E CAT ful curves in the neighborhood of the neck and shoulders, but always interrupted into spots .

The spots should be medium in size, and the better and more distinctly defined they are the

on better the Tabby . If Spots exist the face they are especially valuable . There Should be no white . The general conformation given for the Banded Tabbies applies to the Spotted

o Tabby ; but the n se should be dark red, and the eyes a yellow- orange ; the l ess greenish the better . In the Brown Spotted Tabby the pads of the

or feet are always black, and in the Yellow

Red Spotted Tabby they may be pink . (The

Spots should not be annulated . ) The Spotted

is eat . Tabby usually a very large , a great

‘ mouser and hunter, a brave animal , well capa ble of taking care of itself against other cats and and dogs , approaches in its general char acteristics in many ways to the Wildcat .

Th e Blu or r e Silve Tabby .

E D —Its d H A head is small and broa , with a h long , s arp nose . — EYES The eyes are orange for the Blue

60 THE CAT

I L — is TA The tail long, thick at the base , d curves upwar , and should have rings .

T R AND LI TY COA COLO QUA . The hair

and Should be short, even , smooth , silky . The base color Sh oul d be a distinct blue or a silver gray striped with black . In the Blue the color should be a rich , deep , bright blue ; in the

of Silver very much lighter, but a very bright

- color . The black bands should be jet black, and narrow, clear, and sharply defined . The cushions of the feet are always black . The Blue or Silver Tabby is usuall y a much smaller animal than the Brown Tabby .

Th e R ed Tabby .

E D — H A The head is smallish, with the nose long and tapering . — EYE S The eyes may be orange - colored or

- set ull yellow in color, but should be deep , f , l round , and lustrous . A beautiful rich yel ow is perhaps the preferable eye .

EARS . The ears are medium in length .

O — ul F RM The form sho d be long, narrow, and graceful, like the Silver Tabby, and, like VARI E TI E S 61

a it, it should have a long t il, thick at the base, curved upward, and surrounded with rings .

OR AND ITY — COAT COL QUAL . This cat

ul Sho d have short, even, smooth silky hairs like the Blue Tabby . The color Should be of

i n red a deep , rich , redd sh brow , bright , or

l of th e yel ow . The belly and inside legs are of a brighter color ; the ears and the nose of a

d of deeper color . The ban s are formed a much darker red , which, however, should be as dis tinct from the lighter base color Of the animal as possible ; and the rings should be e specially

n h well marked arou d the throat and c est . The

a Red Tabby should h ve no white w hatever . In size it corresponds much to the Brown

Tabby . This cat is an important factor in breeding

- f . o Tortoise Shells In fact, many the male kittens in the litter Of a Tortoise - Shell are

Red Tabbies , while the females are Tortoise

Shells .

- They are good natured domestic cats, great ' i mousers, and hunters for birds , as they cl mb w ell l ; and they are a so expert fishers . 62 TH E CAT

I TE C TS RT- IRE D WH A SHO HA . — HE AD The heads of White Cats are

u rather small, and ro nd above . The forehead

is broad across and broad between the eyes . h The nose is rat er longish .

' E — — EY S . The eyes should be blue that beau

of or tiful soft blue a good turquoise , the Sky f l o da . blue a perfect, clear y Yel ow eyes, how

but l ever, are permissible the yellow Shou d be l . G a clear, rich yel ow reenish eyes are a seri

ou s . a defect The eyes should be l rge , round ,

n full, and soft in their appeara ce, and should

h of be Of t e same color . Eyes a di fferent color t are not allowable , hough these we sometimes — find one one blue and the other yellow, or

of green with the other either color .

R S . EA The ears are medium in size , narrow and round at the apex, and broad at the base

n and are feathered o the inside .

FOR M . The White Cat has a long , narrow d bo y, with a long, slender, graceful neck . It has a shoulder well sloped, and legs Of medium l length , Slender and delicate , with sma l round feet . VARI E TI E S 63

- l IL . ul TA The tai sho d be long, thick at the base, and tapering toward the end . It should

low ah nost i on be carried , tra ling the ground . — — COAT COLOR AN D QUAL I TY The White

— - 1 H TE H R T H R E CAT . 7 . S FIG . W I O AI D

Cat should have a very short coat, even in

t to leng h , and lying close the body ; it should be of a silky texture and glossy appearance . The most choice color is a delicate yellowish — white sometimes a slightly bluish white . The

- gray white is a decidedly inferior color . A 64 THE CA T long coat on a White Cat indicates some inter l mixture with the Angora . White Cats are se

of h l dom great Size, and t ey have gracefu , easy

u . h movements, but are not lang id The W ite

of Cat is of a timid disposition , very fond pet

i n t ng and cuddling ; it is quiet in its man ers , delicate in its temperament, and honest in its l m character . It wou d uch prefer to be fed l from the saucer, and from the table whi e lying on a chair, than to go roaming for prey or

m . stealing fro the kitchen White Cats are, however, sometimes excellent mousers, and are m especial pets with illers, as their color can f scarcely be seen among the sacks o flour .

White Cats are very Often deaf, and some times blind, without any appearance of organic ch ange in the eyes .

l i The A bino , which is a white cat with p nk eyes —due to an absence of pigment in the iris —must not be included in the group of White

any Cats, as it may come from breed, when the absence of color is due to a physiological aberration during development . VAR I E TI E S 65

E F- ORE D C T S L COL A S .

- The Self colored Cats are those which are.

of i entirely one sol d color, which may vary

or in its hue tint, but must not have any

t r intermix u e Of white or of any other color .

- The Self colored Cats are the Black, the Blue ,

Red . the , and the Yellow Whatever the color,

it should be distinctive and of a rich lustre . h The black s ould be a jet , Shining black, the

of s or blue a rich late true blue , and the red

l of Th e and yel ow rich colors . description of the Blue Cat for conformation will s uffice for

f- all Of the Sel colors .

THE E CAT BLU “. The Blue Cat is called the Maltese in Amer ica . This cat has been known under various

m fir h na es in England . It was st shown as t e

“ ” “ Archangel Cat, then called the Russian

” “ ” “ Cat, also the Spanish Blue and Chartreuse

” Blue , and recently has been called the Amer

n ” ica Blue . This latter name is probably due to the fact that the Maltese for some years has

h a been a very favorite cat in America, and s TH E CA T probably been bred more carefully than any

of eat so other breed , that its representatives

of formed a distinctive type good quality .

E D — H A The head should be small, broad at the forehead and between the eyes, rounded

I — E AT F G . 18 . C BLU .

n above, and taperi g to the lips below . The

of nose should be long and the end it black . — , EYE S The eyes should be :

Orange -yellow for the Blue Cat ;

Orange for the Black Cat ;

Yell ow for the G ray Cat ;

Gold for the Red Cat .

R di S . EA The ears are me um in length, some what pointed .

68 TH E CAT

to of l the p the head, body, and tail Shou d be a dense, bright, rich black, and the white mark

ul ings sho d be distinctive . It has a white nose running somewhat to a point betw een the w eyes, and the hite extends down the throat,

19 — L K-AN - TE D H AT . FIG . . B AC W I C

on ul forming a shield the breast . There sho d

on . be no black the lips The feet are white , as are the pads underneath them . There should

ur be a perfectly clear, distinctly c ved outline at the point Of jun cture of the two colors . The

e coat should be thick, silky, and glossy . Som VARI E TI E S 69

is times it slightly ticked with white, which , if it occurs evenly, is not a serious blemish .

- - all Black and White Cats are usu y large , with

of stout legs, and the ankles the white ones somewhat close, which gives them great power of movement . According to the care which

- and Wh ite the Black Cat receives, it tends more than any other cat to become fat and indolent,

or . ragged and wretched , as the case may be

The Black -and -White Cat is affectionate and

l not one cleanly, but is a se fish animal , and is for children to play with .

THE Y L AT F IAM RO A C O S .

The Royal Cat of Siam is an odd but rather attractive cat, from its graceful form, and from il the peculiar, strikingly marked black head , ta , and extremities .

E H AD . The head is small and broad at the eyes, but narrows above at the forehead . The nose is long and broad, the cheeks narrow, and

ll of the lips fu , giving a sort square appearance

to . it — YE S - E The eyes are almond Shaped, placed 6 70 TH E CA T

di one at an angle in the head, remin ng exactly of those of the Chinese or other Mongolians of

of the human race . They are a rich Opalesque blue , but appear reddish at dusk and at night .

R i S . w EA The ears are large and wide, th

on few hairs the inside .

—R AT F 2O. O . FIG . OYAL C S IAM

I L and TA . The tail is short thin , but should be perfectly regul ar and have no break or kink in it . — — COAT COLOR AND QUALITY The coat is l short, somewhat wool y, but soft and silky . w The preferable colors are a dun or fa n color, although they are sometimes a silver- gray or a VAHI E TI E S 71

of light orange . The entire mask the face and

l al ears and the legs and tai are black . The Roy

of is Cat Siam a small animal, narrow in the body, lithe and graceful . The legs are thin

sm all and short . The neck is long and , and the feet are long .

THE MANx AT C .

The Manx Cat difi ers from the ordinary cat

in ll or so only being tai ess, nearly , the most

choice families not having any tail at all . If they have a short rudimentary tail it should be boneless ; but sometimes they have Short,

or of thin , twisted tails, tails in the shape a knob . Some Manx Cats, however, have very long tails, even ten inches in length . The hind legs are proportionate longer and somewhat

eat or heavy, which gives the when running jumping somewhat of the action of a rabbit

h a but this is more imaginary t an re l, and the supposed similarity is due rather to the char

of acter the tail . Most Manx Cats are rather

li set smal sh , with a head small for their size , on a thick and long neck . The eyes are large, 72 TH E CA T

u m - ro nd, and full . The ears are mediu Sized, hi rounded at the apex, and hairless wit n . The

u Manx Cat varies in color, r nning to Tabbies and all the mixed colors . A white Manx Cat

2 1 — MAN AT . FIG . . x C

u n is practically nknow , and black ones are ex

essiv l n c e y rare . The Ma x Cat really can be i classed as a monstrosity, hav ng been devel oped probably by the interbreedi ng Of some freak of natur e in the form of a cat wh ich in habited the Island of Man at an. early period . VARI E TI E S 73

An ordinary cat can easily be rendered tail less if operated on at a young age ; and as this is Often done , especial attention should be paid to see that the absent tail is natural and that there is no scar as evidence Of Operative inter

as u ference , or, s ch things are called in dog

“ ” i shows, fak ng . CHAP TE R IV

T CARE OF THE CA .

HE care of the cat is of very mu ch more importance in the close surroundings of lif city e than it is in the country, where the

as animal has as much freedom the barefooted, half- dressed boy who can be trusted to run the farm over, and is supposed to be safe whether

in of s rooting the garden vegetables , unflowers,

- or in and hollyhocks, playing in the calf pen , vestigating the poultry or pigs . In the country

of i the cat has the opportunity find ng mice , birds, and its feral prey, and can always fall back on a goodly feed from the milk-pan of

f n the dairy and the rear o the kitche . It

or breeds as it pleases, and demands little care attention beyond the interest the chil dren or h ousew ife take in the kittens which appear from some corner, after they are able to run 74

76 TH E CA T — what is better, as it can be well washed a galvanized flat pan such as is used for roasting

l - meat, shou d be placed in some well ventilated

of corner out sight, and kept filled about an

or inch deep with sand, clean earth , sawdust .

is Perhaps the latter preferable, as it can be

u burned . The litter sho ld be changed fre . 1 quently . There should be in some convenient corner

near the window, in order to get sunlight if

not —a possible , at the same time in a draft basket k ept fil led with clean oat straw or w ith

flannel . While a flannel cushion looks the

oat th e prettier, clean straw, in which cat can turn and roll, allows it to keep its coat much cleaner and in better order ; but the straw, Of

ur disadvanta e ' of co se, has the g getting scat tered over the fl oor when the animal leaves its basket . Wherever it is possible , the basket

Should be in the sunlight, as cats love to bask . The basket and its filling must be kept abso

1 For an exten de d and com pl ete description of th e ” h ousing of cats on a l arge scal e c atterie s or c at~ “ ” un — D m i nd Fanc ats b Joh n r s see o est c a y C , y nnin Je gs . CARE OF TH E CA T 77

l all l ute y clean . If the animals are at troubled

or with fleas other insects, the bedding can be

of Sprinkled with a little flowers sulphur, which ff will drive them O .

In cleaning the cat never use a comb ; it breaks the hairs and renders the coat rough .

or Brush the coat well with a soft brush , with a

- mitten which is known as a bath mitten . The coat of the cat can be improved very materially by washing ; but this is difficult unless the ani

nl mal is very tame , and even then can o y be well done by its absolute owner or an attendant

Of whom it is fond . To wash a cat, make a

- soft soap sud, comparatively thick ; apply com m encin g at the hind quarters and tail, and gradually rub in until the ears are reached .

After the soap - suds have been thoroughly rubbed in, dip the animal , hind feet first, into a tub of tepid water, when it can be gently

ia patted over with the hand , nd then dipped

of OH. into another tub tepid water, to rinse it The animal should then be wrapped up in a soft bath - towel and the excess of water pressed out ; and it should then be put into a basket of

o at clean straw and kept in a warm place , where 78 THE CAT it will finish the drying and cleaning for itself l i i l by ro l ng in the straw and by licking tse f,

u after which it can be br shed with a soft brush . For a Simpler form of dressing to make the coat shiny, the animal can be sponged over with a very li ttle perfectly fresh olive or cocoa

oil or nut , with a little perfectly fresh cream , whi ch is then w iped off with a sponge Slightly

or m damped, with a towel, and the ani al put

of oat into the baske t straw to clean itself .

FEE D .

or In the country, in a small house where the cat h as ful l freedom of the kitchen and back

is yard, very little attention required in regard

anirnal to feeding, as the will pick up from the scraps the very diet which it is best for it to o have . When cats, however, are kept in cl ser

and confinement, in city houses, more attention must be paid to their food ; for inattention to this is the principal cause of most of the mala

fir dies with which they are affected . In the st place , the dishes from which a cat is fed must be absolutely and immaculately clean, and at CAE E OF TH E CAT . 79 each fresh feed shoul d be scalded before they

k n nl are used again . Mil is ot o y the tradi tional of eat one diet the , but also forms Of

i of f r the pr ncipal articles food o it . The milk

ul sho d be perfectly fresh , as sour milk is apt to

di s di produce gestive troubles, e pecially arrhoea .

l as Sour mi k, however, is useful sometimes an adjunct in the treatment Of worms . While the

of cat drinks a considerable quantity milk, it

is l u prefers water when it real y thirsty, altho gh

u antit of it takes only a very sm al l q y this . The water like the milk shoul d be in an absolutely , , — clean pan . There is a very useful pan which can be found in porcelain at the china - shops — , or can be readily made by a tinner consisting of i v n a pan d ided in the center by a partitio , in which the mil k is placed at one side and the fresh water at the other ; this insures that the water is emptied ou t each time the milk is re placed, in order to clean the pan and allow it to be perfectly fresh . Bread (preferably stale

d bis bread) and the or inary crackers, water

or cuit, oatmeal biscuit, can be added to the

’ for milk . Spratt s Patent has a cake cats which is very useful for occasional diet . Oat 30 TH E CAT

meal porridge forms an excellent diet, and

l v m vegetables shou d be gi en from ti e to time . Most cats are very fond of asparagus and cel l ery, but wi l at times eat almost any vegetable . In cases of diarrhoea or looseness a little boiled i i h rice s a good add tion to t e milk . There seems to be a prejudice on the part Of some people

of hi against the feeding meat to cats, w ch is u nwarranted ; and a cat is better for an occa sional feed of meat - even once a day in small quantities . They much prefer it raw, and pre

i - fer mutton to beef . The trad tional cat meat

” of - t so ll the cat mea man, which is known we

of -fl esh in England, is made horse , and is a

of wholesome, good food ; but the marketing that is practically unknown in America . Fish is a very favorite diet with the cat, and can be given from time to time ; but the fish sh ould be perfectly fresh, as all meat ought to be, for putrid meat is m uch more apt to produce diges tive troubles in cats than it does in the other di carnivora ; in ad tion to which , its use by the i ff an mal gives it an o ensive odor in the house .

$ m $ of of In r su , the diet the cat, with a basis

k m of sweet, fresh mil , can be ade up of any 8 1

if is nl the foregoing articles, care o y taken to insure the absolute cleanliness of the pans from

ni i of which the a mal is fed, the good cond tion di the food itself, and that the et shall be varied . Often when a cat has been kept on one diet il stead y for some time it loses its appetite, and

or ill appears dumpish , even , when a simple change of food will bring it back to itself at

or once . Boiled liver is useful once in a week

or Off ten days, when the cat is a little its feed, as it acts as a laxative . It is not, however,

di f r good et o regular use .

RE E D B ING .

The period of gestation in the cat varies

f - i - h from fi ty s x to sixty t ree days . The cat will breed some three or four times in the year, and has a variable number in each litter of — or its kittens sometimes two three only, and sometimes five or six . A young cat is apt to have but two or three at its first pregnan “ of five cies, and when it reaches the age four or years it has a larger number, which diminishes again as the mother becomes older . Long 82 TH E CA T haired and more highly cultivated cats have smaller litters than the common Tabby which

of an has the run the barn d stable . The Wildcat breeds twice a year and has a , — somewhat longer period of gestation about

- Sixty eight days . “ or sh A female cat, the queen cat, as e is

ll ll for ca ed, is usua y ready her first pregnancy at six months of age ; but it is not advisable to breed her before sh e is nine months to one year of sh age, as at the earlier period e has not

n attai ed her growth, and pregnancy is apt to stunt her in size . Th e stud cat should not be used until he is one or perhaps two years of age ; and he sh ould

of be in perfect condition health, with a good

on coat him , when given service . When the queen cat gets ready for service she gives nu mistakable evidence of it by her peculiar meows and in other ways wh ich are familiar to every one . She should be immediately shut up in a room or loft where sh e is inaccessible to any ea for t but the stud w“ho has been chosen her . The period in the queen ” lasts for some four to ten days ; but to be absol utely safe it woul d

84 THE CAT not th e be taken at once , but young ones should

or be removed one two at a time , which leaves the Others to grad ually dim inish the milk- sup

f I f r ply o the mother . the whole litter is e moved at once the mother is very liable to be — ff - a a ected with milk fever severe fever, with

Ideal of inflammation the mammary glands,

for which may destroy them future use . Kittens lose their temporary or milk teeth and acquire their full dentition of perm anent teeth at between five and seven month s of age ; so that if a kitten has its entire permanent

out of dentition , with the teeth completely the m gu s, it can be assumed to be over Six months of age , and is to be regarded as such by the judge at cat shows .

E LDE D T G CA S .

The Operation of rendering the cat neuter

h as ad is comparatively common , and many vantages for some classes of cats ; the cats grow larger and lose the strong odors which are sometimes offensive in the tom - cat around an apartment, and the cats become home bodies, CARE OF TH E CAT 35

“” not h av mg the temptation of toms to wan

der into the world . The gelded cat is quite as

is good a mouser and as brave as any other cat, although it is apt to become fat and lazy if not

u f forced to a certain amo nt o exercise . The operation is usually done at about Six months

of on age, but if done properly can be done a

cat of any age . Female cats are sometimes

Operated upon, but in these the Operation is

attended with considerable danger .

T T TRANSPOR A ION .

In carrying the c at from one location to

or another, in sending it to and from shows, th e greatest care must be used to see that the

case in which the animal is carried is suffi ciently strong to resist injury from other boxes

or of articles luggage, and that it is provided

with proper air-holes to insure perfect and free i h . so t ventilation It should be l ned , at the

animal will not injure its coat on auv rough or

or on of or jagged surface , the heads nails

screws which have been carelessly left in it .

u The author has a basket, p rchased in Paris, 86 THE CAT

of - - ui in the form a good sized hand bag, b lt with a floor, ends, rear, and top, quite strong enough to prevent breaking, although it is very light . This is covered with leather to represent

- a traveling bag . The front has a wire screen which can be dropped and buckled, and this is co vered by a loose flap of leather similar to

of can al the rest the case , which so be buckled

n of down . When closed, ample entra ce air is t lef for ventilation, and the bag has exactly

f n - the appearance o an ordi ary traveling bag .

- When in a railroad car or elsewhere , the leather

fl a p can be lifted up , leaving the cat secure , but at th e same time allowing it to see its owner or be amused with surrounding objects .

33 TH E CA T cat can reach a grass- plot it immediately eats a

of w ll quantity grass, which it s a ows and retains

e until the stomach is irritat d, producing vomit ing, and acting as a laxative to the intestines .

u u This can be considered a nat ral febrifuge, j st as o ne would give a chil d or a person a little nitre or a small dose of Rochelle salts at the m f com encement o an illness . At this time it

’ is well to give cats a small dose of G lauber s s or of - one alts castor oil, exactly as would do

or a - of for a child, to place a h lf teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda or flowers of sulphur in a

of saucer milk, and put it with the cat in a

n . quiet, darke ed room

of The diseases cats, like those of other ani m of als, are divided into diseases the respiratory

u system, which incl de colds , catarrh , bronchial troubles and other diseases of the lungs ; dis eases of the digestive system , including those f o the stomach , the intestines, and the liver ;

as infec constitutional diseases, such fevers, tious distemper, glanders , and eczema ; para

i ic m s t diseases, such as fleas , mange , and wor s ; ner vous troubles ; and local di seases of the ey es, teeth, and claws . DI S E ASE S OF CA TS 39

E I R T R Y TE DI SE ASE S OF THE R SP A O Y S S M .

Catarrh or Cold.

A cat may take cold in the head just as a

w of m u baby might do, ith inflammation the cous membrane lining the nose, the pharynx or larynx . The symptoms are a discharge

or diffi ul of from the nostrils, more less c ty

of breathing, due to the Obstruction the nos tril s ll , which are fi ed with matter, and choking

° am of the throat, due either to the infl matory condition of it or to the discharge accum ul at ing in the throat . In the former case pressure on t l di the throa wil produce a spasmo c cough, and Show that there is a tenderness of this or gan . Simple catarrh is attended with but little fever or constitutional disturbances .

B ronchitis .

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the tubes leading from the lungs to the exterior . In this the cough is more Violent there is a dis charge from the nose and throat, but the amount of ph legm is increased after an attack of or coughing . By auscultation , examining 9 0 THE CAT

- a the chest sounds by the ear, mucous r les can be heard as the air passes through the matter l which partial y fills the bronchi . Simple colds and bronchitis do not require much treatment . The cat Should be placed in i a qu et, darkened corner, and be protected from I drafts . t Should not have food forced upon

ul a of it, although it sho d have small saucer

bicarbo water, in which can be placed a little

of or of nate soda flowers sulphur, and a small

of it saucer fresh milk, which it can take if wants . It is better to place only a small quan

of tity milk at a time , as the owner can then judge how much the cat is taking, and there is l no chance Of the mi k souring . If there seems

or much fever, a drop two Of aconite can be placed in two tablespoonsful of water in the saucer, and renewed when the water is finished .

of If there is much inflammation the throat, a dose can be given every few hours of one grain of of of l quinine , two drops fluid extract bel a

of donna, and five drops syrup Of squills, in a teaspoonful of Sweetened water ; and the throat and sides of the bodv can be rubbed with cam

h r p o ated oil .

92 TH E CAT the presence of parasites lodged in the lung tissue and an irritation producin g an effusion i lli . V de and fi ng the air spaces ( Parasites , Fig

f - 30 . o ure , p This form broncho pneumo nia at the outset resembles in its symptoms an

di - or nary broncho pneumonia, but is to be

of diagnosed later, either by the detection the parasite in the discharge which the animal

or coughs up , by the fact that the broncho

not pneumonia does run its regular course, but

d or l gets better in a few ays, gets decided y

- fil worse , with more lung tissue ling up ; and that it assumes a chronic form , with the local

of a un symptoms sibilant r les to be heard,

n cha ged in size and location, accompanied by the ab sence of the severe constitutional sym p toms . One finds in certain books a description of

of n consumption the cat . If by consumptio the authors mean tuberculosis (which the word

ll o technica y d es) , they are absolutely in error ; for tuberculosis is almost an unknown disease

nl in the cat, and even by inoculation can o y be produced in animals which have been rendered lymphatic by a prolonged close confinement . DI S E ASE S OF CATS 9 3

In the commencement of broncho -pneumonia the same treatment can be used as for colds and bronchitis . If the disease continues it is

ll of we to give , in addition , thirty drops whisky or brandy in a spoonful of water several times

da ul m v in the y . Sho d the ani al become ery much debilitated and absolutely refuse to eat, it can be given a teaspoonful of a mixture of

of one u the yellow egg beaten up , fo r table

ul of mil of spoonsf k, and two teaspoonsful whisky every few hours ; but it is not advisable to force food on it except in extreme cases . In addition to the milk which is kept at the

of eat side the , it can be tempted from time to time with a small bit of raw beef pounded into l a pulp , and with a sma l saucer of the juice of

or of - the beef, the pure beef juice as it runs from a cut of roast beef .

DI SE E F TH E DI E TI E Y TE AS S O G S V S S M .

or of Gastritis, inflammation the stomach , is prod uced by overfeeding and too frequent

or w or feeding, feeding ith irritating food, by 9 4 TH E CAT the ingestion of foreign bodi es or poison in th e stomach . It may also be secondary to consti

u ional t t diseases .

of The symptoms gastritis are vomiting, first of of the contents of the stomach , then a thick ,

t of l fro hy mucus, and later, perhaps, b ood .

The animal shows pain upon pressure on the stomach just at the lower border of the last

or ribs, which is more less severe according to f the intensity o the inflammation .

in If the cat is freedom , and is able to get at

h w uf fres grass, it ill itself eat a s ficient quantity

afi ords to act as an emetic, which temporary

- c n relief . In the house cat this a be replaced

’ by a dose of a strong solution of Glauber s — salts a teaspoonful to a quarter- tumbler of — water of which several teaspoonsful can be ll . as given This wi act an emetic, and a cer tain portion will be absorbed and act as a laxa i tive . Should the vom ting continue, and there

of be much pain , give five to ten drops pare

h of goric , with two or t ree drops of extract

a of ginger, and a te spoonful of a solution gum arabic and water, and repeat every few hours .

9 6 TH E CA T

J anndice Yellows .

Jaundice , while it is the term frequently used to indicate a disease , is only a symptom i Of a d sease , as evidenced by the yellow colora

of n of tion the mucous membra e the eyes, and

k sur even , in severe cases, of the S in over the f J face of the body and o the discharges . aun di li i ce is due to a disease of the ver, wh ch may be either a temporary congestion or a chronic

of anatomical change in the structure the liver, which in either case interferes with the func

of its tion this organ , and prevents eliminating i f i s o . the b le, which a waste product the blood

OR This bile , then, not being carried by its

r natural emuncto y, must find some exit from the body, and is carried to the surface of the

n mucous membranes and ski , which are more important excretory glands for waste matter ll than they are usua y given credit for . In case of l of congestion of the iver, examination the

- of th e o right hand Side b dy, just under and

i l or behind the last ribs, w l Show a tumor

r of swelling, and a ce tain degree tenderness , according to the acuteness Of the congestion . D I SE AS E S OF CATS 97

In of of case chronic disease the liver, hyper

or trophy cirrhosis, the liver may be enlarged or dimini shed in size . The liver may also be

ff or a ected with hydatids other parasites, which m produce si ilar symptoms . In cases Of constipation an examination

of should be made the rectum , and a thorough examination of the abdomen should be made by manipulating the walls until the contents can be felt ; for constipation in the cat is in the majority Of cases due to a mechanical ob struction . I have at various times found this obstruction to be a bone which has been sw al

of b or lowed, bits coal, peb les, a button which has been swal lowed and acted as a nucleus for

ul of or l of the accum ation food around it, ba ls

ae a rO il a hair, called g g p , which have been made by the felting of the hair which the cat has

Off f o n one Ob licked o its w sides . In case the

fish - struction was a small hook , which had passed through the entire length of the intestinal tract, and had lodged within an inch of the orifice of the anus . In this case I judged that the point of the hook had been protected during

fish - its first passage in a bit of hard gill, which 9 3 THE CA T

only had become absorbed, leaving the point free when it had nearly been passed . If any

is o and obstruction f und it should be removed, the evacuation of the accumulated matter has tened by a dose of one or two tablespoonsful of - of castor oil, or a somewhat larger quantity

f of syrup o buckthorn . The intestine the cat is such a simple tube that by careful manipulation almost any obstruction can be worked down . In case of diarrhoea the diet must be regu m lated from the outset . The ani al can be

at of given , intervals two hours, a powder made of one- eighth grain of calomel and five grains f n o saccharated pepsi . It should also be gi ven Small doses (thirty dl ' OpS to one teaspoonful) of

n syrup of buckthorn, which , by stimulati g the

of secretion from the surface the intestine ,

its relieves congested condition . Should the

o or diarrh ea be more severe, become chronic ,

di d sen and be mixed with blood, ten ng to y ter or u y , sho ld the animal seem to be in much pain, as shown by its cries, and by tenderness

th e - upon pressure over belly, give thirty drop

of of doses paregoric , with teaspoonful doses

f M ur reta the mixture o chalk ( ist a C ) . This

100 TH E CA T

of Of the various organs the body . Distem

l a i of per is usual y d sease y oung cats, which, having once had it and having recovered, are

ur protected from fut e attacks . It is, however,

so sometimes seen in older cats, especially when

enzoOtic or e izoOtic the disease occurs in “p form . Fleming, in his work upon Sanitary Medi

” l u s cine , tel s that in the fifteenth century, and at several periods later, there were extensive e iz oOtics of n um p distemper, which destroyed bers of cats throughout central Europe and the

' ri iz i B tish Islands . The last considerable ep oOt c 1 9 6 i d in England was in 7 . Th s exten ed also to

or the Low Countries, the Netherlands . The

e izoOtic 1 same p extended to America in 803. The first symptoms of distemper are those of

n of fever, with the combinatio symptoms which are described above under Evidences of Dis

or ao ease . These may be more less severe f cording to the gravity o the attack . Shortly after the commencement of the fever we find a

be watery discharge from the eyes, which may come mattery later ; a di scharge from the nos

ril f t s o a thick mucus at first, and matter later, which may even be tinged with blood . The DI SE ASE S OF CATS 101 disease may be followed later by any of the diseases of the respiratory system or of the digestive system , which in their local appear ance are the same as those already described

di of under seases these systems, but which are more severe than they are in their sporadic form , because they are grafted onto the body of an animal already suffering from fever and weakened by it .

Let it be understood, however, that in cases

on for which have been going some little time , while the present condition of the animal is

v not e perfectly e ident, it is possible to mak a diagn osis between these two following con ditions

1 hi r . A cat w ch has been infected fi st with

m d e diste per, has develope f ver, and has the complication of a severe broncho -pneumonia or of debili a severe diarrhoea, or is excessively tated and weak ; or 2 . A cat which has been affected with a se

- or vere bronchitis and broncho pneumonia, a severe di arrhoea which is continued for some

i i al l ttle t me , and has produced by the loc irrita tion and inflammation a fever w hich is secon 8 102 THE CAT

dary, and from which the cat has been weakened l and is greatly debi itated .

found u on The conditions to be . p physical examination in these two cases are absolutely

for is identical, and the treatment it practically

. not one the same Suppose , however, that cat

al alone , but sever , are found in the same house or or stable in the same condition, in variable

n di or degrees poi ting toward the same sease , that we have from the owner a history that

or for or during the last few weeks, a longer

r shorte period, other cats have been presenting m the same symptoms, then we can assu e it to be distemper .

Treatm ent o i t m r — dis f D s e pe . The cat with temper must be isolated at once , and put into a quiet room where it is well protected from

of l w drafts air, whi e still supplied ith fresh air .

It Should be kept warm . At the outset, before the complications become marked , it can have

of or l its a little bicarbonate soda, su phur, in water or milk, and a very light laxative . It should never be given an active cathartic, as

o this tends to excite diarrh ea . The catarrh ,

- o bronchitis , broncho pneumonia, and diarrh ea

104 THE CAT

of and in some the other organs, which grow into small, hard, fibrous tumors . The ulcers in the nostrils or on the surface of the skin ex tend and destroy the tissues rapidly, produc

u f ing an offensive discharge . The t bercles o the

- lungs cause broncho pneumonia, which is usu ll i a . y fatal Glanders , while a d sease proper to the horse , is contagious to both man and the

of domestic cat, and all the rest the cat tribe, as well as to other animals . I have seen a number of lions die in a me

ri nage e from having eaten glandered meat . In

t t of the pos mor em house a veterinary college , in whi ch I had just made an autopsy upon a glandered horse , as I was washing my hands I noticed a cat with a litter of kittens eating at some of the organs which I had placed to one

r side fo demonstration . I had the cats imme diatel l of y ocked up , and in four days all them were infected with th e disease and h ad to be destroyed .

There is no treatment, and the animals must be immediately destroyed and the greatest pre caution taken in regard todisinfection . D I SE AS E S OF CATS 105

Eczema is the cutaneous manifestation of a

f E c constitutional trouble o a gouty nature .

of of fol zema consists a hyperemia the Skin, lowed by exudation and desquamation Of the cuticle . The symptoms are rough, dry hairs

off which become brittle and break , an Oily appearing exudation around the roots of the

i off hairs , and dry scabs wh ch, as they peel ,

l rf leave little u cerated su aces . This eruption takes place principally along the line of the

of back and at the root the tail, but in some more severe cases may extend to the sides of the body, legs , neck, and face . Eczema is

“ ” m m to so etimes called the red ange, but is di be stinguished from the mange , which is a

i of parasitic d sease , the lesions which appear o n the under surface of the body and in the

of softer skin of the inside the thighs .

an r C ker of th e E a .

Canker of the ear is one of the forms of ec

of zema . It consists a discharge, at first brown 106 TH E CAT

w ish , hich may afterward become mattery,

of from the inside the external ear . If this

be continues, the delicate skin lining the ear comes ulcerated and excessively painful . The cat scratches at its ear in attempting to relieve

on the pain , and produces wounds the ear itself , which from constant rubbing and irritation become chronic ul cers . The cause of eczema is a lymphatic condi f tion in the constitution o the animal . Certain li fami es are more lymphatic than others, and

r a confine they a e predisposed to it . Const nt

of e ment in the house, want xercise , and over feeding are the principal exciting causes .

ec We also have, however, another form Of f zema which is du e to want o nutrition . This

- we sometimes find in young, half grown kit

Or r tens, cats which have been badly nou ished or almost starved .

of The treatment eczema is based, first, essentially, upon a strict attention to diet and re im - g e. An over fed cat must be starved a poorly fed cat must be properly nourished .

Diuretics and laxatives in the form offive- grain

’ doses Of Rochelle salts or Glauber s salts, and

108 THE CAT to the mammary glands of a cat who is nursing di her young may produce the same sease .

Milk- fever is to be treated with the ordinary

for remedies fever, and a local application to the mammary glands of belladon a ointment

n or alo e, mixed with mercurial ointment .

NE RVOUS TROUBLE S .

Convulsions or Fits.

Convulsions or fits in the cat occur occa

i nall d s o y . The symptoms vary consi erably according to the period of the convulsion in which the animal is seen , and according to f the severity o the attack . At the outset the animal becomes excited, runs, jumps, and if W caught, struggles to escape ithout using any

r m a special judgment o volition . It y froth

or at the mouth, the legs become rigid , the muscles contract and become relaxed alternate l y in quick spasms . Following this comes a

of d period epression , in which the animal may lie of in a state coma, absolutely senseless

s and apparently dead . From thi condition it

of or may awake to a renewed attack spasm , it D I SE ASE S OF CATS 109

r l off may g adual y sleep it , and be apparently perfectly well , except somewhat weakened and

ul n depressed for a short period . Conv sio s in cats are far more frequent in youn g animals than in old and are usually due to di gestive —, irritation either that of overfeeding or of f the ingestion o irritating food . In summer time they are Often the result of heat, perhaps also at other times from the same cause ; but I myself doubt if heat alone is frequently a cause

an unless combined with overloaded stomach .

In epilepsy, with few premonitory Symptoms,

cat unless it be a single scream , the falls to the

its ground, its mouth frothing, eyes rolling in the sockets until the whites Show, the legs

t of stretching in spasms, with momen s tempo rary relaxation , and then a complete subsidence of m the sy ptoms , when the animal falls to Sleep to wake up apparently unharmed . If the cat has frequent attacks it becomes very much de bili tated di and loses its Vivacity . The agnosis of epileptic attacks from those of ordinary con 1 10 THE CA T

Vul sions is based upon the absence of delirium and the presence of the pivoting eyeballs in epilepsy . Sometimes in epilepsy the cat may bite its tongue or inj ure its lips against the ground in its struggles, when we have a f mixture o blood with the froth in the mouth . The first thing to do for a cat in convul sions is to prevent foolish meddl ers from scaring it to death . Wrap it up at once in a soft cloth so

n f of that it cannot i jure itsel . A small dose chloral or laudanum may be useful to quiet the

k of attac , but combine this with a full dose

- or at castor Oil syrup of buckthorn . Bleeding the ear, cold water over the head and body,

n and such measures have been recomme ded , but I prefer a warm , soft blanket .

AR I TI DI E E S P AS C S AS .

P err i e s at c s . Fleas ( . p )

Fleas are not nearly as common on cats as they are credited with being . The flea on the cat is not the same one which afl ects people , and if transferred to man , does not

of remain . They can be readily got rid by

112 TH E CAT

m hatching, beco e very irritating to the skin , as the young insects gr ow and tunnel out to the “ W surface, here they breed, for the next gener

r ation again to bu row and deposit its eggs . The sarcoptic mange may appear first on the

or I face and sides of the cheek, upon the nsides of the armpits and thighs ; and it gradually extends over the softer skin of the inside of

of the thighs, the under surface the belly, and even , in extreme cases, over almost the entire b body . The itchiness produced v the mange causes the animal to scratch and rub itself, which further irritates the Skin , producing abrasrons which scab over ; and as the scabs

OE are in turn scratched , they leave irritating,

In ul . bleeding, and ugly cers severe cases the constant irritation and worry to the animal cause it to lose its appetite, and it may become excessively debilitated and emaciated . The

as cause and effect then become retroactive , the mange will extend more rapidl y on a debil itated of th e n animal , and the increase ma ge increases the debility . There are a great many remedies for the

not so of mange , and it is much the choice the D I SE ASE S OF CATS 1 13 remedy to be used as the manner of its applica i tion which is efficacious . One of the S mplest modes of treatment is sulphur ointment . One dram of flowers of sulphur to the ounce of pure lard Should be well rubbed into the Skin

B h a c .

- 23. S A R O P TUS T E E FIG . C CA I (F MAL ) .

all ff for al and parts a ected, and repeated sever l days in succession . The skin Shou d then be well sponged off with a little soap and tepid water, and allowed to remain clean for a day or two . The body Should then be well brushed

stifi w hi ll re with a moderately brush , ch wi

on th e move any scabs the skin, when Ointment

for is to be reapplied several days . A mixture 114 THE CAT

of one of - one of oil part coal tar, part Of cade, and six or eight parts of benzine is an excellent $ remedy, although less cleanly . It should be applied with a moderately Stifi brush daily for l four days in succession , when the animal shou d

off be sponged with tepid water and soap , and

of at the end two days the application renewed . If the anim al is much debilitated it can be put on a tonic treatment of one grain of quinine in

of thirty drops whisky three times in the day, or upon teaspoonful doses of a mixture of equal parts of syrup of wild- cherry bark and Hux

’ ur Tw o - of ham s tinct e . drop doses Fowles

on solution, given three times a day a little

of e or i piece cak , bread , anyth ng which the cat f k . will ta e rom the hand , is an excellent tonic

n n nl uni Follicular Ma ge (De iodexfollic or ) .

Follicular mange, which is due to a parasite

l D emodex ollicnlornm ff cal ed the f , a ects the nose

of hin around the muzzle , the skin the c , and i the sk n of the paws surrounding the claws, where it burrows in beside the roots of the whiskers and larger and grosser hairs, and

1 16 THE CAT will Sh ow dark-red pim ples or pustules about

of the size a pinhead . This form of mange is

f t of sometimes di ficul to get rid . It can be treated with the preparation Of coal- tar and

— 25 . DE MODE x F R FIG . OLLICULO UM . E nl e 1 00 Di m ( arg d a eters . )

1 Th e 2 a va h exa o 3 a v to e a oc o . , gg ; , L r p d ; , L r p d oil of cade given above, which must be well

u ff r bbed in with a sti brush , and which can be alternated every four days by an application of mercurial ointment well rubbed into the same parts . 4 1 -0 1 4 4 Q 0

m - A arides o th e at S to ach worm s ( sc f C ) . m l n lis e i . m t Z der A . e A. s ax e G ( y , ; f , )

o - - is The s called stomach worm, which found both in the stomach and in the intestines,

of especially young cats, is a worm from two

or t to three four inches in leng h, about the DI SE ASE S OF CATS 117

l - l size of sma l slate penci s, pointed at the ends, which are somewhat curved . The tail has

- six t wo small membranous wings, with twenty

ae on of papill each side, which five are post anal . The female is somewhat longer than the

2 — Y x 6 A R M S TA . FIG . . SCA IS a Mal e b Fem al e 0 Ante io ext em it S e en in , ; , ; , r r r y ; d,

ofil e pr .

male . This species of ascarides inhabits not

l eat of on y the intestines of the , but those a large number of the savage species of the

eli genus F s .

The symptoms of the presence of this worm are only those ofintestinal irritation and even

not i these may be present, and the d agnosis can then only be made by seeing one of the 9 118 TH E CAT

worms which has been passed . The treatment \ of diet for - consists twenty four hours, then a

- il good purgative dose of castor O . This may be preceded by half an hour by a three - grain

of and dose santonin, in large cats five drops f il o turpentine may be added to the o .

Ta w rm T n r l pe o ( ce ia c assico is) .

The whole of the feline tribe is a frequent

of of host the tapeworm , which it has a variety

T n r of its ow n ( ce ia c assicolis) . The worm is

- from six to twenty four inches in length . It h set on . T e has a large head, a narrow neck head is provided with a crown of from twenty — Six to fifty - two hooks frequently only thirty

d of four in number . The bo y is made up a

of or series segments rings, as can be seen in the illustration (Figure The tapeworm in

b e of ha its the small int stine the cat , the head remaining fastened to the mucous membrane of l the intestine, whi e the body floats Off in the

of or soft contents . The end the tail, various

of bod portions the v, break away from time to time, to be carried to the exterior to develop

o As into fresh foci finfection . the body breaks

120 TH E CA T

. s I n it The tapeworm , unless exi ting quanti

' tWh at ties causes little irritation . symptoms , — do exist are those of intestinal irritation occa sioual bloating or swelling up Of the belly of m the animal, and so etimes emaciation . The diagnosis can only be accurately made by recog nizing the seg ments Of the worm which are

a carried away with the f eces, and which appear l i as smal oblong whitish masses, somet mes single or sometimes connected together . The t reatment consists of puttin g the cat upoh an absolute diet for twenty- four hours ;

i of then g ve, according to the size the animal, from ten to twenty grains Of powdered areca f and two to four grains o santonin . This can

i of lk readily be g ven in a saucer mi , which the m i l ani al w l ingly swallows, having been starved for a day . The powder is to be followed in

ul of - Oil two hours by a f l dose castor , to which a few drops of turpentine or a few grains of mi j alap ght be added .

n w rm T n a tonsurans Ri g o ( i e ) .

Ringworm in the cat appears in the form of little round spots from the size of a ten -cent D I S EASE S OF CATS 121

f - prece to the size o a quarter dollar . Some times the various spots run into each other

- and form irregular shaped spots, the edges of

e um which, howev r, always ass e the rounded

h Off form . In these spots the airs are broken , leaving little bristling points only protruding

of from the roots . The surface the skin itself

‘ is covered by a furfuraceous scab , which, if

or Off w peeled rubbed , sho s a slight exudation b i elow. If not attended to , the d sease keeps spreading to new parts of the body as fast as the older spots heal . Ringworm is due to a vegetable parasite known as Trich ophyton ton saran Th e n f s . cat is probably o e o the most common sources of the propagation of this disease to the human being, especially children .

of The cat in turn probably, in the majority cases, contracts the disease, not from others of

ow n - its kind , but from sewer rats which are caught as prey .

hi of Some years ago , w le I had charge the

’ dispensary of the Children s Hospital at Phila delphia, I collected a large number of statistics in regard to the children w h o came to the h os

w of re re pital with ring orm . They, course, p 122 THE CAT

sented the poorer classes . Invariably I found that the patients had in the house a cat which they played with and I verified the origin by examining their cats and finding them affected with the disease . A cat with ringworm should be isolated for a few days from the children

u and from other cats, ntil the spots have been well rubbed with mercurial ointment for sev

al er days in succession . Then the animal should be watched daily for the next week or tw o of “for the appearance fresh spots, which Should be treated with mercurial ointment the instant they appear .

Trichina Trichina s iralis ( p ) .

not eat Trichina is a rare parasite in the , iffi but its diagnosis is excessively d cult . The

Trichina s iralis p , in its vesicular form , is found

of of in the rat and in the hog, the flesh both

of u which animals, co rse, is common food for the cat . When eaten, the parasite wakens into life, develops into the little worm which is seen in the figu re (Figure and mixes with the

h For contents of the stomac and intestines .

124 THE CAT worm becomes encysted in the cat’ s muscles

- (Figure and produces no after effect . The diagnosis can only be made by a recognition Of

— M R T E . 29 TR I CH INZE E N TE I N . FIG . CYS D USCULA ISSU

b the parasite . In the human eing suspected cases of trichi na- poisoning have been verified by harpooning small bits of muscles from the sore

or of n arm leg the patient, and demo strating the presence of the parasite by the microscope . DI SE ASE S OF CA TS 125

B ron ho- neum onia Cause ofP arasitic c p . ( Vide page

— 30 S TR N P uL MONI s . FIG . . O GYLUS a b E s se m entin c E w ith em b o Em b o , gg g g ; , gg ry ; d, ry

fre e .

TH E EYE S .

all di e In fevers stemp r, and other grave

u of tro bles, the eyes the cat become congested

or fill and water somewhat, become ed with a mucous or mattery discharge which glues the

or lids together . If this becomes excessive chronic there may be an inflammation of the conjunctiva—the mucous membrane lining the — eyelids and covering the eyes which produces

raw lids . In any simple trouble Of the eyes 126 TH E CA T they Should be well washed with tepid water or k tepid water and mil , and have a few drops of a solution of one -half grain of the sul phate

of of atropia, one and a half grains the sulphate

one of - of zinc, and ounce rose water put in them several times a day .

v t or From an excessive conjuncti i is, from inj ur y from a scratch or blow On the eyeball

of itself, we may have an inflammation the cornea, which clouds the eye over with a large

keratitis at white Spot ( ) . This if attended to “ ,

- not l once, is usually serious , a though it may

of n be followed by ulceration the cor ea, which

of of allows the escape the humor the eye .

or of l Cataract, inflammation the crysta line

of lens of the eyes, followed later by a deposit calcareous matter in the lens, sometimes occurs . In this case the front of the eye is entirely w clear, hile a frozen , snowlike mass can be l seen through the pupi , which is chronically dilated . Wounds and traumatisms to the eyelids and the eye itself present the same symptoms and require the same treatment that similar injuries would in other animals .

128 THE CAT

is l This very painfu , interferes with the ani

’ al n m s eati g, and produces an offensive odor .

The mouth shoul d be very carefully examined ;

ul l any loosened teeth sho d be pu led, and the w others should be cleaned ith a small scraper . Th e gum s should then be well washed with lis terine . Such a mouth cannot be cured rapidly, but requires attention every week or tw o for some little time .

THE C W LA S .

of The claws the cat are, as we have seen ,

not u se protected, when required for , by being

n ecu draw back into the sockets, which are p

f o liar to this class o animal s . This prote tion keeps the points of the claws perfectly

Sharp for catching their prey ; for if they pro truded be as they do in the dog, they would come worn off and be as dull as those of the

w bv latter . The cla s sometimes get injured

n n bei g broken when seizi g rough objects, or

n from accidents , which re ders them excessively

l nl sore . If the nai o y has been loosened , it

m ofi should be trim ed carefully, and a little DI SE ASE S OF CA TS 129

l hi ba sam applied to the uncovered bone, w ch will soon grow a new claw . If, however, the

h as n u bone been i j red, and has become nec f . o rosed, it Should be removed In injuries

is afi ected this sort, when the bone , the sooner h it is attended to t e better . If only the extrem

is OE ity of the bone diseased, it can be scraped , and will heal rapidl y ; whereas if the necrosis has extended to the joint, and has implicated

l is ffi the elastic igament, healing di cult, and amputation may have to be performed as high as the second j oint .

OI N P S O S .

Cats are subject to m ineral poisons given

ll or them intentiona y, left carelessly lying in i corners m xed with food intended for rats , w hich the cat gets at accidentally . The usual

or - mineral poisons are arsenic rat poison . The cat may al so be poisoned from verdigris and

of ur of salts copper, which form on the s face improperly cleaned kitchen - utensils left with

i n food standing them , which the cats eat . Mineral poisons produce irritation of the stom 130 THE CAT

not ach , violent pain , vomiting, and, if they do F di o . ortu prove fatal, arrh ea at a later time natel u u so y they do us ally prod ce vomiting, that the anim al gets rid of the excess of poi son hi ; and t s indicates the treatment, which

ul s sho d be at once an active emetic, consi ting of one-half teaspoonful of m ustard in a little

or of G warm water, a saturated solution lau ’ m ber s salts in war water, given in as large quantity as possible, and repeated until violent

- vomiting is produced . The after treatment, if

li of the animal is left debi tated, consists stim ul ants of or , with the white an egg, a solution

f l n o . starch , to al ay the irritatio Strychnine poisoning frequently occurs from the same intention or accident by which cats

s m are poisoned with mineral poisons . The y p toms ofstrychnine poisoning are a characteristic

or Spasm . The cat gives a cry two , and lies

th e stretched out, with head and neck thrown dl back, the hind legs extended rigi y, and the forelegs drawn down by the side of the body .

of if Cases strychnine poisoning, recognized at Once and treated immediately with large doses — of chloral hydrate especial ly if the latter

132 TH E CAT head can be grasped from behind so that the

m on thu b covers the j aw one Side, the second

on finger the j aw the other side, and the first finger lies on top of the head between the

r of ears . The thi d finger the hand covers the jaw underneath . The head shoul d then be d gently raise , the thumb and second finger draw the commissures of the lips gently back ward until they make a pocket on one or the other side , into which the liquid can be poured .

not It is necessary to Open the jaw itself, as the

r liquid will run th ough the teeth .

In many cases , however, more stringent measures are required , and the cat must be t h held so that it cannot bite or scra c . The

t all is simplest me hod, which is that required in some cases, and for the Operation of castra tion , is to have an attendant take the cat by the loose skin of the neck and over the shoul

one h ders with and, and by the skin from the pelvis or croup with the other hand . Then place it upon a table and press down until the breast-bone in front and the under surface of the pelvis behind are held firmly against the table . It is then impossible for the cat to use DI SE ASE S OF CATS 133

or for either its fore hind legs to scratch , or it to twist its head to bite , and the second person can examine the mouth and adm rnrster medi

or . cine Operate Absolute care must be taken,

u ri however, that no press re is put upon the bs or th e f or of chest itsel , upon the belly the animal, as carelessness in this point may stop

com the respiration and prove fatal . If more — pl ete contention is required as it is for opera tions whi ch last for any length of time or for — , any very obstreperous animals the cat shoul d

of or be wrapped in a sack cloth soft leather,

f di - or o in a rubber . Where a large number of

of cats are handled, it is well to have a sheet

i for hi s leather such as a blacksm th uses apron , with a whole in the centre just large enough to i admit the head of the cat . Th s is drawn over

of the head, and the corners the leather are carefully folded along the line Of the body into ‘ hi an oblong sack, w ch must be firmly held . Care must be taken to draw the forelegs back ward along the side of the body, and hold them so , firmly, as the neck of the cat is smaller than its head, and after being drawn over the head the hole in the leather will admit of the protru 10 134 THE CAT

of ’ Sion the cat s forelegs, and the animal s are great adepts at gettin g the forelegs out unl ess

is especial care taken .

ANE S T E TI H CS .

Anesthetics, especially in the shape of

of chloroform and ether, are frequently ad

for on vised operations cats . Unless abso lute immobility of the anim al is required for

of not the success the operation, I do like the

of use anesthetics . To begin with, even care

u f lly given, they are dangerous . I have found that animals to which I have given an anes thetic are more afraid of me afterward than those which I have simply had held properly

i un and produced pa n upon . The pain they derstand as done for their good ; the use of the anesthetics they do not understand . For

er many operations, however, it is perfectly p missible to use a prelim inarv injection of co caine , which annuls the pain in a local part .

DE STROYING CATS .

We are unfortunately frequently obliged to

for or for destroy cats economic reasons,

1 36 THE CAT painless death ; but these methods should not be adopted by any one whose experi ence does

com not warrant him in doing it properly,

l etel p y , and at the first attempt . Chl oroform in the hands of a novice is per haps the simplest method, if he use the follow ing precautions

Take a box or large pail with a cover which can be firmly closed ; u se plenty of chloroform

(at least two to four ounces) ; place the cat in the receptacle ; pour the chloroform on a sponge , and drop it in beside the cat ; place the cover on and hold firmly in place for some

nl time . In this way the o y annoyance to the

of cat is probably its first moment fright, and the single gasp or two which it makes for fresh air before the chl oroform has commenced to act . H P TE R I C A V .

E TYMOL O Y AND SYNONYMS G .

” HE word cat comes from a root of un

known origin ; but undoubtedly it is almost identical with the original Aryan word which was used for this animal, as we find a close similarity throughout al l the Aryan lan guages in the euphony and terseness of th e word .

a English c t.

m lk n - G ri a i . , an old cat, especially a she cat

P uss . y, a pet name for the cat (The word

“” puss indicates a hare, as well as a cat . )

- t ca . Anglo Saxon ,

- t ca t. Old Anglo Saxon , h n at. Da ish , h att. Swedish , k ’ bttr. Icelandic , i h t ca . Ir s ,

oath . Welsh , 138 TH E CAT

hatee hater German, , .

h as c ed . Old German ,

catus . Latin,

ch at. French,

atto atta Italian , g , feminine g .

ato. Spanish , g

E a m on Greek, .

o m a New Greek, T .

hot Russian and Polish , .

haz Armenian, . k di u e . T rkish , . t i t. Arabic , g

E M L E MATI SI NI I ATI ON OF THE T B C G F C CA .

The fig ure of the cat has certain significa tions when reproduced in art . In the hieroglyphics of the ancient monu ments of Egypt a cat represents false friend

or u . ship , a deceitf l , flattering friend In heraldry a cat is an emblem of liberty because it naturally dislikes to be Shut up ; and

. eat therefore the Burgundians, etc , bore a on their banners intimate th at they could not ' to endure servitude .

A E D P P N I X .

HAVE appended (Table A) a reduced form

of entry as used by the National Cat Show, and (Table B) a classification of the divisions w m v l hich they ake of the arious cats . It wil di be seen that there is, first, a distinct vision into the Long-haired Cats and the Short-haired

v Cats ; second, that there are four di isions into

He - - K cats, She cats, Gelded Cats, and ittens .

al This, it will be seen, gives eight gener divi sions —Long - haired Cats divided according to sex - and age, four ; and Short haired Cats di id d x v e se . according to and age, four The i th rd division is made by color, which consists of tw o c of - lasses Tortoise Shell, one with and one without white ; three classes of Tabbies divided according to the base color ; Black and-White Cats ; cats of a solid color ; and one 141 142 APPE ND I X class for cats of a color no t defined in the pre ceding. Care must be taken that a cat is

ow n entered in its proper class, because any carelessness in entering disqualifies a cat abso lu tel y in that class , although it may be a mag nificent in animal, and if placed its own class

ul wo d easily win . In Table C are given the Comparative Points

J J n ofJ . udging recommended by Mr ohn enni gs, which table is too extended for use except by an expert ; but it readily shows the important points of value to be attached to the various parts . It will be seen that, to begin with, the

of of length the fur, the quality the fur, and

or of the frill, those wavy crests hair at points of juncture where the fur lies in opposite di rections, are most important ; second, that the color of the coat (which means the richness and purity of its colori ng) and the tail (which in eludes size and carriage) are given about equal importance . The eyes, again , are given con siderabl e importance, especially in the White

l - a and Se f colored C ts . Table D gives the very excellent statute of W the State Of New York, hich was procured

144 APPE ND I X

E w 5 5 h 4 e 2 3“ 3 U n

3 w A a 5 d 3 s a s 3 $ 3 3 5 p 3 5 o £ 1 m S 4 E 2 £ 3 2 E 3 B 3 e A k a 3 n w B e o o8 Z n m o a “t . H g a 9 E g 3R o 8 O e 6 8 o w n 3 8 w 9 a $ N 5 s 9 e 3 w m 8 5 8 23 w 0 8 0 e “m. e 5 9 8 k 5 w 5 e C 3 m o 8 c n 3 o 9 B w S g e a 8 E z m E b C S m e w g w o L a n s c E o E ? S $ 2 a 8 2 c h E n 8 a o 3 $ n ES 0 e o w n © a a 8 o 9 p “. s 0 8 S o 2 i a 0 o m s 3 h 8 o E w a 3 n 3 n, e 5 d 3 n 9 a a 5 d 3 o a mH 3 n e a2 5 0 m 2 8 0 8 5 3 a . s 3 n ? o AP P E NDL X 145

TABL E B .

F N F N N AT W CLASSI IC ATI O O CATS AT THE ATIO AL C SHO .

- B Y S E X AND AG E . B Y B D 0 B. V . B Y S UB ORDER. REE ARIETY

- I TORTOISE SHELL . Co o to be re d L ong-h ai red A si l r , ye ow , and a ; atic or E astern ll bl ck a s P e s ans An c t ( r i , go as, Russm ns) . r T O RT O I S E - S H E LL - AND WHITE . Color t o be red e o w a and y ll , bl ck , w e hit . B ROW N OR D ARK

G RAY TAB B Y . Color to b e rich brow n or d ark a s e o r gr y, trip d spotted w ith bl ack ; no w hite . S ILVER OR BLU E B B TA Y . C olor to b sil ver or evl ue gray , stri pe d or s potte d w ith black ; no I I w hite . S h o r t - e h i d , R E D BB Y R E D a r G elded cats . TA OR E urope an or W est TABB Y AND WH ITE . ern Ca s (O i a y t rd n r Color to be red E opea Ca s) s or sa ur n t di h ndy, striped or spo t te d w ith darker s a e ndyand whit . B L CK A OR WHITE . Col or to b e en tirel y black or en I tirel y w hite (M al V. e t se) . K e s o e itt n v r B lue or sil ver h m o re ths so o o t e n lid c l r , with and e six und r out w hite (Mal ~ m o hs O f age. nt te se) . ANY OTHER VARI

E TY . C olor to be any h ue not spe cifi ed in th e foregoing cl asses. M a x a s an n c t , y x c olor or se . 146 AP P E NDI X

TABL E C .

— - C MP V P oI NTs. V U O F L NG D CAT O ARATI E AL E O HAIRE s.

. r r u u F F f f O o V . ARIETY h y t t . i . r g l . l 1 n a l o i n l e u r I o L Q In a C Any S elf- color ex cept Wh ite W i . 1 . e . m h t 20 2 1 ab es an 5 : T , y

— - C MP V P I r t . U F D AT O ARATI E O VAL E O S HORT HAIRE C s.

u: t 8 V Y. e ARIET . a b 5 °3 . 2 : v as 6 72 — $ 3 8 S 8 g a 8 5 o 5 ES 0 ’ lid is E4 0 Ed Tortoise- shell 100 Bla ck 20 . 10 W 2 5 15 . 0 23 $hite 2 . 10 . 5 n O er y 10 0 0 1 T o rt o 1s e s?ee l 30 5 . andw mte £ i S l ver Tabby 5 . . 10 . 100

d . . e Tabby n . ” 5 . 5 10 100 g1 0 W 0 1‘ Other

30 10 5 5 . 5 . 10 . 100 Striped Tabby £

o 5 5 . 10 . 100 S p tted Tabby 25 10 5 . AnV Variety or

C o . . . 1 . 1 o . . . 1 5 5 5 0 00 l r , Whi t e 30 15 0 M arkings . — C MP V NT U O F O D NC V . O ARATI E P o I s. VAL E THER ISTI T ARIETIES

M AN X .

gag: £ 2 a o a o V I Y . $a AR ET “g a 5 g “o 1-1 a Q .8 2 g d 3 8 S a a 5. 5. 3 H 8 55 S ta m 8 a

- 5 5 10 . 100 S elf color 30 20 20 10 .

. . 100 10 . 10 5 5 10

148 AP P E NDI X

E C . n S 7 . A y person claiming a dog or cat sei z ed under the provisions of this act, and proving ownership thereof, shall be entitled to resume possession of the m sum hr ani al on payment of the of t ee dollars . h m . T e A SE C 8 . erican Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to An im als is hereby em powered and auth or ized to carry out the provisions of this act, and the said society is further authoriz ed to issue licenses and re new al s is , and to collect the fees for such , as herein prescribed, which fees are to be used by said society toward defraying the cost of carrying out the provisions i of this act and maintain ng a shelter for lost, strayed, m or homeless ani als . An S E C . 9 . y person or persons who Shall hinder , ffi molest, or interfere with any o cer or agent of said society while in the perform ance of any duty enjoined m i by this act shall be dee ed gu lty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall pay a fine of not less than

-five twenty dollars nor more than one hundred dollars , or be imprisoned for not less than ten days nor more or fin e im than thirty days, be punished by both and prisonm ent . N a C 10. SE . one of the provisions of this act shall p ply to dogs owned by non-residents passing through the city, nor to dogs brought to the city and entered for

x . e hibition at any dog Show ,

11 . Th e S EC . thirtieth subdivision of section eighty six of chapter four hundred and ten of t“he laws Of eigh - An teen hundred and eighty two , entitled act to con solidate into one act and to declare the Special and local ” ff New Y k laws a ecting public interests in the city of or , and all other acts and parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions of this act , are hereby repealed .

C 2 k ff . 1 . T SE . his act shall ta e e ect immediately

THE E ND.

book is due on th e or on th e date to w h ich

Tel . N o . 642 8 405 . Renew a s m m a r e l ay be ade 4 d ys p i o r to date du . Renew e b k ar u i d oo s e s biect to imm ed ate recall . REC' DLD