Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/842

 PETS 814 great advantage in these cases. To keep their coats glossy and bright, black cats should be brushed regularly and frequently rubbed with a soft cloth. The application of brilliantine in small quantities is advisable when preparing for the show-pen. Mrs. Comer's black Persian, "Sweep of Eversley" The entries in the black classes, even at the largest cat shows, are generally few in number, and often the sexes are amalgamated. In reports of shows, such remarks as the following frequently appear : " Good blacks with orange eyes were conspicuous by their absence," or, again, " The black classes, as usual, were poorly filled." But, as " every dog has his day," so, perhaps, there is a good time coming for black Persian cats. Certainly novices in the fancy might do worse than provide themselves with a thoroughly good black " queen " (or female), for, in exhibiting, the chance of honours is very much greater than when competing in classes in which there are so many entries, as in the case of blues and silvers. There is truly not much demand for black kittens at the present time, and very high prices are seldom asked or given for specimens of this rather neglected breed. As everyone knows, a vast amount Df superstition is connected with a black cat. But, although black cats are supposed to be the harbingers of evil under some conditions, yet cat fanciers and others are inclined to believe in the probable luck that a stray black cat may bring them. White Persian Cats These lovely cats, when seen in full coat, spotlessly clean, and with deep blue eyes, are certainly things of beauty. A great change has taken place in the quantity and quaUty of this fascinating breed of Persians. Formerly, blue eyes were the exception, now they are the rule. It would be quite useless to exhibit a yellow-eyed white at one of our large shows. There are two points peculiar to white cats, and the mystery of these particular traits has yet to be solved. One is that white cats with blue eyes are generally stone deaf, and the other is that this is the only variety in which odd eyes appear. These are usually yellow and blue, though, some-* times, green and blue eyes appear. It would not be surprising if white cats, like human albinos, had pink eyes, but these are unknown in the feline race. Colour of the Eyes The correct eye colour for whites is a deep sapphire blue. The colour of kittens' eyes can be told earlier than in any other breed. The eyes are generally a bright blue from the beginning, without a shade of the grey which exists in the opening eyes of all other breeds. It frequently happens that white kittens are born with a patch of grey on the top of the head. This blemish, however, gradually disappears as the kitten grows its coat. . As regards breeding blue-eyed whites, it is not necessary or essential that both parents should be blue eyed. Experience proves that kittens by odd-eyed parents, or, at least, when one of the parents has different coloured eyes, have all proved blue-eyed. Again, a pair of blue-eyed whites may have odd-eyed kittens in the litter. The difficulty of keeping white cats clean, especially in towns, no doubt deters fanciers from breeding them, and others from pur- chasing the kittens. A white cat soiled is a white cat spoiled. If a specimen of this breed is sent to a show with a dirty coat, he will assuredly be " put down " by the judge, although in other points he may The Hon. Mrs. Clive Behrcn's white Persian, " Ch. Swinton Day Dream." This beautiful specimen frequently carries all before it at the great shows Photo, Russell, Crystal Palace