Our Cats and All About Them Part 12

MARKINGS 20

Jet-black lines, not too broad, scarcely so wide as the ground colour shown between, so as to give a light and brilliant effect. When the black lines are broader than the colour s.p.a.ce, it is a defect, being then black marked with colour, instead of colour with black. The lines must be clear, sharp, and well-defined, in every way distinct, having no mixture of the ground colour. Head and legs marked regularly, the rings on the throat and chest being in no way blurred or broken, but clear, graceful, and continuous; lips, cushions of feet, and the backs of hind-legs, and the ear-points, black.

FORM 10

Narrow, long, graceful in line, neck rather long and slender; shoulders receding, well-sloped, and deep; legs medium length, not thick nor clumsy; feet round and small.

TAIL 5

Long, thick at the base and narrowing towards the end, carried low, with graceful curve, and marked with black rings.

SIZE AND CONDITION 10

Large, lithe, elegant in all its movements; hair smooth, clean, bright, full of l.u.s.tre, and lying close to the body, all betokening full health and strength.

--- Total 100

[Ill.u.s.tration: MR. BABB'S SPOTTED SILVER TABBY.]

SHORT-HAIRED, SPOTTED TABBIES OF ANY COLOUR.

These to be the same in all points of head, eyes, fur, form, colours, tail, size and condition as those laid down for the judging of short-haired tabby cats in general, with the exception, in whatever colour the markings are, or on whatever ground, they, instead of being in lines or bands, are to be broken up into clear, well-defined and well-formed spots, each spot to be separate, and distinct, and good, firm and dark in colour; these then count as many points as a finely-striped cat in its cla.s.s.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PROPERLY MARKED BLACK AND WHITE.]

BLACK AND WHITE, GRAY-WHITE, RED AND WHITE, AND OTHER COLOURS AND WHITE.

The self colour to count the same number of points as the ground colour in tabby, namely, twenty points, and the white _markings_ the same as the tabby markings, that is, twenty points. The other points also the same.

The markings to be: lips, mouth and part of the cheek, including the whiskers, with a blaze up the nose, coming to a point between the eyes, white; throat and chest white, and pear-shaped in outline of colour; all four feet white.

WHITE AND BLACK, WHITE AND GRAY, WHITE AND RED, WHITE AND ANY OTHER COLOUR.

The colours and markings to count the same as the above. The ground colour being white, and markings the dark colour instead of white. In the markings they should be even or well-balanced, such as two black ears, the rest white; or two black ears, with black tail, and the rest white; or all white, with dark tail only. These are not very uncommon markings, but if so marked, they may also have a spot or two on the back or sides provided they balance in size of colour. But the simplicity of the former is the best.

All other fancy colours and markings must be judged according to taste, and entered in the any other variety of colours for short-haired cats, such as strawberry colour, smokies, chinchillas, ticked, black tabbies and such fancy colours.

ABYSSINIAN.

POINTS HEAD 10

Small, broad across the eyes, rather long than short, nose medium length, all well-formed.

EYES 15

Orange-yellow, slightly tinged with green, large, round, full, and bright.

NOSE AND FEET 10

Nose dark red, edged with black; tips and cushions of feet black, also the back of the hind-legs.

FUR 15

Soft, rather woolly hair, yet soft, silky, l.u.s.trous, and glossy, short, smooth, even, and dense.

EARS 10

The usual size of the ordinary English cat, but a little more rounded, with not much hair in the interior, black at the apex.

COLOUR 20

A rich, dun brown, ticked with black and orange, or darker on lighter colours, having a dark or black line along the back extending to the end of the tail, and slightly annulated with black or dark colour. As few other marks as possible. Inside of fore-legs and belly to be orange-brown. No white.

SIZE AND CONDITION 10

Large; coat glossy and smooth, fitting close to the body; eyes bright and clear.

CARRIAGE AND APPEARANCE 10

Graceful, lithe, elegant, alert and quick in all its movements, head carried up, tail trailing, in walk undulating.

--- TOTAL 100

N.B.--The Abyssinian Silver Gray, or Chinchilla, is the same in all points, with the exception of the ground colour being silver instead of brown. This is a new and beautiful variety.

ROYAL CAT OF SIAM.

POINTS HEAD 10

Small, broad across and between the eyes, tapering upwards and somewhat narrow between the ears: forehead flat and receding, nose long, and somewhat broad, cheeks narrowing towards the mouth, lips full and rounded, ears rather large and wide at base, with very little hair inside.

FUR 10

Very short, and somewhat woolly, yet soft and silky to the touch, and glossy, with much l.u.s.tre on the face, legs, and tail.

COLOUR 20

The ground or body colour to be of an even tint, slightly darker on the back, but not in any way clouded or patched with any darker colour; light rich dun is the preferable colour, but a light fawn, light silver-gray, or light orange is allowable; deeper and richer browns, almost chocolate, are admissible if even and not clouded, but the first is the true type, the last merely a variety of much beauty and excellence; but the dun and light tints take precedence.

MARKINGS 20