Felis Historica August 2020 Volume 1 Number 2

FEATURES: SHORTHAIR – CH. JAMES II LONGHAIR – CH. DON PEDRO OF THORPE PURRSONALITY – MR. W. LUKER JNR CLERKING IN SOUTH EAST ASIA AND MORE… MANEKI NEKO – THE LUCKY CAT

AUGUST 2020 Volume 1 No.2

INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE FOR CAT FANCIERS & LINECHASERS

“Today’s achievements are part of tomorrow’s history”

HARRISON WILLIAM WEIR

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF

1824 - 1906

THE HARRISON WEIR COLLECTION

THE FATHER OF

An International Monthly Magazine

THE CAT FANCY

Dedicated to all things related to Domestic and Fancy Cats

NOW AVAILABLE through www.felis-historica.com See recent and upcoming editions below.

And view the world’s largest collection of Harrison Weir artwork, at

www.harrisonweir.com and read our history posts on Facebook. or follow us on Twitter, at https://twitter.com/FelisHistorica?s=12

INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE FOR LINECHASERS & FANCIERS OF FELINE HISTORY

“Today’s achievements are part of tomorrow’s history”

FELIS HISTORICA HARRISON WEIR COLLECTION © A-Cat-Emy Concepts

PUBLISHED BY A-CAT-EMY CONCEPTS for THE HARRISON WEIR COLLECTION EDITOR

John G. Smithson

IN THIS ISSUE!

AUGUST 2020 VOLUME 1 NUMBER 2

editor@felishistorica.com HISTORY PARTNERS The CFA Foundation COLUMNISTS / CONTRIBUTORS

Karen Lawrence (St. Catharines, Canada)

Lorraine Shelton (California, USA)

5

Dr. Leslie Lyons (Missouri, USA)

5

Laura Dilley Thomas (Virginia, USA)

Laura Vocelle (Muscat, Oman)

Dr. Keith Hammett (QSM) (Auckland, NZ)

Valerie Sheldrake Feline Historian (Suffolk, UK)

Jamie Christian (Ohio, USA)

PHOTOGRAPHY & GRAPHICS

Helmi & Ken Flick (Florida, USA)

5

Jack Terry (Florida, USA)

CONTENT All Rights Reserved © A-Cat-Emy Concepts

SUBSCRIPTIONS Published Monthly Single Issue $4.00 USD ANNUALLY $48.00 USD

EDITORIAL The Editor outlines issues covered in Issue 2 of Felis Historica!

6

CONTRIBUTING TEAM MEMBERS Gallery of our Team of Columnists, Contributors & Correspondents

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Contents

THE IMPACTS OF COVID-19 – on Cats and Cat Fanciers A collective report from cat fanciers around the world Introduction / Overview

by John G. Smithson (NZ) Covid 19 and the Museum

by Karen Lawrence (Canada) The Cat Ties That Bind

by Sandra Alsumait (Kuwait) What We Miss!

by Jamie Christian (U.S.A.) Covid 19 and the N.R.R.

by Lisbeth Falling (Norway) Social Distancing at New Shows photos by Francisca Steenks Guidelines for Pet Owners..

The NZ Veterinary Association Cats & Social Distancing Cats setting the example………

12 16 18 22 26 29 30 32

MANEKI NEKO – The Japanese Welcoming Cat The unique collection in the Feline Historical Museum by Karen Lawrence

34

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GENETICS YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR CAT! PART 2 by Dr. Leslie Lyons

38

THE BOOK SHOPPE Book Reviews and Promotions on ‘Cat-Related’ Publications

44

SHORTHAIR BREED FEATURE – CHAMPION JAMES II

48

FELIS HISTORICA

CLERKING SCHOOLS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA Report from our CFA correspondent

Chate Ruengruglikit (Thailand) 58

LONGHAIR BREED FEATURE – CHAMPION DON PEDRO OF THORPE

66

CATS & KITTENS – ‘LEND ME YOUR EARS’

78

by Laura Dilley Thomas

CELEBRATING MODERN CATS - OUR FEATURED BREEDS Longhair – GC.NW. RW. PAJEANS TRINKET LOVE Shorthair - GC.NW. KITS MAGIC BULLET OF RICHSON

82 86

PURRSONALITY FEATURE – WILLIAM LUKER JNR. London based Pet Artist

88

Welcome! to ’FELIS HISTORICA’ AFTER TAKE-OFF!

JOHN G. SMITHSON EDITOR

Well, if getting our formative issue was a challenge, the work involved in creating an intriguing longer-term calendar of topics, cats, people, and events has been equally, if not more challenging. Much time is taken up work in negotiating with those parties who need to grant us permissions or access to rare images, then in scheduling a timetable to access and receive the same in a co-ordinated fashion.

After providing readers of our first edition, with profiles and/or biographies of our columnists, contributors and correspondents in some detail, in this issue we have rearranged them into a gallery format, to create space for more articles and news from around the world, which I acknowledge, is growing.

OUR COVER Cropped image of an Oil Painting of CH. DON PEDRO OF THORPE by WILLIAM LUKER JNR (1903) Private Collection Photo: © John G Smithson

COPYRIGHT © A-CAT-EMY CONCEPTS / FELIS HISTORICA THE HARRISON WEIR COLLECTION No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written consent.

No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of advertisements or information.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED www.felis-historica.com www.harrisonweir.com

Our special report on the effects of ‘Covid-19’ throughout the fancy, is evidence of that. It is in fact, a collective of commentaries on the Covid-19 pandemic, both in the way it has affected everyone as cat and animal fanciers, but also as individuals and families with hugely changed lifestyles, attempting to rise to the task of adapting to many changes to aspects of our former lives.

Then of course, there is the way it has affected our Clubs, Shows, Judges, access to vetting, and ultimately for those who are active breeders, the effect on managing and adapting breeding programs. I wish to thank all of our correspondents for their contributions from around the world. This is a magazine for all fanciers, regardless of nationality, culture, or affiliation. Any news or articles provided are for the greater benefit and understanding of all.

Special thanks to Sandra Al Sumaid of K-Cats in Kuwait, whose story on the Covid crisis there lends support to the knowledge that it is indeed the ‘cat ties’ that socially bind us together into one large family. Similarly, we welcome Jamie Christian as a contributor and thank him for the reminder of what we miss from the times before Covid-19 interrupted our hobby, and that humour is often the best way to channel relief for the stresses we may face individually while coping with our changes in circumstances.

We also welcome Lisbeth Falling into our ranks and thank her for giving us an insight into the NRR in Norway, both before and during the Covid pandemic.

As editor of ‘Aristokatt’ Lisbeth is in a unique position to keep us up to date on news of the local cat scene in her neck of the woods. She is an experienced roving photographer at local shows, and has very kindly consented to continue in that role on behalf of Felis Historica.

My thanks to the NZ Veterinary Association, for granting us permission to reprint their Covid-19 guidelines for Pet owners, and to The Paw Project, (www.pawproject.org) for presenting us with an array of images of cats that would appear to be doing their bit to practice ‘social distancing! On a similar vein, Francisca Steenks kindly provides us with photographs taken at a recent ‘post-Covid’ cat show held in The Netherlands on the first weekend in July, in which the benching was set out to provide a measure of natural social distancing between exhibitors.

INTRODUCING OUR NEWEST CORRESPONDENTS & CONTRIBUTORS

In this issue, Chate Ruenruglikit of Pinkpawpal cattery fame in Thailand, has prepared a piece about the CFA endorsed Clerking Schools he has been conducting in South East Asia; with special reference to successful and timely training for student Ring Clerks in both Malaysia and Thailand.

Our own Karen Lawrence, now back in Ohio after a stint at home in Canada, is busy attending to the upkeep of our valuable Feline Historical Museum in Alliance, but found time to give us an historical and cultural perspective on the unique ‘Maneki Neko’ collection, explaining the significance of the poses, colours and patterns.

Laura Thomas, this month delves into how to care for and maintain ear health in our felines. She peer reviews a selection of products commonly in use today, giving clear indications on the benefits that each can provide in specific situations.

Dr. Leslie Lyons expands on her subject ‘Everything you need to know about Genetics you can learn from your cat’ – and this month, explains why the blotched tabby pattern is a classic!

A big and very sincere thank you, to all our business and corporate advertisers, particularly those who have come on board in this issue to support our foray into online publishing. We will of course, do our best to ensure that your trust in us, is fully justified.

LISBETH FALLING WRITER/CORRESPONDENT Oslo, Norway Editor: Aristokatt (NFF) Welcome to Lisbeth! who is our newest Correspondent, and our first roving reporter/photographer representing the NRR in Norway.

On the feline history front, we delve into the details surrounding two Silver Classic Tabbies of the late Victorian and early Edwardian period, both of whom were standard bearers in the colour variety during that era. In this issue are numerous images that have not been published for well over a century, including some which have never been published before! That my friends, is just one of the benefits of subscribing to our magazine!

In these uncertain times, learn to take a step back, take a moment or two to help a friend in need. Pay attention when your pets talk to you. The rewards will greatly outweigh the effort and you will appreciate what was formerly taken for granted.

John G. Smithson EDITOR FELIS HISTORICA The Harrison Weir Collection

JAMIE CHRISTIAN WRITER/COLUMNIST Ohio, United States TICA International Judge of the Year 2016 Welcome to Jamie! who is joining our team of contributors. His first column is included this month as part of our feature on the impact of Covid-19

OUR TEAM OF COLUMNISTS & CONTRIBUTORS

KAREN LAWRENCE

LORRAINE SHELTON

LESLIE A. LYONS Ph. D

ADVERTISING MANAGER advertising@felis-historica.com Director: CFA Foundation, Inc Manager: Feline Historical Museum Co-Editor: The History Project

AUTHOR/LECTURER ‘Robinson’s Genetics for Cat Breeders & Veterinarians’ Director: CFA Foundation, Inc www.wegies.net www.featherland.net

RESEARCHER/COLUMNIST FELINE GENETICS SPECIALIST Prof. of Comparative Medicine Dept. of Vet. Medicine & Surgery University of Missouri felinegenome@missouri.edu

JAMIE CHRISTIAN

LAURA D. THOMAS

LAURA A. VOCELLE

WRITER/COLUMNIST TICA INTERNATIONAL JUDGE OF THE YEAR 2016

COLUMNIST/AUTHOR Owner/Founder - Formulator at: CASTLEBATHS www.castlebaths.com Owner/Product Developer at: www.purrinlot.com

COLUMNIST/AUTHOR FELINE HISTORY & ART HISTORIAN Manager: The Great Cat www.thegreatcat.org

DR. KEITH HAMMETT

HELMI & KEN FLICK

JACK TERRY

PLANT BREEDER President of the Royal NZ Institute of Horticulture

HELMI FLICK CAT PHOTOGRAPHY www.helmiflick.com

‘THE RESTORIAN’ Photo & Graphics Specialist Photo Humourist

OUR TEAM OF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENTS

DARRELL NEWKIRK

PAM DELABAR

GAVIN CAO

(CFA, USA)

(CFA, EUROPE)

(CFA, CHINA)

NEVADA, UNITED STATES PRESIDENT CFA

TAMPERE, FINLAND CFA DIRECTOR REGION 9

CHENGDU, CHINA CFA CHINA BUSINESS ADVISOR

JOHN HANSSON

CHERYLE U’REN

ANNELIESE HACKMANN

(GCCF, UK)

(CCC of A, AUSTRALIA)

(WCF, EUROPE)

LONDON, ENGLAND CHAIRMAN GCCF

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA PRESIDENT CCC of A VICE-PRESIDENT WCC

ESSEN, GERMANY PRESIDENT WCF

.

JOHAN LAMPRECHT

BOB GLEASON

JANE WEBSTER

(SOUTH AFRICA)

(CCA, CANADA)

(NZCF, NEW ZEALAND)

DURBANVILLE, SOUTH AFRICA PRESIDENT, C.A.S.A. (WCF)

LONDON, CANADA CHAIR - CANADIAN CAT ASSOC. LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

PALMERSTON NORTH, NZ NZCF HISTORIAN

OUR TEAM OF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENTS OUR TEAM OF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENTS

JUN KOHNO

RUSSELL LAW

(CFA, JAPAN)

(CFA, HONG KONG)

(CFA, THAILAND)

TOKYO, JAPAN SEC: MICINA CAT FANCIERS

HONG KONG SEC: UNITED FELINE ODYSSEY

BANGKOK, THAILAND SEC: SIAM BLUE-EYED CAT FANCIERS

CHAYAPON PUCHAROENYOS

ROBBIE WALKER

SANDRA ALSUMAIT

(WCF, ASIA)

(ACF, AUSTRALIA)

(CFA, KUWAIT)

BANGKOK, THAILAND CHAIR: WCF DISCIPLINARY COMMISSION

GOLD COAST, QLD, AUSTRALIA PRESIDENT, FCCQ. QLD

KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT PRESIDENT, FCCQ. QLD

BAMBI J. EDWARDS

IZADDIN SYAH YUSOF

CHATE RUENGRUGLIKIT

FARAH DIANA

(ANCATS, AUSTRALIA)

(CFA, MALAYSIA)

(CFA, INDONESIA)

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA NAT.SEC: ANCATS AUSTRALIA

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA CFA INT.DIV. CLERK OF THE YEAR 2016

JAKARTA, INDONESIA RICIMACKA CATTERY

OUR TEAM OF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENTS

ELLEN CROCKETT

STEVEN MESERVE

LUIZ PAULO FACCIOLI

(TICA, UNITED STATES)

(TICA, EUROPE SOUTH)

(TICA, SOUTH AMERICA)

PORT TOWNSEND, WA, USA TICA DISTINGUISHED JUDGE

VILA DE CUCUJAES, PORTUGAL TICA REGIONAL DIRECTOR

PORT ALEGRE, SOUTH BRAZIL TICA REGIONAL DIRECTOR

EVA PORAT

DONATELLA MASTRANGELO

LIESBETH VAN MULLEM (TICA, EUROPE NORTH)

(FIFe, SWEDEN)

(FIFe, BELGIUM)

UTRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS TICA REGIONAL DIRECTOR

OREBRO, SWEDEN PRESIDENT SVERAK, (FIFe)

ROME, ITALY CHAIR: JUDGES & STANDARDS COMM.

STEVEN JONES

JINSON CHOI

LISBETH FALLING

(FIFe, NORWAY)

(CFA, SOUTH KOREA)

(NRR, NORWAY)

STAVANGER, NORWAY SEC: JUDGES & STANDARDS COMM.

PAJU-SI, SOUTH KOREA PRES. CAT FANCIERS OF KOREA

OSLO, NORWAY PHOTOGRAPHER/EDITOR - ARISTOKATT

THE IMPACTS OF

COVID-19 ON CATS AND THE

CAT FANCIER A COLLECTIVE REPORT WITH TRUE STORIES OF IMPACTS FROM CAT FANCIERS WORLDWIDE With Introduction by the Editor: John G. Smithson

In the history of the Cat Fancy, nothing of the magnitude of the Covid-19 pandemic has so adversely affected the hobby of breeding and showing cats, other than the Great War of 1914-1918 (followed by the Spanish Flu) and the Second World War of 1939 -1945.

Those wars, in very real terms put an end to many catteries and bloodlines and they serve as a very real reminder from a historical point of view, that the only lines that survived were those that were shared….not those that were kept exclusively private! That fact, of itself speaks volumes for our individual attitudes and how they can affect the long-term viability of a breed or variety, when so many factors or risks remain unknown to us.

THE LAW OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND

NEW REALITIES

The first impact on breeders and owners of cats with the emerging Covic-19 pandemic was a matter of supply and demand. While most supermarkets were dealing with unprecedented instant demand for sanitising handwash and toilet paper, breeders and fanciers felt the need to stockpile on the essentials for their charges, namely cat food and litter!

I personally only have two de-sexed pet cats, but my thoughts immediately turned to their longer-term needs, and so I did what any responsible parent would do, attempted to stockpile litter and food. Like many others, I found that people with similar needs had mostly already cleared the shelves and although I did manage to stockpile some items, it was increasingly more difficult to do so by going to the supermarket or to the specialist pet stores. ‘Out of Stock’ signs were the order of the day, or you were faced with empty shelves.

The second line of defence was to order online, but as I quickly discovered as our nation went into lockdown, staffing of those companies who pack and despatch these products were also adversely affected, as were the distributors and delivery companies, so that ordering a couple of large bags of dry food which normally would be delivered with a couple of days, took between 14 and 16 days to reach me!

LEARNING TO ADAPT TO A

NEW NORMAL TEMPORARY OR OTHERWISE WORKING FROM HOME OR SENT HOME At work, the concern for many was whether there would be a job to do, whether we could work from home, whether we would be forced to take leave, and absolutely no way of knowing how long that would last or how long a potential lock-down would be. In my case, I did have leave available, so could have lasted two to three weeks on paid leave, then what? We all still had mortgages and bills to pay.

The government stepped in and offered employers a set amount per week for full-time employees which in many cases equated to approximately 80% of income, subject to holding those employees in jobs. The employer in my case, then offered to top it up to 100% if we agreed to take one days leave per week from our entitlement for the duration of the lockdown. I believe that was a very responsible and fair move on their part, so I accepted that option. But I cannot help but wonder how those with no leave to fall back on would cope.

While some of the team I worked with did work from home and had laptops with access provided, my time was my own. It was a gift! So, for approximately 5 weeks while New Zealand was in stage 4 and 3 of the lock-down, I worked on my own projects at home and still received my salary. I was one of the lucky ones. For the many who worked from home, this was the NEW NORMAL and during this time most of us pondered possible options for continuing to be able to do so.

‘EMERGENCY’ VERSUS ‘CONVENIENCE’ Then there was the issue with Veterinary Care. Like medical centres, no non-essential or preapproved visits were allowed. Consults were over the phone and you had to book ahead for a call back. Only medical or surgical emergencies warranted an appointment, and if you did get one, you had to drop drive up to the clinic and remain in your car, until a staff member came out to take your carrier into the clinic and an examination of the cat took place.

For breeders, this meant that vaccinating litters had to take a back seat or had to be delayed, which meant holding litters for longer, as there was no mechanism for how the little charges could be collected or delivered to their new owners.

This meant even more back-pressure on essential supplies, not to mention housing. Responsible breeders had to rationalise their programs, and not breed cats that were calling, increasing the risk of infections and pyometra. Neutering and spaying was no longer considered an emergency, so that too was put on the back foot.

TO SHOW OR NOT TO SHOW - TO CANNOT SHOW But the greatest change in the Fancy, was to the Clubs and Exhibitors.

Events that had been planned months and years in advance, could now no longer take place. Restrictions on social distancing and on the allowable numbers attending meetings meant that cat shows had to be cancelled.

HUMOUR HEALS AND SUPPORTS

LEARNING TO COPE NEEDING OUR PETS AS MUCH… OR MORE, THAN

THEY NEEDED US COMPANIONSHIP WHEN WORKING IN ISOLATION At first, one or two clubs would cancel, judges who considered themselves to be in the ‘compromised’ category, withdrew from previously contracted assignments, at first internationally, and then for local shows.

This same scenario was then replicated at regional and national levels, with Associations faced with the new reality of clubs closing down and a show season being terminally affected, having to make a decision as to whether to pull show licences and restrict or limit the current season, or to cancel it altogether. This differed somewhat from country to country, and from Association to Association and from country to country, depending on what the local regional or national regulatory framework required or enforced.

It was quickly recognised that Cat Shows were not exclusively about awards and titles for your cat, they were an essential social service, where like-minded individuals met and socialised at a personal level, and this was as much a motivation for many, as the desire to have your cat assessed for a win! In many cases. this was the driving force behind exhibiting at all!

THE ‘VIRTUAL’ ALTERNATIVES With shows gone, alternatives were quickly considered and exploited. To fill the social gap which was becoming immense, some clubs very quickly established Virtual Shows and appointed judges to assess the entries through photography. Such shows varied in their scope, while others opened it up to new heights.

While some limited entries to a region and to registered only exhibits, others saw an advantage in opening it to cats from anywhere in the world, and in some cases, to cats that had passed over the rainbow bridge! Having their cats alive and real or already departed, assessed virtually, proved in some cases to be an unexpected emotional curve ball! Opportunities missed to have these cats assessed by Judges who had not previously seen them, suddenly became a viable virtual reality!

Cats that had given love and support during their lifetime could now compete and their owners relive their beauty and prior fame.

Social media literally exploded with the results from Virtual Shows, and although we all knew this did not gain points towards titles of annual awards, it filled a much needed social gap and kept breeders and fanciers linked through their common interest. Some clubs have shown great initiative on the way they have presented their virtual shows - and have done wonderful marketing to attract sponsorship. At the end of the day, sponsors want exposure for their brand and if the clubs can attract enough coverage on social media platforms, then sponsors will come to the party.

JUDGES AND JUDGING For the judges, this is also a difficult time. Many of them that have been around for any length of time, are in fact retired breeders, who may only now have one or two pet cats due to a life of commitments to travel to officiate at shows. Now they find themselves with no shows to officiate

LEARNING TO COPE WHEN OUR PETS SENSE OUR NEEDS

AND SUPPORT US COMPASSION WHEN SOCIAL DISTANCING FRUSTRATES at….and the yearning to handle other people’s beautiful cats is that thing, for most, which is the icing on the cake! They see virtual shows and will be thinking the obvious, “how can you really judge the structural integrity of the cat without getting you hands on it?” “how can you assess coat texture?” “tail or sternum faults are remain hidden” and “profiles in all breed must be felt for assessing any deviation from the acceptable” and so on….. They will none-the-less appreciate that some folk need to show their cat even in a virtual show, as that helps to maintain the wonderful social connections, many of them that have lasted a lifetime.

Judges that travelled extensively have had their ability to do so cut short, due to Government restrictions on travel across the globe. With the controls or lack thereof, on Covid-19, this is not an easy fix, so that even as internal restrictions begin to be lifted, clubs will find that their only option is to initially for a period, to rely only on judges residing within their natural borders.

Emphasis on the use of local talent will once again take precedence, and in some cases, that will not be a bad thing. Even if there had been real judging assignments available, many judges, being senior citizens, with one or multiple health conditions, were now considered to be in the ‘at risk’ category for exposure to Covid-19. For this reason, many understandably cancelled all existing contracts, and when canvassed by their own registries as to whether they would be willing to judge, the majority declined outright. Some would judge if they could wear a mask, and then there was and still is, a debate about whether shows could be run for exhibitors only, without any access for the public. The financial and managerial strain this presents the clubs is almost unimaginable.

The cat fancy of the 21st century is currently going through immense change, and how it survives these changes against a backdrop of intense social, financial and political stress and change will depend upon its ability to be flexible and to adjust to all possibilities. An open-minded approach to all possible new avenues and ways of doing things needs to become the norm. Sharing knowledge, and expertise between fanciers will again be as critical and supportive as it used to be barely two generations ago!

The best advice anyone can give, is to be proactive and open to suggestion. Don’t pass judgment too swiftly, there are often merits in some ideas that are not always blatantly obvious. Be willing to try something new, so long as it does not put you, your loved ones, or your beloved pets at risk.

Whenever you consider that you are hard done by, take a moment to reflect upon history, on the thousands of breeders and cat fanciers in Europe during the Second World War, who could barely manage to save themselves from imminent disaster, or death, and who, in such uncertain circumstances must have fretted beyond belief for their beloved pets or faced the dire reality that they needed to go. Everything passes, the true test is how we rise to the challenge, and our behaviour in so doing. Kindness is the truest form of friendship, and in times of trouble, the friendship that proves truest is more valuable than anything we could ever own.

THE IMPACT OF

COVID-19 ON THE

CFA FOUNDATION’S BY

KAREN LAWRENCE

FELINE HISTORICAL MUSEUM As manager of the Feline Historical Museum, I watched TV the week of March 8th with a sense of dread, wondering just how the operation of the museum was going to be affected by a global pandemic. News of the spread of the COVID-19 virus to the United States was a grave concern.

As a Canadian, working in the US on an O-1A visa, it was also imperative that I pay attention to health concerns. When President Trump addressed the nation on the evening of March 12th, my worst fears were recognized … along with another new one, in that he mentioned the possible closure of the border with Canada.

At that point, I knew there was no choice for me other than I head home to Canada, a mere four-hour drive away, as soon as possible. Once I had made the decision to do so, I informed the CFA Foundation’s President, Don Williams, of my plans. Those plans included closing the museum, temporarily, and heading home for about 6 weeks while this virus blew over.

Fortunately, he fully supported the decision.

So, in a two-day flurry, I advised CFA (our landlord) of my decision to close the museum and leave, I packed up the company computer, tossed a variety of clothes into a suitcase, made arrangements for the care of my two cats who would remain behind, put my precious orchid plants into bins so they could all be watered at one time, cancelled all reservations related to an upcoming judging assignment and vacation in Hawaii, and I literally fled the USA. In hindsight, it was a wise decision, because who knew how bad it was going to become and how businesses would be affected by stay-at-home orders … and here we are, three and a half months later, the museum is still closed, and I’m still in Canada with the closure of the US/Canada border on its third extension of a date to reopen.

Still, it has been a productive three months for the museum, but only through social media contacts. While working from home, posts to our Facebook page have kept up the interest in the museum collection. We even managed to find a new artifact for the collection – and are now the proud owners of the Woodward Challenge Cup, awarded in 1903.

The History Project (cat-o-pedia.org), a collaboration between the CFA Foundation and The Harrison Weir Collection, has benefitted through many additions and updates to their website, including a brand-new photo gallery and history of the early “rex” cats.

There have been several historical flipbooks created and made available online, a couple of PowerPoint presentations created for when we do reopen. Studbooks have been scanned to add to our digital research resources. And, the CFA Foundation has a totally redesigned web site.

(FelineHistoricalFoundation.org).

Above: The Building at 260 Main St, Alliance, Ohio - which houses the Central Office of The Cat Fanciers’ Association and The CFA Foundation’s Feline Historical Museum Interior photos of the Main gallery of the Museum after another delivery of new donations.

Photos: John Smithson

But, now it’s time to reopen. The Governor relaxed the closure rules, and Ohio’s museums are allowed to reopen on June 10th. The border is still closed to non-essential travel, but I’m led to believe that it’s open for crossing because of work requirements. We’ll see …

The CFA Foundation, which operates the museum, is extremely grateful to the CFA Board of Directors who voided our rent payments for three months while all museums in the State of Ohio were ordered closed by the Governor. We are ever so grateful to those fanciers who donated to our Facebook fundraiser to help cover the costs of our unexpected re-opening expenses!

It’s going to be a long haul to fulfill all the sanitation requirements necessary to reopen, but we’ve got plans for how to do so safely, with a target date of August 4th. Life in the museum will be different, as our visitors will notice, but onward …

PO Box 2155, Alliance, OHIO 44601 330-680-4444 www.FelineHistoricalFoundation.org

THE IMPACT OF

COVID-19

IN KUWAIT

THE CAT TIES THAT BIND BY

SANDRA AL SUMAIT Here in Kuwait we were one of the first countries after China to experience restrictions related to the Covid-19 outbreak. Schools and all educational establishments were closed at the end of February, even with just 25 reported cases, the government here reacted quickly.

By March 7 we were in partial lockdown, with curfew timings. The rumours that this was coming caused the wisest among us, to stock up on cat food and litter. After all, most cat litter is imported from China.

I recall racing to the pet supply market on the night of March 6 while others were hitting the grocery stores. As my son put it … “that’s mum, never mind if we don’t have food her first thought is always the cats.”

I told him “if we run out of cat litter, we’ve got a huge problem and the resulting smell will curb your appetite.”

I bought 7 x 20kg bags of litter, thinking ok, that will be enough to see me through a month, it’s not going to last longer than that. Wrong!

The situation actually got worse. By May we were all confined to our homes. This caused a scramble to find online pet food delivery services. The most popular and largest pet store was so busy that just getting an order processed and accepted online was a trial of patience.

The website would stick due to demand, the message ‘we have received our daily capacity for deliveries’ would pop up constantly and not allow you to proceed further.

I ended up double clicking the order after the page stuck and received 8 huge bags of litter ( which turned out to be a God send) and only one bag of food, as what I’d ordered was no longer in stock when the order was finally processed and delivered.

By the time I got back online it was just page after page of ‘out of stock’ notices.I turned to searching Instagram for smaller ‘lesser known’ pet businesses.

IN HAPPIER PRE-COVID TIMES Yahya Dashti, Sandra Al Sumaid & Linda Naamani Exhibiting at a K-Cats Show

They’d be the most likely to still have stock. There was no way I was going to find my usual brand, but I was searching for the best quality alternative. The cat club social media page became the place to ask.

City Skyline of downtown Kuwait, featuring the Liberation tower. Photos: www.gograph.com That’s how it was. We all searched different websites and shared information on what was available on which sites and who delivered reliably etc. Sometimes a plea would go out for kitten milk replacer. We all did our best to help each other.

To go into full curfew is always difficult. The hospitals remained open for emergencies, but there was no emergency vet service.

With breeding season in full swing that wasn’t a comforting thought. I’d stocked up on some antibiotics and kitten milk. I just hoped that my two pregnant queens would have the usual straight forward delivery. That sadly, wasn’t to be the case.

One of my queens was an older cat and this was to be her last litter. She’d last delivered a singleton kitten almost a year ago and it had been fine, as had her two previous litters. She was in good condition and nothing appeared to be wrong when the initial discharge associated with delivery started.

However, 24 hours later there were still no contractions. I started her on antibiotics as a precaution, as this looked like it could be a still born kitten that was not moving down fast enough.

12 hours later she showed signs of contractions and I breathed a sigh of relief.. ok things are moving. But after an hour they stopped.

Now I’m feeling concerned. I stay beside her for hours feeling at a loss. In 12 years of breeding I’d never needed a c section, but all the signs were indicating that now I had a cat that desperately did!

The British vet clinic I use was closed. They were offering online consultations for $30USD. You pay upfront, talk to a nurse and she then decides if you need to talk to a vet.

Well, I’m too polite to write what I actually thought of that ‘rip off scam’, but I knew for sure that no amount of online consultations, were going to solve this issue.

IN A PRE-COVID BEAUTY SHOT Sandra Al Sumait’s GC Arabian Tails Krystal

A bevy of colourful CFA ‘K-Cats’ Award Rosettes hanging on cages at a recent ‘K-Cats’ Show I turned to the cat club page for help. Does anyone know a vet willing to make a house visit, this is an emergency! I was told that a Kuwaiti vet was helping people and was in fact, the vet we had used for check-ups at the last cat show in Kuwait.

Right, now I need someone to talk to him in Arabic and explain what my problem was. I made a small video on my mobile of the cat, showing the bulging lower abdomen.

His reply was fast and helpful. “If you can get her to my clinic I will open up tonight (at 10pm) and be there till midnight. She needs to come quickly!” Right, but how do I get through curfew with the cat?

Again, back to the cat club page. Has anyone got a curfew pass?

Someone was smiling down on me for sure because yes, one of the members had a pass given out to medical workers and jumped in to help me. She called at 9.30pm and said she was on her way to my home.

I put the cat in the carrier, I put my mask and gloves on and I waited, watching by the window for a car to appear in a deserted street.

By 10.20 pm I was worried. Had she been stopped by police, was she in trouble? I called her and she replied, “I’m still on the road I’ve got one more check point to cross to get into your area.”

10 minutes later I saw the car turn into my street and I went down to the gate. There was not much time for any talk, just “here’s the cat and God bless you and please call me and let me know what’s happening when you are there.”

An ‘in situ’ photo of Sandra’s Himalayan Persian cat on the surgeon’s table.

It’s really an awful feeling to not be able to accompany your cat under such circumstances, but I knew she was in great hands. I can’t remember how many cups of coffee I drank while I paced the floor waiting for news. It seemed like a long time, but it wasn’t.

Approximately half of the active members of this closely-knit Kuwait Cat Club (K-Cats) that go all-out to support each other at times of great need.

30 minutes later a video popped up of the ultrasound. Yes, it’s a kitten trapped inside. He’s going to do the c section now. Do you want her spayed as well? Yes, I replied. Just save the cat, do whatever needs to be done.

The kitten was as I expected already dead and it was huge. Again I got a video showing the removed kitten and evidence of the full hysterectomy performed. 15 minutes after midnight my cat was returned to me.

It was of course impossible for her to stay at the clinic (which was not supposed to open), but he’d left the IV needle in, in case she needed fluids and sent injections for me to give over 2 days.

I was just so relieved to get my cat back.

I’d have hugged my cat club friend so hard if I’d been able to. Instead all I could do was thank her profusely from an acceptable social distance.

My cat made an excellent recovery at home and helped raise the kittens of the other queen, who fortunately had a very smooth delivery 4 days later.

Our Angel of Mercy from the cat club made another 3 such trips, with very sick cats in the days that followed, for other members of the club.

As I write this, thankfully the vets have re-opened for emergency cases during our stage 1 gradual re-opening plan.

But, of all the problems we faced with our pets during this crisis, none were as worrying as being left without veterinary services.

Having a strong social network helped most of us cope with separation from family and friends during lockdowns. It saved our sanity.

Having a strong ‘feline' social network saved our cats lives!

ED: ‘Three cheers for the K-Cats Club! And for the cat ties that bind!

The beautiful logo of the Kuwait Cat Club

I was the first person in the USA to experience the “COVID-19” weight gain, after discovering that eating gourmet ice cream in bed (sometimes falling asleep with it in hand) is perfectly acceptable.

“ I decided to maintain ‘social distancing’ between my mouth and the refrigerator… and then reality set in ! “ Jamie Christian

COVID -19

WHAT WE MISS BUT WILL APPRECIATE

MORE BY

JAMIE CHRISTIAN

MUSINGS OF A MAD CAT JUDGE – (ED: HIS WORDS, MY LIPS ARE SEALED!) So the world has changed a great deal since I last saw you. COVID-19, social unrest and of course global travel restrictions have caused a dilemma in the cat fancy that no one ever saw coming.

We had become so accustomed to going to shows, socializing with our friends and cheering each other on (or not…), that we now find ourselves with a lot of free time, extra money, and no outlet for either one.

On a personal note, I have become a master-hoarder of toilet paper, bleach and Clorox wipes.

(Ed: First sign of instability!). I am now a “deep cleaner,” with time spent cleaning rivalled only by time spent personally keeping America’s economy afloat via online shopping.

I have single-handedly kept Amazon in business, and am personally responsible for the shortage of designer European men’s shoes worldwide. I have also passed my time making crazy videos, photos and posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and my new obsession – TikTok! I was the first person in the USA to experience the “COVID-19” weight gain, after discovering that eating gourmet ice cream in bed (sometimes falling asleep with it in hand) is perfectly acceptable. But I digress.

The subject of this article was supposed to be about how COVID-19 has changed the world for judges, but writing doesn’t always go in the direction one intends. With the way my mind works, I should really quantify that as “it never goes in the direction I intend!”

(Ed: Second sign!)

I began my cat life showing my cats. And that is where I would like to begin my revelry on the past. With my wonderful old cat show weekends as an exhibitor.

Those trips. Those glorious trips - for which most of our vacation time at work was earmarked - often requiring long drives, rest area coffee, junk food and dirty public restrooms.

A certain special aroma gently wafting forward from the back seat alerted us that it was once again time to find a rest area and a litter scoop. Loud music and open windows helped to keep us awake for the drive. (For the most part, at least.) (Ed: Oh! the stories we ALL could tell!)

Essential equipment when Travelling with cats

THE NEW CLOROX KING… Photo: Jamie Christian

NO PARTY POOPER’S HERE! Photo: Jamie Christian

Once we finally arrived at our weekend “vacation” destination, we would check into our lovely, deluxe (cat fancy code for “budget”) hotel room or travel lodge, immediately checking every corner of the room and under the bed for items that our cats might get in to once released and left to their own devices while we try and catch a few hours of much needed sleep.

Unfortunately, while we were intently focusing on the drive, our cats were sleeping soundly. So as soon as we finally turned off the lights and shut our eyes, it was time for the cats to wake up.

Zooming around the room. Ready for an all-nighter. (Ed: Ah, hello! That’s what cats do!)

In the morning we would find out if we had failed in our “room check” the night before. If our cat was proudly presenting us with some sort of glorious find, such as a bug or a child-preventing device, we knew we had failed in our mission and had to do better next time.

Up far too early and still basically asleep, we repacked the car and the cats, sloshed back some delicious hotel coffee, and off we would go to the show!

A glorious day of friends and felines had rejuvenated us, though still tired. But we had woken up enough to believe that going out to dinner with our friends (and maybe having a few drinks) was a good idea.

So, we went. One drink became two, two became six, etc. The hours soon changed from getting later to getting earlier somehow. Eventually we would find our lovely accommodations again, make sure the cats were still breathing, and fall into bed for a good nights’ sleep, generally consisting of a couple of hours.

Depending on the association and the show, we would either get up early and repeat yesterday’s agenda, or we would get in the car – still tired and possibly hurting a bit from the drinks with friends – and get on the road.

Somehow those trips home always seemed harder than the trips to the show. There was no anticipations of friends and wins when driving home, only the dread of getting the cats set back up at home, starting the laundry, catching a few hours of sleep and getting up early the next morning to go back to work.

PRESIDENT TRUMP EXTENDS SOCIAL DISTANCING Photo: Jamie Christian

MASKING UP TO TACKLE THE OUTDOORS Photo: Jamie Christian

All clocked in, still exhausted, caffeine in hand and completely unprepared for the challenges of a new work-day, the inevitable happens.

A co-worker asks how your fabulous “vacation weekend in that great city” was for the “cat thing,” as if it was a relaxing weekend. While denying yourself the urge to delete teeth from their mouths, you can only muster a few words… “It was great…” while hoping they don’t ask a follow-up question.

But in the end, it truly WAS great. So great in fact that we couldn’t wait to enter the next show.

This is how we chose to spend our free time and our (sometimes, at least) disposable incomes.

SO, WHAT DO WE DO? IF FACEBOOK CRASHES?

So that is the cat fancy in a nutshell. It was the joy of cats that drew us in to begin with, and the friendships that made it the drug that we couldn’t quit – and never want to.

The cat fancy is not really a hobby although it is often referred to as such, but it is instead truly a way of life.

We are fortunate enough to forge lifelong friendships with people from far and near and deepen our love for our feline friends along the way.

ED: THANK YOU JAMIE! Yes, we should, when the time comes, appreciate ever so much more, that which we had always enjoyed before COVID-19 came into all our lives.

To our READERS, any judgment as to Jamie’s sanity rating - must ultimately be your own!

CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLANNING Photo: Jamie Christian

THE IMPACTS OF

COVID – 19 ON THE

N.R.R. IN

NORWAY

BY

LISBETH FALLING

Photo: www.gograph.com

The number of Covid-19 infections in Norway has reduced significantly. But Cat shows remain cancelled for the time being, with the demand for kittens being high. The most popular breed in Norway is Maine Coon, and the well-known Norwegian Forest Cat is the fifth most popular breed.

It was a very scary situation in March when the authorities in Norway shut down the country.

All those who could work from home, had to be at home, children couldn’t go to school. All businesses that had personal contact with people had to close, so that you couldn’t go to the hairdresser any longer, or the dentist, or the vet…

We had heard about the virus - in China at the end of 2019, but that was so far away…

CLUBS AND SHOWS In Norway we have 26 cat clubs. affiliated to FIFe. The Norwegian FIFe member is Norske Rasekattklubbers Riksforbund (NRR). We also have one WCF affiliated club: Oslo Rasekattklubb (ORRK).

There are usually many shows all over Norway each year. For the 2020 year, there were plans to hold 19 shows, one of them being the Scandinavian Winner Show. Only two shows were successfully completed, in January and February, and all other shows were subsequently cancelled. It is doubtful that any ordinary cat shows will take place now in 2020.

We have managed to hold one virtual show though, adjudicated by licenced judges, who prefer to only judge only fresh or recent pictures of our cats. As I was very curious, about it, I entered three cats. I am an amateur photographer, but it was difficult to take the required pictures, as the cat should see into the camera and yet still show all of the body.

EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON THE COMMUNITY The situation in Norway, as at the middle of July, is relatively good. We have very few infected, (8974), and the total number of deaths recorded has been 253. But we are a country of only 5.368 million people in Norway. But this good situation is in a large part due to our authorities taking precautions as soon as possible.

Norwegian society is slowly re-opening again, with a recent decision taken to open the border against Schengen countries with the same infection level as Norway. Even so, authorities are still not recommending travel. But we cannot go to Sweden!

Sweden is our nearest neighbour, and is the country we most often go to, to attend cat shows and it is predominantly Swedish breeders that we also cooperate with in the breeding of cats.

Judging a Norwegian Forest Cat at a pre Covid-19 show.

It is been a real pity, that some places near the Norwegian border have suffered economic ruin, simply because the Norwegians could not come and shop in their stores! For years we have been able to shop for cheaper meat, tobacco and alcohol in Sweden. But most of all, of course, we miss our cat friends!

COVID-19 IN SWEDEN Our Covid-19 infections is currently 75061, with 5526 deaths. They have had a different strategy than Norway. They have tried to establish group immunity, but unfortunately, they have lost many older people, many of whom had other conditions compromising their health.

DEMAND FOR KITTENS A consequence of the corona virus and the situation in which we find ourselves, the demand for kittens has risen significantly! I had a litter of Somali kittens born April 7 and could easily have sold them several times! This is also the situation for many other breeders I have spoken with.

It seems that because people have had to stay at home more, they now yearn to buy the companion cat they have thought and dreamt about – and now they have the time for it. This is good for the Cat Fancy and the economy of the NRR.

NRR’s LAST MEETING BEFORE LOCKDOWN We managed to hold our general assembly in NRR before Norway was closed down. We had a lovely meeting the last weekend in February at a very nice hotel. That was the last time the Norwegian Cat fancy met in person – a very pleasant memory now to retain. Hopefully we’ll meet again at shows in 2021. Or maybe, it will be possible to have some small shows in the autumn of 2020.

THE TOP TEN BREEDS NRR has an online system for registering kittens and registration for exhibitions, a new system from Finland. All members of NRR clubs can control their breeding and showing via this system.

The club secretary has been given a much easier job.

Show Photographs by Lisbeth Falling

Left: Delegates voting at the Annual General Meeting of the N.R.R. earlier this year just prior to Lockdown.

Right: N.R.R. President, Terje Krogh, addresses the meeting.

The ten most popular breeds in NRR, according to registered kitten data in 2019: Show & N.R.R. Photographs

By Lisbeth Falling

MAINE COON

1. Maine Coon, 2. Siberian, 3. Ragdoll, 4. Sacred Birman, 5. Norwegian Forest Cat, 6. British Shorthair, 7. Neva Masquerade, 8. Persian, 9. Bengal, 10. Devon Rex.

ORIENTAL SHORTHAIR

BENGAL

Clockwise from bottom left, cats entered in pre-covid shows in 2019.

Below, an entrant into the Virtual Show, during the Covid lock-down.

PERSIAN

ABYSSINIAN

SELKIRK REX

NEW SHOW HALL LAYOUTS ADAPTED FOR COVID-19 & SOCIAL DISTANCING! THESE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE FROM THE RECENT FELICAT FIFe SHOW HELD IN DE LIER, THE NETHERLANDS ON JULY 4th & 5th, 2020 Photos courtesy of Francisca Steenks

BENCHING THAT ALLOWS FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING

AT THE JUDGING TABLE

THE WORD IS OUT! ..AND OUR REPORTERS HAVE GARNERED EVIDENCE THAT RESPONSIBLE CATS ARE ALREADY PRACTISING

SOCIAL DISTANCING

IN THE RUMPUS ROOM…

IN THE KITCHEN… (USA)

IN THE CAT PLAYROOM ROOM…

ON THE DECK… (USA)

Photo: with permission. ON THE CAT TREE…

MOST PHOTOS from THE PAW PROJECT

www.pawproject.org

OUR CATS SHOW US HOW ITS DONE!

IN THE LIVING ROOM…

OVERLOOKING THE YARD…

ON A PHILIPPINE ACCESSWAY…

ON THE SETTEE…

Photo: with permission

A STUNNING EXAMPLE OF A MANEKI NEKO TEAPOT IN THE COLLECTION OF THE CFA FOUNDATION’S FELINE HISTORICAL MUSEUM

Maneki Nekos, in the Collection of The Feline Historical Museum. PHOTO: KAREN LAWRENCE

KAREN LAWRENCE REVEALS CULTURAL ROOTS BEHIND THE HISTORY OF THE MANEKI NEKO - & THE UNIQUE COLLECTION IN THE FELINE HISTORICAL MUSEUM

The Maneki Neko or Japanese Welcoming Cat BY

KAREN LAWRENCE

The appealing and ever-popular Maneki Neko is easily recognized as the Japanese “Welcoming Cat” that is found on the front counter of many restaurants and business establishments world-wide.

You’ve seen them, although you may not have known what they were called. You probably admired them, or at least commented on their constantly waving paw.

In Asia, the history of the Maneki Neko (pronounced “MA-neck-ee NECK-o”) is long and rich, dating back as far as the Edo Period (1607-1867) in Japan. The earliest actual documentation comes during Japan’s Meiji Era (1870’s).

While the exact origins are uncertain, numerous interesting legends and folklore tales surround the Maneki Neko’s early days. Maneko Neko from this period are often made of natural materials, are fairly large in size, and are very rare, yet highly collectable.

These delightful statues are also known as the ‘Beckoning Cat’, ‘Lucky Cat’, or ‘Welcoming Cat’ and are often seen at the entrance to establishments throughout the world, bringing good luck and good fortune to those who display one.

The material used to create a Maneki Neko is often as interesting as the color and pattern. In olden days, the Maneki Neko was made of available clay in the region where it was produced. Today, they are normally ceramic, but can also be found in other mediums such as porcelain, metal, pottery, wood, plastic, glass, etc.

Wood has a rich grain and patina; porcelain is delicate and can be finely decorated; papier mache is layers of paper over a mold, often painted in bright colors; clay is most commonly left in its natural state, with minimal decoration; jade and ivory ones are normally intricately carved. Priceless ones may even be found in gold.

A superb example of a duo of Maneki Neko, hand-carved from a single bolus of wood.

From the CFA Foundation’s Collection, in the Feline Historical Museum, in Alliance OHIO.

Color is as important on a Maneki Neko as is the degree of decoration. In the variety of colors, each has a special meaning. The most common is a tri-colored pattern of white, red and black which is said to bring good luck to the owner.

White, which symbolizes purity, is a close second in color popularity. It may be solid white or have a delicately painted pattern in bright colors. Black is believed to keep away evil spirits. And red is supposed to prevent illness and bring good health. Green is said to bring success in academic achievements. Pink is a relatively recent color, and is associated with love. Gold is, as always, associated with money or wealth.

Maneki Nekos can be simply decorated or very ornately hand-painted, or meticulously carved. While the majority are in a sitting position, with a raised paw, they can also be found reclining.

There are many interpretations regarding the raised paw, but generally a raised left paw attracts people or customers to an establishment, while a raised right paw protects your wealth and good fortune.

The Maneki Neko almost always has a decoration of some sort around its neck, with red being the most popular color. Red collars and bells were commonly placed on cats belonging to the wealthy during the Edo Period.

A collection exhibit of Maneki Neko was held at the Mingei International Museum in San Diego, California, for a 10-month period during 2011-2012. The exhibition was extremely popular and resulted in several mini exhibits at other locations on the US west coast.

In 2011, the CFA Foundation was the recipient of a collection of Maneki Neko, shortly after opening the Feline Historical Museum in Alliance. The gift of collector Don Hargrove, of Tennessee, has resulted in one of the nation’s largest public collections of Maneki Neko.

A view inside the Feline Historical Museum’s Special Collections room, where a selection of the CFA Foundation’s large collection of Maneki Neko are displayed.

Over the years, the exhibit has grown substantially as additional collectors donate all, or part, of their collections. The Maneki Neko in the museum’s Special Collection room range in size from miniscule to almost two feet in height and are in a wide variety of mediums, colors, decorations, and expressions. All sport their trademark - the well-known raised paw, whether it be left or right.

The Feline Historical Museum’s special collection room displays hundreds of Maneki Neko, made possible through generous donations from Donald Hargrove, TN; the estate of Wilton E. Wheeldon and Gladys J. Wheeldon, VA; the estate of Janet Bassetti, NJ; and from Diane Flint, TX. Additional contributors of pieces on loan are Karen Lawrence, ON, and Hilary Helmrich, AZ. The collecting of Maneki Nekos is a fulfilling experience, with occasional superb finds. The museum’s collection includes a combination of both antique and modern Maneki Nekos. Each piece on display is unique and has its own exceptional qualities. Besides, they are enchanting and a lot of pleasure can be derived from owning one, or more.

Everything you need to know about Genetics…

You can learn from your Cat! PART TWO BY

DR. LESLIE LYONS Ph.D College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri

WHY THE BLOTCHED TABBY IS A CLASSIC! Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778) is known as the "father of modern taxonomy for developing the binomial nomenclature (genus species), the modern system of naming organisms. For each named organism, an archetype or voucher individual is identified and maintained in a museum. Linnaeus, himself, is the “voucher” specimen for homo sapien, man.

Linnaeus spent his life dedicated to the pursuit of taxonomy and in 1758, his works declared the domestic cat as, Felis catus; Linneaus, 1758)1. His description of the archetype specimen is: {F. cauda elongata, corpore fasciis nigricantibus; dorsalibus longitudinalibus tribus; lateralibus spiralibus}. – a blotched tabby.

Many taxonomists have worked to properly classify cats and felids, which is an ongoing process2-6. The early taxonomists considered the tabby pattern of domestic cat as dimorphic, having two pattern-phases - blotched and torquata (striped). Striped tabbies were more noted in the African wildcats (Felis lybica; Forster, 1780) and European wildcats (Felis silvestris; Schreber, 1777), but the blotched tabby was only found in domestics. Hence, the voucher specimen for the domestic cat is the “blotched” tabby – and no doubt, why blotched tabby is also called the “classic” tabby!

The term “tabby” pre-dates the formal cat taxonomy and was used in the 1630’s as an adjective describing "striped silk taffeta," from French word tabis "a rich, watered silk" (originally striped), from Middle French atabis (14c.), from Arabic 'attabi, from 'Attabiyah, a neighborhood of Baghdad where such cloth was made, said to be named for prince 'Attab of the Omayyad dynasty7. The word “tabby” is also suggested to have a Turkish origin from the word “utabi” 8 Contrary to the voucher specimen, the “wildtype” normal domestic cat is considered to have a striped tabby pattern, also known as a mackerel tabby (Figure 1e). Sometimes the stripes of the pattern are very regular and narrow, other times a bit irregular, to an extent of being considered a “broken mackerel” (Figure 1d). The “classic” or “blotched” tabby was firstly recognized as an autosomal recessive Mendelian trait by Whiting, 1918 9. Cats with the blotched pattern have thick lines of swirls of their flanks that form a “bull’s eye” and the dorsal stripe is also broader (Figure 1c), considerably different from the lacking of pattern in an Abyssinian (Figure 1a) or cats with only the leg barrs (Figure 1b). The cause for spotting patterns is yet unknown (Figure 1f).

1a

1b

1c

1d

1e

1f

Figure 1. The Tabby and Ticked phenotypes of the domestic cat. The images present the different phenotypes of the patterning loci in different cats. a) The Abyssinian is absent of any markings, but each hair is banded with yellow and black pigment (ticking). This cat is likely homozygous for the allele Tia /Tia. b) This longhaired household pet has barring on the legs but no pattern on the torso and is likely heterozygous Tia/ti. c) Cats with more pattern must be wildtype at the Ticked locus, ti/ti, For the Tabby locus, the silver blotched (classic) American shorthair is tb/tb. d) The household pet does not have perfect stripes thus its mackerel pattern is a bit broken and may have the genotype ti/ti, TM/tb. e) The Toyger breed is selected for strong mackerel Tabby markings and is likely ti/ti, TM/TM. f). Yet undefined genes and alleles influence patterning and the genotype of the spotted tabby Ocicat is unknown.

(Cat images by Chanan Photography – Richard Katris).

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GENETICS – YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR CAT! Many scientists performed field studies around the world counting the number of cats with recessive phenotypes, including blotched tabby10.

The allele frequencies for blotched tabbies in different countries around the world suggest the mutation arose in the United Kingdom where blotched tabbies are highly prevalent, hence, long after domestication and dispersal of cats through-out the Old World11.

As the British then colonized different regions of the world (Australia, New Zealand, the New World), the blotched tabby pattern also dispersed to these countries. The pattern is less common in the Near East, the seat of cat domestication.

The classic Tabby pattern is clearly recognized at the first cat shows at the Crystal Palace and the trait was present in some of the early awarding winning cats.

Prize-winning cats at the Crystal Palace Cat Show of October 1875, showing two blotched tabbies, and at the bottom an Indian wild cat (spotted) owned by Mr. George Billett.

Patrons of this show included Lady Dorothy Nevill, and Dr Charles Darwin.

The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News.

Image courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GENETICS – YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR CAT! Part of the conundrum with tabby patterns is the cats who lack a pattern, or have minimal barring present on only the legs, such as the Abyssinian. Three alleles of the Tabby locus (T) were later suggested, namely, Abyssinian (Ta), striped (Tm), and blotched (tb) 12.

The Abyssinian was considered incompletely dominant to the striped and blotched alleles because markings were often present on the legs of the cat.Striped was considered completely dominant to the blotched. Thus, Ta > Tm > tb – thereby forming what is called an “allelic series” for the Tabby locus12.

However, when breedings of cats were conducted very scientifically, and cats can only have at most two of the three alleles, the outcomes of the crosses suggested the patterning of cats was more complicated, perhaps at least two different loci controlled the tabby patterning. Also, what about the spotted tabbies now seen in Egyptian Maus and Ocicats, how do they fall in the mix?

The initial genetic studies for the Tabby locus were conducted in 2006 on a closed colony family of cats from the WALTHAM Pet Nutrition Centre and indicated the locus controlling one of the tabby patterning loci was on cat chromosome B1 13.

At the time, this locus was considered the Tabby locus. In 2010, additional cat colony studies indicated the locus on cat chromosome B1 actually controlled the ticked patterning, which is common to Abyssinians, and was renamed the Ticked locus. A second locus controlled the Tabby alleles TM and tb, and mapped to cat chromosome A114.

One or more additional loci were thought to act as modifiers and create a spotted coat by altering mackerel stripes. Thus, the cat chromosome B1 locus, the Ticked locus (Ti), seems to control presence or absence of a pattern where the Tabby (Ta) locus helps control the type of pattern, such as mackerel or blotched tabby.

The gene at the Tabby locus has been identified as LVRN – laeverin (a.k.a Aminopeptidase Q (TAQPEP))15. At least three different mutations are now associated with classic tabby patterns and an addition DNA variant is associated with an atypical swirl when in conjunction with one of the blotched tabby alleles.

This discovery supported the observations by J.B.S. Haldane and A.G. Searle, who suggested the blotched tabby in the USA appeared a bit differently than the cats in the United Kingdom16,17. The tabby patterns have also been compared to pigments and patterns in other species18,19.

The gene for Ticked is still to be discovered and the Tabby and Ticked loci do not explain all patterning, especially the distinctive spots of the Egyptian Mau or the Ocicat. Cats with the Tia/Tia have nearly no patterning, while Tia/ti cats may have some barring.

If a cat is ti/ti at the Ticked locus, then pattern expression at the Tabby locus can be seen, which will be Tm/Tm (mackerel) or Tm/tb (mackerel or broken mackerels) or tb/tb (blotched).

In addition, the swirls and spots of Bengal cats are likely under the influence of additional genes and the leopard cat specific DNA alleles. But now we know how and why a blotched tabby is a classic!

EDITOR: This is the second in a series of articles based on feline genetics

by Dr Leslie Lyons that will be published in FELIS HISTORICA in the ensuing months

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GENETICS – YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR CAT! References: 1. Linnaei C. Systema naturae per regna tria naturae: secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. (Syst. Nat. (ed. 10)), 1758, p 42.

2. Gray JE. An outline of an attempt at the disposition of the Mammalia into tribes and families with a list of the genera apparently appertaining to each tribe." Annals of Philosophy (n.s.) 10: 1825, p. 337–344.

3. Gray JE. Species of Feline Animals In: The Annals and magazine of natural history; zoology, botany, and geology. XLII.—List of the species of feline animals (Felidæ), London, Taylor and Francis, Ltd. 14(4): 1874, p. 351—356.

4. Pocock RI. Chapter XL: "The Classification of existing Felidae". The Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 8th series, Vol. XX. No. 119: 1917, p. 329 – 350.

5. Pocock RI. Catalogue of the genus Felis, London: British Museum,1951, p. 7.

6. von Schreber JC. Die Säugethiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen, 1775, p. 397-406.

7. Online Entymology Dictionary (https://www.etymonline.com/word/tabby) Accessed July 16, 2020.

8. Zeuner FE. A History of Domesticated Animals, Harper & Row, New York, 1963, p. 387– 400.

9. Whiting PW. Inheritance of coat color in cats. Journal Experimental Zoology 25:1918, p. 539 – 569.

10. Searle, AG. Gene frequencies in London’s cats. Journal of Genetics 49: 1949, p. 214– 220.

11. Todd NB. Cats and Commerce, Scientific American, 237:1977, p. 100–107.

12. Lomax TD, Robinson R. Tabby pattern alleles of the domestic cat. Journal of Heredity 79(1): 1988, p. 21-3.

13. Lyons LA, Bailey SJ, Baysac KC, Byrns G, Erdman CA, Fretwell N, Froenicke L, Gazlay KW, Geary LA, Grahn JC, Grahn RA, Karere GM, Lipinski MJ, Rah H, Ruhe MT, Bach LH. The Tabby cat locus maps to feline chromosome B1. Animal Genetics 37(4): 2006, p.

383-386.

14. Eizirik E, David VA, Buckley-Beason V, Roelke ME, Schäffer AA, Hannah SS, Narfström K, O'Brien SJ, Menotti-Raymond M. Defining and mapping mammalian coat pattern genes: multiple genomic regions implicated in domestic cat stripes and spots.

Genetics184(1): 2010, p. 267-275.

15. Kaelin CB, Xu X, Hong LZ, David VA, McGowan KA, Schmidt-Küntzel A, Roelke ME, Pino J, Pontius J, Cooper GM, Manuel H, Swanson WF, Marker L, Harper CK, van Dyk A, Yue B, Mullikin JC, Warren WC, Eizirik E, Kos L, O'Brien SJ, Barsh GS, MenottiRaymond M. Specifying and sustaining pigmentation patterns in domestic and wild cats. Science 337(6101):2012, p. 1536-1541.

16. Searle AG. Comparative Genetics of Coat Colour in Mammals. London: Logos Press Limited, 1968.

17. Haldane JBS. The comparative genetics of colour in rodents and carnivora. Biological Reviews 11:1927, p. 199 18. Kaelin C, Barsh G. Tabby pattern genetics - a whole new breed of cat. Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research 4: 2010, p. 514-516.

19. Kaelin CB, Barsh GS. Genetics of pigmentation in dogs and cats. Annual Review Animal Bioscience 1:2013, p. 125-156.

20. The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News. October 16, 1875.

The first Virtual Museum of the Cat! – online now at: www.cat-o-pedia.org

INTRODUCTIONS, PROMOTIONS & OCCASIONAL REVIEWS BY

MS. ROSABELLA PURRNETT

Photo: Helmi Flick Cat Photography

Welcome readers, to my second book summary for ‘Felis Historica!’

You will note that below, appear the covers of the books reviewed in last months issue, now entered into our library of works to be revisited in more detail, with articles about each of the Authors, to be featured in our later issues. So, watch this space!

This month’s featured books are two titles, covering diverse topics; from two authors from very different perspectives – but both clearly cat related! The first is the fine work of Donald Engels, entitled ‘Classical Cats – the rise and fall of the sacred cat’. Donald Engels is Associate Professor of History at the University of Arkansas; known for his prior works ‘Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army’ and ‘Roman Corinth: an alternative model for the classical city.’ This is an incredibly detailed study of the cats early history!

The second work is Dr. Kerry J. Fowler’s very unique and up to date book ‘Meow: A genetic concert for cats,’ in which she has combined her scientific career in biomedical genetics and experience judging all cat breeds throughout Australia and New Zealand. It has been eagerly embraced by thrilled cat fanciers in Australia, Argentina, Austria, China, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Japan, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Ukraine, UK and USA. An invaluable resource book, for any breeder!

IN OUR LIBRARY (Books featured in previous issues)

CLASSICAL CATS – The rise and fall of the sacred cat: by Donald Engels, an Associate Professor of History at Arkansas University; is a comprehensive study of the journey of how cats, that played an integral part of the religion and art of ancient Egypt, and its association in the Middle Ages with witchcraft. But it asks the question of when and how it became a domestic companion and worker, and its lesser known functions and use in Greek and Roman culture and representation in Art. It is described as a definitive book on classical cats.

Reviews: ‘a cornucopia of delights for any literate cat-lover’ – TLS. ‘well written, researched and stunningly illustrated’ - Publishers Weekly ‘a delight for all cat lovers, and an extremely well written and informative source for those who would dig deeper into “cat lore” and their history in relation to man’.

- Minerva ‘what a story, my favourite read this year. It has adjusted by attitude to the sacred, the classical, everywhere.

– Victoria Ellis, Darlington Times. ‘deeply researched and profoundly enlightening. For anyone who loves cats, this book will come as a revelation…a compelling read…it is direct, devoid of sentiment and deeply moving. It left me with much to ponder on.’

- Sir Roy Strong, Country Life.

PAPERBACK AVAILABLE AT: www.Amazon.com eBook available at: Kindle Books (Amazon)

MEOW – A genetic concert for cats: by Dr. Kerry J. Fowler, MSc. PhD. A key reference book for cat breeders, owners, judges and veterinarians who are curious about the genetic makeup, DNA testing and diversity of pedigree cat breeds.

Peek inside, and find chapters, tables and a glossary describing what is scientifically known about the genes responsible for the multitude of different coat coolours and patterns, hair lengths and compositions, eye colours and structural features that are seen in cats. Enjoy images of a rare russet Burmese kitten whose coat colour dramatically changes during development.

Be challenged by the theories about genes such as dilute modifier, O gene, silver inhibitor, wideband and solving the origin of the Ragdoll cat mystery. Understand how to interpret DNA test results for coat colour, pattern and length; what to do when DNA test results do not make sense; the pros and cons of outcrossing cat breeds; the potential effect of diet and environment on gene activity; the quality control role of cat judges and limitations of breed standards.

PAPERBACK: Email: Janet_Kez@hotmail.com eBook AVAILABLE at: Amazon, Booktopia, Kobo, and other providers.

Are you interested in the stories behind our feline historical artifacts?

If so, then you need to check out our Virtual Museum at

www.cat-o-pedia.org

The CFA Foundation and The Harrison Weir Collection have collaborated for several years to create ‘The History Project’ online at www.cat-o-pedia.org where the combined resources of both collections could be accessed by all fanciers of feline history in what is essentially a virtual museum, and online encyclopaedia of individual cat histories.

Amongst the artifacts in both collections are the above prize medals awarded to 19th century exhibits, which are in order: Crystal Palace Medal, London (UK), Dec. 1871; Boston Cat Show Medal (USA), 1878; Boston Cat Show Medal (USA) 1883; National Cat Club Medal (UK) (post 1887); Cats or Cavies Medal (UK) circa 1888; Crystal Palace Medal London (UK) 1893 (Siamese); Crufts Cat Show Medal, London (UK) 1894; The Scottish Cat Club Medal, Edinburgh, (Scotland) 1894; and the National Cat Show Medal, Madison Square Garden (USA), 1895.

MRS. COLLINGWOOD WITH CHAMPION JAMES II

PHOTO BY ALICE HUGHES, LONDON – Published DECEMBER 20, 1902 © 2016 THE HARRISON WEIR COLLECTION

AN HISTORICAL PORTRAIT OF

CHAMPION

BY

JOHN G. SMITHSON

SILVER CLASSIC TABBY – ENGLISH SHORTHAIR

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

PARENTAGE AND OWNERSHIP

Silver Classic Tabbies have always appealed. By value of the contrast between their clear silver ground colour, and their deep black markings, they are naturally ‘showy’, drawing attention to themselves.

‘James II’ has a rather clouded start. Although he is clearly named after his illustrious sire ‘Ch. Jimmy’ the first published records of his existence, show him as sire and dam unknown.

This is even more-so the case in Short-haired cats, but the Long-haired varieties have also been highly prized and appreciated, but it is naturally more difficult to produce a clear pattern when it is dispersed through a long coat, which tends to move and alter with the natural movement of the cat.

This appears in both the National Cat Club listings published in ‘Our Cats’ for 12th April, 1902 in which his date of birth is given as ‘April 1901’.

Although there have been a great many successful silver tabby short-hairs, the first of wide repute was Mrs. Herring’s ‘Champion Jimmy’, born in 1890, who carved an enviable reputation for himself and who fortunately left behind, an excellent spread of his genes in both male and female progeny.

It was in fact, the great catalogue of successes enjoyed by ‘Ch. Jimmy’ and his sister ‘Ch. Laurel Queen’ (owned by Charles Lane), that helped to establish a strong contingent of early shorthair fanciers, who wished to duplicate their winning ways.

The next cat to begin duplicating this success was Mrs Collingwood’s ‘James II’, who accumulated an enviable record of wins in record time.

‘James II’ was also a prolific producer, and from him were descended several more generations of Silver Tabbies, on both sides of the Atlantic, establishing him as one of the prime progenitors of the Silver Tabby Shorthair in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

He is therefore, from a purely historical perspective, a key progenitor of Silver Tabbies, both in British Shorthairs and also early American Shorthairs, a legacy that truly transcends both time and space, with descendants now living in almost every country of the known world.

Likewise, in The Cat Club Register, his transfer of ownership is recorded with sire and dam as unknown.

However, this has been amended by hand, (presumably

by Mrs Clinton Locke), to show that his dam was Mrs Newland’s ‘Rose’.

In Volume 1, of The Cat Fanciers’ Association Stud-Book, under the registration of his son, ‘Pretty Correct’ we find that ‘James II’ has by this time been given a National Cat Club registration number (NCC: 4742).

We have no official record of his breeder, but if his dam was indeed Mrs Newlands ‘Rose’ we can find another male named ‘Jim Shelley’ (NCC:3321) born in 1895, whose breeder of record is Mr E. Newland.

It seems a little more than coincidence that this male also shares the name ‘Jim’ pointing strongly to the possibility that ‘James II’ may in fact have been from a repeat breeding.

So, while our ‘James’ only may have been bred by Mr Newland, there is no doubt as to his first owner of record, which was Mrs Leuty Collins. She appears as his owner in The Cat Club Register, where the transfer of ownership of ‘James II’ is recorded between Mrs Leuty Collins and Mrs Collingwood.

The stunning photograph opposite, of Mrs. Collingwood with her Champion James II, was taken by Alice Hughes, published with a full uncut background, on the cover of ‘Our Cats’ magazine, on December 20th, 1902.

Two images of Mrs. Herring’s ‘Champion Jimmy’, sire and name sake of Mrs. Collingwood’s ‘Champion James II’.

Drawing from: ‘The Daily Graphic’ October,1891; Photo: by Vandycke.’The Sketch’, 1896 Images courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection His former owner, Mrs. Leuty Collins, was a known fancier and columnist and a clear admirer of silver tabbies. In an article she wrote for ‘The Windsor Magazine’ published in 1899, about show winning cats she describes his sire thus: “Champion Jimmy, the property of Mrs. Herring, the veteran pioneer of lady fanciers, always holds his own.

He revels now under the titles of ‘Champion’ and ‘Premier’, and has gained for his mistress over fifty first and special prizes, with silver cups and medals. He is a magnificent English silver tabby, with perfect markings, and, having captured so many coveted honours, considers himself beyond the average professional.”

On the character of Mrs. Collingwood as later his owner, Frances Simpson makes this observation: “I know many cat-loving people, but I do not think that I have ever seen greater devotion shown to the feline race than is displayed at Bossington. Mrs. Collingwood is ever ready to support cat shows by entries, by guaranteeing classes, and by giving handsome prizes. Her cats are all shown in the pink of condition, and it is seldom that they appear in the pens unless their devoted mistress is in attendance.”

We then find an interesting tid-bit about his home-life with Mrs Collingwood in an excerpt taken from an article about her cattery and cats, that was published in the Christmas (Dec.19th) issue of ‘Our Cats’ in 1903: -

“It is rare to find a lover of one kind of animal only.

Those who have this taste inborn usually find room in their hearts for many, or, at least, several kinds. Mrs Collingwood is an enthusiast in the hunting field, and the stables at Bossington contain about a dozen horses.

“But we are more particularly concerned with the cats, and with the cat of all others, Ch. James II., the silver tabby short-hair, whose wins during a short show career constitute a record, and are recorded in full in another place in these pages.

“Jim is quite the pet of the establishment and has the free run of the house. He appreciates the comfort of the kitchen fire, and always sleeps at the bottom of his mistress’ bed.

“It is not at all extraordinary that Mrs Collingwood, having this perfect silver tabby male in her possession, should have turned her attention seriously to the breed. She has procured one or two very good queens as his mates and has met with the most conspicuous success in her breeding this season.”

That ‘James’ was able to enjoy a natural and happy home life whilst remaining a show specimen in prime condition, producing an array of spectacular progeny, must be attributed to his owner’s excellent management and care.

It demonstrates that a healthy, show and breeding cat, should always first be a much-loved and appreciated pet.

Two view of the outdoor catteries at Bossington – below, at feeding time.

Images from ‘The Book of The Cat’ (1903) by Frances Simpson Photos: Cassell & Co. Ltd

CHAMPION JAMES II as he appeared in ‘Cats: Show and Pet’ (1903) by Charles A. House Photo: J. Russell & Sons, Crystal Palace.

SIRE SIBLINGS The following are the notable sire-siblings of ‘James II’, by Champion Jimmy: ‘SIR BROWNIE’ (NCC: 3336), Brown Tabby Shorthair Male born June 2, 1896. Breeder/Owner: Mrs. Louisa Herring.

‘PRINCESS DIVA’ (NCC: 3316), Brown Tabby Shorthair Female, born March 25, 1895, out of Cheechi. Bred by Mrs. Clarence J. Meller Bonny, owned by Mrs. Louisa Herring. *Later owned by Lady Claud Alexander.

‘BENGAL’ (CCR), Silver Tabby Longhair Male, born March 10, 1899; out of ‘Brighton Midget’. Breeder/Owner: Miss Meilan Wilkinson.

‘JENNY’, (NCC: 1841), Silver Tabby Shorthair Female, born June, 1892, out of Miss Florence Moore’s ‘Nanny’.

Breeder/Owner: Miss Moore.

‘TIPPAWEE’ (CCR), Smoke Shorthaired Female, b. March 25, 1895. Out of ‘Cheechi’. Breeder/Own: Mrs. Clarence J. Meller Bonny.

‘DOLLY VARDEN’ (NCC: 3304), Silver Tabby Shorthair Female, born June 20, 1898. Out of ‘Queen Silvia’.

Breeder/Owner: Mrs Louisa Herring.

‘HEATHER QUEENIE’ (CCR), Silver Tabby Shorthair female Female, born June 6, 1897; out of ‘Tippawee’. Breeder / Owner: Mrs. Clarence J. Meller Bonny

‘BELLE OF LEE’ (CCR), Brown Tabby Shorthair Female, born November 25, 1890; out of ‘Lady Jasmine’.

Breeder/Owner: Mrs Louisa Herring.

CHAMPION JAMES II as he appeared in ‘The Book of The Cat’ (1903) by Frances Simpson Photo: J. Russell & Sons, Crystal Palace.

SHOW WINS Show wins of record for ‘James II’ have been sourced from a combination of Show Catalogues, a review of his wins published in ‘Our Cats’ up to the end of 1903, and the National Cat Club stud book. They include the following: 1st, Slough, 1901; 1st Brighton, 1901; 2nd, Reading, 1901; 2nd, Manchester, 1901; 2nd, NCCC Show, 1902; 1st Harpenden, 1902; 1st and Championship, Edinburgh, 1902; 1st and Championship, Botanic, 1902; , Altrincham, 1902; 1st and Special for Best Cat in Show, Crystal Palace, 1902; 1st and Special for Best Cat in Show, Cheltenham, 1902; 1st, Championship and Special for Best Short-hair Cat in Show, Midland Counties Cat Club Show, 1902; 1st and Championship, Northern Counties Cat Club Show, 1903; 1st and Championship, Harrogate 1903; 1st Sandy, 1903; 1st and Special for Best Short-hair Cat, Glasgow, 1903; 1st and Special for Best Cat in Show, Cheltenham, 1903; 1st and Special for Best Cat in Show, Brighton, 1903; 1st, Midland Counties Cat Club, 1903; 1st, Crystal Palace, 1904; 1st Sheffield, 1904; 1st Southampton, 1905; 1st Sheffield, 1905.

As can be seen from the above, these awards include 5 Championships and multiple Best Shorthair and Best Cat wins. In the December 1903 edition of ‘Our Cats’ the following codicil is added for his listed wins gained in 1903:

“His wins have been made under the following judges: Mrs Mackenzie-Stewart, Miss Cochran, Miss F. Simpson, Sir Claud Alexander, Messrs. Louis Wain, Gresham, Mason, House, Ambrose, Roberts, Woodiwiss, Welburn, Lane, and Young.”

We also find the below commentary on his winning ways, in ‘The Book of The Cat’(1903), by Frances Simpson:“James, is a beautiful specimen of a silver tabby, and during this year alone has won eight first prizes.

“At Altrincham, he had the honour of claiming championship and silver medal for the best cat in show, beating all the long-haired cats that generally carry off this coveted prize; and at the Crystal Palace, he was the admired of all admirers, with a number of prize tickets covering his pen.”

And under his photograph in the book ‘Cats: Show and Pet’ (1903) by Charles House, we find the following caption: “Winner of Premiership best Short-haired Cat Crystal Palace, Colmore challenge bowl for Best Cat in Show at Cheltenham, gold medal best Cat in Show at Altrincham and many other first and special prizes.”

‘DAME FORTUNE’ by ‘JAMES II’ out of ‘HEATHER BELLE’ Photo: L. R. Stickels, Cranbrook. The Book of The Cat (1903), by Frances Simpson

BREEDING & PROGENY This stunningly marked Silver Tabby was only naturally highly sought after by other breeders as a potential mate for their queens. So much so, that Mrs Collingwood, having received so many requests for his services, felt it necessary to reconsider her original stance, not to have him standing at stud. Accordingly, the following announcement appeared in the editorial columns of ‘Our Cats’ on September 5, 1903.

“Mrs Collingwood has been so overwhelmed with requests to receive visitors to her grand silver tabby stud cat, ‘James II’, that at last she has decided to place him at stud for a few weeks, and an advertisement to that effect will be found in this issue. ‘Ch. James II’ is without doubt, the finest living silver tabby shorthair. He has won five N.C.C. Championships, and many times taken special for best cat in the show over longhairs. His numerous prizes have been won under twelve different judges.”

Notable progeny were sired ‘James II’ from a number of queens, which we list here in order of litter date by queen, with subsequent progeny: From: ‘HEATHER BELLE’

(Litter born March, c.1902).

‘DAME FORTUNE’, Silver Tabby Shorthair female, bred and owned by Mrs Mellor Bonny (MCCC 1903). Dam of many successful breeders, among them, ‘Dame Fortune II’, sired

by ‘Sweet William’, and ‘Dame ‘Dame Fortune III’, sired by ‘Silvester’. ‘Dame Fortune II’, was bred by Miss Bonny and exported to Mrs J. Cathcart (USA) (ACA:501)(ACA v2). ‘Dame Fortune III’ was bred and retained by Mrs Mellor Bonny.

From: ‘TIDDLES’

(Litter born May 2, 1903).

‘O’LIZA’, Silver Tabby Shorthair female, bred and owned

by Mrs. Collingwood. (OC: 28/Aug/1903) From: ‘NANIE’

(Litter born July 1, 1903).

‘MISS TOODLES’, Silver Tabby Shorthair female, bred and owned by Mrs. Collingwood. The outstanding Shorthair kitten of 1903, with multiple Best Shorthair Exhibit in Show awards. Dam of ‘Sally Ugly Mug’ and grand-dam of ‘The Buzzing Silver’. (OC: 05/Mar/1904) (Litter born June 14, 1905) ‘PRETTY FLOWER’, Silver Tabby Shorthair female, bred and owned by Mrs. Collingwood. Full younger sister to ‘Miss Toodles’. (OC: 30/Sept/1905) From: ‘WYNNSTAY SILVER PRINCESS’ (Litter born April 28, 1904).

‘WYNNSTAY SILVER JIM’, Silver Tabby Shorthair male, bred by Mr Walby and owned by Mrs. F.W. Western.

(OC: 03/Sept/1904)

‘MISS TOODLES’ by ‘JAMES II’ out of ‘NANIE’ Photo: Every Woman’s Encyclopaedia (1909) ‘WYNNSTAY SYLVIA’, Silver Tabby Shorthair female, bred by Mr Walby and owned by Mrs F.W. Western. (OC: 27/Aug/1904) From: ‘MUTTIE’

(Litter born May 21, 1904).

‘YOUNG LADY’, Silver Tabby Shorthair female, bred and owned by Mrs Collingwood. (OC: 11/Feb/1905) From: ‘O’LIZA’

(Litter born June 12, 1904).

‘MY BUBBLES’, Silver Tabby Shorthair female, bred by Mrs Collingwood and owned by Mrs. Roch. (OC: 10/Dec/1904).

From: ‘MISS TOODLES’

(Litter born April 20, 1905) ( a Father/Daughter breeding).

‘FLASH JIM’, Silver Tabby Shorthair male. (Our Cats: 29/July/1905) ‘JA-ME’, Silver Tabby Shorthair male. (OC:29/July/1905) ‘SALLY UGLY MUG’, Silver Tabby Shorthair female.

(MCCC: 1905). All bred and owned by Mrs. Collingwood.

From: ‘TITSIE’ (aka TESSIE)

(Litter born April 23, 1905)

‘HOLMEFIELD TABBY BOY’, (aka Holmefield Silver Tabby Boy), Silver Tabby Shorthair male, bred by Mrs Chivers and owned by Mrs E.T. Moore. (MCCC:1905), later owned

by Lady Decies and subsequently renamed ‘Fulmer Tabby

Boy’(NCC:5810). As ‘Holmefield Silver Tabby Boy’, he was the sire of ‘Silver Prince Fortunatus’(ACA:502) out of ‘Dame Fortune II’, (ACA:501). ‘Silver Prince Fortunatus’ was bred by Mrs. Bonny and exported to Miss J.Cathcart (USA). – see photo next page.

‘HOLMEFIELD TABBY GIRL’, Silver Tabby Shorthair female, bred by Mrs Chivers and owned by Mrs E.T. Moore. (OC: 26/Aug/1905) From: ‘RAMBLING KATE’

(Litter born May, 1905).

‘SIMPLE SIMON’, Silver Tabby Shorthair male, bred by Mrs. Thompson and owned by Mrs Collingwood. (MCCC: 1905) From: ‘BUNNIE’

(Litter born Oct.28, 1905).

‘PRETTY CORRECT’, Silver Tabby Shorthair male, bred by Mrs. Collingwood and exported to Miss J.R. Cathcart (USA).

(CFA:18)(CFA v.1).

‘SILVER STRIPES’, Silver Tabby Shorthair male, bred by Mrs. Collingwood and exported to Miss J.R. Cathcart (USA). (ACA:424) (ACA.v.2). ‘Silver Stripes’ was the sire of the magnificent ‘Genesee Valley Jane’, whose dam, ‘Dame Fortune II’ was also a grand-daughter of ‘James II’.

From: ‘SALLY UGLY MUG’

(Litter born June 9, 1906). (a direct Triple on James II!)

‘HOLMEFIELD TABBY BOY’, by ‘JAMES II’ out of ‘TITSIE,’ owned by Mrs. E.T. Moore Photo: The Cat: Its Points and Management (1908) by F.T. Barton ‘The Buzzing Silver’, Silver Tabby Shorthair female, bred

by Mrs Collingwood and exported to Mrs J.C.Mitchelson (USA).(ACA:4129) (ACA v2).(CFA:312)(CFA v1).

- See photo opposite page.

From: ‘YOUNG LADY’

(Litter born October 22, 1906). (a Father/daughter breeding).

‘SIMPLE SIMON II’, Silver Tabby Shorthair male, bred and owned by Mrs. Collingwood. (MCCC:1907).

IN SUMMARY: In many ways, ‘James II’ falls into a special category of his own, as the progenitor of so many lovely silver tabbies registered in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

His legacy, was to be both profound, and lasting, with the early and spectacular arrival of progeny such as ‘Miss Toodles,’ making a grand entry into the show scene as a winning kitten in England in 1903; and then again later, his grand-daughter/great-grand-daughter ‘Genesee Valley Jane’ having a similarly spectacular entry into the show scene in the United States in 1908.

Other sons and daughters in both countries would carry his bloodlines into succeeding generations making him an early foundation cat for the British Shorthair and their American–bred counterparts, long before their breed names or Standards were even established.

Through his own heritage, he connects his progeny to the originating silver line that began with Mr T. Sugden’s “King of the Fancy”.

But none of this would have been possible had it not been for the intervention of Mrs Collingwood. It was she, who after obtaining ‘Jim’ from Mrs Leuty Collins, campaigned him so successfully, and then, by good management of the cat himself and carefully selecting his future mates.

Mrs Collingwood consistently produced some of his best early progeny, ultimately sharing the lines with the incomparable Miss Jane Cathcart in the United States, who was careful to accumulate a bevy of sons, daughters, grandsons and grand-daughters, in order to preserve the availability of the lines and the distinctive pattern held within that gene pool.

When we examine the most successful lines throughout breeding history, there are two common denominators in all the cases where a cat, be it male or female have made a marked contribution to a breed, to such an extent, that their genes may be found behind representatives of their specific variety world-wide.

The first is the care and stewardship of the original cat, jointly with the careful selection of their mates. The second is the care taken to subsequent share the progeny with breeders of a similar mind-set, those that have a vision for the future, the preservation and expansion of the gene pool and what it might bring. Mrs. Collingwood and Miss Cathcart, both had these qualities in spades.

‘THE BUZZING SILVER’ by ‘JAMES II’ out of ‘SALLY UGLY MUG’ Photo: Stud Book & Register of the Cat Fanciers Association (1909) Vol.1

Stud advertisement for ‘Ch. James II’ as it appeared in ‘Our Cats’, 12th Sept. 1903 Image: Courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection

One of Mrs. Collingwood’s outdoor movable kennels at ‘Bossington’, Leighton Buzzard.

Photo: ‘Our Cats’ Magazine, December 19, 1903

CFA CLERKING SCHOOLS In South East Asia Including RING CLERKING & GROOMING classes BY

CHATE RUENRUGLIKIT

in Indonesia & Thailand THE ROLE OF THE RING CLERK The “Clerk” plays an important role in every cat show, of any feline organization.

The success of a cat show depends very much on the skills and abilities of clerking personnel.

The clerks are the mediators between judges and cat exhibitors, show committees and also audiences. Inexperienced ring clerks may inadvertently disrupt the cat shows, even if they are well prepared in advance, so training is important.

The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) gives immense support in training prospective clerks through official “clerking schools”.

There are 3 tiers of clerks in CFA. The first tier is a Ring Clerk who is a judge’s assistant in a ring managed by that judge. The next tier is a Master Clerk (MC) who assembles judging results from every ring, whilst also verifying the mechanics of the judgements made. The supreme tier is a Master Clerk Instructor (MCI) who performs as an educator for unlicensed prospective clerks (and even clerks who need a refresher course) in a clerking school which is mandatory for them before they can take the clerking examination – one of the prerequisites of becoming licensed ring clerks. There are of course, other requirements for clerks to move up through the tiers.

CFA SHOWS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA In the CFA International Division Other (ID-Other, excluding USA, Japan, Europe and China) shows have been gradually and consistently expanding in recent years.

In the most recent season 2019-2020 (May 2019 – March 2020, prior to cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic), there were a total of 48 CFA cat shows in the region of ID-Other.

26 of these shows were held in Southeast Asian (SEA) countries - Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. With the rising number of shows in SEA, there is always a high demand for licensed clerks who are integral parts to the success of these shows.

Before July 2018, there was only 1 licensed MCI (Miss Adilah Roose, from Malaysia) in the entire ID-Other that could conduct official clerking schools and it was definitely not enough for the continuing growth within the region.

Pattama Weeranon, conducting Grooming Classes and Grooming Demonstrations at Samarinda, on Borneo Island, Indonesia – July, 2018

AN INVITATION Around April in 2018, my fiancĂŠ, Acting Sub Lt Pattama Weeranon (Pat) who is a professional cat groomer received an invitation from an event organizer in Indonesia to conduct a cat grooming session in Samarinda, a large city on Borneo Island.

The city name was as mysterious as the distinction of the Borneo Island to my ears.

In fact, Samarinda is the capital city of the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan.

It is the most populous city on the entire island. Pat convinced the organizer that she could not go alone, so I was also invited to be her companion. The cat grooming session was planned on the Saturday of July 14, 2018.

Essential equipment for a Clerking School – Tools for the magic of mechanics.

The aim of this class was to educate the locals on how to properly bathe and groom cats for cat shows. The first ever CFA cat show on Borneo Island was looming on August 5, 2018, about 3 weeks after the grooming class in Balikpapan, 2 hours driving distance from Samarinda.

A CLERKING SCHOOL? A few days after the first invitation, the organization called us again and threw an excellent idea that I, as a veteran exhibitor and CFA licensed Master Clerk, should set up another session on Sunday of July 15, 2018; on ring clerk training, including the basic mechanics of CFA shows. Consequently, newly trained clerks could then help in the upcoming CFA show, so that it might run smoother.

Normally, in order to be able to teach this class, an MCI license is required. Due to the organizer’s stringent budget, I contacted Dan Beaudry, Chair of CFA Clerking Committee and asked him for special permission to allow me to conduct this class as one assignment towards an MCI license.

This provided a unique opportunity to have an official CFA clerking School held on the remote Borneo Island for the first time. Finally, the class was licenced, and I was granted permission to be an instructor for this special clerking school.

Preparation for this class had to take into account the students’ unfamiliarity with the CFA cat show format. Plus, there was also limitation in English literacy for some of the students. Presentation materials were made much simplified for beginners in the CFA cat fancy fraternity.

On Thursday of July 12, 2018 our long journey began. Our first flight was from Bangkok, Thailand to Jakarta on West Java Island of Indonesia. Then we reconnected with the domestic flight to Balikpapan on Borneo Island. We arrived Balikpapan after the sunset and we were greeted by a delicious dinner with famous crab dishes.

Chate and Pat are treated to a taste of local culture and hospitality.

After dinner, our journey continued by a van for 2 hours to Samarinda. It was such a long and exhausting trip but it was really an unforgettable adventure. We were so excited with the rich culture, the local people, and the purified air upon the island of the Orangutan habitat, and we had so much fun with the excursion on the next day.

Chate Ruenruglikit, conducting the first Clerking School at Samarinda, on Borneo Island, Indonesia.

The CFA clerking school started on the Sunday in the morning. There were 17 registered local students. The course started with the introduction to CFA, the CFA show format, the meaning of each ribbon and the mechanics, the responsibility of clerks and how to mark the catalogue.

After class, an example of a mini show was made in the presentation to mimic the real cat show. Students were asked to mark the catalogue according to the ribbons and verify the mechanics of the judge’s selections.

Chate (centre) with his new Indonesian Clerking Trainees, proudly showing their Certificates

It turned out to be a great success at the end. All participants were pleased that they could now understand the mechanics of CFA shows. Some of them were already planning to become certified clerks in the near future.

They looked up to me as their model for their career path in the cat fancy. This further inspired me to complete my personal dream to become a licensed Master Clerk Instructor. The more I can help people understand CFA show mechanics, the more I can help CFA recruit cat fanciers to become valuable assets in Cat Fanciers’ Association.

SUCCESSIVE CLERKING SCHOOLS To complete the requirements for the MCI license, I needed 2 assignments as an assistant in a Clerking School and 4 assignments as a solo Clerking School Instructor, to be fulfilled.

On October 18, 2018 there was one Clerking School in Cairo, Egypt and I flew a long way across the desert to be an assistant at that school.

On November 3, 2018 I also worked as an assistant in another Clerking School held in Bangkok, Thailand. Before the beginning of the year 2019, 2 assistant assignments and 1 solo instructor assignment had been done.

Then another opportunity arose as a solo instructor of the Clerking School on December 21, 2019 in Nonthaburi, Thailand.

Several lessons from my first solo assignment in Indonesia led to the improvement of this course. Instead of mimicking the show by PowerPoint presentation, real show cages were brought to the class with stuffed Persian dolls with a range of cat colors; 3 calico (CL#0149), 1 blue and white (CL#1106), 1 red tabby and white (CL#1140) and 1 blue tabby and white (CL#1192).

Above: Clerking School students in attendance in Thailand.

Below: Chate explaining Division and Color classes during the mock show.

These mock cages with dolls were used to simply show how to arrange males and females for judging, and to demonstrate how the judges hang their ribbons according to CFA show mechanics. At the end of this class, the knowledge of CFA cat titles, calculation of Grand points and Divisional Winner points were shared as an extra for the total of 15 students in this class.

Chate, Pat, and the successful attendees of the Clerking School, in Thailand.

One week after the clerking school, 1 student performed as solo ring clerk and 2 other students acted as ring clerk assistants in the 5-ring CFA cat show at Nonthaburi, Thailand on December 28, 2019.

In retrospect, I was proud to be a part of supporting CFA in Southeast Asia. It is my wish that many others would follow my path so that we would have more licensed Ring Clerks, Master Clerks and Master Clerk Instructors available for the benefit of Cat Fanciers’ Association.

Image Š Dave Trant (with permission)

MRS. HELEN SLINGSBY’S

CHAMPION DON PEDRO OF THORPE FROM AN ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING BY

MR. W. LUKER JNR. PHOTO: © 2017 JOHN G. SMITHSON

MRS. HELEN SLINGSBY’S CHAMPION

SILVER CLASSIC TABBY LONGHAIR (PERSIAN) BY

JOHN G. SMITHSON

Adapted extracts from ‘Don Pedro of Thorpe’ @ The History Project

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Silver Tabbies have always been perennial favourites, in both the long-haired and short-haired varieties. The difficulty for the longhairs has been in their ability to display a clear pattern, over and through their profuse coat length.

In both cases, good examples are striking in their appearance, the extreme contrast of dark markings against a clear ground colour, always attracting instantaneous attention.

Probably the earliest Silver Tabby longhair of note, was ‘Ch.Topso of Dingley’, born in 1886. This cat was duly dubbed by American cat fancier and author Helen M.Winslow as “the Best Long-haired Silver Tabby in England”.

In her book ‘Concerning Cats’, published in 1900, she alludes to evidence of his early success on the show bench:“Topso, a magnificent silver tabby male, belonging to Miss Anderson Leake, of Dingley Hill, was at one time the best long-haired silver tabby in England, and took the prize on that account in 1887; his sons, daughters, grandsons, and granddaughters, have all taken prizes at Crystal Palace in the silver tabby classes, since that time.”

From ‘Topso’s’ son, ‘Ch.Felix’,(b.1890) was descended both the Silver Tabby males, ‘Felix Mottisfont’ and ‘Abdul Zaphir of Dingley’,(b.1891); the latter of which, became the sire of ‘Abdul Hamet of Dingley’ (b.1898), who was in his turn the highly sought-after sire of many well-known Silver Tabbies, among them ‘Ch. Don Pedro of Thorpe’ and ‘Roiall Fluffball’.

‘Ch. Don Pedro of Thorpe’ became the standard-bearer for the Longhair Silver Tabby variety. At that time, his confirmation and body pattern were considered as close to the ideal as had ever been seen to date, so very naturally it was against this accepted ideal, that all future

succeeding generations of this colour variety were duly measured.

For more than two decades, his portrait and full body image appeared in fashionable society magazines and in the dailies that covered the show results from the Crystal Palace and other major feline exhibitions.

Similarly, he features at least twice on the cover page of “Our Cats”, held out as an exceptional example of a wellpatterned tabby long-hair, one to be emulated.

His fame was, as it happens, destined to last. His image was still appearing on postcards through the early war years and as late as 1925, his full body image appeared in the Cowan’s “Noted Cats” Series of collectors cards, based in the main on many of the cats that had featured in Frances Simpson’s later editions of ‘Cats for Pleasure and Profit’ from (1909) and (1920) respectively, revised from the first edition under the name ‘Our Cats and All About Them’ (1902).

Too young to appear in the earlier book, ‘Don Pedro’ was duly included in the revised editions, published in 1909 and again in 1920.

Despite the fact that in subsequent years, other Silver Tabbies arose which were equally if not more clearly marked than he, and with improved head type, one such being his beautiful grandson ‘Garry My Lad’ (b.1912), of all the Silver Tabby longhairs from the early era of cat fancying, his name still rises above all others as the most memorable.

PARENTAGE & OWNERSHIP ‘Don Pedro’ was born on 7th April, 1901. He was bred by Miss E.M. Cope, of 136 Bristol Rd, Birmingham, who appears to have adopted the cattery name ‘Roiall’ not long after the turn of the 20th century. Miss Cope was a young but well-known fancier who bred Silver Tabbies, Brown Tabbies and Blue Persians, but it is more for her Silver Tabbies that she is particularly well known. She was also the capable Secretary of the Midlands Counties Cat Club.

CHAMPION DON PEDRO OF THORPE – Photo: J. Russell & Sons, Crystal Palace, London.

Image: Period Postcard from The Harrison Weir Collection.

In the CCR, (The Cat Club Register), many of Miss Cope’s cats appear without a prefix, but in show reports and in captions to photos, most notably from the books by Miss Frances Simpson and Mr C.A. House, they are duly designated with the ‘Roiall’ cattery name.

of Birmingham, who, in a comparatively short space of time, had quickly developed a reputation for success within the variety.

And therein lies another mystery, for in the CCR, ‘Don Pedro’ is recorded under the name of ‘Edgbaston Don Pedro’, with the correct date of birth, sire and dam.

Mrs Slingsby would have no doubt followed the proven success of the ‘Dingley’ strain, and was very probably one of the many admirers of Mrs Leake’s stud cats, which at this time included the ever popular ‘Ch. Abdul Hamet of Dingley’.

This would tend to signify that originally he was intended to be owned by a Mrs McMichael, a breeder resident in nearby Edgbaston, Birmingham, who was already the owner of a Blue female named ‘Edgbaston Pearl’.

When Miss Cope bred her queen ‘Roiall Dewdrop’ (a daughter of the winning ‘Roiall Silver Tangle) to ‘Abdul Hamet of Dingley’ Mrs Slingsby would have been among the first in line to follow the results of the breeding.

But although registered with this name, ‘Don Pedro’ is clearly listed as bred and owned by Miss Cope, and as he duly became the property of Mrs Slingsby, located in Ouseburn, York; it would appear that the originally intended sale obviously did not proceed.

This particular breeding combined both their lines, including as it did, an outcross provided by Miss Derby Hyde’s ‘Thames Valley Silver King’ with a line-breed based on the descendants of Mrs Leake’s original ‘Ch. Topso of Dingley’, through the progeny of his preeminent son ‘Ch. Felix’.

Mrs Slingsby was an astute breeder with an eye for a cat.

She had already established a wide reputation for her Blues, but was also a lover of Silver Tabbies and patiently sought to establish a strain of her own.

The two leading breeders of Silver Tabbies at this time were Mrs Anderson Leake, of Dingley Hall, Reading (with a long history within the variety dating from the late 1880’s). The other was a relative new-comer, Miss Cope,

On one side, descended directly through the male line, to a ‘Felix’ son named ‘Ch. Abdul Zaphir of Dingley’, who in turn was the sire of ‘Abdul Hamet of Dingley’; while on the female line, through Miss Copes ‘Roiall Silver Tangle’, descended from another son of ‘Felix’, named ‘Felix Mottisfont’.

While it is unclear, as to exactly when Mrs. Slingsby may

FOUR CATS FROM THE PEDIGREE OF CHAMPION DON PEDRO OF THORPE

Left to Right: Sire, ‘Abdul Hamet of Dingley’; Dam: ‘Roiall Dewdrop’; Maternal Grandsire: ‘Thames Valley Silver King’; (outcross) Maternal Granddam: ‘Roiall Silver Tangle’ Photos: ‘Cats: Show and Pet’ (1903) by C.A.House. (Abdul Hamet, Dewdrop & Silver Tangle) Photo: E.Landor, Ealing. ‘The Book of The Cat’ (1903) by Frances Simpson (Thames Valley Silver King)

have taken possession of ‘Don Pedro’, it is very likely that when he made his first public appearance at the Kitten Show in 1901, that he may have been duly claimed at the catalogue price by Mrs. Slingsby, prior to taking out Best long-hair kitten in Show!

But by whatever process he changed hands, upon being taken up by Mrs. Slingsby, his name was duly amended by the dropping of the ‘Edgbaston’ prefix and the addition of Mrs Slingsby’s affix, to permanently become ‘Don Pedro of Thorpe’.

goes on to add – “but is better known perhaps as the mother of the sensational kittens of 1901, Don Pedro and Starlet, by Abdul Hamet,” As far as can be ascertained, there are no other recorded offspring from this breeding, nor any subsequent offspring from ‘Starlet’.

THE MARQUIS OF DINGLEY (Silver Tabby). Born March 21, 1901. Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley. Dam: Miss Fluffie of Dingley.

FULL & SIRE SIBLINGS ROIALL STARLET A.K.A. ‘STARLET’, (Silver Tabby). Born April 7,1901.

Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley. Dam: Roiall Dewdrop.

Photo: Cassell & Co.Ltd, ‘The Book of The Cat’ (1903)

by Frances Simpson

Photo: ‘The Book of The Cat’ (1903) by Frances Simpson

Bred and owned by Miss E.M. Cope.

A full litter sister to ‘Don Pedro’, ‘Starlet’ was retained by Miss Cope for breeding and showing.

Mr C.W. Witt, on a visit to the ‘Roiall’ cattery in 1903, comments on the shortcomings of her dam ‘Roiall Dewdrop’ whom he claimed – “carries immense coat, lovely clear colour, but to me fails somewhat in head.” But then

Bred and owned by Miss S. Anderson Leake.

This lovely Silver Tabby male was out of one of Miss Leake’s older silver tabby females, ‘Miss Fluffie of Dingley’, born in April 1894. As a daughter of ‘Ch. Felix’, she brought back a close breeding of Miss Leake’s original great silver tabby, ‘Ch. Topso of Dingley’ as a close line-breed into any male bred down from that line. ‘Marquis of Dingley’ was the product of just such a breeding. That she considered it a great success, can be seen from the fact that not only was ‘The Marquis’ a top show winner, but he was retained by her and placed at stud.

A stud advertisement for the DINGLEY HALL cattery that appears in Charles House’s book ‘Cats: Show and Pet’ (1903) records ‘The Marquis’ many successes on the show

Two photographic head studies of Champion Don Pedro of Thorpe Left: From ‘Our Cats’ March 14, 1903. Right: From ‘The Illustrated London News’ November 5, 1904. show bench, which included Firsts at Westminster in 1902, and 1903; also two gold medals, challenge and breeders cups, the Countess of Aberdeen trophy, and S.C.R. trophy and medal; as well as a 2nd and 3rd and four Specials at Slough.

ROIALL FLUFFBALL (Silver Tabby). Born 12thJuly 1901.

Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley. Dam: Roiall Silver Tangle.

In ‘Fur and Feather’ he was summarily described as: - “A magnificent young Cat, superb coat and markings, lovely ground colour, rare head and face, good, bold hazel eyes.”

MISS HAMET (Silver Tabby). Born: April 13, 1901.

Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley. Dam: Kittiwake.

Photo: ‘U.S.Register & Studbook’ (1906)

Photo: ‘Our Cats’ December 19, 1903

Bred and owned by Mrs Kirk.

Other than this lovely photo of ‘Miss Hamet’ we know little other than she was the product of a mating with an outside queen. To date we have found no evidence of any progeny being registered from ‘Miss Hamet’.

Bred and owned by Miss E.M. Cope.

Described by Mr C.W. Witt in June 1903 as ‘absolutely the best silver tabby queen living’, ‘Fluffball’ was in fact a three fourths sister to Don Pedro, being from the same sire and her dam being his grand-dam.

In this combination, which was another line-breed, there was no outcross to ‘Thames Valley Silver King’. Like ‘Don Pedro’, ‘Fluffball’ was shown for some spectacular kitten

A Study in Markings – Champion DON PEDRO of THORPE Although out of coat, his heavy boning, deep chest, and well-rounded frame are apparent.

Cover page image from ‘Our Cats’ Magazine, November 5, 1904. wins, taking first at Westminster in 1902, then in 1903, taking first at both Westminster and Bath.

ROIALL SILVER BUTTERFLY (Silver Tabby) B: July 12, 1901.

Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley. Dam: Roiall Silver Tangle.

Bred by Miss E.M. Cope and purchased by Mrs. Slingsby.

As a litter sister to Roiall Fluffball, ‘Silver Butterfly’ was a wise investment by Mrs Slingsby, as a future mate for ‘Don Pedro”. Upon this purchase, she became ‘Silver Butterfly of Thorpe’, was bred to ‘Don Pedro’ and produced the silver tabby male, ‘Don Roderick of Thorpe’.

ARLINGTON DINGLEY BAR ABDUL (Silver Tabby Male).

Born August 3, 1901.

Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley Dam: True Love of Dingley Bred by Miss Anderson Leake. Owned by Mrs Dwight Cutler, of Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, imported directly from Miss Anderson Leake. Won a Third at Westminster in 1902, before export, and a Second at Clevedon, in the United States in December ofthe same year.

ARLINGTON DINGLEY BELLE (Silver Tabby Female). Born August 3, 1901.

Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley Dam: True Love of Dingley.

Bred by Miss Anderson Leake and imported by Mrs F. J. Sarmiento, of Arlington Place, Detroit, Michigan. Litter sister to ‘Dingley Bar Abdul’. Shown at Detroit winning First and Specials in 1901.

THE DINGLEY OWLET (Silver Tabby Female) Born February 25, 1903.

Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley. Dam: Miss Fluffie of Dingley.

Photo: A.Radclyffe Dugmore.

‘Country Life In America’, September 1908.

Bred by Miss S. Anderson Leake.

Owned by Miss Ava L. Pollard, of Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Two factors muddy the waters of the siblings, ‘Dingley Owlet’ and her litter brother ‘Dingley Fashion’. Both are sired by ‘Abdul Hamet’’ and out of ‘Miss Fluffie of Dingley’.

The first, is in regard to their respective dates of birth. While ‘The Dingley Owlet’ is recorded as born February 25, 1903, ‘Dingley Fashion’ has for his birth date, March 5, 1903.

‘Miss Fluffie’ was already approaching 9 years of age at the time of their birth and of course it was not possible for ‘Miss Fluffie’ to give birth 8 days apart, so one of the dates is in error.

ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING of CHAMPION DON PEDRO OF THORPE, by W. LUKER Jnr, commissioned by Mrs. H. Slingsby.

Private Collection (Circa, 1903). © Photograph 2017, by John G. Smithson In this instance, we have decided to accept the earlier date as the correct one. The second point is that in the ACA Register, Volume One, ‘The Dingley Owlet’ is registered as a Shaded Silver, while in most data-bases, she is listed as a Silver Tabby.

Both parents are registered as Silver Tabbies, but ‘Miss Fluffie’ had on previous occasions, produced Silvers (Chinchilla’s and Shaded Silvers) when outcrossed to predominantly unmarked silver Lines. Both parents contained marked and unmarked silver heritage.

Given that both her photos show a much lighter cat, with a general absence of bars except on the forelegs, we have erred on the side of Shaded Silver. There is no evidence of any progeny being recorded from ‘The Dingley Owlet’.

Bred by Miss S. Anderson Leake and jointly owned by Mr R. Southby. A litter brother to ‘The Dingley Owlet’, and on paper, a full younger brother to ‘The Marquis of Dingley’, who had subsequently been sold.

Maintained at stud, his services were duly advertised in a number of 1904 editions of ‘Our Cats’, along with the NCC registrations of subsequent progeny. By the time this image was published, he had attended only his first two shows, gaining two first prizes at the Crystal Palace, and a second at Birmingham. This image by J. Russell was likely taken at the Crystal Palace Show in late 1903.

DUNSDEN ABDUL (Silver Tabby Male). Born c. 1903.

Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley.Dam: Dunsden Duchess.

DINGLEY FASHION (Silver Tabby Male). Born Feb. 25, 1903.

Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley Dam: Miss Fluffie of Dingley.

Photo: J. Russell & Sons. ‘Our Cats’ December 17, 1904.

Photo: ‘J.Russell & Sons.

Cover page, ‘Our Cats’ , January 16, 1904

Bred and owned by Mrs Stewart Dodd. This handsome male gained two seconds at the Sandy Show of 1904, and three seconds at the Crystal Palace, 1904.

The famous and now classic image of ‘Champion Don Pedro of Thorpe’ as he appeared in the revised edition of Frances Simpson’s ‘Cats for Pleasure and Profit’, published by Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, London, in 1909. This photograph was the basis for image of Don Pedro in the Cowan’s ‘Noted Cats’ series of Trading Cards, (1925) shown below.

Trading Card from the ‘Cowans Noted Cats’ series (1925) erroneously portraying Ch. Don Pedro of Thorpe as a Brown Tabby instead of a Silver Tabby, whilst also managing to misspell his cattery name!

Dunsden Abdul’s seconds at Sandy were gained directly behind ‘Don Pedro of Thorpe’, who was Best of Variety and ultimately Best Long-hair Cat in Show; and opposite Mrs Collingwood’s ‘Miss Toodles’, another Silver Tabby who was Best Short-haired Cat in Show.

Nevertheless, this did not impede ‘Dunsden Abdul’ from duly proceeding to become a full Champion in his own right.

Mrs. Slingsby’s Kitten advert, in ‘Our Cats’, May 28, 1904

This handsome chalice style trophy was presented by Mrs E.T. Moore, on behalf of the C.S.& S.S (probably jointly by the Chinchilla, Silver & Smoke Society), to the Sheffield Show of November 17, 1904.

Photos: Larry Johnson. Courtesy of The CFA Foundation The above trophy was located and identified by Karen Lawrence, and purchased by Michael W. Brim, CFA Public Relations Director, for the CFA Foundation, in November 2002

DON PEDRO’S SHOW WINS ‘Don Pedro’s’ first appearance in public was as a kitten, while still owned by Miss Cope. At the Kitten Show of 1901, he took the Special for the Best Long-hair in Show.

At the Palace Show of the same year, ‘Don Pedro’ won first in single tabby kitten (18 entries), first in limit class (23 entries), among such well-known prize cats as ‘Matthew of the Durhams’, ‘Teufel’, ‘Piquante Pearl’, etc., and was second only to ‘Ch. Zaida’ in the challenge class, beating the two Romaldkirk champions and ‘King Alfred’!

His wins were also be proudly listed in his 1903 stud listing as follows: 1st, Manchester Kitten Show, 1901; 1st, Harrogate, 1901; Two 1sts and 2nd, Crystal Palace, 1901; 2nd, Manchester,

December 1901; 3rd, Westbourne Grove, 1902; Three 1sts and 3rd, Manchester, 1903. (these are indicated as the only times shown to that time), but we also know that he was successful at the Northern Counties Cat Club Show, in January 1904, and Best Long-haired Cat at the Sandy Show in 1904.

As an adult, ‘Don Pedro’ won many times, the following being a short description of his successes from the pen of Frances Simpson:“Champion Don Pedro of Thorpe is owned by Mrs Slingsby, and has won 20 first prizes and several championships. He has frequently carried off the special prize for the best cat in the show. He is a most beautifully marked silver tabby Persian, and is always shown in grand coat and condition.”

‘DON RODERICK OF THORPE’, by Ch. Don Pedro of Thorpe, ex Silver Butterfly of Thorpe.

Photo: ‘Our Cats’, March, 1903. Image courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection

BREEDING & PROGENY The sire of many lovely kittens, ‘Don Pedro’ became a valued and sought after stud, being bred over a number of Mrs Slingby’s females, including his three-quarter sister, ‘Silver Butterfly of Thorpe’ and a number of related queens from Mrs Copes ‘Roiall’ cattery. One of his earliest successes as a sire was Mrs. Slingsby’s silver tabby male kitten, ‘Don Roderick of Thorpe’ shown above, who was a successful exhibit at the Northern Counties Cat Club Show.

SUMMARY In the one hundred and twenty-six years that have elapsed since the appearance on the show bench of ‘Ch. Topso of Dingley’, no other Silver Tabby long-hair cat can claim the type of notoriety that has been enjoyed by ‘Champion Don Pedro of Thorpe’. He was indeed a worthy great-greatgrandson of his famous progenitor.

Stud Advert. from the April 25, 1903 edition of ‘Our Cats’

But he also was sadly, an early herald of an almost dying color variety. For many decades, the silver tabby class simply languished, not following in the advances of type, made by other Persian colour varieties.

But those days are now well and truly over and the Silver Tabby Persian has made an amazing comeback. Over the last 25 years, through careful selective breeding and hard work, the Silver Tabby has recovered lost ground and there are truly some magnificent specimens, although not numerous, of quality equal to any. Cats such as ‘GC NW Pajean’s Trinket Love’(CFA’s Best Cat 1993-1994), and ‘GC DW Baloghshof Tin Soldier’ (CFA’s 8th Best Cat 2000-2001), are indeed both demonstrative of what can be achieved ,and a glimpse of what the future may hold for these stunningly beautiful cats of ‘sheer class’.

A splendidly clear head study of ‘Ch. Don Pedro of Thorpe’ Photo: ‘The Tatler’, November 9, 1904

Š 2016 - The Harrison Weir Collection

The first Virtual Museum of the Cat! – online now at: www.cat-o-pedia.org

BY

LAURA D. THOMAS

Last month we covered tear staining and its causes. We also shared a remedy to help remove those stains. This month we’re going to take a look at another issue our felines have: waxy, dirty buildup.

The ears are most commonly known for the waxy, dirty build up; however, some breeds also have this issue along the face, the chin, and along the backside near the tail to include the full tail known as stud tail.

To keep this article a bit simpler, I’m going to focus on the waxy, dirty build up within the ears. I’ll address stud tail and acne more in-depth in an upcoming issue of Felis Historica.

History revisited- was it good back then, how about for today?

In my early show days, I wasn’t concerned so much with my cats’ interior ears, as they seemed to clean up pretty well during the bath stage with a wash cloth and a little alcohol to verify the ears were dry and that I had not gotten water down into the ears.

However, one spring I brought in a male that had an ear infection. The breeder shared I could use her boy but to be aware that he had an ear infection and sent me home with his ear medication. Once home, I inspected his ear and found it was smelly and packed with powder. I mean PACKED with powder! I took a look at his package and read what the vet had prescribed, and yes indeed, the vet had this breeder packing the ear with an antibiotic powder.

Well, this didn’t seem right to me. I called my vet, got an appointment, and was off to determine a plan to get this poor kitty’s ear in better condition without having to use all this powder. In my mind, the powder created a breeding ground for a yeast infection. I could have been wrong—but it was my mindset.

My vet agreed the powder direction was not good and began to clear the powder out of the cat’s ear. He shared that using an antibiotic powder was an old practice, and one he didn’t agree much with. Therefore, he prescribed an oral antibiotic, some drops, and asked for me to toss the powder and revisit in 10 days.

Heath first, then clean…

Please note before I get much farther into this article: If your cat’s ears are red, smelly, inflamed, painful to the touch, or tilted head, consult with your veterinarian prior to cleaning. Your cat may have an ear infection or perhaps a ruptured ear drum.

In my research, I have found that some ingredients used to clean the interior of the ear could actually cause the cat to go deaf if the ear drum is ruptured. This article’s purpose is to share products for cleaning—not to share products to self-medicate your cats.

Some older practices Over time, many old practices for cleaning and healing the ears have been shared among fellow fanciers.

One that I was recently reminded of, and is still in use today by some breeders, is Listerine®— the original gold. Listerine, is considered to be both antifungal and antibacterial.

According to the Listerineprofessional.com site, “At full strength, Listerine antiseptic has a broad spectrum of bacterial kill.”

Listerine® antiseptic lyses, kills, and inhibits growth of both gram-positive and gramnegative bacteria.” This looks like a fair product for cleaning those ears.

It’s all about what’s inside - and active Another popular ingredient being used is ketoconazole. In preparation for this article I interviewed breeders, asking what they used and why.

In some areas of the world, cattery cats are outdoors and in humid areas which can enhance the chance of a fungal or yeast infection.

So, in this case, to keep the ears clear of such nasties, using ear cleaning products containing ketoconazole as an active ingredient, helps to not only clean that waxy, dirty build up, but it also helps to prevent fungal infection and yeast growth from becoming an issue within the ears.

The product I liked for this purpose was PhytoVet by Henry Schein Animal Medical Supplies. It was actually designed to help eliminate fungal and yeast infections and then be used to prevent further infections.

It is a liquid, cloudy-white in color, smells of cucumber, and contains aloe.

It’s used to deodorize, clean, dry, and acidify the ear canal while moisturizing too.

This particular product, contains phytosphingosine, a long-chain complex fatty alcohol.

It functions as a water-binding agent with preservative qualities. This ingredient is also used in cosmetics as a skin-restoring ingredient.

It is a ceramide, which provides a biomimetic membrane which immediately nourishes and shields delicate sensitive skin. Its main purpose is to help restore the dermal lipid barrier, offering a long-term solution.

OK – no Nasties, just Waxies As for maintenance of those ears, the most popular and well-liked product I found was Hibiclens Skin Cleanser. If you’ve never heard of this product, you might want to look it up.

Even though it is designed for human skin and germs, it is made from ingredients very popular in the animal medical world, and let’s face it… germs are germs.

According to hibiclens.com, “Hibiclens is not indicated as a treatment for skin infections. It has an antiseptic activity and a persistent effect against a wide range of micro-organisms; and should be used as a skin cleanser to help reduce bacteria that potentially can cause disease. Hibiclens prevents skin infections, thereby reducing the risk of cross-infection.”

The active ingredient listed of Hibiclens is chlorhexidine gluconate solution at 4% weight/volume percentage concentration. It is both an antiseptic and bactericide. Side effects include skin irritation, hives, allergies, and a few others which are listed on the bottle and packaging. This product is highly recommended in the medical world and used by many health care professionals.

My advice is to look farther into the ingredient before you decide this is a one-for-all safe product. Many ingredients, such as soaps, can actually break down the active ingredient, making it null and void. It has been used in many mouthwashes and dental products, and when formulated into the product properly, is deemed safe. But as with all of life, there is more to this story.

Let’s just get Simple here!

If you are looking for a simple natural cleaner, witch hazel is my top choice. It’s a botanical extract harvested from the leaves and bark of the tree—it’s not a chemical byproduct.

As a side note, witch hazel from the store normally contains alcohol unless it is listed as organic and alcohol-free. When using it for ear cleaning, both with and without alcohol has benefits. Witch hazel is a deep cleansing astringent.

It actually penetrates deep into pores, cooling while extracting hard to remove wax and dirt.

The Anna® Face Wash is made with organic witch hazel and is designed to be both antiseptic and an astringent, even though it doesn’t actually kill germs.

It’s gentle and can be used across the entire face, chin, and ears. It’s actually marketed as a tear stain remover—yet it gently removes oils and impurities, leaving the skin and fur soft and hydrated.

An Overview

Above left: An abstract of three existing products, clockwise from bottom left – Ketoconazole, (PhytoVet), Hibiclens Skin Cleanser, and Listerine (Gold). And above right: Anna Facial Wash.

Next month, I’ll be covering coat conditioners. Let us know on our Facebook page any questions you would like for me to answer about your cat’s coat and its conditioning.

And please feel free to reach out to me about reviewing products of interest.

Until next month… Ears alert, Paws out, with a big high five! Laura signing out ☺

Photo © Carl Widmer

GC. NW. RW. PAJEAN’S TRINKET LOVE BLACK SILVER MACKEREL TABBY PERSIAN (With an Introduction by John Smithson – and continued by Pamela Bassett)

FACTFILE A.K.A. “LOVE CAT” DOB: June 7, 1992

CFA’S CAT OF THE YEAR 1994 CFA’S BEST CAT Gulf Shore Region 1994 CFA’S 2ND BEST KITTEN Gulf Shore Region 1993 FIRST Gulf Shore Region Cat to gain CFA’S BEST CAT 1994 CFA’S BEST PERSIAN Nationally 1994 FIRST SILVER TABBY PERSIAN to gain a CFA National Win Sire: GC. RW PaJean’s Midnight Madness DM Black Male Dam: Gemenee’s Tiffany of PaJean DM Black Silver Mackerel Tabby Breeder/Owner:

Jean C. Bassett

The breeding of top show Silver Tabby Longhairs has historically proven difficult, the first well-known specimen being the English Ch. Topso of Dingley, born in May 1886. Later well-known specimens included, Ch. Thames Valley Silver King, (1896) and then ‘Ch. Don Pedro of Thorpe’; the subject of an article in this issue, and a cat who at the time, was the landmark example of this colour variety.

During the Great War years, Silver Tabbies became rarer, and their type did not keep pace with the best solids, which were primarily Blues. It would take another 70 years before modern breeders of Silvers would have an opportunity to bring new vigour through selective breeding into the Silver Tabby Division.

Pamela Bassett, from Baton Rouge, got more involved in showing in 1986, on occasion calling upon her mother Jean Bassett to assist her at the shows when exhibiting multiple cats across rings. Jean, by doing so, soon became as invigorate by the hobby as her daughter, soon deciding that she would have to own a cat or two of her own to show for herself. As a result, two distinctly different breeding programs were entered into under the same ‘PaJean’ cattery name; with Pam specialising in Bicolours, and Jean specialising in Tabbies and Smokes.

In 1989, Jean Bassett was made aware of two exceptional Silver Tabby kittens born under the Gemensee cattery name in Washington State and set about to acquire them. These respectively became ‘Tadford’ and ‘Tiffany’. When they were old enough to be shown, they were entered into the Silver Rebels Cat Fanciers show in Houston. Both Tadford and Tiffany attracted much praise and attention, especially amongst other enthusiasts of Tabbies and Silvers.

But then the unexpected happened. The ladies had packed their cats into their carry cages near the end of the show, when one of their other exhibits was called to a final. Their attention was momentarily diverted, and when they returned, the carrier containing both Tadford and Tiffany was gone..stolen!

The theft was duly reported to the Police and several days of intense stress followed, while several leads were investigated. Then, a call came in from a Houston shelter, reporting two kittens that had been turned in that were not the usual typical of refuge cats. A drive to Houston ensued and the kittens duly identified. The kittens had indeed been stolen, by another breeder!

When travelling to shows all over the country, neither Pam or Jean would leave pregnant queens to care of cattery helpers. So, mothers would join them on the road, with kittens on occasion coming into the world in hotel rooms!

Trinket was in fact their third National Winner to be born away from home, arriving on June 7, 1992. Their care and passion for their cats brought success.

In 1993, three of their cats were placed in the top 25! and both Trinket and her litter sister granding in the last months of the show season. When the new season began, Trinket was is excellent condition, and ‘Love Cat’ as Jean called

Left: Jean Bassett on Regional Awards Night, with her Best Cat Rosette and celebratory bouquet. Right, a portrait of GC. NW. RW. PaJean’s Trinket Love, as CFA Cat of the Year in the CFA Yearbook. Photo by Carl Widmer.

her, simply loved travelling, especially when it was just her and Jean. She had matured into an exceptional cat. Her large hazel eyes and sweet open expression on structurally sound head, singled her out in any show ring. Heavy boning, a cobby body and a singularly beautiful flowing coat, provided the finishing touches.

Although she was not always Best Cat, she scored consistently throughout the season, rarely missing any rings. She succeeded in completing 100 rings by the end of October, and from that point to the end of the Show season with the close of the April shows, remained the highest scoring cat; amassing a final score of 12,259.82 points!!! (well ahead of her nearest contender!)

Among Trinket Love’s unique achievements, she was the first Silver Tabby to gain a National Win; the first Cat from the Gulf Shore Region to gain a Cat of the Year win; and Jean had never told the story of how she was the first progeny of a stolen and subsequently recovered cat, to reach such lofty heights!

(JGS) GC, BW, NW PaJean’s Trinket Love, DM enjoyed showing for 2 consecutive CFA show seasons. As a kitten Trinket was successfully shown to Gulf Shore Region 2nd Best Kitten in 1993 and then on to CFA’s Best Cat in 1994.

After retiring from the show ring Trinket became a breeding female in the PaJean cattery and a favorite pet of the Bassett family.

Within several years she became a Distinguished Merit Cat producing 9 grand champion offspring. Trinket is the foundation Silver Tabby cat of the PaJean silver tabby breeding program that lives on today. Trinket’s lovely silver mackerel color and large mascaraed eyes w/hazel eye color was inherited from her mother, GC Gemenee’s Tiffany of PaJean, DM who was a decedent of a silver Persian.

Left: Pamela and Jean Bassett in front of their ‘cat caravan’ emblazoned with Trinket’s image, parked outside of a Show Hall. Right: The New Orlean’s Mardi Gras Silver Dubloons, minted in honour of Trinket’s Cat of the Year win!

Her father, GC, RW PaJean’s Midnight Madness, DM was a solid black Persian that contributed refinement, type, boning, and long flowing coat. As the result of an outcross breeding, Trinket’s pedigree made an excellent foundation to work with to establish a silver tabby breeding program for the PaJean Cattery.

Trinket was first bred to a PaJean black and white bi-color regional winning GC male to produce GC PaJean’s on the Halfshell of Ghattas, a silver tabby and white bicolor male in 1995. From this pedigree line came GC, NW PaJean’s Wild Child, CFA’s 8 th Best Cat in 2007, a silver tabby and white bi-color.

Trinket was then bred to GC, NW Candirand Lasting Impression, DM, a black persian male; to produce 3 lovely GC silver tabby males in April 1996. Jean kept GC, NW PaJean’s To Sir w/ Love, DM to show and he then became her silver tabby stud male.

Sir was CFA’s 8th Best kitten in l997 and went on to produce 23 CFA grands including 2 CFA National Winners GC, BW, NW PaJeans’ Tango; a red mackerel tabby and GC, BW, NW PaJean’s Voodoo; a black male along with multiple regional PaJean winners. Many Persian breeders today may recognize GC PaJean’s Take It To the Limit, silver mackerel tabby male who is a To Sir w/ Love last born son in recent generations of their pedigrees.

Through line breeding the PaJean ‘look’ was established in the Pajean silver tabby and bi-color silver tabby Persians, who are known for their huge mascaraed eyes and lovely pattern. Exhibitors as well as judges can recognize the PaJean look in silver tabby and silver tabby bicolors shown today as many of their pedigree roots go back to the first silver tabby national winner, Cat of the Year 1994: GC, BW, NW PaJean’s Trinket Love, DM. To celebrate Trinket’s Best Cat Win in 1994 Jean and Pam Bassett had 4000 authentic New Orleans Mardi Gras silver coin doubloons minted with Trinket’s image, which were thrown in the air for the final Award Finale Night celebration.

They also had Trinket Love’s photo painted on both doors of their cat traveling caravan to celebrate her win and their proud accomplishment. Often, the van would be parked in front of the show hall doors for all to see!

Pamela Basset - PaJean Cattery

CFA GC. NW. TICA SGC. RW. KIT’S MAGIC BULLET OF RICHSON FACTFILE “A.J” DOB: January 10, 2013 TH

CFA’S 4 BEST KITTEN 2013-2014 CFA’S BEST KITTEN Great Lakes Region 2013-2014 TICA’S 24TH BEST CAT Great Lakes Region 2013-2014 Sire: GC NW Stedam’s Silver Bullet of Kit Dam: GC DW Stedam’s Catch A Rising Star of Kit Breeders:

Chun & Kit Fung / Dawn Skupin Owners:

Rich Hoskinson Kit & Joanne Fung

BLACK SILVER CLASSIC TABBY AMERICAN SHORTHAIR It was exciting planning the breeding of GC, DW Stedam's Catch A Rising Star of Kit to GC, NW Stedam's Silver Bullet of Kit. Both cats had been imported into Hong Kong and had very successful show careers.

Star, the dam, was a Division Winner, and her littermate had been shown to a CFA National win. Bullet, the sire, was the first American Shorthair in Asia to achieve the CFA Best Cat award for the International Division.

There were high hopes for the litter.

So it was that in 2013 a silver tabby male was one of several littermates born in Hong Kong, and he was simply outstanding from day one. He had outstanding type, a gorgeous head, a stunning classic tabby pattern, and was destined to be a star.

Considering his parents, and in turn their pedigree with five generations of CFA National Winners, how could he not be gorgeous? He was named Kit’s Magic Bullet, nicknamed AJ, and it was a pleasure to watch him grow and develop.

AJ was never shown in Hong Kong as a kitten. Instead he was flown to Rich Hoskinson in Ohio, USA when he was only five months old . That gave him the opportunity to compete with many other high-quality kittens during the 2013-2014 show season, yet he would only have three months left in his kitten show career. It turned out that AJ only participated in eight shows as a kitten, but he achieved highest scoring kitten in all eight of those shows.

MOTHER AND FATHER, - of GC. NW. KIT’S MAGIC BULLET OF RICHSON Left: His dam: GC. DW. Stedam’s Catch A Rising Star of Kit (Photo: Kit Cattery) Right: GC. NW. Stedam’s Silver Bullet of Kit (Photo: Chanan)

He was on a roll and attracted much attention from the cat fancy and judges, several of whom proclaimed him to be “a perfect example of the American Shorthair breed.”

As an adult, AJ took the Championship Class by storm and became a one-show Grand Champion ... as well as being named Highest Scoring Cat in Championship. His CFA show career was ended, after this one and only adult show. AJ was shown in three shows in TICA as an adult cat, and quickly attained the title of Supreme Grand Champion. He completed the show season as 24th Best Championship Cat in TICA’s Great Lakes Region, 2013-2014.

AJ was awarded CFA’s 4th Best Kitten Nationally at the completion of the 2013-2014 show season, and is now GC, NW Kit’s Magic Bullet of Richson. And, not to be outdone, one of his littermates, GC Kit's Lovin' A Rising Star, was shown in Hong Kong and named Best Cat in Championship during the same show season.

KIT’S MAGIC BULLET (AJ) AT THREE MONTHS Photo: Kit Cattery

AJ has been returned to his breeder, Kit Fung, in Hong Kong, to be used in his continued American Shorthair breeding program.

To date, he has produced many nice kittens to extend his gene pool within the American Shorthair breed. One of his sons, GC, NW JoKitz's Silver Magic of Heemu-Heemu, attained a CFA National Win during the 2015-2016 show season. This outstanding son takes after his father, with a sweet face, high contrasting color in his pattern, strong body, and gentle personality.

We expect that AJ will produce several more promising kittens during his breeding career. KIT’S MAGIC BULLET (AJ) AT SIX MONTHS (Photo: Creative Studios)

A RARE TORTOISESHELL TOM CAT AND A SILVER CLASSIC TABBY ENGLISH (BRITISH) SHORTHAIRS Tortie Tom probably based on one of several rare examples owned by Lord Alexander of Ballochmyle.

BROWN CLASSIC TABBY AND RED CLASSIC TABBY ENGLISH (BRITISH) SHORTHAIRS Probably based upon images of ‘FULMER XENOPHON’ and ‘BALLOCHMYLE PERFECTION’ Both images from book plates in ‘The Book of The Cat’ (1903) by Frances Simpson, painted by William Luker, Jnr.

THE CHARMING CAT ART OF

William Luker Jnr BY

A LONDON BASED 20TH CENTURY PAINTER & ILLUSTRATOR

JOHN G. SMITHSON

Specialising in

CURATOR THE HARRISON WEIR COLLECTION www.harrisonweir.com

PET ART, INTERIORS AND STREET SCENES

Few people will really understand the significance of the name William Luker Jnr, unless they are art history followers, and even then, his name would seem obscure to most. Then secondarily his name may be remotely familiar to cat fanciers who have delved into feline or cat fancy history to any degree, and will recognise him as the artist who provided 8 of the 12 colour plate illustrations from paintings, for the publishers Cassell’s, for Frances Simpson’s epic ‘The Book of The Cat’ which was released in 1903.

It is perhaps fitting that the first illustration on the page opposite, from that same publication, includes an image of a Silver Classic Tabby English (now British) Shorthair, which has been the main theme behind this month’s issue of Felis Historica. In point of fact, our cover page image, is taken from a previously unknown and unpublished original painting of the silver classic tabby long-haired cat ‘Don Pedro of Thorpe’ painted by W. Luker Jnr, held in a private collection and unidentified until the author chanced upon it and another work by Luker in the same collection.

One of those paintings had been incorrectly identified by another name belonging to a cat from a later period, but I was fortunate to recognise that cat almost immediately - as I had in my possession, a copy of ‘Our Cats’ magazine, which showed the same painting in a black and white photograph published on the cover of the said magazine. From that first positive identification, it did not take much investigation to realise that both paintings had been commissioned by the same person, who incidentally had owned both cats at the same time. Fortunately, both paintings had remained together, or identification of the second painting, which was of ‘Don Pedro’ would have been made far more difficult.

Mrs. Slingsby was listed as the owner of the cat in the first painting, which had been featured in the magazine, and although there was no photo of the painting of ‘Don Pedro’, in that magazine or any subsequent issue, there was nevertheless, a published record of Mrs. Slingsby having taken ‘Don Pedro’ to Mr. Luker’s studio, while she was in London at the time! Hence the mystery was solved, and the current owner of both paintings was duly delighted to have resolved the formerly unknown identities of the subjects of both pieces in her private collection!

Discovering lost history and realising that it has been newly preserved, even if only by accident; is a pleasure that the writer has experienced on many occasions – and I imagine that it is akin to how a detective would feel when finally solving a crime mystery. Simply Exhilarating!

In the next image at left, we find a Brown Classic Tabby whose image is uncannily like that found in a photo of the famous cat ‘Xenophon’ by Landor, while the Red Classic Tabby is reminiscent of

GOLD-EYED SOLID BLUE, & BLUE-EYED WHITE, ENGLISH (BRITISH) SHORTHAIRS. Book Plate image from ‘The Book of The Cat’ (1903) by Frances Simpson, painted by William Luker Jnr.

a well-known cat representative of this colour from this period known as ‘Ballochmyle Perfection’.

Below is pictured the most famous of many images of ‘Xenophon’ that appeared on postcards and in popular magazines of the era.

But I have digressed – let us return to the artist himself.

William Luker Jnr was born in Kensington, London, in 1867; the eldest of six surviving children born to William Luker Snr (1828-1905) and Ada Augusta (Margetts) Luker, both of whom were artists. His father, William Luker Snr, was born in Italy but practiced in London and Faringdon. He was considered a fine painter of landscapes and animals, enjoying considerable success during his lifetime. His landscapes were beautifully executed with great attention to detail, known to portray not only the idyllic green pastures but also capturing the rugged mountainsides and desolate moorlands.

A photograph of ‘Xenophon’ by renown photographer, Landor

His balanced compositions and attention to detail, including his special attention to the quality of the light, usually producing an exceptionally peaceful landscape. He exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy between 1851 and 1889,

TORTOISESHELL, AND TORTOISESHELL & WHITE (PERSIAN) LONGHAIRS. Book Plate image from ‘The Book of The Cat’ (1903) by Frances Simpson, painted by William Luker Jnr.

as well as at the British Institution, and at Suffolk Street. The younger William was identified alternatively as William Luker Jnr, and sometimes as William Luker II, although within his family and amongst his friends, he was simply known as “Willie”. His father, recognising early on that his son was possessed of an extraordinarily natural artistic ability, imparted his knowledge of painting; including his passion for pastoral scenes that included cows, Scottish highland cattle, horses, and sheep.

But in the late Victorian period, the general public’s appetite for serene pastoral scenes duly waned, in favour of other genres and more modern works. A consequence of this gradual shift in Public taste, was that William Luker Snr found himself experiencing financial difficulties and began to suffer from depression.

William Jnr, however, proved to be more resilient to this trend, adapting the subject matter of his paintings to meet the needs of the current market.

In 1888, at the age of 21, he married Margaret Stadowicka, a polish immigrant and domestic servant who was eight years his senior. Now that he needed to provide for his own family, he adapted his specialty away from painting Ch. Orange Blossom of Thorpe, Oil on canvas by W. Luker Jnr.

BLACK MANX SHORTHAIR AND SEAL-POINT ROYAL SIAMESE Book Plate image from ‘The Book of The Cat’ (1903) by Frances Simpson, painted by William Luker Jnr.

pastoral scenes to painting animals that were the object of their owner’s affections. These now included portraits of specific pets, including champion dogs, racehorses, champion cats and other similar animals, depicting them with their own specific personality and charm.

In 1897, he was commissioned to paint Florizel II, a prized bay racehorse owned by Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII).

His preferred medium appears to have been oil on canvas, but he is also known to have painted in oils on wood, and for producing watercolours on ivory and executing many fine works in pen and ink, a great many of which were used as illustrations on books and/or magazines of the era.

Among these latter works, were illustrations for a prolific writer of books about London, by William John Loftie. For these, Luker produced numerous outdoor scenes, some in pen and wash, as well as numerous interiors from the great houses within the city and in some cases depicting his contemporary artists at work in their own studios.

Ch. Fulmer Zaida. Oil on canvas by W. Luker Jnr.

He is known to have exhibited extensively at the Royal Society of British Artists (of which he was a member) between 1895 and 1945, and with the Royal Academy of Arts from between 1915-1919.

BLACK SMOKE AND ORANGE (RED) (PERSIAN) LONGHAIRS Book Plate image from ‘The Book of The Cat’ (1903) by Frances Simpson, painted by William Luker Jnr.

But it is his images of cats, which are of interest to cat fanciers, and apart from this paintings which were commissioned by Cassell’s for Miss Frances Simpson’s ‘The Book of The Cat’ published in 1903, we know of several other private commissions undertaken for cat fanciers.

Among these, was a painting of Miss Simpson’s own chinchilla male ‘Cambyses’ who was painted standing atop a brick garden wall, backed by green foliage, a theme which would be repeated in other works, such as in the portrait of the blue Persian male Champion Orange Blossom of Thorpe, owned by Mrs Helen Slingsby, who is portrayed laying on the same wall, again surrounded with green foliage. In other pieces, we find cats featured indoors, often on rugs or carpet with an antique wooden chest in the background. The carpet was often a mix of red and blue hues, such as that which we find in the piece he executed for Lady Gertrude Decies, featuring her blue Persian male, Fulmer Prince of Thanet; and then later, for another piece painted for Mrs. Helen Slingsby, featuring ‘Ch. Don Pedro of Thorpe’ on the same carpet.

Other known commissions for Lady Decies included her epic Brown Tabby English Shorthair, Fulmer Xenophon, and the equally famous Chinchilla female female, Ch. Zaida, both of which Lady Decies proudly displayed in her summer residence at Birchington-On-Sea; the latter which

Miss Simpson’s ‘Cambyses’. Oil on canvas by W. Luker Jnr.

CHALLENGING A GAME – A PORTRAIT OF LADY DECIES FULMER PRINCE OF THANET From the painting by William Luker Jnr, in the Royal Society of British Artists.

is featured as the frontispiece in Frank Townend Barton’s book ‘The Cat – Its Points and Management in Health and Disease’, published in 1908.

There are no doubt numerous other cat paintings yet to come to light. Those featuring ‘Don Pedro of Thorpe’ and ‘Ch. Orange Blossom of Thorpe’ only surfacing during my own trip to Britain in 2017 and finally identified by matching them to published images and data already more than 110 years old. In 2018, two photographs from an album in the possession of John Pett, were generously shared by him with the Harrison Weir Collection, and in these can be clearly identified the known work by Luker of ‘Ch. Zaida’ and a previously unknown painting of ‘Ch. Xenophon’.

Chances are, that the this second painting of ‘Xenophon’ still exists in a private collection, and there may easily be more.

It is not unusual to find references to lost works. Lady Dorothy Nevill for instance mentions some drawings in pen and ink done for her by Harrison Weir, featuring her beloved Siamese!

If these could be found, they would in fact be depictions of some of the very earliest Siamese cats to enter the United Kingdom!

Such paintings, and early photographs, are an important historic record and an essential part of the early period of cat fancying history. So, it is to artists such as Weir, Ronner, Wain, Bebb, Luker and others that we owe a huge debt of gratitude for helping to preserve that history.

Today, original works by William Luker Jnr, may be found in diverse private collections from around the world, including some works held in the collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (the Royal Collection Trust), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), the University of California Libraries, and the Auckland Art Gallery (Toi o Tamaki) in New Zealand.

IN OUR NEXT ISSUE …

• DIEU D’ARAKAN (Seal Point Birman) - born circa 1930

• BOGIE (Brown Burmese) – born circa 1895

• THE TEMPLECAT (A New Breed for the 21st Century) Part 1-Establishment / Part 2-Today

• BUILDING A HISTORY LIBRARY (CFAF – The Feline Library Resource)

• COAT CONDITIONING FOR YOUR CAT (Laura Dilley Thomas)

• MR. ENOCH WELBURN (19th Century Cat and Cavie Judge)

• GC. GP. RW. CARICATURE’S SARAYA OF TIGERWINGS (Burmese) • GC. BWR. RW. TORIELLE’S PRETTY BOY (Birman)

• BR. DGC. CHALFONT WILLIAM TELL (Birman)

DO YOU‌ ..have an interest in the history of cats? ..want to know the early history of your breed? ..wish you could see trophies of the past? ..enjoy reading catalogues from early cat shows? ..care about the preservation of early pedigree records?

..hope that artifacts are saved for future generations?

SUPPORT The CFA Foundation’s Feline Historical Museum!

Donations to The CFA Foundation, whether they be monetary archival or estate donations, all help to maintain YOUR museum.

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THE CFA FOUNDATION, PO Box 2155, Alliance, OH 44601 330-680-4444 www.FelineHistoricalFoundation.org