Our Cats and All About Them Part 13

Ears black, the colour not extending beyond them, but ending in a clear and well-defined outline; around the eyes, and all the lower part of the head, black; legs and tail black, the colour not extending into or staining the body, but having a clear line of demarkation.

EYES 15

Rather of almond shape, slanting towards the nose, full and of a very beautiful blue opalesque colour, luminous and of a reddish tint in the dusk of evening or by artificial light.

TAIL 5

Short by comparison with the English cat, thin throughout, a little thicker towards the base, without any break or kink.

SIZE AND FORM 10

Rather small, lithe, elegant in outline, and graceful, narrow and somewhat long; legs thin and a little short than otherwise; feet long, not so round as the ordinary cat; neck long and small.

CONDITION 10

In full health, not too fat, hair smooth, clear, bright, full of l.u.s.tre, lying close to the body, which should be hard and firm in the muscles.

--- TOTAL 100

MANX, OR SHORT-TAILED CAT.

POINTS HEAD 10

Small, round, but tapering towards the lips, rather broad across the eyes, nose medium length, ears rather small, broad at base and sloping upwards to a point.

EYES 10

According to colour, as shown in other varieties.

FUR 10

Short, of even length, smooth, silky, and glossy.

COLOUR 15

To range the same as other short-haired cats, if self same as self, if marked same as the marked varieties, with less points, allowing for the tail points in this variety.

FORM 15

Narrow, long, neck long and thin, all to be graceful in line; shoulders narrow, well-sloped; fore-legs medium length and thin; hind-legs long in proportion and stouter built; feet round and small.

TAIL 25

To have no tail whatever, not even a stump, but some true bred have a very short, thin, twisted tail, that cannot be straightened, this allowable, and is true bred; but thick stumps, k.n.o.bs, or short, thick tails _disqualify_.

SIZE AND CONDITION 15

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

--- TOTAL 100

[Ill.u.s.tration: MR. CLARKE'S "MISS WHITEY."]

WHITE, LONG-HAIRED CAT.

POINTS HEAD 10

Round and broad across and between the eyes, of medium size; nose rather short, pink at the tip; ears ordinary size, but looking small, being surrounded with long hair, which should also be long on the forehead and lips.

EYES 15

Large, full, round or almond-shape, l.u.s.trous, and of a beautiful azure blue. Yellow admissible as five points only.

Green a defect.

RUFF OR FRILL 15

Large, very long, flowing, and lion-like, extending over the shoulders, and covering the neck and chest thickly.

FUR 15

Very long everywhere, mostly along the back, sides, legs, and feet, making tufts between the toes, and points at the apex of the ears.

QUALITY OF FUR 10

Fine, silky, and very soft in the Persian, with a slightly woolly texture in the Angora, and still more so in the Russian.

TAIL 10

In the Persian the hair long and silky throughout, but somewhat longer at the base. Angora more like the brush of a fox, but much longer in the hair. Russian equally long in hair, but full tail, shorter and more blunt, like a ta.s.sel.

SIZE, SHAPE, AND CONDITION 15

Large, small in bone, looking larger than it really is on account of the length of hair. Body long, legs short, tail carried low--not over the back, which is a fault. Fur clean, bright and glossy, even and smooth, and flakey, which gives an appearance of quality.

COLOUR 10

White, with a tender, very slightly yellow tint; cus.h.i.+ons of feet and tip of nose pink.

--- TOTAL 100

BLACK, BLUE, GRAY, RED, OR ANY SELF COLOUR LONG-HAIRED CATS.