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Omar II, one of the most perfect chinchillas living. A sUb-division of Sousa, a blue-eyed white Persian. The coat should be pure snow-white the silver class, with a uniform light silver-gray coat from nose to tail; eyes golden or blue THE ARISTOCRATIC PERSIi\N CAT B.I' f. H. S. M 0 R R ISO '-J Ph 0 tog rap h s b \' i\, R A DeL Y F FED U G "r 0 REa n dot her s 1\E of the most beautiful, and at the same time one kitten for show specimens, and from $25 to $50 per kitten of the most affectionate and intelligent household pets for those of good type and color, which, owing to some slight 0 to be found in American homes is the long-haired defect, cannot be classed as show animals. Persian cat. So great is the interest taken in these magnifi- The market for long-haired Persian cats of high quality, cent animals, and so pronounced is their popularity, that for pets, is largely confined to people of means, but is not breeding them for show purposes, as well as for the general restricted to any particular part of the country. New York market, is now an absorbing fad with some, and a business City is probably the best market that we have for very high­ enterprise of no inconsiderable magnitude with others. class cats, but Boston, vVashington, Chicago, and many other As its name denotes, this strain of cats had its origin in large cities are almost equally as good. Persia, but it is in England and America, where the greatest The popularity of the Persian cat in the homes of the care has been taken to develop and perpetuate the type, that wealthy is due to its almost unequaled beauty, cleanliness, the finest specimens are to be found. In both England intelligence, and affection. Their popularity with those and America splendid catteries are maintained for the sole engaged in breeding them for market purposes is due to the purpose of breeding long-haired Persians. Large clubs pleasure derived from developing and exhibiting them, are conducted in the interest of the fancy. Stud books, coupled with the pecuniary benefit to be realized from the which have been sanctioned by the government, are kept, industry. There are many women in this country who are and annually great cat shows are held, su~h as the show or entensively engaged in breeding these cats for the market, the Atlantic Cat Club of New York, at Madison Square and with but few exceptions they are realizing handsomely Garden, the Lockhaven Cat Club, at Rochester, and the upon the venture. Beresford Cat Club, at Chicago. Many instances illustrating the possibilities of cat breeding Persian cats, like ordinary house cats, are of all colors, and as a business for ladies could be given, but I shall confine are classified by those breeding and showing them according myself to briefly reciting the experience of one lady in New to color, or combinations of color. It is often the case that Jersey, as showing what intelligent breeding, hard work, specimens almost perfect in type are forced into the" any and fair dealing will accomplish. other color" class by a few "off-colored" hairs, which vVhen but a girl in her teens, this young lady made up her could in many cases easily be removed, but the removal of mind to take up long-haired Persians, but was not in a posi­ them would surely bring the o\-vner into bad repute with the tion to put up the necessary money to start, so keeping her fancy. own counsel, and biding her time, she patiently waited for Carefully selected, healthy females should produce two an opportunity to offer itself. Finally, in looking over the litters of kittens each year, which, at from three to eight "For Sale" ads. in a New York paper, she saw a litter of months of age will bring anywhere from S50 to $5°0 per long-haired Persian kittens advertised at a very low price, ++6 S E PTE \1 13 E R, I 9 0 8 COUNTRY LIFE IN AMERICA 447 chinchillas, shaded silvers, silver tabbies, masked silvers, smokes. The coat of the long-haired Persian cat should be long and thick, its texture fine and soft. There should be tufts of hair projecting from the inside of the ears, also around the jaws. There should be a frill of long hair around the throat, extending back to the shoulders, and down the chest to where the front legs join the body. There should be tufts of hair growing upwards from between the toes. The head should be massive, but round, with great width of skull between the ears; the ears should be small, and set low. From the fore­ head to the nose the line should be slightly concave, the nose itself being short. The back should be broad and level, but not too short; legs short; paws round; brush or tail of medium length, wide, and carried low. The eyes should be large, round, luminous, and set level. The expression of the face, taken as a whole, should be gentle and sweet. The general appearance of the animal should be cobby, and its move­ ments easy and graceful. In disposition the Persian cat is naturally inclined to be loving and gentle, but as they are very high strung, it is an easy matter to spoil their dispositions entirely by rough or unkind treatment. The coat of the black Persian should be rich jet-black, free from any tinge of brown or gray. There should be no white or "off-colored" hairs in any part of the coat, which should be perfectly uniform throughout. The eyes should be of a deep, rich orange color; the deeper the orange and the more uniform its shade, the better the eye. The cat commonly known as Maltese is known to the fancy as a blue. Some fanciers prefer a light shade of blue, Betty Barker, the famous Jack Frost's finest daughter, out of Blessed DamozeI. A splendid example of the silver class some a dark, and some a medium. Personally, I prefer the medium shade of blue. It is less apt to look ashy than the and noting the name and address, she started for Ne\v York light, and has the advantage of being a more decided blue the next morning, ostensibly for the purpose of purchasing than the very dark, which in some lights will look almost a spring hat with certain money her father had given her. black. As with the blacks, the coat of a blue cat should be That evening she returned home with a kitten, but without free from" off-colored" hairs, and uniform throughout. In the hat. Her next step was to sell a finely educated parrot which she had raised, and invest the proceeds in a female cat or two. This gave her a start, from which, unaided, she has built up a reputarion second to that of no other fancier in America or England, and is now sole owner of a large and successful cattery. There are three things absolutely essential to success in the cat fancy: First, a love for pets in general, and cats in particular; second, a thorough knowledge, or the deter­ mination to acquire a thorough knowledge, of how to care for and rear them; third, a superabundance of energy, patience, and perseverance, for the life of a cat fancier is not all that might be supposed by those attending the cat shows, or visiting casually a well-regulated cattery. The amount of inbreeding which has been indulged in process of development of the various classes of Persians has had a tendency to perfect the type and color at the expense of the rugged constitution of the proverbial cat with nine lives, and again, the confinement of the cats, in order to guarantee the purity of their breeding, and as a protection from loss by theft and otherwise, makes it very hard to rear sound, healthy specimens, without the exercise of the greatest care. But if you love your cats, have, or are willing to acquire, a full knowledge of their wants, and are willing to persevere faithfully with your work, you can make a success of the cat business, provided of course that your stock cats have been properly selected from reliable fanciers. Long-haired Persian cats may be classified as blacks, blues, whites, silvers, oranges, cream or fawn, tortoise-shell, tortoise-shell and white, brown tabbies, any other color. Cigarette, one of the best male smokes in the country. He shakes hands The silvers are sub-divided into minor classes, as follows: and travels on a lead like a dog C 0 U N TRY L I F E I N A]\iI E RIC A SEPTEyIBER,19 08 Champion Purity. A blue-eyed white Persian that has won, all-told, Puritana. An offer of $1200 was refused for this female white prize­ forty-seven prizes and trophies winner. A typical specimen passing upon the quality of a blue cat, always examine the Some silvers are very hard to classify, so if your intention coat thoroughly, to see that there are no white hairs in it, is to get one of any special class, be sure that you fully under-: and be sure that the legs and tail are free from tabby mark­ stand all the points necessary to bring the cat into the de­ ings, no matter how faint.

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