Miscellaneous Foreign Breeds (Frances Simpson)

In addition to the Siamese and Abyssinian, a number of other "Foreign" breeds were described or depicted in "The Book of the Cat". The "Burmese" cat, which appeared in a photograph, appears to be an Oriental ticked tabby, rather than the breed known today as the Burmese.

The section on Foreign cats was contributed by Mr H C Brooke. Among the Foreign breeds he described were the Chinese lop-eared cat, the South American dwarf cat and an early Rex or wirehair cat called the Mombassa cat.

The Mexican Hairless is also described, in the form of a letter written by E J Shinick to Mr H C Brooke regarding a pair of hairless cats which had come into Mr Shinick's possession. Being brother and sister, Shinick had not allowed the pair to breed. The male was killed by dogs and the writer was, at the time of the letter, seeking another specimen to mate with the surviving female and also hoping to sell the female to Mr Brooke.

"Nellie" has a very small head, large amber eyes, extra long moustache and eyebrows; her voice now is a good baritone, when young it sounded exactly like a child's. They have great appetites, and are quite dainty eaters - fried chicken and good steak is their choice. Have never been sick an hour. The enclosed faded picture is the only one I have at present - it is very lifelike, as it shows the wrinkles in its fine, soft skin. "Dick" was a very powerful cat; could whip any dog alone; his courage, no doubt, was the cause of his death. He always was the boss over our dogs. I have priced "Nellie" at 300 dollars. She is too valuable for me to keep in a small town. Many wealthy ladies would value her at her weight in gold if they knew what a very rare pet she is. I think in your position she would be a very good investment to exhibit at cat shows and other select events, as she doubtless is the only hairless cat now known. I have written to Old Mexico and all over this country without finding another. I would like to have her in some large museum where she would interest and be appreciated by thousands of people." E J Shinick, Albuquerque, New Mexico, February 3^rd, 1902

In “Animal Life and the World of Nature” (Vol 1, 1902-1903), Shinick was quoted "Dick was a very powerful cat, and could whip any dog alone; his courage no doubt was the cause of his death. He was a sly rascal and would steal out, and one night he got out and several dogs killed him. His loss was very great and I may never replace him. The Chicago Cat Club valued him at 1,000 dollars. I have sent all over the country and endeavoured to get a mate for 'Nellie,' but I fear the breed is extinct."

This is shown often under a number of names. It was at first shown as the Archangel cat, then Russian blue, Spanish blue, Chartreuse blue, and, lastly, and I know not why, the American blue. It is not, in my belief, a distinct breed, but merely a light-coloured form of the black cat. In fact, I have ascertained that one shown at the Crystal Palace, and which won many prizes on account of its beautiful blue colour slightly tinged with purple, was the offspring of a tabby and white she-cat and a black-and-white he-cat, and I have seen the same colour occur when bred from the cats usually kept about a farmhouse as a protection from rats and mice, though none of the parents had any blue colour.

Being so beautiful, and as it is possible in some places abroad it may be bred in numbers, I deemed it advisable, when making out the prize schedule, to give special prizes for this colour; the fur being used for various purposes on account of its hue. A fine specimen should be even in colour, of a bluish-lilac tint, with no sootiness or black, and though light be firm and rich in tone, the nose and pads dark, and the eyes orange-yellow. If of a very light blue-gray, the nose and pads may be of a deep chocolate colour and the eyes deep yellow, not green.

If it is a foreign variety, I can only say that I see no distinction in form, temper, or habit; and, as I have before mentioned, it is sometimes bred here in England from cats bearing no resemblance to the bluish-lilac colour, nor of foreign extraction or pedigree. I feel bound, however, to admit that those that came from Archangel were of a deeper, purer tint than the English cross-breeds; and on reference to my notes, I find they had larger ears and eyes, and were larger and longer in the head and legs, also the coat or fur was excessively short, rather inclined to woolliness, but bright and glossy, the hair inside the ears being shorter than is usual in the English cat.

Russian Blue Cats (Frances Simpson)

Frances Simpson wrote in "Cats and All About Them" "The best authorities seem to agree in believing that they [Russian Blues] are not a distinct breed, and therefore they are now classed at our Shows amongst the short-haired English varieties." In her more famous "The Book of the Cat", Simpson wrote "That there are two distinct types of these blue cats is apparent to anyone who observes the specimens exhibited at our shows. The foreign or imported variety have wedge-shaped faces, and are longer and larger in the head, with prominent ears; otherwise in colour and coat, they are similar to those bred in England, and which partake of the same formation as an ordinary British cat." Faults included yellow, green or greenish-yellow eyes instead of the required deep orange and too thick tails which indicated a long-haired ancestor.

Mrs Carew-Cox was cited as a foremost breeder of blue short-hairs (the Russian variety) and contributed information to "The Book of the Cat":

Carew-Cox described the coat as short, close, glossy and silvery but sometimes rather woolly due to the severity of their native climates. Some were paler in colour than others, including some lavender-blues which, though beautiful, were more delicate than the darker blues. There was also a tendency for the blue coat of older cats to discolour to a rusty brown in summer. Cats imported from Archangel were generally of a deep, firm blue with larger eyes and ears and longer head and legs than the English cats.

She noted that short-haired blues also existed in the north of Norway, in Iceland and in some parts of the US. "Many years ago, so blues (with faint tabby markings) were imported from the north of Norway; these were called 'Canon Girdlestone's breed'. I owned two very pretty soft-looking creatures. Blue-and-white cats have been imported from the north of Russia, and are particularly attractive when evenly marked.[…] There are some people who appear to wish to assert that there is an English breed of blues, and I have been told strange tales of unexpected meetings in country villages with cats of this colour, whose owners declared that both parents were English bred. As , however, it is not always possible to identify the sires of household cats, I venture to doubt these assertions. It is sometimes posible to breed blues from a black English female mated to a Russian male. This experiment does not always succeed as some blacks never breed blues, although mated several times consecutively with Russians."

Note: Carew-Cox would not have known that the black cats were carrying blue as a recessive gene in order to produce blues from matings with her Russian cats. Those same household cats would have produced blues when mated to another black carrying the same recessive gene!

Other blues Carew-Cox owned included "Kola", a pretty blue-and-white round-faced female from Kola and Lingpopo, a beautiful foreign-looking blue from Archangel. These cats - blues, lavender-blues, blue-and-whites, solid blue "Siamese" and blue tabbies - were some of the founders of the Russian Blue breed.

Frances Simpson also included the self blue in the section on short-haired cats as well as noting the popularity of the "Maltese" in America. "For a long time we have called the self blues Russians. No doubt they, in the first instance, came from the East; but since they were imported into this country they have been mixed in a great measure with self blacks, and in some cases with long-haired blues, to get strong, short, round heads, so that at the present time we have very few pure-bred Russians in this country."

She wrote "An explanation may be deemed due to my readers for having included blues amongst the English types, but as the clubs have recognised this breed, and sanctioned their being catalogued amongst the English exhibits, I felt justified in adopting this course; more particularly as the country of origin still remains a matter of speculation.[…]"There seems to be a great difference of opinion as to the shape and make of head of these cats. Some judges look for a round, full head of the English-bred cat; others the long head of the Eastern variety. I think that difference arises to a great extent according to where these cats originally came from. I have heard the opinions of some who give Archangel as the port of origin; others Malta. If the cat originated from Archangel, one would naturally expect a long head of Eastern type. The specimens, however, from Malta have certainly the round head and more of the English-bred type."

A letter from Mrs H V James in Fur and Feather summed up the confusion and frustration:

At the start of the cat fancy, Russian Whites and Russian Bicolours were also imported. Grace Pond wrote in "The Cat" (1974) "The earliest registrations in the years 1898 to 1899 show that a Mr Brooks imported a white Russian female, no name given; another white Russian was registered as "Granny". There was also "Olga", a Russian Blue with a white spot." However, it was the blues from Arkangel that found most favour and some modern breeders refuse to acknowledge the wider palette of colours found in early imports and consider them cross-breds, forgetting that early Russian Blue imports were interbred with British Black Shorthairs in the hope of getting a good blue colour!

While judges were aware that the longer legs and longer head was the correct type for the Russian cats, the standard of points for the short-haired blue classes favoured the British cats and thus the Russians lost out.

Among the beautiful varieties of the domestic cat brought into notice by the cat shows, none deserve more attention than "The Royal Cat of Siam." In form, colour, texture, and length, or rather shortness of its coat, it is widely different from other short-haired varieties; yet there is but little difference in its mode of life or habit. I have not had the pleasure of owning one of this breed, though when on a visit to Lady Dorothy Nevill, at Dangstien, near Petersfield, I had several opportunities for observation. I noticed in particular the intense liking of these cats for "the woods" not passing along the hedgerows like the ordinary cat, but quickly and quietly creeping from bush to bush, then away in the shaws; not that they displayed a wildness of nature, in being shy or distrustful, nor did they seem to care about getting wet like many cats do, though apparently they suffer much when it is cold and damp weather, as would be likely on account of the extreme shortness of their fur, which is of both a hairy and a woolly texture, and not so glossy as our ordinary common domestic cat, nor is the tail, which is thin. Lady Dorothy Nevill informed me that those which belonged to her were imported from Siam and presented by Sir R Herbert of the Colonial Office; the late Duke of Wellington imported the breed, also Mr Scott of Rotherfield. Lady Dorothy Nevill thought them exceedingly docile and domestic, but delicate in their constitution although her ladyship kept one for two years, another over a year, hut eventually all died of the same complaint, that of worms, which permeated every part of their body.

Mr Young, of Harrogate, possesses a chocolate variety of this Royal Siamese cat; it was sent from Singapore to Mr Brennand, from whom he purchased it, and is described as "most loving and affectionate," which I believe is usually the case. Although this peculiar colour is very beautiful and scarce, I am of opinion that the light gray or fawn colour with black and well-marked muzzle, ears, and legs is the typical variety, the markings being the same as the Himalayan rabbits. There are cavies so marked; and many years ago I saw a mouse similarly coloured. Mr. Young informs me that the kittens he has bred from his dark variety have invariably come the usual gray or light dun colour with dark points. I therefore take that to be the correct form and colour, and the darker colour to be an accidental deviation. In pug-dogs such a depth of colour would be considered a blemish, however beautiful it might be; even black pugs do not obtain prizes in competition with a true-marked light dun; but whatever colour the body is it should be clear and firm, rich and not clouded in any way. But I give Mr Young’s own views:

From the foregoing it will be seen how very difficult it is to obtain the pure breed, even in Siam, and on reference to the Crystal Palace catalogues from the year 1871 until 1887, I find that there were fifteen females and only four males, and some of these were not entire; and I have always understood that the latter were not allowed to be exported, and were only got by those so fortunate as a most extraordinary favour, as the King of Siam is most jealous of keeping the breed entirely in Siam as royal cats. The one exhibited by Lady Dorothy Nevill (Mrs Poodle) had three kittens by an English cat; but none showed any trace of the Siamese, being all tabby.

Although Mr. Herbert Young was informed by Mr Brennand that there is another and a larger breed in Siam, it does not appear that any of these have been imported; nor have we any description of them, either as to colour, size, form, or quality of coat, or whether they resemble the lesser variety in this or any respect, yet it is to be hoped that, ere long, some specimens may be secured for this country. Besides Mr. Herbert Young, I am also indebted to the courtesy of Mrs. Vyvyan, of Dover, who is a lover of this beautiful breed, and who kindly sends the following information:

This tallies with the description given by Mr Darwin of the Malayan and also the Siamese cats. See my notes on the Manx cat Mr. Young had also noted this peculiarity in "the Royal cat of Siam." Mrs. Vyvyan further remarks "They are very affectionate and personally attached to their human friends, not liking to be left alone, and following us from room to room more after the manner of dogs than cats. They are devoted parents, the old father taking the greatest interest in the young ones. They are friendly with the dogs of the house, occupying the same baskets; but the males are very strong, and fight with great persistency with strange dogs, and conquer all other tom-cats in their neighbourhood. We lost one, however, a very fine cat, in China in this way, as he returned to the house almost torn to pieces and in a dying condition, from an encounter with some animal which we think was one of the wild cats of the hills.

Mrs Lee, of Penshurst, also has some fine specimens of the breed, and of the same colours as described, I take it, therefore, that the true breed, by consensus of opinion, is that of the dun, fawn, or ash-coloured ground, with black points. Other colours should be shown in the variety classes. The head should be long from the ears to the eyes, and not over broad, and then rather sharply taper off towards the muzzle, the forehead flat, and receding, the eyes somewhat aslant downwards towards the nose, and the eyes of a pearly, yet bright blue colour, the ears usual size and black, with little or no hair on the inside, with black muzzle, and round the eyes black. The form should be slight, graceful, and delicately made, body long, tail rather short and thin, and the legs somewhat short, slender, and the feet oval, not so round as the ordinary English cat. The body should be one bright, uniform, even colour, not clouded, either rich fawn, dun, or ash. The legs, feet, and tail black. The back slightly darker is allowable, if of a rich colour, and the colour softened, not clouded.

A yet more curious, if less prepossessing, couple of juveniles of Siamese extraction with black muzzles, ears, feet and tail setting off a close, yellowish drab coat and completing the resemblance of the little brutes to a pair of pug puppies.

The strain shown by Mrs. Vyvyan and Miss Forestier Walker was stated to be in direct descent from the first cats exhibited in England. These were Tiam o' Shan and Susan (first prizes Crystal Palace and Alexandra Palace), imported by these ladies many years ago. Their influence has practically preserved the breed and established it, the pedigree of nearly all the well-known cats that have appeared in the show world in the meantime being traceable to the original strain, either in direct outcome or by crossing imported females with Mrs. Vyvyan's stud cats.

Siamese ("Notre Ami Le Chat" [Our Friend the Cat] (1899), Paul Meguin)
(Being almost a copy of Weir's description)

A little smaller than our European cat, an elegant profile, low and long. Legs thin and rather short. Feet longer and less round than those of the ordinary cat. Back long and thin. Head small, broad between the eyes, narrowing between the ears. Forehead flat. Nose long and big. Cheeks getting thinner towards the mouth. Lips full and round. Ears big and large at the base, with no fur inside. Eye almond-shaped, oblique towards the nose, iris is a beautiful opal blue, with a luminous pupil which is reddish both in semi-darkness and in the light. Tail is shorter than that of the ordinary cat, thick at the root and getting thinner towards the tip. Fur short, rather woolly, soft and silky to the touch, brilliant and lustrous on the face, the legs and the tail

Colour is uniform, a little darker on the back […] Points black ears, this colour must not go behind these organs. Black mask tail and legs, The black must not go on the body nor mark it. In full health the Siamese cat should not be too fat; the coat should be soft, clear, brilliant and shining, lying flat on the body, which should also show firm and hard muscles.

Of the Royal Siamese, it can be said that he is a most curious creature, quite unlike our familiar English house-cat. He is more refined in his type, and his close-lying fur makes him seem delicate in his make. In his colour and manner both, he is less like a cat than like a dog. His colour is dun with a darker brown at the head, tail and on the legs, although his feet may sometimes be white, and this is regarded as somewhat of a fault by those breeders perfecting his kind. His back is, in general, darker than his underneath, so that he seems to wear a saddle. His tail may be kinked or knotted, and is frequently foreshortened; breeders regard the latter as a great fault, more so than the former two traits.

If in his colour he is like the pug, with his darker points, in his head and face he is more like a little fox, for his face is curiously elongated, or "foreign" or "wedge-shaped" as the breeders like to call it, and less round than the English types of cat, and his eyes should be blue. In his limbs he is more gracile and less sturdy than the house-cat, and, I am made to understand, in his health he is also more delicate. In his manner, the Royal Siamese is more of a wild creature than a domestic one; his cry sounding like to a human infant. The male of this race is easily moved to fight our native English tom-cats.

A lesser relative to him is the Temple Cat, who is dark brown in body, with limbs yet a little darker, and whose eyes are the proper orange. When bred to the Royal Cat, the progeny are neither brown, nor dun, but a dull and undistinguished colour, and with poor contrast between points and body.

Siamese (Frances Simpson)

As an owner/breeder, Simpson is associated with Persians, especially blue Persians. Her first Persian, acquired in 1899, appears to have been Miss Mercer's Melrose Lassie. However, she also owned a pair of chocolate point Siamese, Netherland Tilu and his sister, Netherlands Ma, born in 1897 - in a time when only the seal-points were considered true Siamese.

"The Book of the Cat" contains contributions and quotes from various breeders representing a variety of views and experiences, sometimes quite contradictory, about the Siamese cat. It was evident that there were two different colours of Siamese and also two different body types. Simpson wrote, "While admitting that blues, blacks, whites, tabbies and other cats may also be cats of Siam, these being common to all parts of the world, this [Siamese Cat] Club recognises only as Siamese cats those cats […] known to British cat fanciers as the 'royal' Siamese."

The Seal (royal) and the Chocolate Siamese were both recognised and some breeders recommended that they be mated to each other, while others vehemently disagreed with this practice. More than one breeder/exhibitor was apparently breeding prize-winning Siamese through crossing a blue-eyed white cat with a Siamese female; probably because the English type was preferred over the foreign type (the same was true of Russian Blues). In a letter to "Fur and Feather", Mrs Carew-Cox and others recommended against breeding Siamese to white short-hair as the kittens always favoured the English parent in type. In addition, all Siamese kittens were born white and it was impossible to say which kittens would develop the Siamese colouration and which would stay white (note: this was because poor quality kittens would be destroyed at birth). The kittens from such a mating might also turn out to be, or pass on, other colours. Carew-Cox and her fellow breeders were speaking from observation; the genetics of dominant white masking other colours was not understood.

Miss Forestier-Walker and her sister, Mrs Vyvyan, had received a pair of Siamese cats from the Siamese Palace in 1884-5; Miss Forestier-Walker wrote "Siamese cats were first introduced into England about twenty-five years ago, but were not often seen until a few years later. […] Since then they have become fairly common. There are two distinct varieties in the present day. (1) The royal cat of Siam" by which she meant the seal point Siamese, "(2) The chocolate cats are deep brown in colour showing hardly any markings, and have blue eyes. […] The tails are sometimes straight, which is not a fault; but a knot or kink in the tail is a peculiarity of the breed, and therefore desirable. In England it has been asserted that this is a defect, but in Siam it is highly prized […] In the East a cat with a kinked tail fetches a higher price.

What Miss Forestier-Walker was describing was the range of colours from the brown Burmese (though the "Burmese cat" of 1903 was a very different cat), through the "blurred" or less distinct markings of the mink range (Tonkinese) to the sharply defined colourpoint of the Siamese. The brown or sable version is sometimes erroneously identified by modern readers as the Havana Brown

Forestier-Walker continued, "The males are extremely powerful, and will kill strange cats and fight dogs. They are devoted to their wives and children, and to their owners. They are exceedingly intelligent. With the dogs of the house they will be on excellent terms. […] The kittens are difficult to rear, as they suffer from worms and teething […] I find it satisfactory to bring them up on lighter food, such as Ridge's food, milk, gravy, and fish, until they begin to cut their teeth, when meat is required." It was common to foster Siamese kittens on English house cats as this supposedly made them more robust and healthier. While most considered the imported cats to be delicate and disadvantaged in the English climate, Lady Marcus Beresford considered imported kittens to be much the stronger. Another breeder, Mrs A Hawkins was more perceptive on this matter: "When newly imported they are naturally delicate, and must be hardened off, so to speak […] that is to say, you cannot treat them at first as you would our ordinary fireside cats."

Of temperament, Mrs A Hawkins found "Siamese are particularly gentle and affectionate." and Miss Forestier Walker stated "They are very intelligent, almost doggy in their ways, and very affectionate, but not universally friendly. The males are great fighters, and freely use their terrible voices; but they are well suited for house pets, as they seem happiest with their human friends."

One of the great Champion cats of the time, "Wankee" was bred in Hong Kong in 1895, the offspring of a female kitten stolen from the Palace in Siam. Wankee was imported to England aged 6 months and his owner, Mrs Robinson, contributed further words on the breed. "One of the most beautiful of the short-haired cats is undoubtedly the royal cat of Siam, and the breed is increasing in popularity; but is never likely to be common, as the cats are delicate in this country. […] The [standard of] points of the chocolate Siamese are the same as the royal, with the exception of body colour, which is a dark rich brown all over, thus making the markings less noticeable. All Siamese darken with age, and when they get dark there is a tendency to call them chocolates. I know of only one real chocolate - Mr C Cooke's 'Zetland Wanzies' - so consider them more likely to be a freak than a distinct variety."

Mrs Robinson wrote, "Of the royals there seem to be two types in England: the one - rather a small, long-headed cat, with glossy, close lying coat and deep blue eyes, and with a decided tendency to darken with age - is generally the imported cat or having imported parents; the other is a larger cat, with a rounder head, a much thicker, longer and less close-lying coat, and the eyes a paler blue (these cats do not darken as much or as soon as the other type, and have generally been bred for several generations in England)."

Miss Forestier Walker continued "This breed is said to be kept very carefully in the palace in Bangkok - hence the title 'royal' - and is by no means the common cat of Siam. One gentleman (a missionary), who had lived there fifteen years, had during that time seen only three. A few years ago there was a pair of these cats in the Zoological Gardens at Bangkok, but they were very poor specimens. […] The first specimens were brought to England about twenty-five or thirty years ago, and Mr Harrison Weir says that among those who possessed them were Lady Dorothy Nevill, whose cats were 'imported and presented by Sir R Herbert of the Colonial Office. The late Duke of Wellington imported the breed, also Mr Scott of Rotherfield.' "

According to yet another authority on Siamese cats, Mrs Parker Brough, "There are distinct varieties of Siamese known to fanciers - the palace or royal cat, the temple cat (chocolate), and there is likewise the common cat of the country, which is also found within the palace. The points of the chocolate cat are identical for shows with those of the royal except body colour, but the imported chocolate is often dark chocolate, with blue eyes, stumpy tail with a marked kink, short legs, and heavy, thick body. There are not many chocolates exhibited, owing to the preference given to the royal variety. It must be understood that there is no definite royal breed as such, but the palace breed seems to have originated by selection." Lady Marcus Beresford wrote of her Siamese imported from a Bangkok temple "They differed from the royal Siamese, being darker and having a more pointed head and face, and their eyes were larger and fuller."

Mrs Parker Brough wrote "Until recently the Siamese was but little known in Europe, but occasionally was to be found in the various zoological gardens. At present there is a fine female specimen to be seen at the Zoo at Frankfort-on-the-Main, having been purchased from the King of Roumania. One or two are to be seen at the Hague. London has the first one it has had for six years, but it is not shown owing to its want of condition. […] A point on which the Siamese fancy is divided is where the ideal cat should have a kink in the tail or not.[…] There is a peculiarity in breeding the Siamese - i.e. the rarity of female kittens in a litter, the average seeming to be five males to two females. […] They have naturally rather delicate lungs."

The Siamese cats described included 'Attache' (a neuter) who was "a very large and powerful creature, with massive limbs, and an unconquerable antipathy to all other cats of any description" except for a blue Russian neuter. It was also noted that "The males are, however, antagonistic to others of their sex, and fight with a terrible persistency. I have heard of a stalwart fellow who, being allowed his liberty, cleared the neighbourhood of all other wandering toms. When made neuter, Siamese become most charming home pets."

A pair of Siamese cats had been sent by Lady Marcus Beresford to Mrs Clinton Locke in America, but the breed had not yet become established there. Simpson summed up by saying "I do not believe that Siamese will ever become common in England, for many reasons. These cats are expensive to purchase, difficult to rear, and fancier are afraid to risk them in the show pen [i.e. due to delicate nature of the cats and risk of show fever]; but in spite of these drawbacks, I think as time goes on and the Siamese Club extends its labours, we shall see and hear more of these really curious creatures, for what we call the royal Siamese bears no resemblance to any other cat, and the distinguishing difference, being so great, tend to make the breed one of our best show cats and a clear class to itself, for the Siamese of the purest blood should not be crossed with other cats. We have heard of 'any other colour' Siamese, but these cats of varied hue claiming to be Siamese are but the offspring of a cross. We have been told of black and blue and tabby Siamese; but the fanciers of Siamese look askance at these freaks, and feel that it is worse than useless to attempt to produce any other variety than that which we have learned by custom to designate the Royal cat of Siam."

When the kittens are born they are white, but subsequently change into a deep fawn or dun, with black points. The coat should be smooth, lustrous and fine in texture. The eyes large, and of an intense blue with markings round. The ears small, and carried erect with a slightly forward incline at the tips. The head lacks the massiveness of the English cat, being more wedge shaped.

Some Siamese cats have a little white about their feet, but they are better without this yet it is not a disqualification. There is another colour for the Siamese - the chocolate body with pure black points.

Siamese are a special breed and should be kept as such - the same may be said of the Manx and Blues. All attempts to cross those cats with other breeds should be discouraged.

Reference was made in Simpson's book to the "Swiss Mountain Cat" - not in the section of shorthairs, but in the section on any other colour Persians:

The best and most definitely coloured AOC I ever saw was Mrs Davies' "Sin Li", a deep self-coloured chocolate-brown cat. He was supposed to be one of three Swiss mountain cats imported to this country, and he was a most handsome and interesting animal. Unfortunately, he died young, leaving no progeny.."

These brown cats were probably from South East Asia as a branch of the Royal Cats of Siam. The Encyclopaedia Britannica (11th Edition) refers to a "wholly chocolate-coloured strain of Siamese. Master Timkey Brown and his dam, Granny Grumps, were cats shown in London in 1894". They were described as "Siamese with coats of burnished chestnut with greeny-blue eyes." These self-brown Siamese, known as Swiss Mountain Cat, lost favour and the breed was abandoned after the 1920s following a statement from the Siamese Cat Club of Britain that "The club much regrets it is unable to encourage the breeding of any but blue-eyed Siamese."

Simpson's book also described yellow-eyed brown Siamese cats, probably forerunners of the modern Burmese. With so many years elapsed, it is impossible to say with certainty whether the chocolate-brown cats were equivalent to modern Havanas, Burmese or Tonkinese - the modern breeds are western refinements of the multiple varieties being imported from Thailand in the late 1800s and early 1900s.