SILVER OR CHINCHILLA PERSIANS.
[Illustration:
“JACK FROST.”
BRED BY MRS. MIX, OLD FORT
BATTERY, NEW YORK.
(_Photo: A. Lloyd, Amsterdam, N.Y._)
]
Perhaps no breed or variety of cat has been so much thought about,
talked about, and fought about in the fancy as the silver or chinchilla
Persian. If blues are a new variety, then silvers are of still more
recent origin. Years ago this cat did not exist—that is to say, we
should not recognise the silver Persian of to-day as the silver of
bygone times, for the simple reason that the only class of silver in the
fancy formerly was the silver tabby. In those days there were
self-coloured cats and tabby, or marked cats, and broken-coloured cats.
Previous to the introduction of a Chinchilla class at the Crystal Palace
in 1894, the class for silver tabbies included blue tabbies “with or
without white,” and it is curious to read in the old catalogues of the
Crystal Palace shows the titles given to the various cats by the owners,
some describing their cats as “chinchilla tabby,” “light grey tabby,”
“silver grey,” “silver chinchilla,” “blue or silver striped.” We may
infer that these cats were either blue tabbies or silver tabbies, or
something betwixt and between. I distinctly remember the large number of
cats which in these enlightened days we should find it difficult indeed
to classify. It is often said, “What’s in a name?” But still, in trying
to describe a particular breed of cat, it is as well to endeavour to
find a term which expresses as nearly as possible both the colour and
the appearance of the animal. There has been a great deal of discussion
as to the correct name by which these delicately tinted Persians should
be called.
The National Cat Club began by classifying them for the Crystal Palace
show in 1894 as Chinchillas, and they have kept to this, although it is
really a most misleading title, as the cats are quite unlike the fur
which we know as chinchilla, this being dark at the roots and lighter
towards the tips. Now, cats of this variety ought to be just the
reverse.
It is difficult to give a correct idea of the real colour and appearance
of these cats. The fur at the roots is a peculiar light silver, not
white, as one might imagine, until some pure white is placed beside it,
and this shades to a slightly darker tone—a sort of bluish lavender—to
the tips of the coat. The Cat Club introduced the term “self silver,”
but this is suggestive of one colour only, without any shadings
whatever. Another class, called “shaded silvers,” was added; but then,
again, tabby markings are not shadings. Formerly, blues used to be
called “self blues,” but this is entirely done away with, and now we
never think of using this term, and speaking of them as blues we
understand there should be the one and only colour.
Surely, then, the simplest term and the most descriptive of these
beautiful cats is “silver,” pure and simple, for whether dark or light
they are all silvers, and so we should have blues and blue tabbies,
orange and orange tabbies, silver and silver tabbies.
Then comes the question of what is nearest perfection in this variety of
cat, which has come upon us of late years, evolved from the silver tabby
and the blue. The ideal silver, to use the words of a well-known breeder
of these cats, should be the palest conceivable edition of a smoke cat,
with fur almost white at the roots and palish silver grey at the tips,
and as free from markings as a smoke. I do not go the length of
declaring that silvers cannot be too light, for I think that it is the
delicate tips of silvery blue that lend such a charm and give such
distinction to this variety. Without these delicate tippings a silver
cat would look inartistic and insipid. There has been of late quite a
rage amongst silver breeders to produce a totally unmarked specimen; but
fanciers would do better to endeavour to obtain a light _shaded_ silver
free from tabby markings with the broad head and massive limbs, which at
present are qualities not often met with in this variety. I am quite
aware this is a most difficult task, but we must remember that “all good
things come hard,” even in breeding cats, and if it were not so half the
interest for fanciers would be gone.
[Illustration:
“THE ABSENT-MINDED BEGGAR.”
OWNED BY MRS. NEILD.
(_Photo: E. Landor, Ealing._)
]
[Illustration:
“STAR DUVALS.”
SILVER PERSIAN OWNED AND BRED BY MISS MEESON.
(_Photo: F. Parsons, Southend-on-Sea._)
]
Having, therefore, considered what a perfect silver cat ought to be, I
will give a description of the type of cat generally bred and exhibited
as a silver. I read the following account in one of our daily papers,
evidently written by a non-admirer of these lovely cats: “The
chinchillas are very fashionable, and very difficult to breed in
perfection. They took their name from a supposed likeness the fur bears
to that of the chinchilla. But the chinchilla cat, as at present in
request, bears no resemblance to the little rodent. Most of the exhibits
are of a dirty white, tinged with lavender, with a quantity of marks and
stripes on the face, body, and paws.” Now this is not a pleasing
picture, and one that would be considered libellous by a silver breeder.
It is, however, true that at present our silvers are too full of tabby
markings, and in many cases the under-coat is not silvery white, but
light grey or pale blue. There are many silver cats with dark spine
lines and shaded sides, but they are heavily barred on the head and
legs, and the tail is frequently almost black. It is a case of tabby
blood which needs breeding out of the silvers, and which, no doubt, will
be obliterated in time, so that two distinct types of silvers will only
exist—the delicately tipped or shaded silvers, and the richly marked and
barred silver tabbies. Just as in the case of the blue Persians it took
a long while to eradicate the tabby markings which showed the existence
of tabby blood, so amongst silvers the bar and stripes need to be
carefully bred out, and we shall hope, in the good time coming, to have
not _self_ silvers, but a very near approach to this—namely, a perfectly
unmarked but yet not wholly unshaded silver cat.
[Illustration:
“OMAR.”
THE PROPERTY OF MISS A. POLLARD
(_Copyright 1901—G. Hiller, Elizabeth, N.Y._)
]
There is a greater delicacy amongst silver cats, and more difficulty in
rearing the kittens, than in any other breed, and this may be accounted
for by the immense amount of in-breeding that was carried on
indiscriminately at the beginning of the rage for silver cats; also the
desire to obtain lightness of colour caused breeders to lose sight of
the grave disadvantages of loss of bone and stamina. Therefore it is
that among the silver cats exhibited at our shows we seldom find massive
limbs or broad heads or full cheeks. There is a tendency to hare-like
proportions, and the faces have a pinched and snipey appearance, and
noses are too long. However, great improvement is taking place, and with
the numerous stud cats now at the disposal of fanciers, there ought to
be no difficulty in making a suitable selection.
The question as to the correct colour of eyes for a chinchilla or silver
cat is still a vexed question. In self-coloured cats the broad line is
clearly laid down—blue eyes for whites, orange for blacks, and orange
for blues; but when we come to the more nondescript cats—such as silver
and smoke and tortoiseshell—there seems to be a wider margin given, and
the line drawn is not so hard-and-fast. Still, I think it is always well
to have some high standard of perfection in each breed, so that fanciers
may breed up to it, and to my mind the bright emerald green eye is the
ideal for a silver cat. I have seen very fine amber eyes which could not
fail to attract admiration; but if these are admitted, then all sorts of
eyes, not amber but wishy-washy yellow, will be the inevitable result.
So many silver cats have eyes that may be described as neither one thing
nor the other. Often one hears the remark, “Oh! but if you see
So-and-so’s eyes in the right light they are a lovely green.” But viewed
by the ordinary eye of a critical judge, they appear an uncertain
yellow. Therefore it is best to set up a standard, and I think it is
becoming an almost undisputed fact that silver cats of perfect type
should have green eyes, and by green let it be understood that the
deeper the tone the better will they accord or contrast with the pale
silvery coat.
[Illustration:
THREE PRETTY SILVERS.
(_Photo: C. Reid, Wishaw._)
]
I would here impress upon fanciers the great importance of striving to
obtain the large, round, full eye, which gives such expression to a
cat’s face. How many of our silvers of to-day are spoiled by small,
badly shaped or half-open eyes! I do not think sufficient importance is
attached by our judges to this point of _size_ of eye. Many are carried
away by the correctness of colour, and fail to deduct a sufficient
number of points for a beady, badly shaped small eye.
Colour is fleeting, and with age our cats may lose the brilliancy of
green or orange, but bold large eyes, placed well apart and not too
deeply sunk, will be lasting points in favour of our pets.
There is one rather peculiar feature in the eyes of some silver cats.
This is the dark rim which often encircles the eye. This rim decidedly
enhances the beauty of the eye, and makes it look larger than it really
is, and also throws up the colour. Light, almost white, ear tufts and
toe tufts are adjuncts which go to make up a perfect silver cat. The
nose is of a dull brick red, darkening slightly towards the edges.
Few Persian cats suffer so severely during the process of shedding their
coats as silvers, and they present a most ragged appearance at this
period of their existence. The lovely fluffy light silver under-coat
almost disappears, and the top markings stand out very distinctly, so
that a cat that in full feather would be considered a light, unmarked
specimen will appear streaked and dark after the coat has been shed. As
regards the silver kittens, it is a curious fact that these, when born,
are often almost black—or, at any rate, generally very dark in colour,
resembling smokes. It is seldom that a silver kitten is light at birth,
but gradually the markings and shadings will lessen, and perhaps just
the one mite that was looked upon as a bad black will blossom forth into
the palest silver. In this respect, silver kits are most speculative,
but in another they are cruelly disappointing, for a kitten at three
months old may be a veritable thing of beauty, and ere it has reached
the age of eight months, bars and stripes will have, so to speak, set in
severely, and our unmarked specimen of a silver kit develops into a
poorly marked tabby cat. I may say that if the kittens are going to be
really pale silvers they will in the majority of cases have very pale
faces and paws, with little or no marking, whilst the body will be
fairly even dark grey—perhaps almost black. In a week or two a change
takes place, as the under-coat begins to grow, and it will be noticed
that the kittens become more even in colour, the contrast between their
light face and dark backs will not be nearly so accentuated, and by the
time they are nine or ten weeks old they will look almost unmarked. The
reason for this is that the dark fur they are born with is really only
the extreme tips of the hair, and as their coats grow in length this
shading becomes more dispersed.
And here I will allude to the so-called threefold classification which
was part of the scheme of the Silver Society, founded by Mrs. Champion
in 1900. At the inaugural meeting Mrs. Stennard Robinson took the chair.
Voting papers had previously been distributed amongst the members,
asking for their votes on the question of establishing three classes for
silvers—namely, chinchillas, shaded silvers, and silver tabbies. The
votes recorded were fifty-four in favour of the threefold
classification, and nine against it. So this was carried by a large
majority, and the question of points discussed and settled as follows:—
CHINCHILLAS.
As pale and unmarked silver as possible. Any brown or cream tinge to
be considered a great drawback. Eyes to be green or orange. Value of
points as follows:—
Head 20
Shape 15
Colour of coat 25
Coat and condition 20
Colour, shape, and expression of eyes 10
Brush 10
———
Total 100
After much discussion, Lady Marcus Beresford moved, and Mrs. Champion
seconded, the following definition of Shaded Silvers:—
SHADED SILVERS.
Colour: pale, clear silver, shaded on face, legs, and back, but having
as few tabby markings as possible. Any brown or cream tinge a great
drawback. Eyes green or orange. Value of points:—
Head 20
Colour of coat 25
Coat and condition 20
Colour, shape, and expression of eyes 10
Shape 15
Brush 10
———
Total 100
[Illustration:
“SHAH OF PERSIA.”
THE PROPERTY OF MRS. ANNINGSON.
]
From this list it will be seen that for colour the highest points are
given, and that eyes may be green or orange. But during the two years
which have elapsed since the formation of the Silver Society, there has
been a decided desire on the part of breeders for green eyes _only_, and
certainly our best qualified silver judges are not partial to any other
coloured eyes in this variety. In an article on the colour of eyes in
silvers, “Zaida” of _Fur and Feather_ writes: “Eye colouring threatens
to become a matter of fashion. Some eight years ago we received from a
first-rate fancier and exhibitor a letter respecting a chinchilla cat,
which later became a great prize-winner. ‘It is useless,’ wrote this
lady, ‘to think of exhibiting her on account of her green eyes.’ What a
change of opinion has marked the flight of eight years!”
It will be observed that, as regards the description of chinchillas and
shaded silvers, there is a distinction and yet no very great difference,
and herein lay the difficulty of retaining these two classes at our
shows. The lightest silvers were deemed eligible for the chinchilla
class, and then came the question for exhibitor and judge to draw the
line between the two so-called varieties, and to decide what degree of
paleness constituted a chinchilla and what amount of dark markings would
relegate the specimen into the shaded silver class. The cat world became
agitated, exhibitors were puzzled, and judges exasperated. There were
letters to the cat papers on the “silver muddle.” Show secretaries were
worried with inquiries. I recollect a would-be exhibitor writing to me
sending a piece of her silver cat’s fur, and asking whether her puss
should be in the chinchilla or shaded silver class; but even with her
lengthy description and the sample before me, I dared not venture an
opinion, and I used generally to reply to such letters by saying I did
not know in which class to enter my own silver cat, and so I was going
to keep him at home.
One correspondent, appealing through the columns of the papers, wrote:
“Everyone knows a black or white or brown tabby, but how can we
exhibitors discern between the number of shadings on our silver cats as
to which class they belong? Do kindly air my grievance, and oblige.”
It was quite pathetic to see the faces of disappointed exhibitors at the
Westminster show of 1901, when several beautiful creatures who had
travelled many a weary mile to be penned and admired were rewarded with
a “Wrong Class” ticket only. They were either too light or too dark for
the class in which their owners had entered them, and all hope of honour
and glory and golden coins and silver cups vanished into thin air! At
one show I recollect a cat was accounted by the judge a chinchilla _and_
a shaded silver, and he came off very well with special prizes for both
varieties. No doubt he really was either one or the other, or both!
[Illustration:
“FULMER ZAIDA.”
SILVER, OWNED BY LADY DECIES.
(_Photo: E. Landor, Ealing._)
]
It was no wonder, therefore, that a reaction set in, and exhibitors and
judges felt alike that something must be done, and that, at any rate for
a time, it would be better to have only the two classes for silvers and
silver tabbies, and that specials might be given to encourage the
lightest cats. The abolition of the threefold classification was
therefore taken into consideration when the Silver Society was broken up
by the departure of Mrs. Champion to America, and the Silver and Smoke
Persian Cat Society came into existence, with Mr. H. V. James as Hon.
Secretary.
The following are the objects of the Society:—
The title of this Society, which (under the name of The Silver
Society) was founded in July, 1900, is “THE SILVER AND SMOKE PERSIAN
CAT SOCIETY.”
The objects of the Society are:—
1.— To improve the breeds of long-haired silver (or chinchilla),
shaded silver, silver tabby, and smoke coloured cats and
kittens, male, female, and neuter.
2.— To guarantee extra classes for these breeds at shows supported by
the Society, when necessary.
3.— To offer prizes for the said breeds at shows supported by the
Society.
4.— To hold shows independently, or in conjunction with other
Societies or Clubs when it shall be deemed expedient by the
members.
5.— To elect specialist judges to make the awards at shows supported
by the Society.
6.— To establish and maintain a standard of points for the
above-mentioned breeds.
It was in March, 1902, that voting papers on this burning question
were sent out to members of the new society, with the following
result: For the threefold classification, 20; against, 32. Therefore,
by the wish of the majority, it was decided to give up the threefold
classification _for the present_.
[Illustration:
“TROUBADOR.”
SILVER, BRED BY MRS. E. N. BARKER.
]
The Silver and Smoke Persian Cat Society is now in a most flourishing
condition, with about 150 members. It is the fervent hope and earnest
endeavour of each and all of the fanciers of silvers in the society to
breed a perfectly unmarked specimen, and with perseverance we may in
time puzzle the judge to decide which cat in a large class of lightly
tinted silvers is the palest. We shall gradually but surely breed out
the tabby markings if fanciers will, so to speak, nail the right
colour to the mast and keep on striving to breed up to the perfect
type.
To quote Mr. C. A. House: “What is wanted is for breeders to work on
standard lines, and not push forward with such persistency their own
pet particular whims. All that is required is for breeders to be
determined to breed honestly and consistently for what the standard
advocates, and leave severely alone all excesses and exaggerations.
Let us have chinchillas free from markings by all means, but let us
keep our shadings, our silver colour, remembering that pure silver is
of a bluish tinge, and is not the whitey-brown article some would have
us accept as the ideal in chinchilla cats.” The same authority,
writing on the threefold classification, says: “I have always
maintained that the threefold classification in silvers was a mistake,
and the majority of breeders, I am pleased to know, are coming round
to that view. My opinion, when first enunciated, was not popular. With
some it is not to-day. But many who at one time could not see the
force of my arguments now do so, and there is a more general feeling
that the craze for self silvers is not conducive to the welfare of the
silvers as a breed.”
Amongst the well-known breeders, fanciers, and exhibitors of silvers
in the present day, I may mention Lady Marcus Beresford, who owns some
beautiful specimens of the celebrated “Lord Southampton” strain. A
handsomer type of silver female cannot be met with than “Dimity,” bred
by Miss Cochran, and presented by her to Lady Marcus Beresford. Lady
Decies is the proud possessor of the incomparable “Zaida,” whose
record of wins is a marvellous one. As all the cat world knows,
“Zaida” is accounted the lightest and most unmarked specimen in the
fancy. Mrs. W. R. Hawkins has bred some wonderfully good silvers, and
was the owner of “Sweet Lavender,” which has been acknowledged as one
of the best of this breed that ever existed. The following are the
principal silver breeders: The Hon. Mrs. McLaren Morrison, Mrs. G. H.
Walker, Mrs. Neild, Mrs. Russell Biggs, Mrs. Wellbye, Mrs. Martin,
Mrs. T. Drake, Mrs. Cubitt, Mrs. Marriott, Mrs. Balding, Mrs. Poole,
Mrs. Ormerod, Mrs. Fawsett, Miss White Atkins, Miss Snell, Miss
Horsman, Miss Dell, Miss Meeson, The Hon. Philip Wodehouse, Miss
Chamberlayne.
During the last few years a very large number of silver cats have been
placed at stud, but we may regard three cats as the founders of the
breed or as the pillars of the silver strain—namely, “Silver Lambkin,”
“Lord Southampton,” and “Lord Argent.” To these worthy ancestors a
very large proportion of the silvers of to-day can trace their
lineage. But this noble trio is naturally being superseded by such
stud cats as “Silver Starlight,” “Tintagel,” “Cambyses,” “The
Absent-minded Beggar,” “Pathan of Dingley,” “Jupiter Duvals,” “St.
Anthony,” “Rob Roy of Arrandale,” “The Silver Sultan,” and many
others. There is, therefore, now no excuse for in-breeding, which used
to be carried on to a great extent when so limited a number of sires
were forthcoming. To indiscriminate and injudicious in-breeding may be
largely attributed the great delicacy amongst silver cats. There is no
doubt that the number of fatalities among silver kittens is far in
excess of that of any other breed. Then, again, the size of silver
cats compares unfavourably with others, and they are wanting in muscle
and bone. We do not want huge, coarse, heavy silvers, but breeders and
judges sometimes show an utter disregard for size and strength, and
the consequence is we see a number of ladylike looking studs that fail
miserably in these very essential points.
Breeders should aim at the happy medium between the liliputian and the
leviathan, but not be content unless their silver studs turn the
scales at 10 lb. As regards the mating of silvers, a broad line to lay
down is to avoid tabby markings. It is for this reason that smokes
have been wisely selected by most breeders as the best cross for a
silver. It is more than probable that in many cases some nondescript
sort of kittens will be the result. These sort of light smokes are
exceedingly pretty cats and make fascinating pets, but they are
useless for breeding purposes or exhibiting. I have known of some
handsome specimens that have wandered from class to class, only to be
disqualified in each and either, and it was a case of, “When judges
disagree, who shall decide?”
Several experiments have been tried of crossing a white Persian with a
silver in order to get pale coloured kittens, but this appears seldom
to succeed unless the whites have silver blood in them. Some breeders
have tried blues with silvers, but there is the danger of introducing
the grey blue under-coat which gives such a smudgy appearance to a
silver and is suggestive of a badly coloured smoke. It does not at all
follow that the mating of two light silvers will produce
light-coloured and unmarked kittens, yet this cross and the smoke are
the safest. It must be a work of time, as we have before said, to
breed out the tabby markings of many generations.
The name of Mrs. Balding is as well known to breeders of silvers of
the past as it is at the present day. In the past, however, it was as
Miss Dorothy Gresham this enthusiastic fancier won her laurels. I well
remember the sensation caused by the appearance in the show pen of the
“Silver Lambkins” at the Crystal Palace in 1888. To breeders,
exhibitors, and cat fanciers generally the following account of
chinchillas from the earliest days, specially written for this book by
Mrs. Balding, should be exceedingly interesting:—
“There is probably no variety of long-haired cat which has caused so
much discussion, notwithstanding that, with the exception of the
light-coloured reds, which have been designated ‘creams,’ the
chinchilla is the cat which has most recently gained distinction as a
separate variety. The notoriety which the chinchilla enjoys has been
in great part brought about by the delicacy of its appearance and the
difficulty that has been experienced in the production of a perfect
specimen. Many cats are called chinchillas and are exhibited as such,
often winning prizes, but very few indeed are of the pale silver tint,
with bright emerald eyes, and with no bars or stripes on the legs or
head.
[Illustration:
A PERFECT CHINCHILLA.
TWO VIEWS.
(_Photo: E. Landor, Ealing._)
]
“The chief subjects that have been under discussion in connection with
the chinchilla cat have been the colour of eyes and the shade of the
coat; but, with regard to the former, I think it must be acknowledged
that green is a more suitable accompaniment to silver than yellow or
orange, and, as regards the latter, that silver, with dainty sheen
evenly distributed, is more to be desired than a patchy grey, dull in
hue and unattractive to the eye. As a matter of fact, these shaded
grey specimens are in reality only ill-marked silver tabbies. They
must, however, not be altogether despised, as they have been the
steppingstones which have led to the creation of the chinchilla.
“It is something like twenty years ago that, amongst the competitors
in the classes for long-haired tabbies at the Crystal Palace and other
important shows, was occasionally to be seen an alien with the ground
colour of the silver tabby, but with very few stripes on the body.
These cats were evidently sports from the silver tabby, so much so
that the class for that section was the only one open to them; and,
although they invariably showed great quality, breeders were loth to
exhibit them in the medley of different-coloured tabbies, where one of
their chief beauties—the absence of stripes—became a disadvantage.
Their only chance of distinction lay in putting in an appearance at
provincial shows, where the authorities were sometimes to be induced
to attach two cat classes to the rabbit division—one for long-haired
of any colour, and the other for short-haired. In this indiscriminate
assemblage, no colour having been stated, chinchillas when present
wrought great havoc, although it cannot be denied that the judges of
the day gave precedence to a well-marked silver tabby.
“Amongst these outcasts was a cat of striking beauty, whose like has
not been seen again. This was ‘Sylvie,’ of unknown pedigree, owned by
the late Mrs. Christopher, at whose death she became the property of
the late Miss Saunders, of Peterborough. A beautiful portrait of this
exquisite chinchilla is given in Mr. Harrison Weir’s book ‘Our Cats.’
When judging at the Crystal Palace in 1886, this connoisseur and judge
of worldwide repute awarded her first prize, medal, and special for
the best long-haired cat, getting over the difficulty of her silvery,
unmarked coat by calling her a very light blue tabby, though the
puzzle was to find the tabby.
“Another chinchilla of the early ‘eighties was Miss Florence Moore’s
‘Queenie,’ who would, had chinchilla classes been provided at that
time, have been loaded with championships and honours. In colour she
was as light as any of our present-day celebrities, and might easily,
from her freedom from markings, have earned the dubious compliment of
the uninitiated so highly prized by owners of chinchillas of being
mistaken for a grubby white. Miss Florence Moore, who later on had one
of the best and largest catteries in the country, bred ‘Queenie’ from
her ‘Judy,’ winner of many first prizes, a heavily marked silver tabby
of Mrs. Brydges’ noted breed, and ‘Fez,’ a light silver cat with
indefinite stripes.
[Illustration:
MRS. BALDING’S “SILVER LAMBKIN.”
(_Photo: E. Landor, Ealing._)
]
“Mrs. Brydges can claim the distinction of having owned, something
like half a century ago, some of the first long-haired cats ever
imported into England. A coincidence worthy of note is that though
there is no record of her having bred or possessed a chinchilla, two
never-to-be-forgotten pairs of chinchilla kittens—Miss Florence
Moore’s ‘Chloe’ and ‘Dinah,’ winners of first and medal on three
successive occasions at the Crystal Palace, Brighton, and Bexley, 1887
(they being the only chinchillas at any of these shows), and Miss
Gresham’s ‘Silver Lambkins,’ who swept the board in 1888, winning the
specials at the Crystal Palace from forty-six pairs of other
competitors of all colours—could in each case trace descent to the
Cheltenham stock ‘Chloe’ and ‘Dinah,’ through the afore-mentioned
‘Judy’ and the ‘Silver Lambkins,’ through their sire ‘Rahman,’ also
bred by Mrs. Brydges.
“Still more remarkable, these two couples of youthful prodigies were
first cousins, on the other side of their pedigrees, the noted ‘Fluffy
II.’ and ‘Beauty’ being bred by Mrs. Vallance.
“‘Chinnie,’ the Mother of chinchillas, is familiar in name to every
breeder of this lovely variety, and the following letter, of the early
‘eighties, relating to her birth and buying, will perhaps prove
interesting to the up-to-date silver fancier. It is copied from the
original in the possession of Mrs. Vallance. One guinea appears to
have been a price to talk of in those days. Now, one would be tempted
to hide the fact of such a small amount, and if a specimen were
offered to us at this low figure we should certainly desire it to be
sent on approval.
THE VICARAGE, SANDAL MAYNER,
NEAR WAKEFIELD,
_October 14th, 1882_.
‘_To_ Mrs. VALLANCE.
‘MADAM,—The kitten I have to sell is quite pure bred. The mother I
bought for £1 1s. when quite a kitten from prize parents. The father
is one we bred partly from Mrs. Radford’s breed and partly from a
splendid tom cat that was found living wild at Babbicombe, and that
we had in our possession for some months, but unfortunately he is
lost again now—I am afraid permanently. I think this kitten promises
to be very like the mother. She is very handsome and has good
points—brush, ear tips, and so on—but I consider her rather small.
But the kitten may be finer, as the father is a large cat. Miss
Grant’s are related to ours on the father’s side, but Mrs. Radford’s
very distantly, if at all.
‘I do not think these Angora kittens are delicate. We have never
failed in rearing them. The more new milk they have, and the better
feeding, the finer cats they are likely to make. We do not have much
trouble in keeping ours at home, as we live some distance from the
village. We always give ours their principal meal at 6 p.m., and
keep them shut up in a hay-loft until next morning. If you have a
box wherever the kitten lives, with sifted sand or cinders in it,
kept in a corner, you will find that the best way to ensure habits
of cleanliness. If I hear nothing from you to the contrary I will
send the kitten on Wednesday morning, 19th, by the early train from
Derby station; and if you are not satisfied with the kitten I am
willing for it to be returned within a day or two, if the return
journey is paid and I am let know beforehand when to expect it.
‘I remain, yours truly,
‘GRACE HURT.’
A letter redolent of lavender and old-world deliberation, but words of
wisdom for all that. The reported delicacy of long-haired cats would
trouble us less if we had more of the new milk and hay-loft system.
Raw meat, raw eggs, new milk, fresh air, grass, and water are the sole
ingredients required to rear the most valuable kitten.
“‘Chinnie’s’ size is another interesting point. She grew to medium
weight, but was remarkable for symmetry of form rather than bulk.”
“Some of the loveliest chinchillas are small, but ‘Nizam,’ ‘Tod
Sloan,’ ‘Ameer,’ ‘Silver Lambkin,’ ‘Laddie,’ ‘Lord Argent,’ ‘Silver
Mist,’ ‘Cherub,’ and ‘St. Anthony’ stand out as being as large, or
larger, than any cats of other colours, and the majority of them have
also the purity of colour, broad heads, and short legs so often
lacking in large cats. The legginess and want of quality which
frequently accompanies size doubtless cause our leading judges to deem
it of little account.
[Illustration:
MRS. BALDING’S “FLUFFIE TOD.”
]
“The name chosen by Mrs. Vallance for her new acquisition proves that
even in those early days the term chinchilla was in vogue. ‘Chinnie’s’
wins were third Maidstone, Sittingbourne, V.H.C. Oxford, Maidstone.
Her charming little mate ‘Fluffy I.,’ a very pure silver with
undecided tabby markings, also showed the quality of coat and cherub
face for which their descendants have been unsurpassed. He was bred in
1883 by Miss Acland from imported cats, and won first and medal at
Maidstone, Cheltenham, and Ealing, second Ryde, V.H.C. Crystal Palace,
Oxford, and Lincoln. His career ended in 1886, when he disappeared.
Tradition whispers he was destroyed in the village.
“In April, 1885, ‘Chinnie’ produced a litter by ‘Fluffy I.,’ two
members of which—‘Vezzoso’ and ‘Beauty’—have earned undying fame in
the annals of chinchilla history. ‘Vezzoso,’ a marvel of lavender
loveliness, in his one brief year of existence won first in the open
class and silver medal for best in show Albert Palace, 1885, first
Louth, Maidstone, second Frome, third Lincoln.
[Illustration:
“SEA FOAM.”
THE PROPERTY OF MR. LAUGHTON.
]
“In fatal 1886 ‘Vezzoso,’ who belied his exquisite appearance by being
very undomesticated, like his maternal grandfather the wild cat of
Babbicombe, roamed to return no more. ‘Lost in the woods’ is his
epitaph.
“An even more tragic fate befel ‘Fluffy II.,’ the 1886 son of ‘Fluffy
I.’ and ‘Chinnie,’ who after winning first Crystal Palace, first and
silver medal for best in show Brighton, second Albert Palace and
Ealing, and siring the two before-mentioned kittens of the year, died
in 1887 from the effects of an accident in which he was internally
injured. Thus within little more than a year Mrs. Vallance lost three
of the most promising young cats anyone could possess. At the time
their owner scarcely realised their value, and allowed them absolute
freedom, with such sad results.
“But undoubtedly the best result of the ‘Fluffy’ and ‘Chinnie’
alliance was ‘Beauty,’ from whom, as already stated, came the ‘Silver
Lambkins.’ As a kitten she became the property of Miss Howe, of
Bridgyate, near Bath, and later, by a breeding arrangement with the
Miss Greshams (now Mrs. Bridgwater and Mrs. Balding), had three
remarkable litters of chinchilla kittens, the first by ‘Rahman,’ who
shortly afterwards strayed from home and was lost. This was the litter
which produced four queens, including the two ‘Silver Lambkins,’ and
which (with the exception of one renamed ‘Mimi,’ who went to America
with her owner) all unfortunately died.
“The second of Bridgyate ‘Beauty’s’ litters was by Mrs. Shearman’s
‘Champion Perso,’ a magnificent light smoke with remarkable coat and
wonderful mane, winner of a large number of first and special prizes.
In this lot was a tom kitten destined to be a pillar of the chinchilla
stud book, the ‘Silver Lambkin,’ named after his deceased
half-sisters. The chief beauties of this remarkable cat are his size
and muscular frame, the length and thickness of coat, and the enormous
frill inherited from ‘Champion Perso,’ which spreads Elizabethan like
round his shoulders and falls to his feet in front, a cascade of
silvery white fluff several inches long. To ‘Perso’ may be traced in
some degree ‘Silver Lambkin’s’ success as the sire of unmarked cats,
and to ‘Beauty’ their pale colour, green eyes, and perfect shape,
which have won for her descendants by ‘Lambkin’ upwards of 150 first
prizes.
“At the time ‘Silver Lambkin’ was bred there was no chinchilla stud
cat, and no one had thought of trying to breed chinchillas, for whom,
as before stated, there was no encouragement at shows or at home.
“The third litter which brought further fame to ‘Beauty’ was by ‘Bonny
Boy,’ who in the early nineties was placed second in the class for
silver tabbies at the Crystal Palace, but was considered by admirers
of chinchillas to be the best cat in the whole show—an honour,
however, which came to him a month later when at Brighton he was
awarded the special for the most perfect specimen of the Persian breed
in the exhibition; he had previously been claimed at Sydenham, by the
Hon. Mrs. McLaren Morrison, at his catalogue price of £6 6s., and was
afterwards renamed ‘Nizam.’
“The only information that could be obtained about this beautiful cat
was that he was exhibited by Mrs. Davies and that he came from Wales.
Report suggested that he was imported, but there is no evidence of any
chinchilla cat having been sent from abroad.
[Illustration:
MRS. WELLBYE’S “SILVER LOTUS.”
(_Photo: E. Landor, Ealing._)
]
“‘Beauty’s’ litter by ‘Nizam’ consisted of one male and four females,
two of which, as ‘Twin and I’—so named because they were so exactly
alike—won first prizes and medals wherever shown. Another was sold by
me to Mrs. Martin, which, as ‘Lambkin Queen,’ was the foundation of
the afterwards noted cattery at High Wycombe. ‘Twin’ eventually went
to Mr. Lawton, who renamed her ‘Queen of the Mist.’ Mated with ‘Silver
Lambkin’ she produced ‘Sea Foam,’ the first chinchilla to win a prize
in a class solely confined to cats of the colour. There was an amusing
coincidence about this win, inasmuch as after considerable trouble had
been taken to get a separate class for chinchillas, the judge gave the
first prize to a heavily marked silver tabby, thus totally ignoring
the desired object. This occurred at the Crystal Palace in 1893 or
1894. The two first classes ever given for chinchillas were this one
and that given at Cruft’s first cat show at Westminster, held in
March, 1894.
“The next that was heard of ‘Twin’ was that she had succumbed from the
effects of swallowing a needle. ‘I,’ registered as ‘I, Beauty’s
Daughter,’ remained the whole of her lifetime at The Lodge, Penge,
where, when paired with the pale blue ‘Champion Bundle,’ ‘Southampton
Duchess’ was the result, the latter the mother of the ‘Silver
Lambkin’s’ most sensational son ‘Champion Lord Southampton,’ who was
sold by Mrs. Greenwood for £60, when he became the property of Lady
Decies, this being probably the highest price that has ever been given
in England for a cat of any variety. ‘Champion Lord Southampton,’ who
has been a very great winner, is remarkable for the lightness of
colour and slight markings of his kittens, this being undoubtedly due
to the strain of blue in his blood. Many beautiful cats own him as
sire, notably Miss Leake’s ‘Seraph,’ Mrs. Bluhm’s ‘Silver Sultan,’
Mrs. Neild’s ‘Absent-minded Beggar,’ Miss White Atkins’ ‘Tintagel,’
Mrs. Tyrwhitt Drake’s ‘Musa,’ Mrs. Rickett’s ‘Empress Josephine,’ Mrs.
Earwaker’s ‘Buxton Cloud,’ Mrs. Geo. Walker’s ‘Woodheys Fitzroy,’ Mrs.
Barnes’ ‘Nourmahal,’ winner of the Chinchilla Club challenge for the
best kitten, 1899, and a daughter of ‘Champion Fulmer Zaida,’ shown by
Lady Decies at the Crystal Palace in 1901, also ‘Green-eyed Monster.’
[Illustration:
MRS. WELLBYE’S SILVER “DOSSIE.”
(_Photo: E. Landor, Ealing._)
]
“Whilst speaking of ‘Tintagel’ it may be remembered that he sired a
charming litter exhibited by Mrs. Poole, which were first at the
National Cat Club show at the Crystal Palace, and one of which won as
a single kitten at the Botanic Gardens in 1902.
“Other famous progeny of ‘Silver Lambkin’ are ‘Silver Mist,’
‘Watership Cæsar’ (who won the gold medal at Boston, U.S.A., for the
best cat in the show, 1902), ‘Silver Tod Sloan,’ ‘Silver Owl,’ Mrs.
Bluhm’s ‘Silver Lily,’ ‘Silver Squire,’ and ‘Mowgli,’ the last-named
bred by Mrs. Dunderdale, but later the property of Mrs. Smyth, of
Forest Hill, one of the most enthusiastic admirers of chinchillas, who
has in her possession the stuffed figure of ‘Beauty.’
“A chinchilla that gained a considerable notoriety was ‘Sweet
Lavender,’ the property of Mr. Hawkins. This was a beautiful specimen,
very light in colour. The latter was also a distinctive feature of the
Hon. Mrs. McLaren Morrison’s ‘Ameer,’ a son of ‘Lambkin Queen,’ who
stands prominently forward as one of the most perfect of his kind.
Mrs. Martin’s ‘St. Anthony,’ whose name appears in the pedigrees of
several winners, is a brother of ‘Ameer.’
“As the sire of Lady Decies’ ‘Champion Fulmer Zaida,’ the most lovely
chinchilla female that has ever been seen, ‘Silver Laddie,’ who is now
unfortunately gone to his happy hunting grounds, can claim to have
been one of the most noted of sires, more particularly as he was also
the father of many others of great value, prominent amongst which were
Miss Horsman’s ‘Aramis,’ Miss Snell’s ‘Starlight,’ ‘Silver Cherub,’
‘Lady of Quality’ (one of the most perfect chinchillas ever bred),
‘Charterhouse Pixie’ (the dam of ‘Tod Sloan’), and numberless others.
“Not only as a chinchilla, but when competing with all breeds of cats,
both long and short-haired, ‘Champion Fulmer Zaida’ has proved her
excellence, and has on more than one occasion secured the cup at the
Crystal Palace for the best cat in the whole show. She was bred by
Mrs. Bluhm, one of the pioneers of chinchillas, and, it is stated, has
now won 136 first and special prizes, and that Lord Decies has refused
£90 for her.
“‘Zaida’ has also produced some first-class kittens, amongst which was
Miss Stisted’s ‘Pearl,’ the owner of the latter pretty queen being a
most devoted admirer of the chinchilla and sparing no expense to
further its interests.
“Mrs. Bluhm’s strain of chinchillas are all very light in colour, and
show great quality, which may also be said of those of Mrs. Wellbye,
whose ‘Silver Lotus’ and ‘Veronica,’ daughters of ‘Silver Squire’ and
‘Dossie,’ did so much winning in their day.
“Miss Meeson has also shown considerable enthusiasm in her endeavour
to reach the ideal, her best efforts having resulted in ‘Jupiter
Duvals,’ of wide fame.
“Two clubs have been formed in connection with the chinchilla cat—one,
the Silver Society, embraced other coloured cats besides the
chinchilla, this eventually becoming the Silver and Smoke Persian Cat
Society. It was owing to this club encouraging shaded, or marked,
silver cats and orange eyes that the Chinchilla Club was formed by
Mrs. Balding. This Club has the honour of having as patron H.S.H.
Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, who owns and exhibits some
beautiful chinchillas, and Lord Decies as vice-president.
“The Chinchilla Club gives its support and specials, besides
guaranteeing classes at any show whose management apply. The
conditions on which the specials are presented is that the cats to
which they are awarded must be the property of members of the club,
prize-winners in their respective classes, and registered cats.
“The club prizes usually consist of half a guinea in each class, and
the more coveted Special of the club’s badge for the best chinchilla
of either sex. Badges were selected in place of the ubiquitous medal,
because most of the dainty professional beauties very soon obtain a
considerable number of the latter, and smart little badges were more
appreciated.
“The club’s present challenge trophy for chinchilla kittens is a solid
silver model of ‘Silver Lambkin,’ offered by the hon. secretary for
competition amongst its members; it is also open to members of the
National Cat Club, in acknowledgment of the compliment paid by the
latter to the original in choosing his statuette to surmount their
challenge cup. The little history of the origin of this special has
never appeared in print before, and as I was not present at the
committee meeting referred to, ‘I tell the tale as ’twas told to me.’
When the challenge cups of the National Cat Club were designed in
1897, it was decided that the beauty and interest attached to them
should be enhanced by immortalising on each the most representative
cat of the long-haired and short-haired varieties. For the latter the
great ‘Xenophon’ was chosen without hesitation. Then came the more
difficult task of deciding upon a recipient for the distinction from
the long-haired ranks, which claim so much of the beauty and wealth of
winnings of the cat world as to render the singling out of one a
matter of consideration. To hasten the termination of the discussion
Mrs. Stennard Robinson sent for a collection of cat photographs which
had been left to her by the late Miss Portman, the well-known ‘Rara
Avis’ of the _Lady’s Pictorial_. Amongst these the hon. secretary of
the N.C.C. pointed out one—with no name attached—as the most beautiful
photograph of the lot. This was recognised by most of the committee as
being ‘Silver Lambkin,’ so the honour fell to him.
[Illustration:
MRS. WELLBYE’S SILVER “VERONICA.”
(_Photo: E. Landor, Ealing._)
]
“By some error at the makers’ the long-haired cat was placed on both
challenge cups, and it was determined by the club that the superfluous
model which had to be removed and replaced by ‘Xenophon’ should be
mounted as a letter-weight and given as a challenge prize for kittens,
to be won three times before becoming the property of the winner.
After some keen competition, covering about half a dozen shows, Mrs.
Martin won it outright in 1899, when it was replaced by the present
exactly similar model.
“The endeavour of the Chinchilla Cat Club, of which all the leading
breeders and most successful exhibitors are members, is to continue
the work that has been done to improve chinchillas, and to produce a
new variety the colour of the palest shade of the fur (dyed) known as
‘blue fox,’ or a very light shade of pigeon blue. Without doubt such a
result can be obtained by careful selection and—‘the little more.’
Darwin’s words on the subject of selection are attractive to all
owners of live stock. He says: ‘Improvement is by no means due to
crossing different breeds. All the best breeders are strongly opposed
to this practice, except sometimes amongst closely allied sub-breeds.
And when a cross has been made, the closest selection is far more
indispensable even than in ordinary cases. If selection consisted
merely in separating some very distinct variety and breeding from it,
the principle would be so obvious as to be hardly worth notice; but
the importance consists in the great effect produced by the
accumulation in one direction during successive generations of
differences absolutely unappreciable by an uneducated eye. Not one man
in a thousand has the accuracy of eye and judgment sufficient to
become an eminent breeder.... Few would readily believe in the natural
capacity and years of practice requisite to become even a skilful
pigeon fancier.’
“The Chinchilla Cat Club is also prepared to encourage cats of new
colours, which should now be not so very difficult to produce,
considering the points that have been brought out in those varieties
that were well known, the latter showing that it is possible to breed
to a standard if judgment is used in the endeavour to do so. Some of
us remember the time when a blue cat, either long or short-haired (now
the largest classes), was a _rara avis_ when Mrs. Lee’s ‘Meo’ was the
only Siamese at the Crystal Palace show, smokes an equal oddity, blue
eyes in a white cat a comparatively unnoticed point, and
cream-coloured cats entirely unknown.
“The colour of the chinchilla has been bred in various ways. In bygone
days, when chinchilla cats were flukes or freaks and few and far
between, methods which would now be considered somewhat eccentric were
resorted to by the first breeders of the colour. The useful
tortoiseshell, from which black, red, cream, or tabby cats can be got,
was pressed into the service, and, paired with a silver or light blue
tabby not too clearly marked, would occasionally, amid the
multi-coloured kittens for which tortoiseshells are proverbial, throw
a medium chinchilla or light silver tabby, which with careful
selection might, a generation or two later, develop into something
approaching a good chinchilla.
“But it is, perhaps, more difficult to foretell with cats than any
other animal what the result of pairing will be with anything like
certainty. This particularly applies to the ordinary English cat, as
it is impossible to guess at the mixture of different-coloured
creatures which have preceded it, and any of which may influence the
progeny of its descendants. A fancier who would produce any particular
specimen must, amongst other gifts, be equipped with the patience of
biblical celebrities and prepared to wait seven years, as one
enthusiast actually did before arriving at the fulfilment of his
desires in the shape of a well-marked tabby kitten.
[Illustration:
SOUTHERN CATTERY, SHOWING ENTRANCE TO INFIRMARY AND INDOOR CATTERY.
]
[Illustration:
MRS. WALKER VISITING HER PETS.
TWO VIEWS OF WOODHEYS CATTERY.
]
“With pedigree cats, of course, the chances of unexpected traits
reappearing in their progeny are considerably lessened, and, given
desirable connections on both sides of some years’ standing, the
personal attributes of a coming litter may be predicted more or less
successfully. One of the loveliest of smokes—the correct black, with
white under-coat, without the shadow of a stripe—was from a brown
tabby queen, from brown tabby parents, and a chinchilla bred from a
chinchilla dam and smoke sire. Again, a brown tabby with white paws,
whose appearance did not suggest the bluest of blood, mated with the
same chinchilla sire, produced in a litter three chinchillas and two
faintly marked silver tabbies, which would nowadays have been styled
‘shaded silvers’ by followers of the dubious hue. Needless to say,
these instances are not given to encourage the idea of breeding
chinchillas from brown tabbies, but as illustrations that just as the
results of pairing a cat with one of nondescript pedigree cannot be
guessed, so in an animal carefully bred for generations so indelibly
have the characteristics of the breed or variety been stamped upon it
by past ancestors that it is practically impossible for them to become
obliterated or submerged.
[Illustration:
“SILVER BLOSSOM.”
OWNED BY MRS. WALKER.
(_Photo: Findlow & Co., High Wycombe._)
]
“Thus the type once fixed survives, though it be by the aid of the
most incongruous connection, such as a brown tabby. Had the latter
been the patrician bred from progenitors of her colours, and the
chinchilla been the one of doubtful lineage, the result must, of
course, have been reversed, and the kittens, in all probability, would
have followed the brown tabby strain. If neither parent cat when of
distinct varieties can boast a particularly dominant strain, the
offspring naturally partakes of the peculiarities of both.
“Colour, in chinchillas, is the most important point. It should be of
palest silver, lavender tint, and lighter—in fact, practically
white—at the roots. There should be no dark blotches or stripes or
brown tint on the back or about the nose. A rusty hue is, however,
sometimes caused by the action of the sun or wind. As regards bars or
stripes on head, these should be as few and light in colour as
possible, with a view to breeding them out altogether in the future.
“The coat should be long and thick, of fine, soft texture, much
thicker and longer round the neck, forming a decided frill and mane,
the latter reaching well down the fore legs. It should also be longer
on the hinder part of the thighs, forming _culotte_, and very bushy on
the tail, which should be short and wide. The legs should be slightly
feathered, with tufts of hair between the toes. There should also be
tufts in the ears, which should be very small and set low.
“The head should be wide at the forehead and short in the muzzle, well
filled up below the eyes, giving it a round appearance. The eyes large
and luminous, in colour emerald green with black lids. Green and
yellow mixture is permissible, but not so picturesque as the green;
yellow in the eyes is not desirable. In shape the chinchilla should
have a level back, and be only slightly long in the couplings. The
legs should be short, with round paws, the latter well padded. When in
full coat the hair should nearly reach the ground and the frill
envelop the back of the head, making a very fascinating whole.”
The following is the standard of points as drawn up by the Chinchilla
Cat Club. It is also used in America as a basis for criticism:—
1. Colour of Coat.—Palest silver, lavender tint preferred, nearly
white at roots. No dark stripes, blotches, or brown tint.
Darker tips to the long-hairs give the coat an appearance of
being lightly peppered with a darker shade. The whole
appearance of the cat to be very pale 30
2. Coat.—Long and thick 20
3. Texture of Coat.—Fine and soft 10
4. Tufts of hair inside and round the ears and between the toes 10
5. Head.—Broad and round; forehead wide, ears small and set low,
nose short 25
6. Shape.—Back level, not too short; legs short, paws round; brush
short, wide, and carried low 20
7. Eyes.—Large, luminous, and green in colour (if green mixed with
yellow, 5 points only allowed) 10
To breeders of silver Persian cats an article by Mrs. Neild will be
valuable and instructive. Mrs. Neild has made, so to speak, a
speciality of silvers, and owns two noted silver studs—the
“Absent-minded Beggar” and “Lord Hampton.” There are always some good
silver queens, and very frequently some choice kits, disporting
themselves in the well-arranged catteries at Hart Hill, Bowdon, where
Mrs. Neild has a kennel of Borzois and a cattery of silvers.
This is what Mrs. Neild says regarding the breeding and rearing of
silver Persian cats:—
“Perhaps of the many varieties Persian cats—and, indeed, they are a
goodly number as they now appear on our show catalogues and
schedules—the silvers may claim their owners to be the most sporting
of cat breeders. Certainly, to breed successfully it is essential that
one should possess the not too common virtues of unlimited patience
and perseverance. Also experience is necessary.
“A common occurrence among even old hands is to assign a kitten—one of
a new litter under inspection, as being of ‘little good except as a
pet’—‘to be sold at a small sum to a good home,’ and a few weeks later
discover this same kitten to be the pick of the litter. In short, the
old, old story of the ugly duckling incessantly repeats itself in our
catteries, certainly in those devoted to silver cats. Therefore I
suspect fanciers who have succeeded (all honour to the few!) and those
who mean to succeed in breeding silver Persian cats of possessing a
larger stock of patience and of having acquired a larger experience
than their brothers and sisters whose love has turned towards the
blue, black, or white pussies.
[Illustration:
“SILVER BLOSSOM’S” TWO BUDS.
(_Photo: Mrs. G. H. Walker._)
]
“With these last three one may be tolerably sure—always taking for
granted some knowledge—of fairly pure coat colour, and at a very early
age the best kittens of the litter may be picked out—those having
greatest breadth of skull, smallest ears, etc. But the silver litters
are a veritable surprise packet, and remain so for an irritatingly
long period. Personally, I have found that those kittens which, when
born, have very pale—almost white—unbarred faces and fore legs are
ultimately those which grow palest. I take no notice of the colour of
the coat on the back, sides, hind legs, or tail, even if striped, as
frequently happens, for all these markings generally vanish _if_—as I
before said—the face and fore legs are unbarred. I must, however, own
to one kitten who was born jet black. She was by Mrs. Champion’s ‘Lord
Argent’ and a shaded silver queen of my own breeding. When a month old
I dubbed her a very bad smoke; at three months she was coatless—a most
indecent little person, having shed her coat more completely than I
had ever seen in cat or kitten. When, after a provokingly long period,
she again consented to appear clothed, her dress was of palest silver,
unadorned by any markings except a very faint smudge on her forehead
and—which, alas, spoilt her for show—a darker tinge on her broken
tail. How is it that to our _best_ some accident _always_ happens? So,
as I could not exhibit her, I sold her to a delightful home in the
North of England, and her enthusiastic owner wrote to me a few weeks
since that her big babies by ‘Lord Hampton’ were as pale as the
mother, who herself grew steadily of a fainter silver.
[Illustration:
“WILD TOM.”
SILVER, BRED BY MRS. G. H. WALKER.
(_Photo: Mrs. G. H. Walker._)
]
“Unfortunately, silvers more than any other breed of cats lack bone,
caused, of course, by the unavoidable in-breeding practised when this
variety of cat was first introduced and so enthusiastically welcomed,
and when but one or two fanciers owned a cat of such shade. Another
article on this subject, by a lady who may really claim to have
established this breed, will explain to the reader more than it is in
my power or province to declare.
“To go back to the subject of our small silvers, in-bred to delicacy.
We should now remember how many good sires, absolutely unrelated and
within easy reach, are placed at our disposal. Therefore, surely there
can be no possible excuse if in a comparatively short time we do not
manage to own silvers big in bone and limb, and owning—ah! happy
accompaniment—greater constitutional vigour.
“We are, I believe, too apt, if owning a pale queen, to mate her with
the palest known stud, disregarding other very important
considerations in the all-absorbing wish to breed the wonderful ‘dirty
white’ king or queen of silvers. Sometimes this atom (verily so) of
perfection does make its appearance, and is enthusiastically greeted.
But what of the mite itself? A tiny, sickly scrap of a kitten,
constantly ailing, refusing to grow or to weigh, except at a rate of
less than half the average blue kitten of its own age. But
extraordinary care keeps the mite alive until one day some chance
draught or a maid’s carelessness ends our careful nursing, and the
poor owner of that ‘lovely dirty white kit’ at last realises that this
other good-bye means it may be wiser to mate that same pale queen to
the strongest, hardiest, biggest-boned stud possible to be found among
our silver studs, even if he is rather barred.
“Now mark. From the result of this mating, keep the best of the female
kittens and marry her—if possible, not before she is eighteen (at any
rate, fifteen) months old—to a stud unrelated, sturdy, of undoubtedly
splendid health, for preference paler than herself, and boasting grand
head and the essential tiny ears and short nose. Then you may dream
your dreams with a chance of their resulting in a golden reality.
“If breeders would but spend rather more thought when they select
husbands for their pussies, they would be indeed repaid. I am not
speaking, of course, to the fortunate few who have won their laurels,
and of whom I would I might learn; although I rather suspect their
secret of success is but the result of continual study, coupled with
extreme care. Would not an enormous increase of size and weight soon
become evident in the occupants of our catteries if, when a queen was
about to be mated, her owner would first carefully study the list of
points provided by the Silver and Smoke Persian Cat Society
(previously quoted in this work), jotting down those good qualities to
which she believes her queen may lay claim, and then selecting that
sire possessing the points most wanting in her own cat—of course,
never forgetting relationship? The old rule about in-breeding is ‘once
in, twice out,’ as all old fanciers know; but where silver Persian
cats are in question, I would most strongly urge that this adage be
disregarded, and, as a rule, avoid in-breeding entirely until a
stronger race of silver cats is established, cats with frames equal to
those big blue beauties we see at our shows. I think that in a
comparatively short time—of course, always avoiding tabby blood,
breeding _chiefly_ for bone—our silver cats may be very different to
those of to-day, those who own too fairylike limbs to be beautiful.
“A word about our famous sires—and, by the way, we may congratulate
ourselves on having within reach so many beauties. Often I have
letters asking for advice as to which stud such and such a queen shall
visit; and, in addition to the above suggestions, I would remind the
owner that length of journey should be taken into consideration, and
the fact that if the chosen sire is extremely popular it may be that a
better result may be gained if the queen is sent to one not so much in
request, especially if the owner of the stud cat has not been warned
before of the visit of your pussie. However, most owners of stud cats
are extremely careful in limiting the number of visitors, and few
object to keeping Sir Thomas free for a week beforehand if given due
notice.
“Do let me urge all whom it may concern to keep Madame in close
confinement for several days after her return home. Indeed, in the
interest of the owner of both stud and queen this is of vast
importance, and many a disappointment is due to this seemingly small
neglect. Puss does not always return as one would wish, however great
the care given her whilst away on her holiday, and may take her
matrimonial affairs into her own paws with results most unsatisfactory
to everyone but herself. When the kits arrive, do not—if you have
reason to expect valuable kittens as a result of the mating—leave more
than two or three with the mother (I am, of course, speaking of silver
kittens) for reasons I shall directly state. By far the best plan is
to procure (some time before the birth of both litters) a good big
English cat as foster mother, one known to have brought up a previous
litter—_not_ an old cat. The usual method of substituting her foster
for her own babies is to take away the mother cat for a few minutes—of
course, out of sight—and, removing one of her own kittens, rub the
little silver baby with the hay of the nest and against the other
kittens so that the strange smell—sense of all others so wonderfully
developed in animals—may not raise suspicion in the foster mother.
Then the next day remove one or two more.
“May I, at this point, plead that the little kittens taken from their
mother for your benefit should not be drowned? If they must be sent
along the silent road to the Quiet City, let it be done mercifully and
by chloroform. Such wee things may rest easily in a big biscuit box,
the lids of which usually close tightly, and about 1 oz. of chloroform
poured on a piece of flannel or sponge laid on a small saucer by their
side will send them painlessly to sleep.
“The reason I strongly advise that the English foster should nurse the
_best_ of the litter is but an echo of the old cry, ‘Want of bone.’
Fed by the sturdy British puss, the delicate tiny balls of silver
fluff will gain greater strength, and be mothered for a longer period
than would be possible with their real parent.
[Illustration:
“FUR AND FEATHER.”
(_Photo: Mrs. S. F. Clarke_)
]
“It is necessary to remember that, although the foster mother needs
extra food when nursing—just as in the case of the silver mother—more
caution must be exercised when beginning the more liberal diet, for
very probably, if this is forgotten, a liver attack—which will also
affect the precious kits—will be the result of her unusually liberal
fare. Remember, also, to inquire of the owner of your foster as to how
she has been fed. With this knowledge, common sense and careful
watching of cat and kittens will quickly show if it would be better to
increase or diminish her meals either in quantity or quality. It is of
enormous value to bespeak the foster mother, if possible, four or five
weeks before the birth of the kittens, for then it will not hurt to
give her what is almost certain to be necessary—_i.e._ a worm powder.
“I always allow my mother pussies as much milk as they like (although,
as a rule, my cats drink water), but it should be boiled, and one
tablespoonful of lime-water added to each half-pint. When I once urged
this care of the foster mother to a friend who owned two kittens she
was extremely anxious to rear, I was laughed to scorn, and assured
that such fussiness about a strong English cat was more than foolish.
Yet I would remind breeders who are inclined to agree with the above
opinion that on the perfect health of your head nurse rests the future
of your much-prized litter. On her depends their growth, their first
chance of throwing off their natural delicacy. Mr. House, in one of
his articles lately published in _Fur and Feather_, advises that
kittens should be kept with and fed by their mothers as long as
sixteen weeks. In my humble opinion this is too great a strain on any
Persian cat, but there may be great wisdom in keeping the kits with
the mother or foster for as long as it is possible without overtaxing
the cat. The same authority speaks of a relay of foster mothers. I
confess this puzzles me, for I should imagine that the food supplied
by the second mother would be too weak in quality (as Nature provides
it shall be of different quality to suit the age of all and every kind
of baby) for the big kits after that of the first foster, and I should
have also imagined the second foster would refuse to nurse kits so
much bigger than those she had just left.
“When my kits are four weeks old I give them raw lean beef—scraped,
not chopped—beginning with half a teaspoonful daily, then the same
quantity twice daily, then three times a day; and at the same time
teach them to lap, using a plate, which, being shallower than a
saucer, causes less choking and fear to the little things.”
Mrs. G. H. Walker, of Woodheys Park, is the chief supporter of the
Northern Counties Cat Club, and is a member of the National Cat Club
Committee. For several years she has been a well-known breeder and
exhibitor of silver Persians, and has a most excellently planned
cattery, which I had the pleasure of seeing when on a visit to
Woodheys Grange. Mrs. Walker kindly had some views taken, specially
for reproduction in these pages. I consider the arrangements for the
pussies’ comfort and well-being as complete as it is possible to make
them. The floors of the outside catteries, which face south, are
cemented, so that they can be washed over every day. The roofs are
boarded, and then covered with galvanised iron, so that all the rain
runs away easily. The spacious apartments are fitted with benches and
ledges, and trunks of trees and leafy shrubs are planted in the ground
for the cats’ special amusement and exercise. The kennels—which, for
the purpose of photographing them have been placed outside—are the
cosy sleeping dens of the pussies. There is a maid in attendance on
these fortunate cats, and the man who looks after the kennels of dogs
also gives a helping hand.
[Illustration:
“THE SILVER LAMBKINS.”
BY “RAHMAN” _ex_ “BEAUTY.”
]
In one of the pictures will be seen a staircase, and this leads to
three charmingly arranged rooms. All the appliances and utensils
connected with the animals are kept in one of these apartments.
Another is set apart for mothers and their families, and a third is
kept in case of illness for an isolation ward. In one of the loose
boxes near at hand the cooking for the pussies is carried on, and
there is a larder specially for the cats’ food. Mrs. Walker devotes
much of her time to looking after her pets, and great has been her
sorrow over the untimely death of some of her treasured pussies. After
one of the large shows, infection crept into her cattery, and worked
most cruel havoc. Such losses as Mrs. Walker sustained were enough to
damp the ardour of the most enthusiastic cat lover and fancier; but
the lady of Woodheys Grange bravely faced the situation, and after a
period of sad reflection she once again resumed her hobby with renewed
interest. At the Northern Counties Cat Show at Manchester in 1902 Mrs.
Walker exhibited a really wonderful silver kitten. I say wonderful,
for this youngster, bred from the owner’s “Woodheys Fitzroy” and
“Countess,” was the most unshaded and unmarked specimen of a silver I
have ever seen. This unique specimen will be watched with interest by
silver fanciers. May his shadings ever grow less!
The average number of inmates of this cattery is about thirty, but at
one period of Mrs. G. H. Walker’s catty career the silver fever ran
high, and there were sixty-three cats and kits within the precincts of
the spacious and luxurious catteries of Woodheys Grange.
Mrs. Martin, of High Wycombe, who has often acted as judge, has been a
most successful breeder of silvers, and the progeny by “St. Anthony,”
her noted sire, have distinguished themselves by winning over one
hundred prizes. “St. Anthony” has retired into private life, but he
will always be remembered if only by his two children “Silver Dove”
and “Fascination.” Mrs. Martin says, “I am all in favour of the male
being older than the queen in breeding silvers; also select a
good-coated stud cat, short in the legs. Eyes are a worry just now. Of
course, I like green best, but if a cat is good in all points but
colour of eye, this should not upset an award. I find that if a kitten
is born almost self silver, it will develop into an indifferent silver
tabby later; but if the body is dark, and head and legs light and
clear, you may hope for a very unmarked specimen in due time.”
Mrs. Wellbye’s silver cats “Dossie,” “Silver Lotus,” and “Veronica”
were at one time well-known winners, and for length of coat and beauty
of eye have seldom been surpassed. Mrs. Wellbye is a most astute judge
of silvers, and her remarks on this her favourite breed will be read
with interest:—
“This handsome variety of the Persian ranks high in the estimation of
cat lovers; indeed, its ardent admirers consider it the _crème de la
crème_ of the cat world. And why not? Surely there is nothing to
compare with a lovely young chinchilla Persian in full coat. Its very
daintiness and seeming pride in itself is quite charming. One is
reminded of a pretty child dressed out in its party frock, for puss
appears to know it is well dressed and desirous to show her charms to
the best advantage. She dances, pirouettes, and throws herself into
the most graceful and entrancing attitudes, until we feel in sympathy
with the Egyptians of old and are willing to fall down and worship our
adorable pets. We all love beauty, but to those who love cats there is
something beyond even beauty, for only they who keep and care and
treat them well know the comfort these little creatures are, and the
happiness they can bestow by their sweet caressing ways, perhaps more
especially to those whose hearts are starved of human love, but still
to all whose sympathies are wide of the varieties of silver cats. I
will first treat of the chinchilla.
“The Crystal Palace show of 1895 or 1896 was the first I remember with
a class for chinchillas; previous to that, I believe, they were not
recognised as such, but were shown with the silver tabbies. Strictly
speaking, the name chinchilla is a misnomer as applied to these cats.
The soft grey coat of the little animal called the chinchilla, whose
lovely fur is so much prized as an article of ladies’ dress, differs
diametrically from the cat so-called.
“The fur of the chinchilla is dark at the roots, and shades quite pale
grey at the tips. The cat’s fur, on the contrary, is absolutely pale
grey, almost white at the roots, but tipped with black at the outer
edges.
“The points as laid down by the Silver Society are as follow:
‘Chinchillas should be as pale and unmarked silver as it is possible
to breed them.’
“The aim of the breeder of this variety, therefore, is to obtain a cat
with none of the markings of the original stock (the silver tabby),
the dark tippings to be slight and faint.
[Illustration:
BROWN TABBY AND SILVER PERSIANS.
(_From a Painting by Miss F. Marks._)
]
“Breeders have found this ideal most difficult to obtain; although
some kittens are born pale all over, with no markings, in a few
weeks—or maybe months—the hope of the family is no more, for the
lighter the kitten the more delicate. ‘Whom the gods love, die young.’
Or, again, if the cherished one lives over its baby troubles, and
starts on the change from its first, or kitten coat, to the second
coat, too often do the markings appear, the shadings get darker, or
fine black hairs are seen amongst the pale grey. Some of the best
chinchilla kittens have been born quite dark, and with tiny stripes
all over. At a month or six weeks these marks have disappeared, and
later the coat has become an even silver.
“The breeder must not even then build high hopes. Again change may
occur. There is no cat which varies so much; it is quite
chameleon-like in this respect.
“A few years ago the Cat Club adopted the name of ‘self silver’ as
applied to the chinchilla—another misnomer, as a self silver should
have no tippings or shadings, and the silver cat has not been bred
that had fur the same shade throughout from roots to tips.
“The slight dark edging to the fur constitutes to most people the
charm in these silvers. Sometimes it is almost imperceptible to the
casual observer; or when the cat is in full coat (the fur being from
three to seven inches long on the tail—sometimes as much as nine
inches) the tiny fleckings are lost in wavy, tossing, billowy coat.
But let the coat become damp, however slightly, it will be seen that
the dark edges are clearly in evidence.
[Illustration:
“JUPITER DUVALS.”
OWNED AND BRED BY MISS S. MEESON.
(_Photo: F. Parsons, Southend-on-Sea._)
]
“As, however, breeders could not always produce the pale shade of
silver, the litters, even with the most careful mating, being
generally assorted in good, bad, and indifferent so far as colour was
concerned, many fine cats—dark silvers—had no place assigned to them.
“It was then suggested that a class should be given at the shows to be
called ‘shaded silver,’ the points according to the Silver Society
being as follows:—
“‘Shaded silvers should be defined as pale, clear silver, shaded on
face, legs, and back, but having as few tabby markings as possible.’
“The dark or shaded silvers, it was understood, should have pale,
clear under-coats; but instead of the fleckings of the self silver
(so-called), the dark edges ran a considerable way into the fur. The
shaded silver is a handsome cat, but too often much marked on the face
and barred on the legs, a defect most difficult to overcome. Many cat
fanciers describe the shaded silver as a ‘spoilt tabby.’
[Illustration:
THE ELDER MISS BLOSSOM.
SILVER, OWNED BY MISS HORSMAN.
]
“The third in the group of silvers is the silver tabby. The points are
here stated:—
“‘The colour of a silver tabby should be a pale, clear silver, with
distinct black markings.’
“This variety ought in equity to have been mentioned first, as it is
the original stock, but it has been overshadowed by the superior
attractions of the chinchilla. (Silver tabby enthusiasts will perhaps
pardon this eulogy of my favourite breed.) There is not the slightest
doubt this handsome cat, the silver tabby, has suffered materially
from the craze for the newer variety, and consequently the type has
not been kept pure. They have been mated over and over again with cats
of less markings in the hope of breeding chinchillas, until at the
present day there are very few silver tabbies true to type.
“The position of the silver tabby in the feline scale is very
peculiar. As a Persian it is, of course, necessary that its coat
should be long and fine, whilst as a tabby it is desirable that the
markings should show up to advantage. How to reconcile the two is the
puzzle, for the longer the coat the less the markings are evident, as
the stripes are merged in the flowing coat, so that we sometimes see
at the cat shows exhibits woefully out of coat placed in the first
rank, as the markings are much more distinct. It follows, then, in
this variety of the silver, a long coat is distinctly a disadvantage
when competing at shows.
“Having now obtained three types for silvers, and the Cat Club willing
to give classes for them at the great shows held in St. Stephen’s
Hall, Westminster, the outcome was looked forward to with much
interest. But it was one thing to get four types, and quite another
matter to get silver breeders to understand the fine distinction;
consequently, the cats were entered in self silver, shaded silver, and
silver tabby classes indiscriminately. The result was, of course,
muddle and confusion, many exhibitors having the mortification of
finding ‘Wrong Class’ on the cat pens.
“At a recent show held at Westminster under the auspices of the Cat
Club, the judge was asked by the Honorary Secretary to go round the
classes first, and if any exhibit was wrongly placed to re-classify
before judging. This worked satisfactorily so far as disqualification
was concerned.
“At this show, however, the judge was confronted with another
difficulty, it being found that most of the cats in the classes for
shaded silver had deviated materially from the standard of points laid
down by the Silver Society. Instead of the clear, pale under-coat, the
fur was a dark grey right down to the skin. The majority of these cats
were quite dark, and, rightly speaking, were not silvers—that is, if
one bears in mind the metal so named. It is difficult to say in what
class they could be placed, unless a new class was created, to be
called ‘clouded or oxydised silver.’ If we go on to these subdivisions
we shall not know where to stop. Self silver or chinchilla, shaded
silver, clouded silver, and silver tabby—a truly appalling problem for
the bewildered judge to decide, for the majority of exhibitors would
not appreciate the variations.
“It may come to this eventually, but at the present time the threefold
classification leads to much confusion, for as nearly—or very
nearly—all silver cats are more or less tabby marked, so will
exhibitors be in doubt as to the class to which their cats rightly
belong.
“It is a question if the introduction of the shaded class at shows has
not done more harm than good, for as previously we saw very few of the
dark silvers—it not being worth breeding the variety when there was no
class in which to show them—so now the tendency of exhibits, as anyone
who attends shows can see, is to run to darkness rather than light;
and breeding for colour, purity of colour, and absence of markings has
received a set-back, for with some judges colour is nothing, and
prizes will be showered upon a ‘spoilt tabby’ if it happens to have,
perhaps, a broader head or a bulkier body—good points, as everyone
will allow, but points which the common or garden cat may possess; and
we do not pit our dainty chinchillas against all and sundry.
“Without wishing in any way to detract from the good qualities which
the more plebeian branches of the cat tribe undoubtedly possess, it is
impossible not to award the palm for grace and beauty to the highly
bred aristocratic chinchilla. Coal and iron are useful, but we give
our admiration to diamonds and pearls.”
[Illustration:
“DOLLY DAYDREAM.”
(_Photo: E. Landor, Ealing._)
]
Before closing the chapter on silvers, I will allude to the Cat Club
show held at St. Stephen’s Hall, Westminster Aquarium, in January,
1903. On this occasion there was quite a record entry in the male
silver class, which contained twenty-one cats. The list was headed by
Mr. J. F. Dewar’s handsome “Father O’Flynn II.” Many well-known
prize-winners had to be content with a V.H.C. card in this class of
quantity and quality. The females numbered eighteen, and here again a
noted winner was awarded the highest honours. Miss Chamberlayne’s “Cap
and Bells” is very pale and pure in colour, and carries a soft, silky
coat. In the silver kitten class the sexes were not divided, and Miss
Ford’s lovely kittens scored first and third. A sweeter face and
rounder head than that possessed by “Silver Button,” the first
prize-winner, would be difficult to find, and Miss Ford may be
congratulated on having bred such a gem. Mr. T. B. Mason judged the
silver classes at this show, and he doubtless experienced some
difficulty in testing the colour of the exhibits in the bad light of
St. Stephen’s Hall, more especially as on the opening day of the show
a dense fog hung over the city. Another difficulty which must present
itself to our most capable judges is the awarding of specials offered
for silvers and shaded silvers. Perhaps the easiest way out of this
difficulty is to give the shaded silver prizes to the darkest cats;
but all are shaded, even the palest, and therefore some judges might
justify themselves if they awarded both sets of specials to the one
cat. At this show Lady Marcus Beresford offered three special prizes
in each silver cat class for the palest specimens, one of these in the
male class being won by her own handsome “Beetle,” a son of the famous
“Lord Southampton.” The classification for silvers at the specialist
societies’ show at Bath, which followed close after the Westminster
show, was the largest that has ever been given, consisting of classes
for novices and breeders, in addition to the ordinary division and
subdivision for cats and kittens. The sensible plan of a ring class
for neuters _only_ was adopted.
Members of the specialist society for the encouragement of silvers
must on this occasion have felt proud of the liberal classification
and of the long list of handsome special prizes offered for their
favourite breed of long-haired cats.
[Illustration:
“I WANT TO GO HOME.”
(_Photo: E. Landor, Ealing._)
]
[Illustration:
“THE MARQUIS OF DINGLEY.”
SILVER TABBY, OWNED BY MISS ANDERSON LEAKE.
(_Photo: Cassell & Company, Limited._)
]