A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF CAT SHOWS
2003, Sarah Hartwell

In "Animals, Their Nature and Their Uses" (1850s), Charles Baker wrote, "The Cat must be considered as a faithless friend, brought to oppose a still more insidious enemy. The domestic cat is the only animal of the tribe to which it belongs, whose services can more than recompense the trouble of its education." To Baker, cats were useful for controlling vermin, rather than being valued for their appearance.

Not all cat lovers would have agreed with this view. Some were already trying to perpetuate certain looks though there seemed to be no co-ordinated efforts and the habit of letting cats wander freely undermined their attempts. In "Origin of Species" (1859), though Charles Darwin acknowledged the attempts and the difficulties, he was dismissive of the selective breeding of cats, "...cats from their nocturnal habits, cannot be so easily matched [bred] and although so much valued by women and children, we rarely see a distinct breed long kept up."

Nevertheless, owners were breeding cats for their appearance and trueness to type. It was natural that they should want to compare their efforts against those of other breeders.

The earliest recorded cat show took place in England at the St Giles Fair, Winchester, in 1598 though we have no details of the exhibits or how they were judged. A cat show was held at a London house in 1861. During the 1860s, the first cat shows in North America took place in New England, being county fairs featuring farmers' cats: the local Maine Coon breed. Official Cat Shows with rules and breed standards began in 1870s Britain as part of a general public enthusiasm for seeing exhibitions of objects and of animals.

Barely twenty years after Darwin had been so dismissive of selective cat breeding, the world's first official cat show was staged at London’s Crystal Palace on Thursday 13th July 1871 (some sources quote 12th or even 16th July, press reports support the date of 13th July). It was the brainchild of writer, artist, and noted cat lover, Harrison Weir who wrote breed standards against which the entries would be judged and he was one of the three judges. The Crystal Palace was one of London's leading venues at the time, so this really was a high profile event!

Weir grouped the cats in different classes according to length of fur, colour, shape and build. He drew up guides for judging and called these "Standards of Excellence" or "Standards of Points". For the first time the number of marks awarded for the colour of coat or the shape of the body were laid down. Weir's work was later incorporated into a standard manual for cat show organisers, "Our Cats" and he is recognised as the father of the cat fancy.

He later wrote that he had "conceived the idea that it would be well to hold ‘Cat Shows’ so that the different breeds, colours, markings etc. might be more carefully attended to and the domestic cat sitting in front of the fire would then possess a beauty and an attractiveness to its owner unobserved and unknown because uncultivated before". He had been distressed by the long ages of neglect, ill-treatment and absolute cruelty towards domestic cats had suffered, and his main objective in organising the first show was promoting their welfare rather than providing an arena for competitive cat owners.

"The first cat show led up to the observation and kindly feeling for the domestic cat. Since then, throughout the length and breadth of the land, there have been Cat Shows, and much interest in them is taken by all classes of the community. Having before my mind many instances to show that Shows generate a love for cats I have never regretted planning the first Cat Show at the Crystal Palace."

The Victorian public at that time had a great appetite for exhibitions. The Crystal Palace had housed industry exhibitions showcasing inventions from around the Empire. Other fancy animals were bred and exhibited and cat lovers were not to be outdone. Many exhibits were Longhairs, though these were shorter-coated and longer-nosed than modern Persian Longhairs. Weir himself he preferred the shorthairs and it would be some years before the Angoras and Persians came to dominate the shows. It attracted thousands of cat lovers, many of whom went on to organise local cat shows on similar lines.

The show manager was one Mr Wilson and the judges were Harrison Weir, his brother John Weir and the Rev J McDonald. The cat show was advertised in The Times of 10^th July 1871, "The Cat Show is to be held on Thursday next", but no-one was certain of what to expect. Weir, the show's organiser, had some concerns en route to the show - he had no idea how many exhibits he would find there, nor how they would behave. It was feared they would sulk or be distressed. The official show advertisements stated 25 classes comprising nearly all the known species of Eastern (i.e. Angora and Persian) and other foreign (Russian, Siamese) cats, as well as the British varieties (Shorthairs, Manx). The show attracted 170 exhibits and awarded 54 prizes; the large number of prizes being an incentive for future shows. The prizes were awarded to 32 gentlemen, 15 married ladies and only 4 spinsters - apparently dispelling the myth that cats were pets for spinsters. The Daily Telegraph urged its readers to ‘"Hurry down as soon as they had finished reading these lines" and there were such vast numbers that it was sometimes impossible to see the cats. The cats themselves were penned in cages borrowed from the Pigeon Society and most were quiet and well behaved.

There were novelty classes which would not be permitted today including a prize for the fattest cat (won by a huge 20 lb cat belonging to a Mr Nash) and also for the biggest cat. Some of the more unusual exhibits included an Algerian Cat, listed as a French African cat. The Duke of Sutherland exhibited a British (i.e. Scottish) Wild Cat which had lost its right front paw and behaved like a mad devil, no doubt through terror. The two Siamese cats brought varying opinions. One writer described them as ‘an unnatural kind of cat’, whilst another thought that they were ‘singular and elegant in their smooth skins’. The Daily Telegraph, which had earlier urged its readers to go to the show, described the Siamese cats as curious, unprepossessing and their colours completed "the resemblance of the little brutes to a pair of pug puppies".

According to the following day's Morning Post: "‘The greatest novelty of the day in the way of shows is the show of cats at Crystal Palace. We have had cattle shows, horse shows, dog shows and shows of various other animals more or less domesticated. hut this is the first cat show of an extensive and thoroughly organised character the world has ever seen." After the event, several journals reported Weir's cat show. Prior to the show there had been concern over how the cats would behave and Harpers Weekly of 19^th August 1871 described the problems of caging one cat on the day of the show. It also seemed that one day was not enough for some people as The Illustrated London News of 22^nd July 1871 reported "The show was only open one day." So successful was the show that later in 1871, a second show was held at the Crystal Palace, this time a three day show running from Saturday 2^nd to Monday 4^th December according to a report in The Times on the 4^th December.

The legend on the 1871 illustration of prize-winning exhibits reads:- Top left-to-right: Persian rare colour Violet; Hybrid Wildcats; Silver Tabby. Middle left-to-right: Best Litters of Kittens; Mouse Colour English. Bottom left-to-right: Tortoiseshell Tom; Persian; Abyssinian.

Cat breeding and showing had mainly interested middle and upper class women, with several aristocrats participating, so how did the "working men's" classes begin? One version (which corresponds to Weir's original aims) is that those upper classes (who were always keen on educating the masses) wanted to promote better cat care among the lower classes. Hence the earliest shows had classes for "Cats Belonging to Working Men". Another version of the story goes that when that first show was held at Crystal Palace, not enough cats could be found as exhibits. The cellars at the Crystal Palace were full of stray cats, so workmen were told to round them up. The generous prizes on offer prompted the workmen to enter their own pet cats for the show as well, leading to working men's classes.

In 1873, a cat show was held at the Alexandra Palace, north London and another was held in Birmingham. The 1875 show in Edinburgh attracted 570 exhibits while the Crystal Palace show of the same year had 325 exhibition pens and included a special class for "Wild or Hybrid between Wild and Domestic Cats". The wildcats class was won by an ocelot. Bengals, Chausies and Savannahs may seem like modern fads, but hybrids have been shown right from the early days and the 1871 illustration depicts Hybrid Wildcats (top row centre).

The prizes on offer would certainly have encouraged the working class to enter. First prize might be as much as 30 shillings. Entry fees and prizes in the Working Men's classes were lower than in the other classes. This also made show cats, particularly winning cats, very valuable and hopefully better cared for. At this time, an exhibition quality longhaired cat might cost the equivalent of a housemaid's annual wages, with some Champion cats being worth twice or more that amount. Exhibitors were soon less interested in cat welfare than in promoting their own breeds and, most importantly, in winning prizes. They were, to use a term from the world of horse events, pot-hunters.

The Cat Fancy's early beginnings in Britain were also described by a ship's doctor, who was also a veterinary surgeon, writing circa 1872. Doctor Gordon Stables listed the classes at what he refers to as 'pussy shows' taking place at the Crystal Palace and at Birmingham. In his list of the classes at the Crystal Palace and Birmingham shows, Dr Stables discussed the points to be looked for in the exhibits. Regarding shorthairs he wrote "Class 1. And first on the list comes Tortoiseshell Tom" Stables found Tortoiseshell Tom an ugly cat and expressed surprise that he only seen one tortie tomcat, and that one died at three months old. In many of the classes listed, the exhibits were to be judged by 'size', and Stables observed that the Black and White "...is a large, handsome, gentlemanlike fellow". Stables gave unusual advice to exhibitors in the matter of preparing an exhibit's coat for the show: little dabs of fresh cream here and there over the cat's fur so that the prospective contender will wash his coat so thoroughly and so extensively as to produce a beautiful, shining pelage. Stables, writing in the 1870s and before the era of genetics, would not have understand the scarcity of tortie tomcats. Stables' book suggested there was no class for the Blue cat, however he does mention the "Blue or Silver Tabby" while "Unusual Colour" there is a "Maltese" which was describes as all of one colour, "a strange sort of slate colour or blue: even the whiskers were of the same hue."

By 1887, cat shows were regular events and the National Cat Club was founded in London. The National Cat Club aimed to promote the breeding of pedigree cats (and the proper keeping of pedigrees) and organise shows. The first National Cat Club Show was held at the Crystal Palace, London, in July 1887. The Show Manager was Mr F Wilson and 323 cats were entered. It was judged by Mr and Mrs Harrison Weir and Dr Gorden. The Entrance fee was 3 shillings and sixpence with an additional 2 shillings for Miscellaneous Club classes. The National Cat Club's first President was Harrison Weir, but he resigned because he felt that members were more interested in winning prizes than in promoting the welfare of cats (the reason he has organised the 1871 show). He was succeeded by the artist Louis Wain.

Until 1910 the National Cat Club was also, the Governing Body of the Cat Fancy. In 1910 the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) was formed. The National Cat Club Show was held at Crystal Palace until December 1936 when the venue was destroyed by fire on the eve of the National Show. Fortunately for the NCC, they had not taken their trophies there on the day before the show as was the usual practice! In the following years, the show was held at a number of different venues: Paddington Bakers Hall, Kentish Town Baths, Paddington Baths, Seymour Hall, the Royal Horticultural Hall, Olympia and Earls Court. The current venue is Olympia, although it is often uncomfortably crowded for visitors (especially in comparison with the Supreme which is held in the more spacious surroundings of Birmingham National Exhibition Centre).

The following words were written by Harrison Weir in 1903 for the preface of Simpson's "Book of the Cat". Thirty years had elapsed since his Crystal Palace cat show and his words make it evident that he was disenchanted with the course the cat fancy had taken:

"Thirty years ago it was apparent to me that cats were not valued at their true worth, and then I suggested a show of cats! Let anyone try to start anything new, though novelty is said to charm! Many were the gibes, jokes, and jeers that were thrown at me then. But nothing succeeds like success. Now, if I may without offence say a few word as to present day shows, it is that they have not answered my expectations. Why? Because particular breeds are catered for an run after. Why such breathless talk about long-haired cats, be they blues or silvers? This is not cat breeding. I want, I wish, and, if I live, I hope to see far more of the 'harmless necessary cat' at our shows; for a high-class short-haired cat is one of the most perfect animals ever created. […] Far more I might, and perhaps am expected to add; but my life's work is well-nigh done. He who fights honourable the good fight sinks at last."

While Weir preferred shorthairs, Frances Simpson and others championed the Persian. The weekly "Fur and Feather" magazine first appeared in 1890 and Persian cats were offered for sale in its columns. It also contained letters and one cat exhibitor wrote to Fur and Feather complaining that "The last time I showed my Russian was in a class supposedly for Russians only. She was, however, beaten by a round-headed British Blue."

In 1898, an aristocratic breeder, Lady Marcus Beresford, founded a rival organisation called The Cat Club. Its members included some of the most important people in the land. However, The Cat Club foundered in 1903. It was replaced by yet another group, the Cat Fanciers Association.

The Victorian cat shows were undoubtedly popular. Most judges were all-rounders who judged not only all breeds of cat but also birds, dogs, flowers and so on. At the beginning of 20th century at a London cat show, there were five different breeds of cat competing. There were two longhaired varieties, the Angora and the Persian, and three shorthairs, the Siamese, the Manx and the "shorthair" (domestic shorthair) though the shorthair came in nine colour varieties.

Breeder, judge and persian enthusiast Frances Simpson wrote "The commonest of all cats are Shorthaired Tabbies and Whites or Black and Whites. The markings are sometimes quite grotesque in their distribution. It seems almost a pity to so far encourage these cats as to give classes for them at our Shows." The longhairs were not the snubby-nosed Persians we are used to seeing today. Miss Simpson also stated "Apart from the length and texture of fur, the points of the animals are practically the same, whether long- or short-haired. They should be cobby in build and short on the legs, the head should be round and broad, eyes large and full, nose short, ears small and wide apart."

When the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy was founded in 1910 there were 16 cat clubs represented. Most were regional clubs or for certain varieties, excepting the short-lived "Wilson's Ltd Cat Club" which appears to have been a business venture. The first cat registers had already been set up by the Cat Club and the National Cat Club. Rivalry meant that cats registered with one club could not be registered with the other. When the GCCF became the sole registry, it inherited those early registers to set up a combined registry. In 1910, the register had four sections: Longhairs, Shorthairs, Abyssinians and Siamese. A pedigree cat was defined as one with registered parents, grandparents and great-grandparents (i.e. three generations) and this definition is the one still recognised by modern Trading Standards Officers. In order to have a place on the Full Register, cats must not only have the three generations of registered ancestors, those ancestors must be of cats within their own section of the register. Apart from information surviving in the Stud Books, which go back to 1910, those early registry records have been lost. Some enthusiasts have put together partial records based on fragmented information in books such as Frances Simpson's 3 books published between 1901 and 1924 and from the Stud Books listing those cats that were "placed" (won their class) at Championship cat shows, along with those cats' parents.

Even into the 1930s cat breeding was considered to be a cheap hobby that could be turned into a money-making career. However, after the Second World War, shortages meant reduced cash prizes at shows and kitten prices dropped, although pedigree kittens could still cost the equivalent of several week’s wages for a working man.

THE FIRST AMERICAN CAT SHOWS

Though cat shows were featured at county fairs in 1860s New England, America, most people date the beginning of the American cat fancy from a show organised in 1895. Enthused by a cat show at Crystal Palace, Englishman James Hyde, organised the show at the Madison Square Garden, New York. It promoted sufficient interest in cats to lead to the formation of many cat clubs. The 1899 show in Chicago led to the founding of the Chicago Cat Club and then the more powerful Beresford Cat Club, named in honour of Lady Marcus Beresford, founder of the short-lived The Cat Club in Britain.

Around 1890, the year "Fur and Feather" appeared in England, Mr C H Jones launched the American monthly "Cat Journal", probably the first magazine devoted exclusively to cats. American Helen M Winslow, was the auther of "Concerning Cats" (1900) , a book on cats and the cat fancy in America. At that time, the American cat fancy lagged behind the British scene hence her description of English shows written for the benefit of American cat fanciers! You can find more details on the British cat fancy in excerpts from Frances Simpson's book (published 1903) later on. This is the chapter entitled "Concerning Cats and Cat Shows" from her book. "High-bred" meant cats of recognised breeds and known ancestry, what would now be called purebreds and pedigrees. Winslow wrote:

The annual cat shows in England, which have been held successively for more than a quarter of a century, led to the establishment in 1887 of a National Cat Club, which has steadily grown in membership and interest, and by the establishment of the National Stud Book and Register has greatly raised the standard of felines in the mother country. It has many well-known people as members, life members, or associates; and from time to time people distinguished in the cat world have been added as honorary members. The officers of the National Cat Club of England, since its reconstruction in March, 1898, are as follows:-

Presidents:- Her Grace the Duchess of Bedford; Lord Marcus Beresford.
Vice-presidents:- Lily, Duchess of Marlborough, now Lady Wm. Beresford; the Countess of Warwick; Lady Granville Gordon; Hon. Mrs. McL. Morrison; Madame Ronner; Mr. Isaac Woodiwiss; the Countess of Sefton; Lady Hothfield; the Hon. Mrs. Brett; Mr. Sam Woodiwiss; Mr. H. W. Bullock.
President of Committee:- Mr. Louis Wain.
Committee:- Lady Marcus Beresford; Mrs. Balding; Mr. Sidney Woodiwiss; Mr. Hawkins; Mrs. Blair Maconochie; Mrs. Valiance; Mr. Brackett; Mr. F. Gresham.
Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurer:- Mrs. Stennard Robinson.

This club has a seal and a motto: "Beauty lives by kindness." It publishes a stud book in which are registered pedigrees and championship wins which are eligible for it. Only wins obtained from shows held under N. C. C. rules are recorded free of charge. The fee for ordinary registration is one shilling per cat, and the stud book is published annually. There are over two thousand cats now entered in this National Cat Club Stud Book, the form of entry being as follows (L. F. means long-haired female; C. P., Crystal Palace):-

Some of the cats entered have records of prizes covering nearly half a page of the book. The advantage of such a book to cat owners can be readily seen. A cat once entered never changes its number, no matter how many owners he may have, and his name cannot be changed after December 31 of the year in which he is registered. The more important rules of the English National Cat Club are given in condensed form as follows:-

The name is "The National Cat Club."

Objects: To promote honesty in the breeding of cats, so as to insure purity in each distinct breed or variety; to determine the classification required, and to insure the adoption of such classification by breeders, exhibitors, judges, and the committees of all cat shows; to encourage showing and breeding by giving championship and other prizes, and otherwise doing all in its power to protect and advance the interest of cats and their owners. The National Cat Club shall frame a separate set of rules for cat shows to be called "National Cat Club Rules," and the committees of those cat shows to which the rules are given, shall be called upon to sign a guarantee to the National Cat Club binding them to provide good penning and effectual sanitation, also to the punctual payment of prize money and to the proper adjudication of prizes.

Stud Book: The National Cat Club shall keep a stud book.

The club shall consist of (1) patrons, (2) life members, (3) president, (4) vice-presidents, (5) exhibiting members and (6) non-exhibiting members, an unlimited number whose names and addresses shall be kept by the honorable secretary. Each candidate for election shall be proposed by one member and seconded by another, and the election shall be vested absolutely in the committee.

The fee for each member shall be one guinea. Life members may be elected on the cash payment of eight guineas. No member whose subscription is unpaid shall be entitled to compete for any special prize, vote at any meeting, or enjoy any of the privileges of membership, until his or her subscription be paid. Every member shall strive to promote honorable dealing in feline matters by bringing to the notice of the club committee any apparent dishonesty at cat shows, etc. Every member to report the carelessness of the club attendant, etc., and to use his or her best endeavors to promote the success of the club by keeping "accuracy in pedigree and statements, and good faith in all his or her transactions." The committee shall endeavor to found a Library of Kennel Reference for the National Cat Club, and all members are invited to contribute gifts of books relating to cats, etc.

The cat-show rules, under which all shows connected with the N. C. C. are given, provide that no cats shall be shown, except in "Local Classes" or for litters of kittens, except such as have been previously registered at the Cat Club offices. Neuter (gelded) or spayed cats are allowed to compete for prizes, but are not eligible for entry on the stud book. A duly qualified veterinary surgeon is appointed at every show to act as inspector, who examines every cat before it is benched, and rejects any that exhibit any sign of disease.

The N. C. C. keeps a "black list." People eligible for this have been guilty, as members or otherwise, of fraudulent or discreditable conduct in regard to cats and cat shows, and are not countenanced by the N. C. C. in any capacity. All prizes won are recorded in the stud book. The other rules do not differ materially from the rules of cat shows in this country.

The offices of the National Cat Club are at 5 Great James Street, Bedford Row, London, W. C., and the annual and championship shows have so far been held at the Crystal Palace. There is also a Ladies’ Kennel Association, which holds shows of great interest, many of its members being connected with the N. C. C. The definition of classes, both in England and America, is as follows:-

In Paris, although cats have not been commonly appreciated as in England, there is an increasing interest in them, and cat shows are now a regular feature of the Jardin d’Acclimation. This suggests the subject of the cat’s social position in France. Since the Revolution the animal has conquered in this country "toutes les liberties," excepting that of wearing an entire tail, for in many districts it is the fashion to cut the caudal appendage short. In Paris cats are much cherished wherever they can be without causing too much unpleasantness with the landlord. The system of living in flats is not favorable to cat culture, for the animal, not having access either to the tiles above or to the gutter below, is apt to pine for fresh air, and the society of its congeners. Probably in no other city do these creatures lie in shop windows and on counters with such an arrogant air of proprietorship. In restaurants, a very large and fat cat is kept as an advertisement of the good feeding to be obtained on the premises. There is invariably a cat in a charbonnier's shop, and the animal is generally one that was originally white, but long ago came to the conclusion that all attempts to keep itself clean were hopeless. Its only consolation is that it is never blacker than its master.

It is well known that the Persians and Angoras are much esteemed in Paris and are, to some extent, bred for sale. In the provinces, French cats are usually low-bred animals, with plebeian heads and tails, the stringlike appearance of the latter not being improved by cropping. Although not generally esteemed as an article of food in France, there are still many people scattered throughout the country who maintain that a civet de chat is as good, or better, than a civet de lièvre. M. François Coppée’s fondness for cats as pets is so well known that there was great fitness in placing his name first upon the jury of awards at the 1896 cat show in Paris. Such other well-known men as Emile Zola, André Theuriet, and Catulle Mendes, also figured on the list. There is now an annual "Exposition Feline Internationale."

In this country the first cat show of general interest was held at Madison Square Garden, New York, in May, 1895. Some years before, there had been a cat show under the auspices of private parties in Boston, and several minor shows had been held at Newburgh, N. Y., and other places. But the New York shows were the first to attract general attention. One hundred and seventy-six cats were exhibited by one hundred and twenty-five owners, besides several ocelots, wild cats, and civets. For some reason the show at Madison Square Garden in March, 1896, catalogued only one hundred and thirty-two cats and eighty-two owners. Since that time there have been no large cat shows in New York.

There have been several cat shows in Boston since 1896, but these are so far only adjuncts to poultry and pigeon shows. Great interest has been manifest in them, however, and the entries have each year run above a hundred. Some magnificent cats are exhibited, although as a rule the animals shown are somewhat small, many kittens being placed there for sale by breeders.

Several attempts to start successful cat clubs in this country have been made. At the close of the New York show in 1896, an American Cat Club was organized for the purpose "of investigating, ascertaining, and keeping a record of the pedigrees of cats, and of instituting, maintaining, controlling, and publishing a stud book, or book of registry of such kind of domestic animals in the United States of America and Canada, and of promoting and holding exhibitions of such animals, and generally for the purpose of improving the breed thereof, and educating the public in its knowledge of the various breeds and varieties of cats." The officers were as follows:-

More successful than this club, however, is the Beresford Cat Club formed in Chicago in the winter of 1899. The president is Mrs. Clinton Locke, who is a member of the English cat clubs, and whose kennel in Chicago contains some of the finest cats in America. The Beresford Cat Club has the sanction of John G. Shortall, of the American Humane Society, and on its honorary list are Miss Agnes Repplier, Madame Ronner, Lady Marcus Beresford, Miss Helen Winslow, and Mr. Louis Wain.

At their cat shows, which are held annually, prizes are offered for all classes of cats, from the common feline of the back alley up to the aristocratic resident of milady’s boudoir. The Beresford Club Cat shows are the most successful of any yet given in America. One hundred and seventy-eight prizes were awarded in the show of January, 1900, and some magnificent cats were shown. It is said by those who are in a position to know that there are no better cats shown in England now than can be seen at the Beresford Show in Chicago. The exhibits cover short and long haired cats of all colors, sizes, and ages, with Siamese cats, Manx cats, and Russian cats. At the show in January, 1900, Mrs. Clinton Locke exhibited fourteen cats of one color, and Mrs. Josiah Cratty five white cats. This club numbers one hundred and seventy members and has a social position and consequent strength second to none in America. It is a fine, honorable club, which has for its objects the protection of the Humane Society and the caring for all cats reported as homeless or in distress. It aims also to establish straightforward and honest dealings among the catteries and to do away with the humbuggery which prevails in some quarters about the sales and valuation of high-bred cats. This club cannot fail to be of great benefit to such as want to carry on an honest industry by the raising and sale of fine cats. It will also improve the breeding of cats in this country, and thereby raise the standard and promote a more general intelligence among the people with regard to cats. Some of the best people in the United States belong to the Beresford Club, the membership of which is by no means confined to Chicago; on the contrary, the club is a national one and the officers and board of directors are:-

The club is anxious to have members all over the United States, just as the English cat clubs do. The non-resident annual fees are only one dollar, and a member has to be proposed by one and endorsed by two other members. The register cats for the stud book are entered at one dollar each, and it is proposed to give shows once a year. The main objects of the club are to improve the breeds of fancy cats in America, to awaken a more general interest in them, and to secure better treatment for the ordinary common cat. The shows will be given for the benefit of the Humane Society.

The Chicago Cat Club has done excellent work also, having established a cat home, or refuge, for stray, homeless, or diseased cats, with a department for boarding pet cats during the absence of their owners. It is under the personal care and direction of Dr. C. A. White, 78 E. 26th Street. The first cat to be admitted there was one from Cleveland, Ohio, which was to be boarded for three months during the absence of its owner in Europe and also to be treated for disease. This club was incorporated under the state laws of Illinois, on January 26, 1899. In connection with it is a children’s cat club, which has for its primary object the teaching of kindness to animals by awakening in the young people an appreciative love for cats. At the show of the Chicago Cat Club, small dogs and cavies are exhibited also, the Cavy Club and the Pet Dog Club having affiliated with the Chicago Cat Club.

The president of the Chicago Cat Club is Mrs. Leland Norton, of the Drexel Kennels, at 4011 Drexel Boulevard, Chicago. The corresponding secretary is Mrs. Laura Daunty Pelham, 315 Interocean Building, and the other officers are: Vice-president, Miss Gertrude Estabrooks; recording secretary, Miss Jennie Van Allen; and treasurer, Mrs. Ella B. Shepard. Membership is only one dollar a year, and the registration fee in the Chicago stud book fifty cents for each cat.

The cat shows already held and the flourishing state of our cat clubs have proved that America has as fine, if not finer, cats than can be found in England, and that interest in finely bred cats is on the increase in this country. The effect of the successful cat clubs and cat shows must be to train intelligent judges and to raise the standard of cats in this country. It will also tend to make the cat shows of such a character that kind-hearted owners need not hesitate to enter their choicest cats. As yet, however, the judging at cat shows is not so well managed as in England. It should be a rule that the judges of cats should not only understand their fine points, but should be in sympathy with the little pets.

Cat dealers who have a number of cats entered for competition, should not be allowed on the board of judges. In England, the cats to be judged are taken by classes into a tent for the purpose, and the door is fastened against all but the judges; whereas over here the cats are too often taken out of their cages in the presence of a crowd of spectators and judged on a table or some public place, thereby frightening the timid ones and bringing annoyance to the owners.

Again, there should be several judges. In England there are seven, including two or three women, and these are assigned to different classes: Mr. Harrison Weir, F.R.H.S., the well-known authority on cats, and Louis Wain, the well-known cat artist, are among them. In this country there are a number of women who are not dealers, but who are fully posted in the necessary qualifications for a high-bred cat. American cat shows should have at least three judges, one of whom, at least, should be a woman. A cat should be handled gently and kept as calm as possible during the judging. Women are naturally more gentle in their methods, and more tender­hearted. When my pets are entered for competition, may some wise, kind woman have the judging of them!

In judging a cat the quality and quantity of its fur is the first thing considered. In a long-haired cat this includes the "lord mayor’s chain," or frill, the tail, and, most important of all, the ear-tufts. The tufts between the toes and the flexibility of the tail are other important points. The shape of head, eyes, and body are also carefully noted. A short-haired cat is judged first for color, then for eyes, head, symmetry, and ears.

In all cats the head should show breadth between the eyes. The eyes should be round and open. White cats to be really valuable should have blue eyes (without deafness); black cats should have yellow eyes; other cats should have pea-green eyes, or in some cases, as in the brown, self-colored eyes. The nose should be short and tapering. The teeth should be good, and the claws flat. The lower leg should be straight, and the upper hind leg lie at closed angles. The foot should be small and round (in the maltese, pointed). A good cat has a light frame, but a deep chest; a slim, graceful, and fine neck; medium-sized ears with rounded tips. The croup should be square and high; the tail of a short-haired cat long and tapering, and of a long-haired cat broad and bent over at the end.

The good results of a cat show are best told in a few words by one who has acted as judge at an American exhibition. "One year," he said, "people have to learn that there is such a thing as a cat; the next they come to the show and learn to tell the different breeds; another year they learn the difference between a good cat and a poor one; and the next year they become exhibitors, and tell the judges how to award the premiums."

A 1936 American essay on cat shows noted that the show season opened in November and "Among the first shows in New York City are those held by the Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc., and the United Cat Clubs of America, Inc. Each of these organizations has many member clubs in the United States and Canada. There are other large societies, such as the Cat Fanciers' Federation and the American Cat Association, and all of these, and their member clubs, have shows through the autumn and winter. There are cat shows from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from Maine to Florida." Each claimed to be the biggest and best of its kind. Persian cat clubs continued to outnumber all other breed clubs and long-hairs continued to dominate the multi-breed shows.

Shows were considered necessary to the cat fancy, but an "ordeal for most home cats". Despite the many precautions taken by show manager, there was always the danger of infection where numbers of cats were gathered together. To be eligible for exhibition, the cat had to be registered with one of the recognized cat clubs and the owner had to be familiar with that club's standards, classifications and rules: "Select the club that is sponsoring the show you mean to enter, for rules differ". If the cats were well cared for, special conditioning was not necessary, but a neglected cat would have to be conditioned and groomed or would be rejected when it arrived.

A good cat which was shown regularly might win £20 a year for 5 or 6 years. It was considered to be in its prime at the age of 5 or 6 years, after which it was thought its spine would begin to drop and it would die between the age of 8 or 9 years old. Exhibiting cats was a paying hobby, breeding from Champion cats could also be lucrative. Though the cats were considered valuable, the way in which they were packed off to shows would horrify the modern exhibitor.

Early British cat shows were two-day events, rather than the one-day shows held nowadays. Many owners did not trouble to attend in person, but sent their cats off by train and hoped the cats would arrive safely, be fed on arrival and be sent back without mishap after the show. Such an attitude clearly demonstrates that the emphasis was on winning, not on welfare!

The more fortunate cats were put on the train in wicker cat baskets or hampers draught-proofed with brown paper wrapped around it. Padlocking the container was considered wise; the key would be posted to the Secretary of the club holding the show. If the basket went astray or was delayed, the cat spent several uncomfortable days trapped in its container until it was found. No doubt some cats died before being found and released.

Not all owners had cat baskets. The cat might be sent to the show in a wooden crate, which was nailed down, or a margarine basket, which was strapped shut. These containers were cramped, there was no provision for food or toilet facilities and the journeys were sometimes extremely long. If the journey involved changing training, the cat might also have to endure sitting on a station platform for several hours. Unaccompanied cats could be insured with the railways for threepence in the pound. Owners would spend threepence on insurance, in the hope that it ensured better treatment for their cats in transit, whatever the cat's actual worth.

Some cats had the bad habit (born of parasites) of scratching, particularly at their neck ruffs. To avoid the cat arriving with its fur ruined, owners might use wash leather to tie the cat's hind legs tied together. Some owners sent their cats to shows in sacks tied around the neck so that only the cat's head protruded. After having endured such journeys, it is surprising that cats were in any condition to be exhibited.

Some cats never arrived at the show, having escaped or been lost in transit, perhaps loaded onto the wrong train. Some reached the show but went missing on the equally fraught journey home. Some owners got the wrong cats back. One exhibitor sent a female cat to a show and failed to notice that the cat returned to her was a male. She put the male in with her cattery, only discovering the error when her other females produced kittens a few months later. She had noticed that the cat returned to her was heavier than when she had sent it, but had attributed this to it being well-fed at the show. Perhaps she had also lacked a sense of smell since tomcats have a very distinctive odour, even to humans.

Experts suggested that cats should not be fed before their journey to avoid them soiling themselves while travelling. At a two-day show there was "hope and trust" that the cats would be fed when penned. Some criticism was voiced about Show Officials feeding the cats milk instead of water, resulting in "accidents" (diarrhoea) on the day of the show or on the return journey.

During her lifetime, Frances Simpson was Honorary Secretary of most of the early clubs, including the Blue Persian Society and the National Cat Club. Sometimes she served on four committees at once. In her role as Secretary, she was responsible for receiving the cats when they arrived at the show, unpacking them, caring for them during the show (shows were mainly 2 day events) and returning the cats - and any awards they had won - to their owners after the show. This gave her plenty of experience of the lack of care some owners put into transporting their cats, something she wrote on at length in "The Book of the Cat". Some were nailed into wooden boxes for transportation, unaccompanied, by train and she wrote of cats which arrived dead or dying at the venue. Those that survived the journey and the rigours of the show were packed up and returned in the same way. Some exhibitors failed to enclose return labels with their cats (if the cat and the class it was entered for were properly marked on the outward label, the owner could usually be traced through the show schedule). Some arrived in padlocked containers, but without a key (it was supposed to be sent on ahead in an envelope).

In 1927, there were complaints about the packing of large cats in tiny boxes to travel to shows with the result that cats had arrived suffocated or nearly so. Show organisers warned that cases of "cruel packing" would be noted by Show officials. They would advise the Governing Council (GCCF) who would warn the novice or punish the old hand (as applicable) and possibly ban some individuals from entering their cats at GCCF shows. Perpetrators of cruel packing would be warned that the Inspectors of the RSPCA would take action against them. The Hon Secretary at one show condemned the owners who sent a big white longhaired male in an unsuitably small carrier ("would have to sit hunched up all the way to its destination, unable to move an inch, and would get home thoroughly cramped"). Another exhibitor was seen to stuff a huge cat into a basket that was only large enough for a three month old kitten. She called for the SPCA to be involved.

During the show, it was the Secretary's job to feed the cats and keep the cats and their cages sanitary, not just for the cats' comfort, but in an attempt to prevent "Show Fever" which not even the pills and potions of the day could prevent, despite their "guaranteed" efficaciousness. Many of the disinfectants then in use were highly toxic to cats. After the show, the Secretary had to pack the cat, along with any prize cards and awards it had one (should the cards be damaged or destroyed on the homeward journey, the Secretary had to replace them). Finally, she would have had to arrange transport for each unaccompanied cat, an amazing feat of logistics (and one which sometimes resulted in the wrong cat being sent).

Mindful of the hard work of the show Secretary, Simpson often reminded exhibitors that a note of thanks for the safe return of their cat would be appreciated! She replied personally to all the thank you notes she received. In one reply, she mentioned to the exhibitor that she had personally packed and despatched 150 cats after the show in question, and asked the exhibitor to thank her publicly in Fur & Feather. This exhibitor showed Simpson’s note to another exhibitor, who straightaway wrote to Fur & Feather, complaining of Miss Simpson’s self-seeking ways, especially as there were only 118 exhibits at that show!

Having witnessed the horros and fatalities caused by unsuitable travelling crates, Frances Simpson, in her 1903 "The Book of the Cat" , tried to educate cat lovers in the proper way to transport cats. She wrote "How heterogeneous is the collection of hampers, boxes, baskets - I had almost added bundles - one sees brought in by the officials during the receiving hours before a big show! Every variety of package, very many of which are exactly what they out not to be. Some unnecessarily elaborate, polished wooden cases with brass fittings - handsome and durable no doubt, but far too cumbersome, and by their very weight inflicting much jar on the occupant when moved about; while others are a disgrace to anyone pretending to care about a cat or even to know what a cat is, many deserving to be straightway brought under the notice of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Unlucky cats - no doubt the bundles referred to by Simpson - might be transported fastened up to their neck in a sack. Simpson went on to say that such unsuitable carrier were due to lack of thought, lack of common sense and sometimes simple lack of care for the cats being transported. Cats on longer journeys e.g. to America by ship, sometimes did not survive the voyage and if they did, many did not survive long after arrival. Simpson illustrated two "excellent travelling baskets, which fulfil pretty nearly all requirements for cats travelling singly."

The first was Spratt's Travelling Basket: a rectangular hamper with top handle, leather closure straps and an inner skeleton lid. Apart from the skeleton lid, this is still a familiar type of carrier and is probably an adaptation of a pigeon fancier's basket. Simpson wrote "[It is] made by Messrs Spratt and has an inner skeleton lid, which is much to be recommended when sending a vicious or very timid cat that is likely to make a bolt on the basket being opened." The second basket was a conical-lidded basket ("bee-hive shaped") designed by Mrs Paul Hardy, of Chobham specifically for carrying cats. It was made of strong white wicker, the lid fastened with a rim of about two inches deep over the body of the basket, apertures in the rim allowed the wicker loops of the fastenings to project and when the cane stick was thrust through the fastenings the basket was absolutely secure, or a Simpson wrote "not a paw can get out".

Simpson wrote "This beehive shape has several advantages. The cat can stand up and stretch itself at ease, when tired of lying down the handle being at the apex, it is carried - even by porters - without the cat being tilted off its legs; whilst the dome top prevents any other package being piled upon it - a disadvantage the flat-typed hamper always has. I line my baskets outside with brown paper or oil baize up to the rim, and inside with curtain serge, leaving the lid free for ventilation. Then with plenty of hay at the bottom of the basket, the cat will travel from one end of England to the other in comfort and safety, with no danger of taking cold even if left about draughty platforms or in parcel offices. This basket is made by Messrs Bull of Guildford, at a very moderate cost, and lasts for years."

In the early days of the cat fancy, there were classes for pairs of cats ("brace") and also mother and kitten classes where a mother with her pretty litter of young kittens was displayed (an idea horrific to modern cat fanciers and one which resulted in the death of considerable numbers of kittens due to infection or injury). Simpson continued:

Many exhibitors and breeders, it seems, overlooked the obvious - the need for a good label which would not become detached from the basket. Frances Simpson recommended a first-rate label available from the Aerefair Engineering Works, near Ruabon. "It is a stout linen label, printed 'Valuable Live Cat' in big block letters; below is 'Urgent' in red - a good idea, red being more likely to attract the casual eye of the railway official. Spaces are left below for line of travel, via, etc, and date and time of despatch. It is reversible, so the sender can fill up with the return address if necessary. I always prefer to fasten the label down at both ends, flat to the basket: it is less likely to be torn away than when left hanging loose from one eyelet. It is by due attention to the details that cat fanciers can to some extent mitigate the dangers and risks that must necessarily attend the transit of live stock by rail."

The distances in the USA were (and still are) even longer than in the UK. Travelling could take several days and accounts suggest they fared even worse than cats transported by train in Britain. According to an American cat writer in 1936: "Cats should not be fed before a journey, even a short one by automobile. At shows there is a feeding committee, and chopped beef is taken to the cages at regular times, but you may take your own food if you prefer. It is wise to stay by your pet during the show, in order to give it confidence and guard it against any possible harm at the hands of some ill-advised visitor. There are special carriers and crates to be had if one is sending a cat to a distant show, but if you ship a cat by railway you risk a tragedy. Once a cat and two kittens were sent from California to New York, and when the crate was opened the kittens were dead and the mother so near death that she had to be killed. Somehow the trainmen had overlooked the instructions about food and water. Even on short journeys accidents may happen. I knew of a Persian kitten whose cage was crushed, with the kitten inside, by the fall of express packages insecurely piled above."

Although people enjoyed exhibiting their cats, it was risky - lacking modern veterinary care or vaccines, many cats succumbed to disease. Cats were not "vetted in" as they are today (unwell cats not being allowed to compete). One ailment, mentioned in cat breeding books right up into the 1950s, was named "show fever". Show fever could wipe out entire catteries within a day or two of a cat returning from a show. It was probably distemper (Feline Infectious Enteritis), but many owners thought their cats had been poisoned by jealous competitors or given tainted food by a show official. Until the October 1892 Crystal Palace show, no veterinary surgeon had previously been appointed to inspect the cats when they arrived (known today as "vetting in"). On that occasion Mr Harold Leeney rejected some twenty exhibits suffering from well-defined infectious disease. Previously many of the exhibited cats, especially kittens, went home to die.

Frances Simpson, in her 1903 work "The Book of the Cat", contained a first hand account from breeder of Blue Persians, Mrs Hardy who had to fight her way against disease and death after her cats became infected at a cat show. Simpson wrote "Her own account is so vivid that I quote it, so that fanciers in a like evil condition may fight for the lives of their pets to the last." And went on to reproduce Mrs Hardy's account:

I pulled them through, all but one young kittens of four months, in whom acute laryngitis developed, and so she had to be put to sleep. 'Wooshoo' was given up by the vet, as he piled so many complications into his system one after the other, developing bronchitis, gastritis, and jaundice on the top of the original complaint. Poor fellow, for twenty-four hours he lay unconscious, but I kept his heart going by does of pure alcohol every two hours, while I fought the disease with hot fomentation, medicated steamings, and other proper remedies." For a month afterwards, Wooshoo had to be hand fed on tempting morsels, including minced oyster, before he began to eat voluntarily.

Petty jealousies among cat breeders has led to cats having bleach poured into their drinking water, hatpins stuck into their bodies or noxious substances sprinkled on their fur. Despite Weir's aims of promoting cat welfare, some breeders were (and still are) so obsessed with prizes that they will poison or otherwise harm other people's cats. Most cats were exhibited in straw-lined pens. Some pens were decorated with silken drapes and the cats had velvet cushions to sit on. Visitors were often kept a few feet away from the cages by ropes so that they couldn't interfere with the exhibits.

Cheating was not uncommon. An ordinary cat could be turned into a Manx if operated on at a young age. Attention had to be paid to see that the absent tail looked natural and that there was no scar as evidence of operative interference. In dog shows, this was known as "faking" and astoundingly it has been found to go in modern times (such as the cosmetic reduction of an otherwise show-quality Chinchilla Persian's over-large ears).

Cats of nondescript colours could be dyed to create the then popular Maltese (blue) cats. According to an issue of "Our Cats" magazine in 1900, the blue dye dried almost instantly but did not produce the desired solid effect; it had to be supplemented with dye combed into the fur. The cat’s muzzle would be dyed using a sponge. Within an hour, the owner could have a Maltese cat and if done well, the judges would be none the wiser. Producing a fake tortoiseshell cat took around three hours, because dyes had to be applied in patches using a comb. Some of the dyes were no doubt toxic.

As well as longhair and shorthair classes divided up into colour categories, there were many extra classes at those late 1800s/early 1900s shows. In "litter classes", young kittens were dispatched to shows along with their mother. Many kittens did not survive the experience. There were classes for pairs of kittens, for the heaviest cat, and even for deportment. Cats were paraded around the show ring on ribbons and awarded extra points if they and their owner looked attractive together and the cat appeared happy to walk on its lead. There were often special classes at shows for stud cats; they were not judged themselves but their progeny was. This allowed people to see whether an excellent stud passed on his characteristics to kittens.

In Simpson's day, grievances were often aired publicly in the pages of Fur & Feather (something which would attract libel cases today). Simpson herself became embroiled in a long correspondence when she did not place a Tabby Persian, which had previously beaten every other cat in competition, and which later went on to become Best Exhibit. She was publicly accused of misappropriating money donated for a Special at a one of the big shows ("Specials" were passed onto the winner in the form in which they were donated) when instead of passing on the 15 shillings cash, she converted the donation into a 9 shillings and sixpence button-hook. Since it was normal for the winner to write a letter of thanks to the donor of the Special, the matter was soon found out.

The button-hook row went on in public and private for months. The Committee of the Blue Persian Society (of which she was Secretary) backed her and held private meetings which excluded those members who opposed Simpson's behaviour. The excluded members resigned and there followed a very public flurry of complaints about Simpson's behaviour, both past and present and even some of those she had helped in the past turned on her. The button-hook row was overtaken by more serious matters - a stud cat had savagely mauled a valuable queen - into which Simpson was dragged. In Fur & Feather she had supported the idea, unthinkable by today's standards, that it was acceptable to leave two calling queens unsupervised with a stud.

In 1934, British cat fans called for a French innovation to be introduced into British shows. French cat shows held classes for "ratting cats" from shops and stores. The cats were judged entirely on condition, not on looks, and many people wanted to see similar classes in British shows. A 1934 British cat show was therefore heralded as the first featuring special classes for non-pedigree domestic cats. The sole standard was to be good condition and the show was promoted by "The People" newspaper. Sixty domestic cats were entered.

In 1887, the National Cat Club was founded in London. Its first President was Harrison Weir, who later resigned and was succeeded by the artist Louis Wain. In 1898, an aristocratic breeder, Lady Marcus Beresford, founded a rival organisation called The Cat Club. Its members included some of the most important people in the land. However, The Cat Club foundered in 1903 and replaced by yet another group, the Cat Fanciers Association. In 1910 these two Cat Clubs combined to become the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF). The GCCF is Britain's largest cat fancy and remained its only cat fancy for many years. There are also numerous smaller cat clubs, some being regional and some being breed-specific, which operate cat shows but which are affiliated to the GCCF.

As long ago as the 1890s, cat shows were also held at the Jardin d’Acclimation in Paris. However, it was not until after World War II that the Cat Club de Paris was formed.. A number of other clubs were formed throughout Europe and operated independently. The Cat Club de Paris and many of the principal clubs in other countries united to form the Fedération Internationale Feline d’Europe (FIFe), though the member clubs maintains their own registers. There was great competition between European clubs to attract members. This was exacerbated by the fact that FIFe did not allow exhibitors from "dissident", non-member clubs at its shows and breeding females belonging to dissident club members were not allowed to be sent to FIFe members' stud cats! This is when human politics gets in the way of what is best for cat breeds.

In the 1860s, the USA was the first country to hold private cat shows. Interest in pedigree cats did not really take off until the 1895 show in Madison Square Gardens in 1895. The 1899 show in Chicago led to the founding of the Chicago Cat Club and then the more powerful Beresford Cat Club. In 1906, the American Cat Association became the main registry, becoming the Cat Fanciers' Association Inc in 1908. Unlike FIFe, the Cat Fanciers Association allowed members of America's many independent cat clubs to exhibit at their shows providing the cats were registered with the Cat Fanciers Association (many cats were registered with more than one registry).

Though America acquired their original standards and breeding stock from Britain, American cat registries are more open to the development of new breeds and have a more flexible registration system. Breeds which begin as mutations of an existing breed can be registered as an entirely new breed, unlike the GCCF system where it could only be an "Any Other Colour" of an already recognised breed - not a useful system when the new variety has a physical mutation such as curled ears or curled fur!

Unlike cat clubs in Europe and America, the GCCF was the only body allowed to keep a register of cats in Britain. In 1983, the Cat Association of Britain (CA) was founded. The CA maintains a separate registry from the GCCF and is more closely linked with the FIFe. What with the CA, FIFe and with the American organisation TICA (The International Cat Association) striving to be the dominant international cat fancy, the GCCF was in for some turbulent times. For one thing, the other registries had far simplified breed classifications!

At the time of writing there has been dissent among breeders and GCCF members and calls for a radical overhaul of its archaic registration system, review of breed standards and some breed names, alignment of these with those of other registries and generally dragging it kicking and screaming into the 21st century. In 2002, "Our Cats" (the modern GCCF journal) wrote that this dissent was not a sudden thing, but had been brewing for many years. Rather than being viewed as throwing away tradition, it should be regarded as an exciting opportunity to make long-overdue changes which would see it into the technological age.

In Britain, all cat shows are one-day events, but in continental Europe and North America two-day shows are also common, partly because of the long travelling distances involved for many exhibitors. (In Europe, particularly, many exhibitors travel to other countries for important shows.) Nowadays, the financial rewards are nominal, most breeders being content to compete for ribbons or cups and for titles such Champion, Grand Champion etc (Premier for a neutered cat)

Another major difference is the judging system. With "ring judging" (as seen in America and much of mainland Europe) the cats are taken to the judge. With "pen judging" (seen in Britain), the judge comes to the pens. One effect of this is that cats exhibited under ring-judging systems have their nameboards displayed with them and can have decorated cages - in fact there is often a side-competition for the best decorated pen! With pen-judging, however, the pens must be spartan, there is no decoration of the cages allowed, the blanket and litter tray must be white and there are no name boards, only pen numbers.

In "Origin of Species" Charles Darwin had been dismissive of attempts to perpetuated different strains of cats and evidently viewed the hobby of cat breeding as one women and children, with breeds never kept up for long. The public cat shows had given breeders an opportunity to meet and compete and gave them more incentive to breed cats in a controlled way, selecting the best cats from each generation to be the parents of the next generation.

Most breeding cats were housed in outdoor catteries with beds made out of barrels or wooden chests and filled with hay in winter and paper in summer. Most people did not heat the outdoor enclosures in case it made the cats weak and susceptible to illness. Feeding was not an exact science, hence pedigree cats were considered prone to dyspepsia - which would have been due to their diet rather than any weakness in the breed!

Pedigree mothers were not to raise litters larger than four kittens. For larger litters, a foster mother was obtained. If the pedigree females had poor maternal skills, their kittens would be raised by a foster mother. Foster mothers were not hard to find as it was the practice to destroy all-but-one kitten of litters born to household pets. Kittens would be sent on approval to prospective new owners. If the owner didn't like the kitten, it would be sent back. This was an excellent way to spread serious infections through households and catteries.

Early on, the idea of Paternal Impression held sway. It was believed that a female's first mate will affect all of her subsequent litters, regardless of who fathered the later litters. If she was mated to an outstanding stud for her first litter, his characteristics were believed to turn up in later litters sired by other studs. Conversely, if she was mis-mated to a poor quality or moggy male she would always bear poor quality half-breed offspring, tainted by that earlier mating. One Persian female who had "strayed from the path of virtue" apparently had only poor quality kittens from a good sire, "what might be called half-breeds". She was "ruined for life".

The following excerpt from "Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine" by George M Gould and Walter L Pyle (1896), illustrates the theory of paternal impression, or "telegony", with the following case: Hon. Henry Scott says: “Dog-breeders know this theory well; and if a pure-bred bitch happens to breed to a dog of another breed, she is of little use for breeding pure-bred puppies afterward. Animals which produce large litters and go a short time pregnant show this throwing back to previous sires far more distinctly than others - I fancy dogs and pigs most of all, and probably horses least. The influence of previous sires may be carried into the second generation or further, as I have a cat now which appears to be half Persian (long hair). His dam has very long hair and every appearance of being a half Persian, whereas neither have really any Persian blood, as far as I know, but the grand-dam (a very smooth-haired cat) had several litters by a half-Persian tom-cat, and all her produce since have showed the influence retained. The Persian tom-cat died many years ago, and was the only one in the district, so, although I cannot be absolutely positive, I think this case is really as stated.”

Another belief was Maternal Impression - the mother's surroundings supposedly influenced the quality of her kittens. If the pregnant cat was housed in close proximity to outstanding examples of her own breed, she would somehow impress their characteristics on the unborn kittens, even if she was mated to a mediocre stud. Conversely, if she was surrounded by moggies, this lack of quality would be impressed onto the kittens even if she had been mated to a top notch stud.

A female would be mated towards the end of her season if male kittens were wanted. And if the stud was fed well, rested and strong before mating, females would predominate in his bride's litter. Before cars were common, the female was often sent to the stud by train and unaccompanied, in similar way to the sending of cats to cat shows. Stud owners were trusted to mate the female with the chosen male and not with another substandard male. Children who asked why the cats were sent away regularly and returned looking perhaps a little smug were told that they cats went away "to learn manners" and would come back "better behaved"!

Some queens were entirely put off by the whole business of being packed off on a train and, quite understandably, lost the urge to mate. If this happened regularly, the stud might be sent to the owner of the female instead. The fee for the stud's services would include one of the kittens from the resulting litter. Again, it was entirely down to trust that the kitten sent to the stud's owner really was one of his progeny.

It was also believed that if the stud did not have a regular supply of visiting females, he would lose his fertility and produce dead sperm. According to A C Jude in "Cats and Kittens" "Long periods of disuse are injurious, as an undue accumulation of semen in the generative passages will result in back pressure, which will adversely affect the spermogenetic capacity of the testes and possibly also interfere with the functional activity of the accessory sexual glands." In some cases, the stud would be mated to non-pedigree females, just to keep him active! Breeders did not realise they were risking his life due to "distemper" and little thought was given to the kittens (though the mothers could, of course, be used to foster more valuable kittens!).

"Cats and All About Them" was an earlier work by Simpson and was published in 1902 and costing two shillings. It contained twenty-four illustrations, including a photograph of Miss Simpson herself with Campyses, her spectacular silver cat and a photograph of Champion Wankee, the one of the early Siamese cats. Interestingly from a breeding history viewpoint, it also contained a number of stud advertisements: the services of Champion Wankee, winner of thirty prizes, cost one guinea; those of Muchacho, a blue Russian (a breed whose existence Simpson debated in her later book) cost 12s. 6d.

PEDIGREE CATS OF THE 1880s and 1890s

The earliest cats shows had paid particular attention to shorthaired cats such as the Archangel (Maltese or Russian Blue) and Manx. In 1889, Harrison Weir wrote and illustrated "Our Cats". Weir had arranged the first formal cat show in England in 1871 and produced the first breed standards. Excerpts from "Our Cats" illustrate cat types during the 1870s and 1880s. Weir preferred the shorthairs over the longhairs.

In contrast, Frances Simpson was a champion of the longhairs. This is reflected in her 1903 work "The Book of the Cat" (she was editor rather than author). The extracts from "The Book of the Cat" describes the British longhair (the Persian) and its American equivalent, the Maine Cat. The excerpts follow the progress of Simpson's beloved White Persians (one of the most popular varieties) and the much newer Cream Persian which looked set to become fashionable after having been overlooked previously.

As well as describing the then common breeds, these two authors, and the contemporaries whose letters and comments also appear in their works, give some insight into how cats were cared for, how they were bred, how they were prepared for a show and some now quaint ideas about inheritance! It also provides some comparison between Britain and America.

Classes were generally "longhairs" and "shorthairs" with no distinction between different breeds within those groupings. For example, Persians competed against Angoras with the result that the less extreme Angora type was lost. Two interesting sections from Frances Simpson's work are on the White Persian (which was shifting from yellow-eyed to blue-eyed) and Cream Persians (a new development). In 1926, Cat Gossip editor H C Brooke noted that at a cat show in Lille there were classes for "Short-hair Persians" (chats persans a poil ras) as well as the normal Long-hair classes! Brooke wondered how "Short-hair Persians" were distinguished from ordinary Short-hairs. In those days, the Persian had not yet become the flat-faced creature we see today and might have been termed a "British Longhair".

In 1903, Frances Simpson wrote in "The Book of the Cat" "In classing all long-haired cats as Persians I may be wrong, but the distinctions, apparently with hardly any difference, between Angoras and Persians are of so fine a nature that I must be pardoned if I ignore the class of cat commonly called Angora, which seems gradually to have disappeared from our midst. Certainly there is no special classification given for Angoras, and in response to many inquiries from animal fanciers I have never been able to obtain any definite information as to the difference between a Persian and an Angora cat. Mr Harrison Weir, in his book on cats, states that the Angora differs somewhat from the Persian in that the head is rather smaller and ears larger, fur more silky with a tendency to woolliness."

Simpson championed the cause of the long-hairs which were, by then, outnumbering short-hairs at cat shows by about four long-hairs to every short-hair shown (this probably did not include Foreign short-hairs such as Siamese or blue Russian) . "The Book of The Cat" has relatively few photos of short-hairs and Simpson wrote that she had included so few pictures of short-haired cats in her book because the long-hairs were so much more attractive that more photographs existed of them than of short-hairs. Because short-hairs were both cheaper and less pretty, fewer people bothered to take good photos of them.

From that point onwards, her comments were applicable to the cat we now know as the Persian. She considered the Persian to be less amiable and less reliable in temperament than the short-haired (British) cat, but considered them more intelligent and as keen when hunting prey as were short-hairs. However, they were less healthy than short-hairs and the longest haired kittens were the most difficult to rear. She attributed this to in-breeding.

Because cat shows were traditionally held in the summer months, Persians were rarely shown in their full glory and often presented an unkempt and moth-eaten appearance because they were moulting. On the other hand, the summer coat made it harder to disguise poor conformation or "a multitude of sins". Illness and skin problems also caused loss of coat, in those days before vaccinations and when enteritis and cat flu and various parasites were more common, Persians were considered at a disadvantage - so much so, that some breeders turned their attention to short-hairs instead.

According to John Jennings book "Domestic or Fancy Cats", "Of the many varieties or breeds of the cat with which we are now familiar, it must be remembered that, however crossed, selected, re-crossed, domesticated, or what not, we have but two breeds on which the super-structure of what is known today as the 'classification of varieties' has been reared - viz, the long-hair or Eastern cat, and the short-hair or European. The term 'breed' is even here used advisedly, for whatever the outer covering or coat, colour, or length of fur, the contour of each and all is practically the same. Nor is this confined to mere outline. Take the skull, for example, which measured in the usual manner with shot, making due allowance for difference in size, is not only similar in the different varieties of either long- or short-hair, but even in the wild cat the anatomy is similar, the slight variation being in a great measure explained by its different conditions of life and diet, and is in unison with the fact of how even the ordinary domestic cat will undergo a change in taking up a semi-wild, outdoor existence."

For details of the different breeds, see Retrospective Index 1880s to early 1900s section

EXHIBITING CATS CIRCA 1900
(From "The Book of the Cat", 1903, Frances Simpson)

Amongst cat fanciers there is a laudable ambition not only to breed good stock but to exhibit it. Certainly there is vastly more gratification and satisfaction in obtaining high honours for cats and kittens that we have bred ourselves, rather than for those specimens which money has purchased.

If we consider that our cats have sufficiently good points to merit their being entered for a show, we must bear in mind that all the beauty and form and features will be thrown away unless our pussies are in good show condition. For exhibition purposes condition means everything, and this is more especially the case with the long-haired breeds. A first-class specimen whose coat is ragged and matted cannot fail to suffer in the judges' estimation when compared with another cat, of inferior quality perhaps as regards points, but yet in the pink of condition, with its coat well groomed, its eye bright, its fur soft and silky. In the present day many of the specimens penned are so close together in point of breed merit that a very little turns the scale one way or the other. I have often said to myself, when judging a class of cats, "This exhibit would be a winner but for its condition," and I have had to put it down in the list.

There is no doubt that with long-haired cats a fine full coat will cover a multitude of sins, but it cannot alter a long nose or poor shape and bad-coloured eye; and in urging the importance of condition, I at the same time deprecate the awarding of prizes to cats that have nothing to recommend them but their pelage. Seeing, therefore, that a handsome specimen may go to the wall for the lack of attention on the part of the owner, it behoves all cat fanciers and would-be exhibitors to do everything in their power to make their cats look their very best, so that their pets may be things of beauty in the show pen. In the dog, rabbit, and pigeon fancy a great deal more attention is given to condition than amongst cat fanciers, who need waking up to the fact that nothing goes so far to propitiate a judge as superb show form and general appearance.

There may be standards of points for the guidance of the awards, but assuredly a common-sense judge will look with disfavour on a specimen with excellence of breed and correct colour of eye if his coat is draggled and matted, his tail dirty, and his fur soiled. We have only to run our minds back to the various exhibits of well-known fanciers at our large shows, and we shall find that the most persistently successful exhibitors have been those who have sent their cats to the shows in the best condition. Some fanciers. Wishing to help on entries at a show, will exhibit their Persian cats when quite out of coat. This is a mistake; send your money if you like to the secretary, but keep your coatless cats at home.

As regards the short-haired breeds, these cats should have coats with a gloss and brilliancy like that of a well-groomed horse, shining like satin; a spiky appearance in the fur denotes poor condition in both long and short breeds.

In getting cat ready for exhibition owners should look to their comforts in every way. Their houses and beds should be kept clean, their coats combed and brushed daily. Attention should be paid to their ears, for if these are neglected a cat will continually scratch them, and thus injure its appearance by tearing out its fur. Some fanciers are in favour of washing their cats, but when we take into consideration the usually delicate constitutions of Persian cats, and the restless, impatient nature of these animals, it behoves us to try to find some other effectual means of cleansing their coats, which in the case of white and silver cats are easily soiled. Experience has taught me that very good results can be obtained by damping the coats with a soft cloth dipped in a weak solution of ammonia and water. Follow this up by rubbing some white powder into the fur and well fingering the parts that are at all greasy. Pears' white precipitated fuller's earth is the best preparation, and is perfectly harmless. To clean away the powder use a fairly soft brush, and after this process has been gone through several times your cat will be fit for show. Another method of cleaning long-haired cats is to heat a quantity of bran in the oven. Put it into a large bowl or footbath, and stand the puss in it. Rub the hot bran well amongst the fur for some minutes, and afterwards carefully brush it out. This treatment will give a soft and silky appearance to the coat, but for light-coloured cats the powder is more cleansing.

Cats require to be educated to the show pen, and it is very necessary in some cases to give a course of training. For this purpose it is well to obtain a similar pen to those used at shows, and to place your puss in this for an hour or two daily. In time he will learn to come and site and look out of his temporary prison, and when he makes his debut he will not spoil his chances by crouching at the back of the show pen, or vex his would-be admirers, who may have recourse to the use of an umbrella or stick to make the exhibit move into a more convenient and conspicuous position [note: modern exhibitors may be appalled that show visitors could interfere with a cat in this way].

Taking it for granted you have decided to send your cat to a show, the first step is to register it in the club under whose rules the show is to be held. At present the National Cat Club and the Cat Club both require separate registration, the charge being one shilling. It is, however, to be hope that the earnest wish of all cat fanciers and exhibitors will ere be long fulfilled, and that one register will be kept by an independent person, so that pedigrees can be verified and mistakes rectified, and the confusion caused by a double registration will cease to worry and perplex the cat-loving community. Registration forms are supplied by the secretaries of the respective clubs, and you must fill in the particulars of your cats as set forth on the forms, a sample of which is here given, together with the registration rules of the national Cat Club:-

REGISTRATION

The registration rules of the National Cat Club are as follows:-

Only one cat must be entered on one form, which must be forwarded with a remittance of one shilling to Mrs A Stennard Robinson, Hon Sec at 5, Great James Street, Bedford Row, London, W.C. The various varieties as recognised by the Club are as follows:-

It will be seen that you are requested to give more than one name, and it is very desirable in the first instance to select an uncommon one, which may be considered your cat's exhibition title, but you will doubtless have some short pet name for home use. A prefix, probably the name of the town or village in which you live, can be used to specially identify your cat. For this an extra charge is made. It is well to fill in the pedigree as far as possible, and every exhibitor should strive to obtain correct particulars of date of birth and name of breeder of the cat to be exhibited. It is a pity to label your cat "unknown," if with a small amount of trouble exact details can be obtained. At any rate, it is important to state the names of the two parents. The age of kittens should be counted by months - that is, say, from the 20th to the 20th. Having registered your cat, you receive a notification of such registration, and whether you are intending to exhibit or not it is very necessary and advisable that your cat should be duly registered in at least one of the parent clubs.

A separate fee is charged for each cat or kitten in each class, and the amount must be forwarded at the same time as the entry is made. The following is a copy of the entry form used at the Cat Club's show at Brighton in 1901, and I may mention that the fee for registration has since been raised from 6d (sixpence) to 1s (one shilling):-

The exhibiting rules should be carefully studied, and intending exhibitors must pay great attention to the classification set forth in the schedule so as to determine the correct class in which to enter their cats. If there remains any doubt in the mind of the novice, then it is best to consult some reliable and well-known breeder, giving a full description of the cat you wish to show. It is a grievous disappointment if through ignorance of carelessness a good specimen is labelled "wrong class."

It is always stated in the schedules that the entries close on a particular date, and that after this none can or will be received. Experience proves, however, that this is often not a law of the Medes and Persians, for the date is frequently of an elastic nature, and therefore it is always worth while for an intending exhibitor to write requesting that, if possible, his entry may be received, although it is forwarded after the advertised time of closing. Many exhibitors are not aware that by paying an extra shilling they can generally secure a double pen for their cats. It is not usual for the secretary of a show to send a receipt for entries and fees, as the tallies and labels which are forwarded later serve as an acknowledgment for these. When by chance labels etc are not received in time to be used by exhibitors, or they are lost or mislaid, then the hampers [cat carriers] should be addressed to the secretary of the show, and a note of explanation enclosed. The entry can then be looked up, and the pen number discovered. If cats are entered in joint names, then it is desirable that the owners should let the secretary know to whom to send the labels and tallies, as if these are only forwarded a day or two before the show to the partner who does not keep the cat, complications may arise. If litter classes are provided at a show, it is well for the intending exhibitor to send the whole litter, as the number of the family is taken into consideration in judging, and perhaps a large litter of six may take over a smaller litter of three, even though the quality of the trio is in advance of the larger family. As regards pairs of kittens, I would say select two kittens as near alike as possible in colour, size, and quality; they need not be of the same litter, but it is as a "pair" they will be judged, so if one exhibit is much inferior to its fellow then the value of the pair is seriously diminished. A defective eye or damaged tail will tell against a cat or kitten in the show pen, therefore it is useless to throw away entry fees upon these blemished, though perchance dearly loved, creatures.

The question of ribbons to suite the colours of the various cats is one deserving of consideration. Many exhibitors make the mistake of using broad ribbons and making very big bows, but both long and short haired cats present a neater appearance with narrow ribbons, and the bow should be stitched in the centre, so that it cannot come undone and thus give a dishevelled appearance to the puss. The metal tallies will hang more gracefully round the neck if a slip ring is run through the hole of the tally and then the ribbon is put through the ring. Cushions and hangings for the pen are not at all desirable, even if they are permitted. They collect germs and become offensive, and moreover it is much better that all exhibits should be placed on the same footing - namely, a bed of hay or straw.

The question of hampers and travelling appliances has been dealt with in a previous chapter, but I would earnestly impress upon exhibitors not to send their cats away on journeys, long or short, in tumble-down hampers and unsafe packing cases. Whether hampers or boxes, I would here suggest that whichever is used let the fasteners be secure and yet easy to manipulate. Straps should be attached to the box or hamper as in the confusion or hurry of show work these, if left loose, may get mislaid. The labels should be so arranged that they may be conveniently turned over for the return journey, where, on the reverse side, ought to be the owner's name and full address. It is most important that these should be distinctly written. I recommend all exhibitors to insure their cats when sending the to a show. The charge is 3d (3 pennies) for every £1, and having paid our money we take our chance, which is perhaps a less hazardous one than if this precaution had been neglected.

The arrangements, or rather want of arrangements, as regards the transit of live stock on our railways leaves much to be desired, and, therefore, it behoves fanciers and exhibitors who value their cats for their own sakes and for their intrinsic worth, to do all in their power to mitigate the discomforts of a journey and the risks that must necessarily attend the conveyance of live stock by rail. Some fanciers make it a rule never to exhibit unless they themselves can take and bring back their cats, and though this necessarily entails a great deal of trouble and some expense, yet there is an immense satisfaction in feeling our pets are under our own supervision. There is also an advantage in penning your own cats, and if you arm yourself with a brush and comb you are able to give some finishing touches to pussy's toilet previous to the judges' inspection and awards. Let me recommend a metal comb, and a brush such as is used for Yorkshire terriers, which has long penetrating bristles, but is neither too hard nor too soft.

Disqualification of cats or kittens at shows may arise from various causes. First, if the cat has not been registered, or if it can be proved that the animal has not been in the possession of the exhibitor for fourteen days before the show, or if a wrong pedigree has been given, or the date of birth of a kitten is incorrect. Any attempt at "faking" will disqualify an exhibit, and in some cases the too free use of powder on white and silver cats is a disqualification in the eyes of some judges. Exhibitors have been known to dye the chins of tabby cats and treat white spots on self-coloured cats in the same manner. Such "faking," as it is popularly called, is always risky, as well as a most undesirable operation, and if resorted to ought not to be passed over by a judge who might detect the artifice and yet lack the moral courage to expose the offender. Let me warn exhibitors against the evil practice of over feeding their cats at shows. It is so much better for a cat to starve for two days than to overload its stomach with the plentiful supplies brought by an over-anxious exhibitor. The sanitary arrangements at present existing at cat shows do not allow of such a course, and if one meal of raw meat and plenty of fresh water is supplied by the show authorities pussy will fare much better than being stuffed with a variety of dainties brought in paper bags.

Whilst the inmates of your cattery are attending shows it is a good opportunity to give an extra cleansing and airing to their houses, and on their return be careful to destroy the hay or straw contained in the hampers or boxes, and thoroughly disinfect these, leaving them out in the open air for a day or two before packing them away. It is generally advisable to give a slight aperient [laxative] to grown cats after they come back from a show, for it often happens that these cleanly creatures refuse to make use of the scanty accommodation provided for them in the show pens, and thus complications may arise unless attention is paid to their wants on their return. If many cats are kept, and some are sent to a show, on no account allow these to mix with your other animals on their return. It is a wise precaution to keep them apart for a few days, more especially if you have young kittens to consider.

The prize cards should be returned in the hampers when sent back to exhibitors. If these are soiled or broken on their arrival, a request to the secretary asking for fresh ones will probably be attended to.

Every member of a cat club and exhibitor at a show has a right to lodge a complaint with the secretary and committee of the club under whose rules the show is held, if an injustice has been done to an exhibit in the opinion of the exhibitor. According to the rules a deposit has to be paid and can be reclaimed unless the complaint is considered "frivolous."

Show promoters cannot afford to give their money away without some return or provisional stipulation, and therefore fanciers must not complain if when a class does not fill it is either amalgamated or only half the advertised prize money is given. This latter plan is by far the most satisfactory. There has probably never been a show of any live stock held where complete satisfaction has been given; but, generally speaking, "grumbling" is a most mistaken and pernicious habit, and exhibitors should strive to become good losers. If they cannot learn this lesson, then the remedy remains in their own hands, and they had better keep their cats at home rather than run the risk of being disappointed themselves and of causing unpleasantness to others. If a judgment is obviously wrong, then the triumph is with the best cat, and we should take our defeat in a sportsmanlike manner.

In July, 1902, a cat section in connection with the annual dog show was held in the Old Deer Park, Richmond. This proved a great success, and entries numbered over three hundred. A few words in description of this show may be appropriate here, especially in view of the photographs (specially taken) which illustrate this chapter.

Its chief features were the twenty-five entries in the litter classes and the ring class for neuters only. Objection is often made to litter classes, and yet these are certainly the most attractive. I think that double pens should be provided, and special food ought to be supplied for the little ones. It stands to reason that very young kittens cannot be fed like the grown cats, and it is only natural that if big pieces of meat are thrust into the pen for the mother the hungry little creatures will make a rush for it. They bolt down the hard lumps, and these remain undigested in their tender little stomachs. It is not to be wondered at if gastritis, inflammation, and other distressing ailments supervene. It is much better to let the mother do without her usual meat rations and content herself with good, nourishing baby food, such as Mellin's or Ridge's, rather than run the risk of providing her with such which will injure her little kittens. With ordinary supervision no evil consequences should ensue from the introduction of litter classes, especially at a one day show. It is not, however, advisable to have litter classes at shows held during the winter months. But in perfect, warm weather no fatalities will be reported. Certainly the mothers with their families prove a great attraction, and as woollen balls, attached from the top of the pens, are provided for the amusement of the kittens, they delight themselves and their audience with their playful frolics.

The ring class for neuters only was an innovation and proved very successful, and although some of these pet pussies declined to show themselves off to the best advantage, yet they did not "go" for each other as is sometimes the case when the males are within measurable distance of each other. The illustration given is from a photo specially taken for this work, and shows the judges deliberating on the respective merits of the neuter cats. On this occasion a famous Blue Persian owned by Madame Portier carried off the honours. He behaved very well on the lead, and his grand shape and wonderful coat made him an easy first.

Another illustration shows the judges at work awarding the special prizes, which in many cases have to be decided conjointly. Miss Frances Simpson and Mr C A House are comparing notes and determining which of the first prize kittens is deserving of the special for the best in show. On this occasion Mrs Bennet, a well-known breeder of Blue Persians, was awarded the coveted prize.

A general view of one of the rows is given, but on this particular occasion no covering was supplied for the benching, and, therefore, the aspect of the show pens leaves much to be desired. The travelling baskets being placed under the pens, these should be hidden from the public gaze in order to give a neat and tidy appearance to the show. The best material for this purpose is red baize. The custom of allowing exhibitors to pen their own cats enables them to given their pussies a final brush up before they are subjected to the critical examination of the judge. Our illustration represents Mrs peter Brown, a well known breeder of Blue Persians, attending to the toilet of her beautiful "Bunch," who on this occasion repeated her successes at the Botanic Gardens and carried off the highest honours in the Blue Female Persian class. And now to pass on to another portion of our subject.

A standard of points for all long and short haired cats was drawn up by a sub-committed of the Cat Club, of which I was a member; but since specialist clubs have come into existence, having their own list of points, nothing much has been seen or heard of the Cat Club's standard. It is just as well to have some definite lines upon which fanciers and exhibitors may base their ideas, and so aim at, if they cannot attain to, the height of perfection set forth in these standards. They are really not meant for judges, because I venture to assert that a judge is no judge if he requires anything besides his own personal conviction, experience, and common sense when called upon to decide the various points in the different breeds. A good judge of old china will not search for the mark to know whether the specimen is Chelsea or Worcester. He will tell you "it is marked all over" - that is, he knows a good bit of stuff, even if it should not have the gold anchor of Chelsea or the square mark of Worcester ware. It appeals at once to the eye of the connoisseur, just as a worthless specimen is at once put out of the ranks of winners.

It is the greatest error not to have thorough confidence in oneself when undertaking to judge cats or, in fact, in judging any animal, or any thing. No one should undertake to judge if they wish to seek the counsel of others. They must have the courage of their own convictions, and, although some amount of training may be required, I think that judges are born , not made; and people who have not a keen power of observation and a faculty of coming rapidly to a fixed conclusion can never hope the become satisfactory or competent judges. There are many cat fanciers on whose judgment of a cat I should implicitly rely, and who know a good specimen when they see it, but if place before a row of twenty or thirty cats of a breed they seem to lose their heads and get hopelessly confused, and then the reporter says, "We could not follow the awards." There is no doubt that judges of cats are severely handicapped. Firstly cats are such terribly timid, shrinking animals that when dragged out of their pens with great difficulty - for the doors are most inconveniently small - they often struggle so violently that, for fear of hurting the animal or of it escaping, the judge will swiftly restore it to its resting place without having obtained much satisfaction from his cursory examination. Unless judging pens are provided, there is really no chance of making fair comparisons between two cats which may appear of almost equal merit. How is a judge to decide on the form of limbs and general build of a cat when holding it in his arms or seeing it huddled up at the back of its pen?

An agitation is now on foot for having cats judged in a ring, and no doubt, in time this will be the order of the day at our shows; but fanciers will have to train up their cats in the way they should go - namely, when quite young they must be accustomed to a lead and also be constantly brought out amongst strangers. As an example, I would refer to the starting gate recently introduced into this country on the racecourse. It was no use to attempt it for the old stagers, but trainers soon accustomed the two-year-olds to the innovation, and I believe many, if not all, the objectors are now converted to the new system of starting racehorses.

In judging a class, I first go round and mark the absent cats; then I note down those that could not under any circumstances take a prize. If there is a large class - say, of twenty to thirty specimens - I mark off all poor and seedy-looking cats until the number is reduced to about eight or ten; then I begin to search for the winners. At this point I take out each specimen, and, if no judging pen is provided, I get someone to assist me, and by bringing out two cats at a time I can make comparisons and note down any remarks in my book for further reference. It often happens that one particular cat will stand out prominently from all the test in a class, and then there is no difficulty about the first award. It is always well to give a "reserve" and to distribute - but not too freely - the VHC, HC and C cards [Very Highly Commended, Highly Commended and Commended]. It does not do to make these too cheap, and scatter them all over the class. VHC might be awarded to a cat in splendid coat, but which failed in head and eyes; HC to another specimen with hardly any coat and poor head, but correct in eye; and C to a promising youngster without any serious fault, only with no striking point of merit. A good judge must thus weigh the pros and cons and have a reason to give himself or anyone else for each degree of merit, from first prize to the humble C.

And here I would mention that there is a nice and a very nasty way for an exhibitor to question a judge's award. To be attacked suddenly with the query, "Why have you not given my cat a prize?" is quite enough to make any judge retire into his shell and refuse any explanation; but if asked to kindly give an reason why a certain animal has failed to win, and to explain why one specimen, apparently a fine cat, should be lower than another, I am sure any judge would gladly give the inquirer the benefit of his larger experience and the reason for the awards. It is a mistake for a judge to distribute the full complement of prizes in a class when and where the exhibits are not possessing of sufficient merit. A first prize cat should be a good specimen of its kind, and it is much better to withhold this award than to give it to a poor representative of his breed. It also reflects discredit on a judge, for an exhibitor wishing to boast of his honours may publish that his "Tommy Atkins" took first under so-and-so, when perhaps there were only two cats in the class.

It is quite legitimate for a judge to ask permission of the show authorities to award and extra prize in a large class with several fine specimens; and if he has withheld others in a poor and badly filled class then there is no extra burden put on to the funds of the club. A great deal should be left to the discretion of the judge, and in the matter of special prizes, if one is offered for, say, the best long-haired white cat, and only one or two specimens are on show, and these are neither of them good types of this breed, then the judge should be empowered to withhold the prize. Such a course may be an unpopular one, but I am sure it is the correct and fairest one, for it is a farce to award first prize and specials to an inferior animal just because he happens to be without other competitors. Anyone who has judged the large classes of blues and silvers which now appear at our principal shows will bear me out in my suggestion that such classes, numbering perhaps thirty and more exhibits, should be subdivided according to age. Such an arrangement would be welcomed by judge and exhibitor alike. At the Crystal Palace Show in 1901 the blue kittens numbered thirty-nine in the class, male and female, the age limit being three to eight months. How could a judge be expected to satisfactorily award three prizes in such a huge class? And I know that many superb specimens on this occasion had to be content with a VHC card, which it would have gone to my heart as a judge to place on their pen.

If there is a prize offered for the best cat in the show, the judge or judges have not to consider which is there favourite breed or which is the most fashionable colour, but just which cat is the best possible type, which specimen is the nearest perfection, and which is exhibited in the best all-round show condition. In long-haired classes the length and quality of coat and fullness of ruff go a long way towards a high place in the awards, and, as I have before remarked, condition is a most important factor in the judges' estimation. In the self-coloured classes of blues and blacks a judge should make diligent search for white spots on throat or stomach. Formerly cats thus blemished were relegated to the "any other" class, but it has been wisely decided by both clubs that cats with white spots should be judged in their own classes, and that this defect should count as a point or points against them. This is as it should be, for to place self-coloured cats in an any "other colour class" seems absurd. They are black and blue cats in spite of a few white hairs, and should be judged as such. They may never aspire to a first prize, at any rate at a large show; but surely a really fine black or blue cat, with correct eyes, grand head, and good shape, even with the unfortunate spot, should and ought to score over a poor specimen with green eyes and long nose. In the tabby classes a judge will first consider the groundwork and markings, and to these premier points special attention should be given, as there is a tendency to breed tabby cats which are barred only on heads and legs, the body markings being blurred and indistinct.

It is not unlikely that in due time the "any other colour" class will no longer form part of the classification at our large shows. Formerly this used to be the largest class of any, but nowadays the entries are becoming small and beautifully less. It is not worth while for a fancier to keep these specimens - they do not fetch any price, they are not valuable as breeders, and it is quite a toss up whether they can win in such a mixed company. I remember the time when blues were entered in the "any other colour" class, and when blue tabbies were more numerous than silvers or blues. It is really a most difficult task for a judge to give his awards at a local show where all sorts and conditions of cats are placed in the one class. Such an arrangement is good for neither man nor beast.

And then, again, at our large shows it behoves a judge to be very level-headed to cope with the numerous brace, team, and novice classes, for one cat may be entered in all these, besides being in the open cat and kitten class; and woe betide the unfortunate judge who makes a slip, for the wrath of the exhibitor and the sarcasm of the reporter will be poured out upon him. No doubt it is a grave mistake to reverse one's own awards, and yet judges are but mortal, and "to err is human." It is hard when cat fanciers take to judging the judges and their judgments. A judge may be absolutely ignorant of the owners of the cats and thus utterly unbiased; yet there will not be wanting those who will pick holes in their characters, and see in their awards clear proof of personal spite and party favour. The intense suspiciousness of some fanciers and the readiness with which they impute low motives to others is greatly to be deplored.

I will here quote from an article by Mr C A House, the well-known editor and judge of live stock. Under the heading of "The Judging of Cats," Mr house says:- "All my awards are based on the idea that each breed possesses a distinctive feature, and that distinctive feature must be the one to which most consideration is given. After the chief feature come others, such as shape. Coat, colour, etc, and the premier awards should be given to cats possessing the best all-round properties … Selfs, above all things, should be pure in colour. For instance, a blue should be blue, and a black, black. Yet a little rustiness of colour should not be allowed to outweigh a host of other good properties. Colour, however, is hard to breed rich and pure, and should at all times be more highly valued that size, or even coat. Only those who have tried to breed markings know how difficult it is to get them anything approaching perfection. Nothing is more fleeting that marking, and nothing more tantalising to the breeder. Summing up the matter, my own opinion is, and has been for years, that the cat fancy has been hindered and hampered by judges judging the exhibits because they belong to so-and-so … I was much amused at one incident at Westminster where a big champion had suffered defeat. The fair owner was heckling the judge, and he in reply to her remarks made this answer: 'It makes no difference to me had the cat belonged to the Queen [Victoria] herself; I should then have done the same. I don't judge cats on what they have previously won or because they belong to any particular person. I judge them on their form at the time, and it makes no difference to me if a cat has won fifty firsts or none at all.' This reply was more than the exhibitor had bargained for, but all honest-minded fanciers must acknowledge the judge was right. What is sadly needed in the cat fancy today is more of this sturdy, unflinching determination to judge cats and not their owners. Cat exhibitors have much to learn yet, and the sooner the morale of the judging arena is raised the more healthy will the fancy become and the more quickly will it advance."

Another of our well-known judges, Mr T B Mason, writing on the same subject, says:- "In my judging engagements I have very often come across exhibits with good coloured eyes, but not the correct shape. A small eye, however good the colour may be, will give the cat a disagreeable, sour expression. With this shape of eye we generally see a narrow, long face, which should keep any exhibit out of the prize list in good competitions. Let it, however, be clearly understood, I do not want eyes to have undue weight in the general conditions of cat judging; but they are important, and as such ought to have due and careful attention at the hands of breeders and judges alike. Two things in the judging of short-hairs weigh heavily with me, namely, pale colours and light-marked heads and white lips. These defects, in my opinion, ought to put out of the money those that possess them in good competition. I perfectly agree with Mr House about the standards. They are useful both to the breeder and judge; but for the judge to take the standards and try to judge by them at any show would be foolish indeed. All judges are expected to know the varieties they are called upon the judge, and to have the faculty to weigh up the good points and defects of the specimens before them, and place them accordingly."

Judges did not always get it right and the cat magazines were sometimes full of complaints (though this was considered very bad form). In "Our Cats" in 1900, H C Brooke wrote of a "recent farce" when a cat won in succession as a Manx and as a Japanese cat. Originally, stated to be of Manx parentage, it was later shown as a Japanese because some 'connoisseurs of foreign cats' declared it must be a Jap because it had a kink in its tail. The classification of cats was also hit-or-miss in 1900, because around the same time, a Ringtailed Lemur (a primate) had won the Foreign breed class at Crystal Palace. The matter was widely discussed in the general press and in animal fancier publications and the owner defended his win because sailors often brought home lemurs which they termed "Madagascar Cats". The judge, allegedly Miss H Cochran, defended the award by saying "A lemur is a lemur, and a Madagascar cat is a Madagascar cat." This was not the only time Miss Cochran's decision was contested. "Our Cats" in 1902 contained a letter regarding Miss H Cochran's conduct at the Victoria Hall Cat Show: "There was a very good young black kitten , called Nig, exhibited in the Novice Manx class. It did not get a card, Miss H Cochran (the judge) saying it had a stump. It had no stump on the Thursday, and there being no sore place it cannot be assumed it had been nibbled off during the night! On Thursday it was examined by Miss Frances Simpson, Miss Dresser, Mr Louis Wain, and others, who all pronounced it absolutely tailless!" Great injustice was done to its owner, Miss Goddard, by such careless judging and Miss Cochran refused to look at Nig again, saying that it had possessed a stump when examined the previous day. In fact Nig went on to become Champion King Clinkie and must, therefore, have been tailless!

Now to turn our attention to the management of shows, and upon this question I feel I am fairly competent to give an opinion, as I have acted as show manager and as show secretary to some of our largest exhibitions in London and at Brighton. The office is indeed no sinecure, and very few fanciers, exhibitors, or visitors have any idea of the enormous amount of forethought required, to say nothing of physical and secretarial labours, to make a big show run smoothly. The responsibility also is great, for a conscientious manager feels he has valuable live stock in his temporary possession, of which he has, so to speak, to render up account. There are many mixed shows held throughout the country where a cat section is given, and it is to be regretted that in most, if not all cases the poor pussies are badly provided for and generally go to the wall. At a dog and cat show everything goes to the dogs! Secretaries wishing to promote successful cat sections at their mixed shows should secure some well-qualified person to have entire control of this department. It is certainly true that, of all live stock, cats require the most consideration ad supervision, and yet to the masculine mind of a show secretary it would appear that the cats can look after themselves. There is no doubt that the first step towards making a show successful is to engage the services of a competent, energetic, and painstaking manager and secretary. It is also very desirable to appoint a really good working show committee, the members of which should each undertake some particular duty in connection with the show. For instance, one member might superintend the feeding, another could be responsible for obtaining promises of special prizes, another devote himself - or herself to verifying the prize tickets placed on the pens, and so on. A system of advertising a show must be decided upon by the show committee, and notices sent to the various journals which are circulated amongst fanciers. The class and prize tickets must be ordered in good time either by the secretary of the club or the manager of the show.

The best time of the year for a show as regards the appearance of Persian cats is in December or January. Then, if ever, these particular cats should be in their best show condition. As regards kittens, the early summer or autumn is the best period, as spring kittens will then be ready to make their bow to the public. It is much to be regretted that the two principal shows of the National Cat Club - namely the Botanic Gardens and the Crystal Palace Shows - should be held respectively in June and October, when Persian cats are in poor coat.

Quite three months before the date of the show a managing secretary will start work. Catalogues of previous shows must be collected together, in order to ascertain the names and addresses of likely exhibitors.

Special prizes are now a great feature at all cat shows, and a good deal of extra work is entailed by writing to obtain promises of these for the various breeds. If possible, it is well to appoint someone who is in touch with those who are likely to become donors, and to hand over this department. I would advise anyone undertaking this branch of the show to have a book, and to head each page with the respective classes of long and short haired breeds, and then when a special is received - say, for the best black Persian cat - to place this on the page set apart for specials for this particular breed. Keep a separate list for kittens, and decline to accept specials given in the form of stud visits or for cats bred from such-and-such a sire; these savour too much of self-advertisement. There are so many specialist societies nowadays, and as these provide their own specials the show executive is considerably relieved of obtaining prizes.

Of course, there are always a certain number of challenge cups, medals, and specials given by the club holding the show, and care should be taken to distribute these fairly amongst the various classes. It is usual and advisable to limit the competition of the majority of these special prizes to the members of the club. I do not approve of a special prize being offered for the best cat in the show, as it is almost impossible for the judges to arrive at a satisfactory decision, and considerable heartburnings are generally the result of such a competition. A very useful mode of assisting a show is by guaranteeing classes; and I would suggest yet another plan, namely, to subscribe so much toward the expenses of the show. These are necessarily heavy, and it has been stated that no cat show can ever be made a paying affair.

As regards the specialist societies, I think it seems the correct thing that the club intending to hold the show should instruct its secretary to write to the secretary of each specialist society to ask if he is willing to support the show by prizes or by guaranteeing classes, and to name the latest date for receiving particulars of the support to be given. The specialist societies have their own judges, and it is only natural when they are offering handsome prizes that a claim should be made for first-class judging in the interests of the breed. It is therefore essential, as matters at present stand, for one of the judges from the list of the specialist club to be selected to give awards in the classes connected with the society. It is important to obtain as full a list as possible of special prizes from societies and outside donors in good time for insertion in the schedule, as a tempting list will ensure a better entry. In the schedule the exhibition rules of the club should be printed, and in addition there should be a list of arrangements in a prominent position setting forth details as to the opening and closing of the show, the time up to which exhibits are received, the earliest hour at which they may be removed, and the prices of admission. The names sof the judges, with their respective classes, should be clearly set forth, and it should be mentioned whether classes will or will not be amalgamated or cancelled. A few advertisements of stud cats and trade notices should be obtained, as this means grist to the mill and helps to pay for the printing of the schedules and catalogues.

The question of classification is an all-important one, and needs the consideration of a careful show committee, well versed in the ways of cats and of cat fanciers. A list of the classification used by one or two big cat clubs has been given. Of course, at smaller shows it is often impossible to give separate classes for several breeds or to divide the sexes; but my remarks in this chapter will refer to the customs and arrangements of large shows, such as those held by the national Cat Club at the Crystal Palace, and the Cat Club at Westminster. I do not think it is good policy on the part of a show committee or management to amalgamate classes. It is much better to advertise in schedules that when entries are fewer than, say, four or five, then the judges are empowered to withhold any of the prizes; or, again, in the case of a very small class, half prize money might be awarded.

Having decided on the classification, and given as liberal and attractive a one as is possible and practicable, it is well to consider the number of schedules likely to be required, and then start addressing the wrappers. In each schedule must be inserted two or three entry and registration forms. The entry forms, with fees, are returned to the secretary, and the registration forms to the person who keeps the register of the club holding the show. And here I would remark on the mistake it is to have two registers for cats. It is very confusing for exhibitors, and a double expense, as the National Cat Club and the Cat Club each charge a shilling. Then, again, as the National Cat Club has recently passed a rule disqualifying all cats exhibited at Cat Club shows, the confusion is worse confounded.

Some fanciers having large catteries divide their exhibits and send to both National Cat Club and Cat Club shows; but this new registration rule falls heavily on cat fanciers who are keen to exhibit their specimens and anxious for the pleasure of obtaining prizes, and desire to profit by showing their stud cats or having an opportunity of disposing of their stock. The National Cat Club shows since the passing of this rule have suffered considerably, both from lack of entries and by the absence of some of the fine champion cats that, having been exhibited at the Cat Club show in January, were thus debarred from appearing at the Botanic Gardens and Crystal Palace shows. How much simpler and better it would be if both clubs could and would agree to have one regist