Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/478

 PETS 456 black or very heavily barred and striped. advisable to wash long-haired cats, as there The experienced fancier, however, will is always a risk of their catching cold, and " possess her soul in patience," knowing that cats are not partial to water. It is better to every day the little mites will grow paler, give them a bran bath, or to rub in fine white and that the tabbiness will disappear like fuller's earth, and then use a soft brush, magic, if, of course, the parents are correct Chinchilla and white Persians require in type. special preparation for the show pen, and the In making a selection from a litter of young most successful exhibitors are those who silver kittens it is advisable to choose the pay the greatest attention to the condition one with the least markings on head and face. of their cats. An almost perfect chinchilla The question as to the correct colour of as regards points will fail to catch the judge's eyes for a chinchilla, or silver, cat has only eye if it is penned with a soiled coat and been decided of late years. Formerly green draggled fur. or yellow eyes were admissible, but the prize- There is a specialist society to look after the winners of to-day must have bright emerald interests of chinchilla Persians, and the green eyes. This colour certainly tones following is the standard of points drawn up better with the silvery coat than yellow or for the benefit of judges and exhibitors, orange. " Silvers, or chinchillas, should be as pale The Eyes of Chinchillas and unmarked as it is possible to breed them. There is one rather peculiar feature in the ^ny brown or cream tinge is a great draw- eyes of some silver cats. This is the dark rim ^^^^ ; the eyes to be green, which often encircles the eye, and certainly value of i^oiNXS enhances its beauty, making it appear larger ^r -i r'omts than it really is. Fluffy ear-tufts and toe- ^^^^ ^° tufts are adjuncts which go to make up bhape •• ^5 a perfect chinchilla. The nose is a dull brick ^olour of coat 25 red, darkening shghtly towards the edges. ^^f^ ^^^ condition . . .... 20 All Persian cats suffer severely in appear- Colour, shape, and expression ance during the process of shedding their t 1 ^ ^^^^ ^° coats, but silvers present an extra ragged lail . . 10 appearance at this period of their existence. At some of the large cat shows classes are The lovely, fluffy, light silver under-coat given for silvers and shaded silvers. This almost disappears ______ latter variety is the top mark- mgmmamgmmimmammtmmmmgmmmammm^^ really a out ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^HJIRjjjjj^B^^^I chilla or very distinctly, so ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^////KKtm^^ ^^^^^^m and though that a cat that ^^^^^^^^■pP^^^^^^^"^^^» ^I^H shadings down the in full coat would ^^^^^^K^^ i-M^'^m^ ^B spine line are be considered a ^^^^^^T '■- b- ^ "V correct, yet tabby light, unmarked ^^^^^^ ^^» ^S markings on both specimen will H^P^. ^'5ff. ^ H head and legs appear streaked ^P^ ^' ,^fe ^^^^ should be just as and dark after the H|^ i^^Kii^ ^ 1 slight as it is coat has been ^Kf vH^^HilMlH^ ^^1 Possible, sh^d. ^^R'^ ^H^^I^^^H JIh Very high prices As regards the ^Kk^aM^ ' J^M^W^^fe^^^^gJ^M are asked and mating of chin- ^^HgH^ j|^^_^_|m||||^_^^^_ obtained for un- chillas. is best ^^^^^H|^^^^^^^I|^^^^^^^^^H marked pale chin- to the ^^^^^HH^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H ehillas. same breed, the ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^MBPH^IHWWBBBBM known breeder only other variety ^"^^^^ ^'^^'"'^ °^ ^ StyT'SteT'o^^^^^^^^ and exhibitor of With which silvers this variety may safely be crossed is with smokes. It recently sold a silver male to America for is, however, more than probable that some ;^ioo. nondescript sort of kitten or kittens will result. These hght silver smokes are exceedingly ^^'"® *** ^^^ Short-haired Cat pretty cats, and make fascinating pets, but This is the highest sum ever paid for a they are useless for breeding purposes or long or short-haired cat. As regards the sale exhibiting. Several experiments have been of chinchilla kittens, if pure in colour and made of crossing white Persians with silvers fairly free from tabby markings the price, in order to get pale-coloured kittens, but at about eight weeks old. Varies from this appears seldom to succeed unless the £3 3s. to £5 5s. whites have a silver strain in them. Silver kittens, however, are very specu- 'some breeders have tried blues, but there is lative purchases. A kitten at three a danger of introducing a smudgy appear- months old may be a thing of veritable ance, and of destroying the purity of colour beauty, and before it has reached the in the silvers. age of eight months, bars and stripes Chinchillas are not suitable cats to keep will possibly set in, and the unmarked in large towns, as their delicate-coloured chinchilla may turn into a poorly marked coats are so easily soiled. It is never silver tabby.