CARE AND MANAGEMENT.
In the care, management, and feeding of cats no hard-and-fast rule
can be laid down, for the dispositions and constitutions of these
animals differ just as much as do those of human beings. Fanciers
must therefore learn to treat their cats individually and not
collectively; they must study their character and make allowances
for the fads and fancies of the feline race. I am convinced that a
varied diet is the best for cats, and fanciers should bear in mind
the importance of regularity in the hours of feeding, whether two or
three or four times a day. Fresh water should always be supplied,
and unfinished food should not be left standing about. For one or
two pet cats the scraps from the table given with judgment will
probably suffice; but in the case of a large cattery with several
inmates, some sort of system in feeding is necessary. I would
suggest that the chief meal for two days a week should be fish,
mixed perhaps with rice or Freeman’s Scientific Food, raw meat twice
or three times a week cut up into fairly small pieces, horse-flesh
(if obtained from a reliable source) twice a week. Lights, liver, or
sardines may be given occasionally. Sloppy food in any large
quantity should be avoided; but oatmeal well boiled, cornflour,
arrowroot, and several of the well-known foods, such as Neave’s or
Mellin’s, make a nice change. Spratt’s biscuits of various kinds,
soaked and mixed with stock, are relished by some cats. Vegetables
should be given frequently, and grass supplied, as green food
purifies the blood and keeps the bowels in good condition. Persian
cats require special attention as regards their coats, and should be
combed and brushed regularly, and, if the fur becomes matted, the
knots should be cut away. Avoid washing your cats; there are other
means of cleansing their coats, particulars of which will be given
in the chapter on exhibiting.
[Illustration:
BLUE PERSIAN.
PRESENTED BY MISS PATTERSON TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN.
]
FEMALE CATS AND KITTENS.
As regards the management of female cats, it is necessary to start
from the time when they first arrive at maturity, viz. when they are
first capable of becoming mothers. This usually takes place—or they
“come in season,” as it is called—after they are seven or eight
months old; and though cases have been known when this has happened
before six months, it is very unusual. It may therefore be laid down
as a rule that if a kitten exhibits extraordinary high spirits,
racing and tearing about, it should be carefully watched, and not
allowed its freedom without supervision, either out of doors or in
the house.
Queens may be known to be in season by several symptoms, such as
rolling on the ground, rubbing up against furniture, increased
affection for their owners, and often by the curious cries they
utter, at times by a soft note of invitation, at other times by
shouts of impatience or distress which resound through the house.
Cats should not be mated until they are nine or ten months old at
least; twelve months is a better age, though if they are insistent
it will not do to put them off more than three times, as there are
records of cats who, having been kept back on account of extreme
youth, have been seriously ill or have never had families at all.
On the other hand, it is possible these cats may have had the
reproductive instinct abnormally strong, though for some cause or
another they would always have been unfertile. Powders are sold to
quiet cats who are considered too young to become mothers, and two
or three small doses of bromide have a decidedly calming effect.
This drug should, however, be given with caution, as it is a
dangerous one in unskilled hands. Cats come in season about every
three weeks during the spring and summer; but in the autumn and
early winter months nature seems to intend that they should rest;
therefore, as soon as the year has turned, and in very mild winters
even before Christmas, no time should be lost in selecting the best
sires for the various breeding queens, and arrangements made with
their respective owners, so that as soon as ever a queen is ready
she may be mated without delay, as some cats go off in two or three
days, while others are not safe for a fortnight. If possible, it is
well to select a stud cat near at hand, especially if your queen is
timid and frightened, as a long railway journey may upset her.
It is most essential that female cats should be freed from worms
before being allowed to mate or breed, otherwise the kittens will
probably fall victims to these pests by sucking in the disease with
the mother’s milk. Most cat fanciers know the symptoms which are
suggestive of worms; and whenever there is a reasonable suspicion of
their presence, then it is best at once to resort to some of the
many remedies to be obtained from veterinaries and cat specialists.
A cat’s period of gestation is nine weeks, but this is often
extended to a day or two longer, so that it is best to expect a
litter about nine weeks from the date of the queen’s return from
visiting the stud cat. An experienced breeder will most likely see
symptoms of a cat coming in season, and will then do well to give a
worm powder. Salvo’s No. 3 powder may be given one morning, and the
cat sent off the next day quite safely. Visiting queens should be
despatched as early in the morning as possible and insured, to save
delay on the road, with the owner’s name and address inside package,
also the name of the cat, as poor pussie will be far happier if on
her arrival she hears herself called by her pet name. Full
instructions should be sent as to the return journey; also it should
be stated if the cat is kept out of doors or indoors, and what food
she is accustomed to have, number of meals per diem, etc. If going a
very long journey the queen should not be nailed into a box, or
padlocked, as occasional delays occur, and the railway authorities
will feed and look after an insured cat if packed in a hamper or box
where they can get at the occupant. Boxes or hampers with skeleton
lids are by far the best on this account. If the weather is very
cold and a basket is used, it should be lined, and round the sides
brown paper is an additional safeguard against draughts, for which
all stations are proverbial. A very delicate cat or young kitten
finds great comfort in winter from a hot-water bottle placed inside
the hamper for it to rest against. Queens should have a good meal an
hour or two before starting, as they often arrive upset with the
journey, and in their strange new home will not at first touch any
food. Do not put any food in the travelling basket. It is not well
for a queen to mate just after a heavy meal.
Fish and warm milk, if these agree with the queen, or a small meat
meal, may be offered after a long, cold journey, and, if eaten, the
queen should be allowed to rest an hour or two before introducing
her to the stud cat.
[Illustration:
THREE LITTLE MAIDS.
(_Photo: E. Landor, Ealing._)
]
After mating, a queen should be kept quiet for a few days on her
return home, as much apart from other cats as possible; but no
uneasiness need be felt if the visit does not seem to have quieted
the queen, as she will settle down in a few days and cease to think
about her mate. With regard to treatment of cats in kitten, some
queens are gentle and quiet, and very careful of themselves, others
are exceedingly bad-tempered, fighting and quarrelling, while some
amuse themselves by climbing up high places and jumping down,
behaving in such a wild and excitable fashion that they not only
endanger their own lives, but run the risk of bringing maimed and
deformed offspring into the world. Cats such as these should be kept
isolated, if possible, or at most with only one other quiet queen,
and all high shelves or tall articles of furniture should be
removed. It is always well to be very careful in handling cats in
kitten. They must never be lifted up by their fore legs, but when
absolutely necessary to move or carry them, both hands should be
used to do so, one being placed under the body by the shoulders to
carry the weight, while the other hand gently supports the hind
quarters; but the less a cat is lifted about the better. All
medicines should be given quietly and quickly, so that there may be
no struggling. The cat’s head should be grasped firmly with the left
hand, the fingers and thumb on each side of the corners of the
mouth, and forced back on the shoulders with a firm pressure; this
will cause her to open her mouth, when medicine can be popped
quickly down the throat from a spoon held in the right hand. In the
case of a very restless cat, it is advisable to have an assistant in
administering medicine. Amateurs would do well to practise giving
water in a spoon to queens who are in health, so that they may
become used to this simple method of administering medicine. Cats in
kit require three or four meals daily of nourishing food—raw meat
from four to six ounces night and morning, and fish and scraps and
vegetables or biscuit, etc., for the midday meal. Half a teaspoonful
of cod-liver oil on their food two or three times a week is very
good for the queens in cold weather; but if sickness ensues, of
course the oil must be discontinued. _Never suffer diarrhœa to go on
unchecked._ This applies to all cats and kittens of whatever age,
sex, or condition, but is especially dangerous when a cat is in kit
or nursing her young. Mr. Ward and Salvo prepare powders which will
stop the diarrhœa, and if persevered with will restore the bowels to
their normal condition. Change of diet is also very helpful. If the
diarrhœa is very violent or persistent, or if no medicine can be
procured, a small quantity of powdered chalk, as much as will lie on
a sixpence, may be given every hour or two, three or four times; but
the primary cause, of which diarrhœa is only a symptom, should be
sought out, and if not discoverable, the advice of a cat doctor
should be obtained.
[Illustration:
A PERILOUS PERCH.
(_Photo: C. Reid, Wishaw._)
]
Persistent diarrhœa (if not the accompaniment of diseases, such as
inflammation of the bowels, etc.), is usually caused by indigestion
or worms, and sometimes by a stoppage of fur or food imperfectly
digested, which nature in this way tries to get rid of; and if this
is the case, or there is even reason to suspect it may be, a dose or
two of warm salad oil, a teaspoonful every two hours, will often
bring away the obstruction. Cats in kitten frequently suffer from
constipation, for which also warm salad oil is far better than
castor-oil, as the latter is irritative to the bowels, and though
acting as an aperient, the after effects are increased costiveness.
Warm salad oil, given a few hours before the birth of kittens, is
helpful to the mother. For at least a week before the kittens are
expected, a nice cosy bed should be prepared in some retired spot;
and, to a novice, the caution would not be amiss—do not let a cat in
kitten sleep on your bed, or she will either have her kittens there,
or will drag the poor little things into the bed the first chance
she gets. If a box is to be made ready for the cat, it should be of
a fair size (about twenty-six inches by eighteen inches), and should
be placed on its side, and a bit of wood about three inches deep
nailed on to the bottom of the side, standing up to keep the bedding
in its place and the kittens from rolling out. This box may be
placed on a table or two chairs, so arranged that the cat can step
in and out from another chair.
The floor of the box should be covered with several thicknesses of
flannel or blanket in the winter and paper in the summer. Avoid
coloured materials, as the dye will come out if they get wet. A
bolster may be placed at one side of the box stuffed with straw, or
hay or paper torn up very small, to support the cat’s back; but
should the weather be very cold and the mother delicate, a hot-water
bottle covered with flannel may be used instead, and is a great
comfort. A covering should be thrown over the box, which may be
pulled down to hide the interior, as cats love to be screened from
observation; and also it is very essential that the tiny babies
should be kept almost in the dark for the first fortnight, after
which time, when their eyes are open, the covering can be raised in
the day and lowered at night in cold weather. This box must be
placed on the ground as soon as the kittens can walk about, but
retaining the ledge already referred to, which will keep them from
ground draughts to a great extent. A nice little box with run
attached is the best house for a cat and kittens; but as these cost
about 25s. each, a number of them become costly and beyond the means
of some breeders. The bed described is the next best thing, far
better for shy queens than a box or basket used in the ordinary way.
An empty drawer makes a good place, but the kittens should be moved
out of it as soon as they can see, as it is rather too dark and
close after the blind period is past.
[Illustration:
MRS. HARDY’S NEUTER “PHARAOH.”
(_Photo: Schutk’s Photographic Galleries._)
]
A cat should sleep in whatever bed is arranged for her for at least
a week before the kittens are expected, and when that day arrives
the queen should be carefully watched, as some cats will have their
kittens anywhere if not looked after. For the sake of those new to
the fancy, it may be as well to remark that cats become very
restless, walking about sometimes purring loudly, and looking in
cupboards and dark corners, while occasionally the first noticeable
indication that the event is about to come off is that the fur
behind is wet, and if this should be the case no time should be lost
in carrying the cat most carefully to her bed, as the kittens may
then be expected any moment. Some animals like to be left entirely
alone while giving birth to their young; others, especially pets,
prefer to have their owners near to them; but if there is any
uncertainty it is better to leave her to herself.
Experienced breeders will know that should the labour be dry or very
prolonged it is a great help to a cat to pass the hand firmly and
slowly down the side during an expulsive pain, as the pressure will
help the mother and hasten the birth of the kittens.
After the first is born, the rest come comparatively easily. Very
occasionally there is a cross presentation; but as only those really
competent should attempt to do anything in this case, no time should
be lost in sending for the nearest cat doctor or veterinary. After
the first kitten has arrived—the birth of which is usually heralded
by a loud cry of pain from the mother—some milk should be made hot,
and as soon as the new baby has been cleaned the mother will gladly
drink this; but on no account should cold or even lukewarm milk be
given the same day, or, indeed, for two or three days. Novices are
sometimes startled at seeing the cat eating a lump of something
which they fear may be a kitten; but there is no occasion for alarm,
as it is merely the afterbirth, the consumption of which is probably
Nature’s provision for affording sustenance to the mother, as an
animal in a wild state could get no food for at least several hours
after the birth of its offspring. If a cat is wild or shy, it is
better to leave her alone (with the exception of offering hot milk
from time to time) until all the kittens are born, and they should
not be examined or handled for some days.
With a gentle queen the first kitten may be taken away when the
second is born, well wrapped up in warm flannel and put by the fire,
and so on, always leaving one kitten until the last is warm and dry,
when the others should be returned to the mother. This plan is most
necessary in cold weather (especially if the kittens are born out of
doors), for if the labour is easy and quick it is quite impossible
for the queen to dry one kitten before the advent of the next, and
by the time they are all born they are frequently stone cold, and so
wet that the mother gives up the attempt to dry them in despair; and
many kittens, thought to be stillborn, have died in the night in
this way. Kittens quite cold and nearly dead have been restored (and
have lived to a good old age) by being taken at once to the fire and
warmed and dried, and though at first life may appear extinct, time
and patience will work wonders. If the kittens are taken away from
the mother at birth as described above, it is a good opportunity for
destroying any that are not wanted, because of sex or colour. When
the litter is given to the mother she should be offered milk again,
and should after that be left alone several hours; but she will most
likely welcome a few kind words and loving pats as a reward for all
she has gone through, and will then cuddle down contentedly with her
little ones.
In giving milk do not take the mother out, or even make her get up
to drink it, on the day of her confinement; if she cannot reach it
comfortably, raise her head and shoulders with one hand, until she
can reach the saucer held in the other conveniently, and do not be
in a hurry, as she knows well the temperature the milk ought to be,
and will not take it if too hot or too cold. Milk should be given
night and morning, and offered during the day, for some days after
the kittens are born. Cats that never like it at other times are
thankful for it when nursing; but, on the other hand, cats that have
been fond of milk will turn away from it at these times. Queens
usually come out every few hours for food, and their meat or
ordinary meal should be ready for them, as they will want to eat it
quickly and return to their little ones. After the second or third
day a warm, clean blanket should be substituted for the one on which
the kittens were born, and it is well to do this when the mother is
present, as some cats resent interference during their absence.
As soon as the kittens are about a week old, a finger should be
passed over their eyes, and if there is a little ridge on the lids,
the eye should be moistened with eye-lotion twice daily with a
camel-hair brush. If, after ten days, they do not open as is usual,
the eyes should be sponged with warm water, as in this case they
must have become glued together with mucus, which should be cleared
away, and the eye moistened with eye-lotion, taking care a little
goes well into the eye. The lid should then be smeared with olive
oil to prevent adhesion. It is this adhesion of the lids which
causes inflammation, and the eyes must be frequently attended to, so
that they may be kept open, avoiding any very strong light.
If the kittens are born indoors in the summer, windows should be
kept open during the day, and when the little creatures are about a
fortnight old put them out in the sunshine for an hour or so daily.
The mother must be as well fed as she was before the kittens were
born, but carefully notice if she suffers from diarrhœa, for if this
is the case, and change of diet does not cure it, you may be certain
that she is nursing too many kittens, and if some of them are not
speedily removed you will lose them all.
If a foster mother can be procured, by all means have one,
accompanied by one of her own kittens if possible. Make a cosy bed
for her, warming the blanket, and leave her in it till night, when,
if she seems settled down, give her two or more kittens as the case
may be, removing her own the following night. Do not attempt to
interfere with the kittens while the mother is away, and act very
gently, talking to, and stroking her so that she may not resent your
interference. If no foster-mother can be procured, Mr. Ward, of
Manchester, has a clever little appliance which he claims can be
used instead of a foster-mother.
[Illustration:
“THE RAIDERS” CAUGHT!
(_Photo: E. Landor, Ealing._)
]
Some fanciers may take upon themselves the task of bringing up the
kittens by hand, and in that case wrap them up in warm flannel,
keeping them by the fire by day, and giving them a hot bottle at
night, feeding with weak milk and water about every two hours (this
should be about half and half), with a teaspoonful of lime-water to
each cup of milk and water. It should be given warm, not hot, and
the milk scalded, not boiled. In London or large towns unsweetened
condensed milk is better than cow’s milk, as the colouring or
preservative acids used by dairymen in the latter is very injurious
to kittens. This condensed milk should be much diluted, and
flavoured with small quantities of salt and sugar. If too strong or
too sweet, the food will cause diarrhœa. Kittens will soon learn to
suck out of an eggspoon; but do not give too much at once, or force
the food down their little throats when they object to take any
more.
At about five weeks old the kittens will begin to lap and possibly
to eat. Many fanciers are delighted if they will eat and drink
before a month old, and some make the serious mistake of trying to
coax the little ones to eat solid food at this tender age. Such
persons do not stop to think how weak are all the digestive organs
of these tiny creatures. The milk of the mother supplies all that is
needful for their growth and well-being until such time as Nature
makes itself heard in her demands for further nourishment, and if
substantial food is given to them too soon, or too strong, it merely
goes through the stomach, passing out into the bowels undigested,
decomposes, and forms slimy mucus which is the hotbed for worms,
even if it does not set up inflammation of the bowels. More kittens
die from worms and consumption of the bowels than from any other
complaint, and much of this loss of life is directly traceable to
strong food at too tender an age.
Lung disease, gastric catarrh, gastro-enteritis, are all directly or
indirectly set up by the non-assimilation of food; hence the supreme
importance of giving nourishment which can be digested easily. After
six weeks scraped raw beef may be given (if the kittens want to eat)
three times daily in very small quantities, about half a teaspoonful
to start with, and they may have warm milk and water with lime in
it. This should be followed by Mellin’s, or Benger’s Frame Food, as
directed for infants. It is advisable not to allow kittens to
overload their stomachs, but to feed them about four times daily. If
healthy they will eat eagerly, but not ravenously; a kitten who is
greedy and precipitates itself into the saucer in its anxiety to get
its dinner may be suspected of worms, and when about eight weeks old
a course of Salvo’s No. 1 powders may be given with safety.
As soon as the kittens are about a month old, a shallow tin of dry
earth or ashes (I do not recommend sawdust) should be provided for
them, and it will well repay their owners to spend some portion of
the day with the little ones and lift them into the earth pan when
necessary. If this is done two or three times, the lesson is
probably learnt for life. Kittens are naturally clean, and will get
out of their beds, and run about crying loudly for some
accommodation for their wants; and if this is neglected the seeds of
dirty habits are sown, and the poor untaught little ones reap a sad
harvest of cuffs and sometimes kicks from servants, who naturally
dislike the trouble caused by dirty house pets. Even in catteries
cleanly habits in cats are much to be desired. If a cat or kitten
gets into dirty ways, it should never be beaten and put into the
tin, but should be gently stroked and coaxed into good habits. Those
who only keep one or two queens will find that if they spend a few
minutes playing with the kittens before their meals, they will be
well rewarded by the quicker growth and better digestion of the
little ones; but, of course, this is out of the question in a large
cattery.
In summer, kittens should be combed daily with a small tooth tomb,
as the insects which inhabit their coats not only worry them and
cause them to scratch out their fur, but they convey disease from
one to another, to say nothing of sucking out so much blood that the
poor little creatures become absolutely anæmic, and in this state
they fall an easy prey to the first disease that attacks them. Fleas
were formerly treated as irritating but otherwise harmless insects;
but we are assured on the best authority that they are a dangerous
medium of disease, and that tapeworms are generated in dogs and cats
by their means. The poor animals, wildly resenting the annoyance of
these pests, hunt for them with teeth and tongue, and, swallowing
their enemy, may also swallow a number of undeveloped tapeworms,
which in their larval or grub state are secreted in the abdomen of
the flea. Tapeworms are said to undergo certain metamorphoses or
transformations, and require to pass through the body of some other
creature than the one they exist in in their mature state of being.
[Illustration:
KITTENS BELONGING TO MISS BROMLEY.
]
It is a great mistake to keep kittens in heated rooms, and worse
still to allow them to be close to a fire by day and then to let the
room get cold at night. An even temperature, cold and dry, is better
than sudden changes; cats and kittens love warmth and comfort, but,
at the same time, all extremes of heat and cold are bad. Never
neglect the first symptoms of illness; note the signs, and if you
are not able to dose the invalid yourself send off a wire to some
competent cat doctor describing the form the indisposition has
taken, and while waiting for medicine no harm can be done by giving
as much carbonate of soda as will lie on a threepenny-bit in a
little water two or three times daily. Salvo has lately advertised a
medicine which is said to be very valuable for giving on the first
signs of a cat or kitten being out of sorts, and which, he says,
will take down fever, stop colds, and modify attacks of bronchitis,
pneumonia, etc.; and for such fragile little beings as kittens
fanciers would do well to keep this medicine by them. People often
say that their cats and kittens seem ill or out of sorts, and allow
this sort of thing to go on quite calmly for a week or so, when one
day they wake up to the fact that the poor creature is very
seriously ill, and they then send off in a hurry for medicine which
frequently arrives too late; and the sufferer may be beyond all
human aid.
Double pneumonia, which is perhaps the quickest and most fatal of
all diseases, is not so sudden but that it is ushered in by various
symptoms, beginning often a week before the attack becomes acute. An
animal will seem cold, will creep near the fire, or sit in the
fender, mope about, refusing to play, sit in a hunch with its back
up, or is very sleepy and stupid; the fur is rough; there may be
sickness, and the evacuations are of a bright yellow colour; perhaps
it has not quite finished its meals for a few days; and the nose is
hot and dry, and, if taken up, the cat feels hot and dry all over.
When there are several of these symptoms, no time should be lost in
administering the remedies named above every hour or two until
suitable remedies can be obtained; but do not rely upon them alone,
or think if you give them persistently they will pull the animal
through the illness, for they will not, special remedies being
needed for special symptoms and for various stages of disease. No
two animals are exactly alike, and the experienced cat doctor will
prescribe carefully for each individual cat in the same way as a
physician will give different prescriptions to suit the needs of
different patients.
One thing should _never_ be neglected, and this is keeping up the
strength from the first with beef-tea, eggs and milk, Brand’s
Essence, or animal Kreochyle— a teaspoonful every hour. As soon as
an animal has refused two meals, begin feeding with spoon, as it
will have so much more strength with which to battle against disease
if fed up well from the first.
People who desire to sell kittens for profit will do well to part
with them at about two months old, before they start teething, for
at this period of their little lives fresh troubles begin.
Occasionally they suffer from fits, but though these are sometimes
caused by cutting their teeth, they are oftener due to the presence
of worms. If the gums are swollen and inflamed, a quarter of one of
Steedman’s teething powders will soothe them, or a few doses of
bromide, as prescribed before for kittens desiring to mate too
early, may be given, and excitable kittens should be kept quiet. If
kittens are troubled with diarrhœa, all starchy food should be
avoided, as it is never easily digested by animals. The reason of
this is not far to seek, when we know that the saliva partly digests
starch, while the juices of the stomach act directly on meat.
[Illustration:
NEUTER PETS OWNED BY MRS. HASTINGS LEES.
(_Photo: The Royal Central Photo Co., Bournemouth._)
]
Animals, instead of masticating their food, by which means the
saliva acts upon it, often bolt it, and it goes into the stomach and
is passed out into the large bowel practically undigested, where it
decomposes, working off in noxious gases which escape through the
skin, causing eczema, or in many cases producing inflammation of the
bowels or enteritis. Nothing needs more careful attention than the
diet of kittens, and nothing is so little studied. It would be no
exaggeration to say that all disease, apart from outside or
accidental causes, such as draughts, cold winds, contagion, etc., is
in the first place set up by undigested food, and even what may be
called external causes would often not be harmful to an animal if
the digestive organs were in proper working order. Remember, it is
not the quantity of food a kitten takes that benefits it. The secret
of its health and well-being is in the quantity it digests. A kitten
should only digest certain things in certain proportions, and
whatever remains undigested produces irritation, and in this case
the kitten cannot possibly develop, and is generally weakly and
fretful.
Those who have never cared much for cats will be interested and
amused if they bring up a family of kittens, and the love and trust
of the little creatures will well repay them for all their care.
STUD CATS.
A male cat should not be allowed to mate under a year old, and if
you wish to keep your stud in good condition do not allow more than
two, or at most three, lady visitors a week. There is no doubt that
a really reliable stud cat is a very profitable possession. The most
essential recommendations are a sound constitution and absolute
health, combined with a good pedigree and a list of prize-winning
progeny. It is necessary to exhibit your stud cat at the best cat
shows from time to time, and thus to keep him before the public. It
is also advisable to advertise him in the cat papers, and it is
often useful to have a photograph to forward to fanciers who may be
unable otherwise to obtain any idea of your cat. Needless to say
that for stud purposes a cat should possess the highest possible
qualifications of the breed to which he belongs, and a massive frame
and broad head are most desirable in all stud cats. It is a good
plan to allow the visiting queen to be within sight of the male for
a short time before she is put in the stud cat’s house, and for this
purpose it is convenient to have a small movable pen or hutch to
place where the two pussies can hold catty conversation.
A stud cat cannot, for many and obvious reasons, be allowed his full
freedom; but it is essential that his dwelling place should have as
long and roomy an exercise ground as possible. It is also possible
with some male cats to tether them out of doors for a short period
during the day, in which case great care should be taken to have the
lead only as long as will permit of exercise within a safe distance
of dangerous pitfalls or spreading trees and shrubs. The best time
for mating is about one hour after feeding.
It is most important that stud cats should be in good coat at the
time of mating, and that they should be free from worms.
The usual fee for a visit to a stud cat is £1 1s., and this should
be sent at the same time as the request for permission to send a
queen. A second visit is generally considered allowable if the first
one has proved unsuccessful. An additional amount of food may be
given to a cat whilst he is being used at stud, and always remember
to provide grass in some form or other in your stud cat’s house.
There is no universal remedy for all cats, neither can there be any
rule for feeding them. Different cats need different treatment, and
those which are kept in a captive state, as are stud cats, should
not be fed on the same lines as those that are allowed full liberty.
NEUTER CATS.
Opinions differ as to the best period for a cat to be made neuter,
but it is generally considered advisable to have the operation
performed between the ages of five and eight months. A male cat can
be kept as a household pet till he is about nine or ten months old
without any unpleasantness, but after that period he must be
relegated to an outside cattery or stud house. It is cruel to put
off gelding a cat till he shows signs of wishing to mate. A duly
qualified veterinary ought to be employed, and an anæsthetic used.
The cat should be kept on a low diet for a day or two before and
after the operation. It is very seldom that any evil effects ensue,
and after a few days the puss is quite himself again. Neuter cats
grow to an immense size, and the Persian varieties develop great
length of fur, which is generally not shed so frequently or to such
an extent as in the males and females. Neuter cats are very docile,
and generally rather lazy and listless; for this reason they are not
accounted such good mousers.
Female cats can also be rendered sexless, but in their case the
operation is more likely to be attended with dangerous results. I
have heard it stated that a female cat ought to be allowed one
litter of kittens before being operated upon. There are not many
very fine neuters on exhibition at our shows, and this fact may
perhaps be accounted for by reason of fanciers picking out weedy and
altogether below the mark specimens of their litters to be gelded
because they do not consider them worth keeping to breed from. In
this way several poor specimens of neuters are to be seen with
indifferent markings, white spots, incorrect coloured eyes, and long
noses. For a home pet there is, of course, nothing to come up to a
fine neuter cat who will not roam, who does not attract amorous
females, and who is content to lie for hours stretched out on the
drawing-room rug or the kitchen hearth, the admired of all admirers.
From the lips of many noted breeders of Persian cats who have been
troubled by wandering males and prolific females, I have heard the
exclamation, “I shall end by keeping only neuters!”
Cat owners in general, and lovers of neuters in particular, might do
worse than agitate for more consideration to be extended to these
grand pets at our leading shows, and I cannot help thinking that a
neuter club or society might be formed to assist in this and other
objects connected with the general improvement of our neuter cats.
[Illustration:
CAROLLING.
(_Photo: Mrs. S. F. Clarke._)
]
[Illustration:
“IN A PLAYFUL SORT OF WAY.”
(_Photo: E. Landor, Ealing._)
]