Felis Historica - January 2022 - Volume 2 Number 7

JANUARY 2022

Volume 2 No.7

FEATURES: FEATURE BREED – THE MAINE COON “Today’s achievements,

SHORTHAIR – HIRAJA (SIAMESE)

are part of

LONGHAIR – THE MARQUIS OF DINGLEY

tomorrow’s

TRUE STORY – TUNDRA’S WEEK FROM HELL

history”

…and much more!

INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE FOR CAT LOVERS - LINECHASERS & FANCIERS OF FELINE HISTORY

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

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

John G. Smithson 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

Chloe Chung (Hong Kong)

Laura Vocelle (Muscat, Oman)

Florent Fissot (Monsegur, France)

Dr. Victor Zaalov (Acre, Israel)

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 ANNUAL $48.00 USD

JANUARY 2022

VOLUME 2 NUMBER 7

EDITORIAL The Editor outlines the contents of Felis Historica – Volume 2 No.7!

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

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‘HIRAJA’ – by John Smithson The story of an early Seal-point Siamese, born in 1907.

12

‘TEA AND TEAPOTS’ - by Karen Lawrence Historic Cat Fancy treasures held in the Feline Historical Museum

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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GENETICS YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR CAT! PART 19 - by Dr. Leslie Lyons Cats – telomere to telomere and nose to tail! New trends in genetics… 34 A GALLERY OF MAINE COON CATS!

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‘THE MARQUIS OF DINGLEY’ – by John Smithson The story of an early Silver Tabby Longhair, born in 1901.

66

THE DESCENDANTS OF BASTET – by Karen Lawrence.

New Book release information…

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A PERSIAN RHAPSODY IN BLUE – by John Smithson.

New Book release information…

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‘TUNDRA’S WEEK FROM HELL’ - by Judy Formby A Maine Coon’s tale of survival under extraordinary circumstances…

86

GRAHAM HARROP - Cartoonist - Ten Cats

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CELEBRATING MODERN DAY LEADING CATS – (Cameo) Red Silver Tabby Maine Coon CFA GC, BW, NW. VENIZIA REDSILVER SURFER OF TIGGERLAND

96

‘THE MAINE ANGORA’ – by John Smithson Transitions of the European Angora, to Maine Angora, to Maine Coon 112

Editorial ’FELIS HISTORICA’ JOHN G. SMITHSON EDITOR

OUR COVER PHOTO LA BW SGC Coonamor We Will Rock You Brown Classic Tabby Maine Coon male, bred and owned by Janet Horlick Sire: LA SGC Shonancats Telegram Sam of Coonamor Dam: RW SGC Coonamor Seven Seasof Rhye

TICA International Kitten of the Year 2019 COPYRIGHT ISSN: 2744-4430 National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa © A-CAT-EMY CONCEPTS / FELIS HISTORICA THE HARRISON WEIR COLLECTION No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, screen capture, or otherwise, without prior written permission.

No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of advertisements or information.

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

Wow! Our present to our readers, the first edition of 2022, and begin our third year involved in e-magazine publishing!

And we start this New Year with a special focus on the Maine Coon cat, that hugely popular Longhair developed largely in the State of Maine, and on farmyards around Boston, in Massachusetts. One of our history articles will show how the European Angora, which emigrated to the United States, was largely the genetic root stock from which sprang the Maine Angora, and then from those beginnings, was eventually produced the modern day Maine Coon cat.

Our feature Gallery is a celebration of just a few of these modern day Maine Coons, and we express our sincere gratitude to the breeders and photographers who allowed their cats and their images to appear in this edition! A very special thanks in particular, to Helmi & Ken Flick, whose work recording Maine Coon cats and kittens around the world has provided us with an extraordinary opportunity to showcase this much-loved breed around the world.

Also with the New Year, Dr. Leslie Lyons provide us with an exciting article on the latest trends in feline genetics, and how the studies in this specific field are now contributing to our understanding of both mammalian and human genetics through our discoveries within the feline genome. This is a ‘must read’ – and shows how important this work is both for the health and welfare of our beloved cats, but in better understanding the relationship between the study of feline genetics and the tangental advances being made towards a better understanding of ‘human’ genetics and of other felids, and what this may yet offer.

Karen Lawrence shows us examples of the strong historic link between our passion for ‘tea’ drinking and the social mores developed around the production and enjoyment of tea, and

Helmi Flick Cat Photography

JANUARY 2022

Helmi Flick Cat Photography

IN CELEBRATION OF

MAINE COON CATS

our taste for all things ‘cat-related’, including tea-wares which are themed on our relationship to the world of cats!

She shares images of just a selection of teapots, teacups and related art, including Harrison Weir’s iconic image of a Victorian cat’s tea party!

Other historic breeds covered, include a Siamese named ‘Hiraja’ born in 1907, as well as a Silver Tabby longhair, named ‘The Marquis of Dingley’, born in 1901 – just one cat in a long and successful lineage of cats descended from Miss Anderson Leake’s ‘Dingley’ strain, based on her world famous ‘Topso of Dingley’ born in May 1886.

New Zealand breeder of Maine Coons, Judy Formby, whose blue male cat GC. Flurmonz Leejay recently was awarded highest scoring longhair cat nationally, also puts pen to paper to describe her ordeal in surviving a horrific accident involving her show van, fully loaded with her beloved cats and kittens on their way home from a major show. This is an exciting if not nervewracking read!

We also celebrate the Maine Coon GC, BW, NW Venizia RedSilver Surfer of Tiggerland; co-owned by Fion Cheng of Hong Kong, Chuleeporn Narvisiriwat of Thailand and Jimmy Lee of Malaysia; who in 2015 took out CFA’s Cat of the Year.

Although our year begins with another round of Covid-19 threats with the new Omicron strain taking hold, we will all continue to support our clubs, national and international bodies who are valiantly trying to provide us with the services and opportunities to rgeister and exhibit our truly beautiful cats.

John EDITOR FELIS HISTORICA

Above: Maine Coon Family Mkoonary cattery kitten, pictured with both sire and dam.

Christy & Steven Montgomery (USA) Below: Sl.GC Tabula Ras Owen (Imp. Neth)

bred by Nayomi Franken owners Jo Woodrow & Vicki Walls (NZ)

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

CHLOE CHUNG

LAURA A. VOCELLE

WRITER/COLUMNIST TICA INTERNATIONAL JUDGE OF THE YEAR 2016

COLUMNIST/PRESENTER CAT BEHAVIOURALIST/LECTURER CFA ALL BREEDS JUDGE Based in China & Hong Kong

COLUMNIST/AUTHOR FELINE HISTORY & ART HISTORIAN Creator and Founder The Great Cat www.thegreatcat.org

DR. VICTOR ZAALOV

HELMI & KEN FLICK

JACK TERRY

CEO – WORLD GOLDEN CAT

HELMI FLICK CAT PHOTOGRAPHY www.helmiflick.com

‘THE RESTORIAN’ Photo & Graphics Specialist Photo Humourist

President of World Organisation of Cats

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

JUN KOHNO

RUSSELL LAW

CHATE RUENGRUGLIKIT

(CFA, JAPAN)

(CFA, HONG KONG)

TOKYO, JAPAN SEC: MICINA CAT FANCIERS

HONG KONG SEC: UNITED FELINE ODYSSEY

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

IZADDIN SYAH YUSOF

FARAH DIANA

(CFA, THAILAND) BANGKOK, THAILAND SEC: SIAM BLE-EYED CAT FANCIERS

CHAIR: WCF DISCIPLINARY COMMISSION

BAMBI J. EDWARDS (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 DISTINGUISED JUDGE

VILA DE CUCUJAES, PORTUGAL TICA REGIONAL DIRECTOR

PORT ALEGRE, SOUTH BRAZIL TICA REGIONAL DIRECTOR

LIESBETH VAN MULLEM

EVA PORAT

DONATELLA MASTRANGELO

(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

‘HIRAJA’ Photo: ‘The Queen’ - November 28, 1908. Image courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection.

Article backgrounds © www.gographic.com

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

AN HISTORICAL PORTRAIT OF

AN EARLY ‘SEAL-POINT’ SIAMESE BORN IN 1907 BY

JOHN SMITHSON

Adapted from the author’s text in an article for ‘The History Project’ at www.cat-o-pedia.org

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND By the first decade of the twentieth century, the Siamese cat as a breed, had a firm hold in the world of pedigreed cats; and there was considerably more diversity in the gene pool due to an ever-increasing number of imports from the orient.

The number of breeders also increased as cat fanciers of all persuasions, add Siamese to their retinue of breeds. The first specialist Club for Siamese was inaugurated in 1900.

Very few breeders specialised in a single breed, but were drawn initially into the world of cats by their natural fancy for one type, then by being introduced to other varieties were often persuaded to try their hand at a second or third variety.

Mrs. Chilcott of ‘Lovel Dene’, in Windsor Forest, was no exception to this general rule.

While it appears as though her primary love may have been Siamese, a breed in which she had considerable success; she is also known to have owned and bred Persians.

Miss Frances Simpson records an instance in an article she wrote about Mrs. Chilcott’s cats for ‘The Queen’ magazine in November of 1908: “Mrs. Chilcott possessed a great pet in ‘Joan’, who began life as a black cat, but turned into a decided smoke.

She was mated to ‘Blue Boy III’, and had a lovely little smoke kitten, which was entered at the last Westminster Cat Show, where it took high honours and was sold to Dr Prior.

When ‘Joan’ the mother died, Mrs. Chilcott approached Dr Prior with a view to buying back little ‘Pearl’, and succeeded, this orangeeyed smoke now being the mother of three blues and a smoke.

One blue, according to an arrangement, gone to Dr Prior, and the other two, are big fat kittens, tearing about the garden at ‘Lovel Dene’. A black Persian neuter getting on in years is allowed the run of the house, and Pansy, a lovely blue female litter sister to ‘Pearl’, is a specimen that Mrs. Chilcott may well be proud of having bred.” ³

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

‘LOVEL DENE’, Windsor Forest, the residence of Mr. & Mrs. Chilcott.

Photo: ‘The Queen’, November 28th, 1908.³ Image courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection.

But, it was her foundation females, specifically ‘Lovel Beauty’ (SCR:V1)¹ and ‘Kim’ (SCR)¹ who helped set her on the map, with her Siamese.

‘Lovel Beauty’, who was born in May 1904, would become the dam of a number of successful ‘Lovel’ Siamese cats and kittens, not the least of which was her male ‘Hiraja’(SCR:V1)¹; while ‘Kim’ (for whom we can trace no specific heritage), was the dam of ‘Ananda’ a seal-point Siamese whom Mrs. Chilcott exported export to the United States, where she was registered as ‘Romeo Ananda (Imp)’, (CFA:361)⁴, by Mrs. Dykhouse, of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

PARENTAGE & OWNERSHIP When ‘Hiraja’ a Seal-point (Royal Siamese) male was born 18th April, 1907; he had three immediate claims to fame.

The first was that his sire was the immensely popular Seal-point male ‘Champion Kew King of Siam’,(NCC: 272a/v6)⁶ owned by Mrs. F. Norris; who at that time, was one of the most sought after Siamese stud males in the United Kingdom.

The second was, that as a son of ‘Ch. Kew King of Siam’, he was a sire-sibling to a rising star in the world of Siamese, which was ‘Champion Sancho’, (NCC: 562/v5)⁶ bred by Mrs. de Vere Brooke and owned by Miss C. Cochrane.

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

Familial resemblances are strong when comparing these two sons of ‘Champion Kew King of Siam’ Left: ‘Champion Sancho’ (born in September 1906) and Right: ‘Hiraja’ (born in April, 1907) Photos: ‘Sancho’, Everywoman’s Encyclopedia, Vol.V,² and ‘Hiraja’, The Queen, Nov 28, 1908³ Images courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection.

Brooke and owned by Miss C. Cochrane. It is distinctly possible, that Mrs. Chilcott, upon laying eyes on the extremely promising young ‘Sancho’, may have been persuaded to breed her ‘Lovel Beauty’ to his sire in an attempt to breed a male of similar quality.

Certainly, by comparing the two, (above), there are distinctive similarities of style between both ‘Sancho’ born in 1906, and her own ‘Hiraja’, born in 1907.

The third claim was due to the successes of his dam’s progeny from a litter born earlier that year from a breeding to ‘Malachite Togo’, and the fact that ‘Lovel Beauty’ was herself sired by

none other than ‘Tiam O’Shian IV’, who traced his ancestry through a double on ‘Tiam O’Shian III’ back to some of the earliest and best Siamese seen in England from Mrs. Vyvyan’s original strain. (c.1885) Mrs. Chilcott lived with her husband at ‘Lovel Dene’, and Miss Simpson elaborates for us in an article about Mrs. Chilcott’s cattery published in ‘The Queen’: “In a charming corner of Windsor Forest, between Ascot and Bracknell, Mr. & Mrs. Chilcott reside in an old-fashioned house surrounded with glorious oaks and beeches, which at the time of my visit were beautiful with autumn tints. Mr. Chilcott is an owner

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

‘Tiam ‘O Shian IV’ – then considered the best Siamese in England, the sire of Hiraja’s dam ‘Lovel Beauty’.

Photo: E.Landor, Ealing. From: ‘Diseases of the Cat’ (1907) by Woodroffe Hill. ¹¹ Image courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection.

with autumn tints. Mr. Chilcott is an owner and breeder of thoroughbred horses, and Mrs. Chilcott from being a great cat lover has recently become an ardent fancier.

“It is chiefly as a successful breeder of Siamese that she has made herself famous in the cat world, and she owns a fine pair of this fascinating and curious variety.

“Hiraga (sic), the male, has a splendid cattery, with wired-in run, at some distance from the house, as his voice is not “low and sweet,” and Lovel Beauty, the female, had a family of five beautiful and promising kittens at the time of my visit. They were clambering up the netting of their cattery, and I greatly admired their marvellously bright blue eyes” ³

SIBLINGS & SHOWS Due to the popularity of his sire ‘Champion Kew King of Siam’, ‘Hiraja’ had numerous sire siblings, not least among them, being Miss C. Cochrane’s ‘Champion Sancho’ who was born in September, 1906.

Other better known sire siblings included Miss Meriel Taylor’s ‘Maimoune’(SCRv1)¹, (aka ‘Malachite Maimoune’) a daughter of ‘Kew King of Siam’ out of ‘Princess Tuli’; and Lady Decies ‘Fulmer King Krom’, (OC:22/Feb/ 1908)⁷, out of Miss Aubertin’s ‘Phya II’(SCRv1)¹; who was herself also sired by ‘Ch. Kew King of Siam’.

Yet others included ‘Southampton Buddha’, a female owned by Mrs. Allen Maturin, and the male ‘Romeo Ananda’,(CFA:361)⁴, bred by Mrs.

.

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‘TOMMY’, Siamese neuter by ‘Malachite Togo’, out of ‘Lovel Beauty’. A younger dam sibling to ‘HIRAJA’.

Photo: ‘The Queen’, November 28, 1908.³ Image courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection.

Chilcott herself a year earlier, out her Siamese foundation queen ‘Kim’ to ‘Kew King of Siam’ and exporting this male to Mrs. Dykhouse of the ‘Romeo’ cattery in Michigan.

Of Dam siblings, we have the following information, taken from the only three known litters we knowledge of thus far, out of Mrs. Chilcott’s ‘Lovel Beauty’. The first litter was that which produced ‘Hiraja’ on 18th April, 1907. The second appears to have been from a breeding to ‘Malachite Togo’(SCRv1)¹, in a litter born 21st April, 1908. This is the older litter alluded to in Miss Simpson’s commentary

about her visit to Mrs. Chilcott’s property in November of that year, which included the female ‘Princess Malachite’(SCRv1)¹,the neuter ‘Tommy’³, and another male named ‘Dromens’.

“A beautiful young female of Lovel Beauty’s last litter, called ‘Princess’ has already done some winning in the show pen, and ‘Tommy’ her litter brother, is well-nigh a perfect specimen-too good, many would assert, to have been made a neuter pet. He is the spoilt darling of his devoted mistress, and lay contentedly on the drawing-room hearthrug.

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

Three of Mrs. Chilcott’s Siamese, ‘Princess Malachite’ on the left.

Younger dam siblings to ‘HIRAJA’. The males at right, are ‘Tommy’ and ‘Dromens’ Photo: ‘The Queen’, November 28, 1908.³ Image courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection.

He, however, roams at will, for Mrs. Chilcott does not believe in coddling her pets, the litter of Siamese being born out of doors, and they continue to thrive splendidly in their comfortable cattery, despite the chilliness of autumn.” ³ The third litter of record from ‘Lovel Beauty’, was that born on June 11, 1911, sired by ‘Hiraja’s’ half-brother, ‘Champion Sancho’

‘Hiraja’s’ half-brother, ‘Champion Sancho’.

Whether this breeding suggests that ‘Hiraja’ was gone, or whether Mrs. Chilcott just wished to breed to a related male, is unclear, but from this particular breeding came three females, ‘Baby Bun’; ‘Maya’; and ‘Yasmin’ (OC/Jun/1912)⁸.

There are currently no official show wins recorded for ‘Hiraja’

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‘HIRAJA’, bred and owned by Mrs. Chilcott of ‘Lovel Dene’.

Sired by ‘Ch.Kew King of Siam’,out of ‘Lovel Beauty’ Photo: ‘The Queen’³ Image courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection

Despite a paucity of information on recorded progeny of ‘Hiraja’, we can find registration details on two Siamese females sired by him and out of the same litter and dam, one ‘Siamona’, owned by Dr & Mrs. Hudson.

These were:

‘BLETCHLEY JANE’ A seal-point female born 16th October, 1911 who appears to have been on-sold to Mrs. H. Walker. (OC:25/Feb/1911)⁹ ‘SENGORA’ Another seal-point female, litter sister to the above, presumably retained for breeding by Mrs. Hudson (OC:/Jan/1912)¹⁰

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

Mrs. Chilcott’s Siamese winner of the Special for BEST KITTEN at TWICKENHAM (This image is probably either of ‘Princess Malachite’ or ‘Tommy’), in either case, a dam sibling of ‘Hiraja’ Photo: ‘The Queen’, 1st August, 1908.⁵ Image courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection.

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

IN SUMMARY ‘Hiraja’ falls into that significant period of development of the Siamese breed, between the turn of the 19th and 20th century and before the devastation of the first World War. The fledgling Siamese Cat Club (1901), was now nurturing the breed by supporting its recognition on the show bench. But even so, it would take until 1924 before they were in a position to host a breed specialty show.

Many of the most influential breeders of the period owned a Siamese and were enamoured of their almost dog-like tenacity, their unique vocal resonance, and their gloriously deep blue eyes.

The future style direction and phenotype of the Siamese had still not been firmly set, the pre-eminent focus having been in the main, to preserve and extend further, through continued importation, the growth of the gene pool; while simultaneously seeking to eliminate tail faults, to breed coats with bodycolour of consistently better contrast to point colour, and enhance and set firm, that uniquely translucent eye colour.

Her philosophy of allowing them to grow as naturally as possible, and adapt to their current environment would not have been shared by all.

But in her case, it proved successful.

In ‘Hiraja’ and his siblings, we get to glimpse into that world of the emerging Siamese cat at the end of the Edwardian period, and those years just preceding the Great War. If it had not been for the efforts of the many breeders such as this, the preservation and expansion of the Siamese cat as a unique breed, would not have manifested as quickly, or as successfully, as it obviously did.

J. G. Smithson

REFERENCES: 1. ‘Siamese Cat Register’, Volume 1 2. ‘Everywoman’s Encyclopedia’, Vol V, c.

1909 3. ‘The Queen’, 28th November, 1908 4. ‘Stud Book and Register of the Cat Fanciers Association’ Vol 1 5. ‘The Queen’, 1st August, 1908 6. ‘The National Cat Club Stud Book and Register, Vols 5 & 6 7. ‘Our Cats’ Magazine, 22nd February, 1908 8. ‘Our Cats’ Magazine, June, 1912 9. ‘Our Cats’ Magazine, 25th February, 1911 10. ‘Our Cats’ Magazine, January, 1912 11. ‘Diseases of the Cat’ (1907) by Woodroffe Hill.

12. Photos and Quotations as per credits noted

But by the end of the second decade, the foreign type had finally established itself as the leading, preferred, as well as pre-eminent and most recognisable ‘type’ for the emerging breed, and after the end of the Great War in 1918, efforts began in earnest to establish the Siamese cat as a worldwide phenomenon.

Mrs. Chilcott, was just one of the breeders of the Edwardian period to take up the baton of the Siamese cat and run with it. .

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

A MANEKI NEKO TEAPOT, WITH FIVE SIPPING CUPS, MADE IN THAILAND Donated by the photographer, Ann Kline All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc

TEAPOTS THE CATS’ TEA PARTY… CAT FANCIERS’ STYLE! BY

KAREN LAWRENCE

COLLECTABLE TEA POTS IN THE COLLECTION OF THE FELINE HISTORICAL MUSEUM The Tea plant was first cultivated in India and exported to China during the 4th century, Merchants travelling the trade routes spread tea from China into Japan and southern-eastern Asia.

On the early 1600’s, Dutch traders began importing tea into Holland and shared small quantities with Britain and France. The East India Company developed into a major importer of Tea to Britain.

First used for medicinal purposes, the infusion of tea leaves developed during the Min Dynasty in China (1368 to 1644). The evolution of the teapot also began during that same time period.

Teapots were originally designed for single usage, and clay teapots from the Yi-Xing region of China are among the earliest known forms.

In the 1700s, the British began using silver tea services and developed the serving of tea into a ritual commonly known as “afternoon tea”. The tea was served from ornate silver teapots into delicate bone china cups and served along with savory, light sandwiches, scones or cakes that were displayed on a tiered cake stand.

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc

Left: A clay Banito teapot, from Japan, circa 1920. Donated by the Unitrust of Wilton E. Wheeldon & Gladys J. Wheeldon.

Right: A ceramic teapot in the shape of a cat. Donated by the Unitrust of Wilton E. Wheeldon & Gladys J. Wheeldon.

Square teapot designed by Norma Sherman for Royal Crownford.

Donated by the Unitrust of Wilton E. Wheeldon & Gladys J. Wheeldon All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc

From the whimsical teapot series, designed by Judith Wooten for Wade of England.

Donated by the Unitrust of Wilton E. Wheeldon & Gladys J. Wheeldon.

A handmade ceramic teapot, donated by the Unitrust of Wilton E. Wheeldon & Gladys J. Wheeldon All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc

Left: A Maneki Neko teapot. Donated by the Unitrust of Wilton E. Wheeldon & Gladys J. Wheeldon.

Right: A handpainted teapot, © Otagiri, Japan. Donated by the Unitrust of Wilton E. Wheeldon & Gladys J. Wheeldon.

Left: A teapot by Staffordshire Fine Ceramics, England. Donated by the Unitrust of Wilton E. Wheeldon & Gladys J. Wheeldon.

Right: A Beswick teapot, made in England. Donated by the Unitrust of Wilton E. Wheeldon & Gladys J. Wheeldon.

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc

Left: A 1-1/2 quart teapot, handpainted ©FF, 1988. Donated by the Unitrust of Wilton E. Wheeldon & Gladys J. Wheeldon.

Right: A glazed white ceramic teapot. Donated by the Unitrust of Wilton E. Wheeldon & Gladys J. Wheeldon.

A hand-painted ceramic teapot by Takahashi, San Francisco, USA. Donated by the Unitrust of Wilton E. Wheeldon & Gladys J. Wheeldon All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc

A ceramic teapot made in Italy. Donated by the Unitrust of Wilton E. Wheeldon & Gladys J. Wheeldon

A stylistic and colorful teapot in the shape of a cat.

Donated by the Unitrust of Wilton E. Wheeldon & Gladys J. Wheeldon All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc

A tabby teapot made for Animals & Co. Donated by the Unitrust of Wilton E. Wheeldon & Gladys J. Wheeldon.

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc

“The Precious Cat of Kiangsi” teapot, designed by Jui Guoliang, 1988.

Donated by the Unitrust of Wilton E. Wheeldon & Gladys J. Wheeldon.

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc

A teapot designed by Robin Sterling.

Donated by the Unitrust of Wilton E. Wheeldon & Gladys J. Wheeldon.

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc

THE CAT’S TEA PARTY By the 1870’s the habit of ‘taking tea’ in the afternoon was a wellestablished Victorian social event, especially when entertaining guests. A new social habit beginning to form was the arrival of Cat Shows, firmly established with the first Crystal Palace Cat Show in 1871. Harrison Weir produced the above double page illustration, as the second in a series, the first called, ‘The Dog’s Dinner Party’ published in 1870 All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc

BY HARRISON WEIR published in 1870, by George Routledge & Sons, London.

Synonymously it was followed in 1871 by ‘The Cat’s Tea Party’, and it would seem likely that Weir, having knowledge of its impending release, may have purposely timed his first Cat Show at the Crystal Palace to coincide with the publication of this now famous anthropomorphic image of cats as society guests, partaking of ‘tea’.

Image courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc

Everything you need to know about Genetics…

You can learn from your Cat! BY

DR. LESLIE LYONS

College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri

PART NINETEEN

Cats – telomere to telomere and nose to Tail Adapted from Trends in Genetics Trends Genet. 2021 Oct;37(10):865-867. doi:10.1016/j.tig.2021.06.001. Epub 2021 Jul 28. PMID: 34332790 A semi-domesticated hypercarnivore, domestic cats are bioproxies for human agricultural development and our post-agrarian migrations.

These critters are often underfoot but are also the keynote predatory species and at the top of the food chain in diverse ecological niches, whether wild, rural, or urban.

Darwin, Haldane, Searle and other early geneticists recognized cat pelage phenotypes supported Mendel’s laws and other basic genetic principles.

Cats have also helped decode more complex genetic concepts including Lyonization - X-inactivation and methylation because of their X-linked Orange coat coloration and since the first cloned cat, Cc, did not come out as the expected coat coloration [1].

EDITOR: This is the Nineteenth article in a series based on feline genetics

by Dr Leslie Lyons being published in FELIS HISTORICA during the 2020/2022 period

Article graphics: www.gograph.com

The coat patternings and colors of domestic and wild species of cats exemplify intricate biological pathways, demonstrating not one of the ~20,000 genes in our mammalian genomes stands alone.

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) gave us our first clues into cancer etiologies and the consideration of hybrid cats nearly a half-century ago [2] and more recently, the nucleoside analog-based drug proving highly effective in combating the COVID pandemic (Remdesivar) was firstly shown to cure a previously death-sentence coronavirus-induced disease in cats, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) [3].

A quelled enthusiasm by the scientific community has historically meant cats were perhaps a pace behind with their genetic and genomic resources, however, the cat research community may be small but is mighty and efficient, and has, for arguably less funds and less personnel, helped cats to effectively leap forward in genomics,

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GENETICS – YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR CAT!

CCCA GC & Diamond GP, Rumpleteeza Miss Moneypenny Photo: Linda Bieniasz - Mandalay Photography

small but is mighty and efficient and has, for arguably less funds and less personnel, helped cats to effectively leap forward in genomics, showing new promise in supporting Genomic Medicine, gene regulation and speciation studies and the development of therapeutics for use by man and animal.

Precision / Genomic Medicine is now feasible in veterinary healthcare, especially for domestic cats. Approximately 33% of households in the USA own a cat and as pets, cats have evolved from vermin control to beloved family members.

With increasing vigilance, cat owners are escalating their expenditures for their cats’ veterinary care, whether the cat is one of the 10% representing a fancy breed or the 90% representing a randomly bred alley cat.

College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GENETICS – YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR CAT! College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri

Whole genome (WGS) and whole exome sequencing (WES) are available for domestic cats as a genomic diagnostic tool for their healthcare via the community-based 99 Lives Cat Genome Sequencing Consortium [4,5].

Consortium studies are defining new disease variants for well recognized disease genes thereby supporting established biomedical models, such as Niemann-Pick Disease Type C [6]; new variants in new genes for known diseases, such as disproportionate dwarfism, thereby providing new genetic considerations for undiagnosed patients [7]; and new variants for new diseases of conserved biological processes, such as brain development or cell migration and differentiation [8].

The cat’s genomic tools and the 99 Lives Consortium have led to more rapid identification of causal disease and traits variants in cats, hence naturally- occurring biomedical models, with ~84 mutations causing diseases under negative selection and 44 desired variants under positive selection in cats and at least seven variants influencing one blood group (https://omia.org).

Analyses of only 54 unrelated cat genomes and the production of the cat reference assembly V9.0 suggests cats have high genetic diversity with 36.6 million biallelic single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in which individuals carrying ~9.6 million SNVs each.

Conversely, humans roughly carry 4 to 5 million SNVs per individual [4]. Variant effect prediction shows 128,844 SNVs of the 36.6 million were synonymous, 77,662 missense, and 1,179 loss of function (LoF) SNVs.

EDITOR: This is the Nineteenth article in a series based on feline genetics

by Dr Leslie Lyons being published in FELIS HISTORICA during the 2020/2022 period

With hundreds of thousands of human genome sequences for comparison, deciphering DNA variants causal for diseases, traits, conditions and behaviors is still an elusive process, leading to a plethora of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) that mar the decoding of causal variants.

The vast cat genetic variation should be used in a comparative genetics approach. Genetic constraint can be expressed as the probability of LoF intolerance (pLI), implying specific genes have more or less tolerance to variants causing a significance loss of their protein’s function.

The 15,962 direct cat-human orthologs share similar levels of pLI, suggesting variant prediction combined with pLI could support VUS prioritization [4].

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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GENETICS – YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR CAT!

Dr. Keith Hammett with his Maine Coon Alter – and the late Judge Lee Williams.

The increasing DNA variant WGS and WES datasets produced during veterinary healthcare not only support the discovery of the feline causal variants for traits, conditions and biomedical models but their innocuous variants as well have value and can be compared to human VUS databases, potentially deciphering VUS functions and influencing their priority for further investigation.

“Dark Matter” – whether 85% of the universe or 98% of mammalian genomes – clouds the understanding of our state of being.

Approximately 10% of the non-coding regions within the “Dark Matter” of the genome are conserved across species, highly suggesting these sequences have some control over form and function, biology and physiology, behavior and temperament.

Besides decrypting VUSs, cross-species genomic comparisons are enlightening some of the functions of non-coding sequences, supporting the identification of regulatory sequence motifs.

College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GENETICS – YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR CAT!

College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri

For an example in cats, dominant White, which is associated with deafness and white Spotting, which is associated with domestication, are traits caused by an ~800 bp and ~8 Kb insertion into intron 1 of the KIT gene, respectively [OMIA 001737-9685; 000209-9685; 001580-9685].

Although not an intergenic variant, the disruption of intronic sequences and not coding sequences suggest this variant influences gene regulation and overall melanocyte production and migration.

Since hundreds to thousands of genome sequences are now being produced for many species, including domestic cats, pangenome assemblies [9], which will represent both SNV and structural variation (SV), will help decipher inter- versus intra- species genomic variation and whether the variation controls interspecies evolution and speciation versus intraspecies phenotypes and diseases. Cats, felids, the family Felidae, are represented by ~ 42 species, diverging from other mammals, including humans, ~65 million years ago (www.iucnredlist.org).

Cats have easily distinguishable chromosomes that can be readily flow sorted, thus facilitating somatic cell hybridization mapping and chromosome painting [10].

These gross mapping techniques demonstrate the cat genomic organization is a strong proxy for most all feliform carnivores [11].

Syntenic blocks of genes on the 23 human chromosomes are more extended in the 19 cat chromosomes in comparison to other common mammalian model organisms such as mice, rats, dogs, and pigs.

Additionally, the first phased, haploid-based genome assemblies of F1 hybrid felids highlight the potential of the genomic investigation of family Felidae, particularly for evolution and speciation [12].

EDITOR: This is the Nineteenth article in a series based on feline genetics

by Dr Leslie Lyons being published in FELIS HISTORICA during the 2020/2022 period

Genome assemblies for the domestic cat and the Asian leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) are robust with N50 scaffolds of 147.6 and 148.6 Mb and 71 and 83 total scaffolds, respectively, indicating the success of the assembly of complex repeat regions.

A variety of hybrids produced by natural matings of domestic cats are available, such as crosses with the Geoffroy’s cat, (Oncifelis geoffroyi), Servasl (Leptailurus serval) and Jungle cats (Felis chaus) or lions (Panthera leo) crossed with tigers (Panthera tigris), producing the Liger, suggesting many felid phased genome assemblies are possible.

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GENETICS – YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR CAT!

A variety of coat colour and pattern sequences in a BoydsBengal litter.

Photo: Melody Boyd

In addition, reproductive techniques developed for wild felid conservation could support additional cat genome assemblies since any felid sperm will fertilize a domestic cat oocyte, thus hybrid cell lines from disrupted embryos could be expanded to provide sufficient DNA for whole genome sequencing.

Thus, like the human telomere-to-telomere consortium (sites.google.com/ucsc.edu/t2tworkinggroup/home), even longerread technologies suggest assembly scaffolds will soon encompass complete chromosomes, telomere-to-telomere. Since haploid-based phased genome assemblies are feasible for every cat species, telomere-to-telomere genome assemblies may cover the family Felidae – nose to tail.

People tend to either love them or hate them, and cats are often under appreciated by the scientific community. Will the species with conserved genomic organization with humans or also the species with less genome conservation, help resolve gene regulation via the similarities and differences in the 3-dimensional structures created in the intergenic or intragenic sequences?

College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GENETICS – YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR CAT!

College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri

Felids could be the optimal species to enlighten the human genome’s Dark Matter. Does the Dark Matter hold more keys to evolution of form and function and speciation? The assisted reproductive technologies have produced both red and green fluorescence protein transgenic cats.

Thus, genome-edited cats are feasible, allowing the production of a large animal biomedical model for disease studies, understanding basic biology and physiology and providing an alternative for longterm model therapeutic trials.

New genomic technologies are allowing cats to develop new avenues for understanding evolution, domestication and adaptation. Feline genomics holds great potential and promise for advancing human medicine and mammalian biology.

GLOSSARY Bioproxy – the cat, as part of its symbiotic relationship with humans, have been transported with and by humans during human migrations.

Therefore, the cat, living or archeological remains, is a substitute or secondary source to corroborate human conditions and migrations.

Chromosome painting - is a technique of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), which offers a powerful method for detection of specific chromosome regions or entire chromosomes based on chromosomespecific probes. DNA from one species, i.e., human, can be fluorescently labelled and hybridized to the metaphase spreads of the chromosomes of a different species, i.e., domestic cat, which will indicate the location of the homologous sequences in the cat genome, thereby revealing the highly conserved syntenic blocks of genes between the species. The DNA from different chromosomes can be labelled with different fluorochromes and hybridized during one experiment, producing the effected of painting the chromosomes of the other species.

EDITOR: This is the Nineteenth article in a series based on feline genetics

by Dr Leslie Lyons being published in FELIS HISTORICA during the 2020/2022 period

Dark Matter – the non-coding DNA sequences of the genome in which function is highly unknown, including regions that are highly conserved across diverse species. These small conserved regions, intragenic or intergenic (intronic) are suspected to have roles in gene regulation.

Hypercarnivore – a.k.a. super carnivore - is an animal which has a diet that is more than 70% meat.

Syntenic blocks - is a collection of contiguous genes located on the same chromosome. Traits provided by these genes are usually inherited together, thus violating Mendel's law of independent assortment. Large blocks of the same syntenic genes can be found between the cats and human chromosomes.

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GENETICS – YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR CAT! Somatic cell hybrids - A type of mapping experiment permitting the assignment of DNA probes or protein markers to chromosomes. The method consists of fusing cultured cells of one species (i.e., mouse or hamster) with cultured cells of a different species (i.e., cat). The hybrid cells are unstable in karyotype during growth, with most chromosomes from one species typically being lost, in this case for the cat. Among clonal populations of hybrid cells following growth, different chromosomes are retained from one species (the cat). A panel of hybrid cell cultures can be assayed for which different chromosomes are retained, and simultaneously assayed for the presence of particular markers.

The correlation of the presence of a particular marker across the panel with the presence of a particular chromosome allows that marker to be assigned to that specific chromosome. The specific cat chromosomes present can be identified due to their morphological differences from hamster or mouse chromosomes.

College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri

[1]. Shin T. et al. (2002) A cat cloned by nuclear transplantation. Nature 415:859.

[2]. Benveniste RE, Todaro GJ. (1975) Segregation of RD-114 and FeL-V-related sequences in crosses between domestic cat and leopard cat. Nature 257:506-8.

[3]. Pedersen NC. (2019) et al. Efficacy and safety of the nucleoside analog GS441524 for treatment of cats with naturally occurring feline infectious peritonitis.

J. Feline Med. Surg. 21:271-281.

[4]. Buckley RM. et al. (2020) A new domestic cat genome assembly based on long sequence reads empowers feline genomic medicine and identifies a novel gene for dwarfism. PLoS Genet. 2020 16:e1008926.

[5]. Rodney A. et al. (2021) A domestic cat whole exome sequencing resource for trait discovery. Sci. Rep. 11:7159.

[6]. Mauler DA. et al. (2018) Precision Medicine in Cats: Novel Niemann-Pick Type C1 Diagnosed by Whole-Genome Sequencing. J. Vet. Intern. Med. 31:539-544.

Erratum in: J. Vet. Intern. Med. 2018 32:1471.

[7]. Buckley RM. et al. (2020) Werewolf, There Wolf: Variants in Hairless Associated with Hypotrichia and Roaning in the Lykoi Cat Breed. Genes 11:682.

[8]. Graff EC. et al. (2020) PEA15 loss of function and defective cerebral development in the domestic cat. PLoS Genet. 16:e1008671 [9]. Miga KH, Wang T. (2021) The Need for a Human Pangenome Reference Sequence. Annu. Rev. Genomics Hum. Genet. Apr 30.

[10]. O'Brien SJ, Wienberg J, Lyons LA. (1997) Comparative genomics: lessons from cats. Trends Genet. 13:393-9.

[11]. Perelman PL. et al. (2005) Karyotypic conservatism in the suborder Feliformia (Order Carnivora). Cytogenet. Genome Res. 108:348-54.

[12]. Bredemeyer KR. et al. (2021) Ultracontinuous Single Haplotype Genome Assemblies for the Domestic Cat (Felis catus) and Asian Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). J. Hered. 112:165-173

EDITOR: This is the Nineteenth article in a series based on feline genetics

by Dr Leslie Lyons being published in FELIS HISTORICA during the 2020/2022 period

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

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CFA GC, & TICA IW, RW, GC Terrificats Cream Soda -Red Silver McTabby & White bred by Karen Crooke, Texas.

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The Happy Family – Mkoonary kitten with sire & dam. Christy & Steven Montgomery, Fort Worth, Texas.

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RW, SGCA Norcat Lewis of the Silent Planet – Bred by Noreene Rollins, Owner: Winter Fleur Wiorkowski Photo: Helmi Flick Cat Photography All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

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Above: Excalipurrs Chel – Black Silver Tabby – bred by Kelly Crouch (USA) Below: The Magnificent Seven – Mkoonary Kittens bred by Christy & Steven Montgomery, Fort Worth, Texas.

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Sap.DGP Flurmonz Gudrun – Breeder/Owner: Judy Formby (NZ) Photos- Top and below left:Helmi Flick Cat Photography. Below right: Judy Formby All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

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HeartStealer White Knight – Odd Eyed White bred by Adrienn Kemendi-Czipper (Hungary) Photos: Helmi Flick Cat Photography All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

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Above: GC. Flurmonz Caesar – Blue Silver Classic Tabby male bred by Judy Formby (NZ) Below: TICA RW Coonamor Ruby Tuesday – Breeder/Owner Jan Horlick (USA) Photos: Helmi Flick Cat Photography All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

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Above: Mckoonary Ruby & her three kittens. Christy & Steven Montgomery, Fort Worth, Texas, (USA) Below: Flurmonz Tundra – Brown Classic Tabby Maine Coon (6 months) bred by Judy Formby, (NZ) Above Photo: Helmi Flick Cat Photography. Below photo: Judy Formby.

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GC, RW Calicats Gemini – Odd-Eyed Brown Tabby & White - Breeder/Owner: Mary Thorness Photo: Helmi Flick Cat Photography All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

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Ranchcats Miss Kate – Black & White Maine Coon, bred by Cliff Hamons.

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IW SGC Shonancats Telegram Sam of Amorcoons - Brown Classic Tabby Maine Coon male, Bred by Ryoko Doi - Owned by Janet Horlick Photos: Helmi Flick Cat Photography All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

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IW SGC Shonancats Telegram Sam of Amorcoons - Brown Classic Tabby Maine Coon male, Bred by Ryoko Doi - Owned by Janet Horlick Photo: Helmi Flick Cat Photography All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

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Flurmonz Itz Avatar – 6 month old, Blue Tortie Smoke Maine Coon female bred by Judy Formby (NZ) All Photos: Helmi Flick Cat Photography All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

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Misticoons Durango – Bred by Kay Heimer (USA) Rock Meadows Chili, R M Stormy & R M Hot Tamale – Bred by Cindy Louis, Fort Worth, Texas, (USA) Photos: Helmi Flick Cat Photography All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

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Sil. GC Tabula Ras Owen (Imp. Netherlands) – Bred by Nayomi Franken, owned by Jo Woodrow & Vicki Walls Photos: (Above and Above opposite) Helmi Flick Cat Photography All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

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Gold Db. Gr.Ch.Tabula Ras Owen (Imp. Netherlands) – with owners Jo Woodrow, Vicki Walls & TICA Judge Lynn Sherer (USA) All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

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CCCA GC, & Diamond GP, Rumpleteeza Miss Moneypenny (kitten) Bred by Kyra Foster Owned by Linda Bieniasz with NZCF Judge John Smithson at the PPCF Show in Melbourne, 2017 Photos: Mandalay Photography All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

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GC Rumpleteeza Miss Moneypenny (as a cat) in 2019, with (above) CFA Judges Pamela DelaBar (Finland) and (below) Rod U’Ren (Victoria, Australia) All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

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Brown Classic Tabby & White Maine Coon Alter Olympian Gold Imp. Gr.Pr. Kassaro Cisco Kid Bred by Sandra Turpin, owned by Ray & Sandra Burgess with GCCF Judge John Hansson.

Photo: Ray Burgess.

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Above: ANCATS Judge Bambi Edwards with unnamed Maine Coon at an ANCATS Show in Australia.

Below: CFA Judge Karen Lawrence with GP, DW Nekoland Neo Sammi & breeder Virginia Liu in Hong Kong.

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GCD, BWR, NW. Jaspurrcats Gimme Three Steps, owned by Martha & Norman Auspitz, & Beth Feininger (USA) Above, with CFA Judge Jo Ann Miksa-Blackwell; Below, with CFA Judge Merilee Griswold.

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Gold Db.Gr.Ch. Tabula Ras Owen (Imp. Netherlands) with co-owner Vicki Walls. (New Zealand) Photo: Vicky Holt.

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THE MARQUIS OF DINGLEY – Silver Tabby Longhair, born March 24, 1901 Breeder/Owner: Miss S. Anderson Leake Cropped photo: Cassell & Co, ‘The Book of The Cat’ (1903) by Frances Simpson. Article graphics: www.gograph.com

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

. AN HISTORICAL PORTRAIT OF

BY

JOHN SMITHSON

‘An Early Silver Classic Tabby Longhair’

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND In the Silver Tabby colour variety, during this era which bordered the dying years of the 19th century and the first few years of the new 20th century, the leading stud male was unquestioningly Miss Anderson Leake’s ‘Abdul Hamet of Dingley’.

He was himself a son of ‘Abdul Zaphir of Dingley’, who in turn was a grandson of Miss Leake’s world renown foundation Silver Tabby male, ‘Ch. Topso of Dingley’.

The two most influential sons of ‘Abdul Hamet’ were Miss Leake’s own ‘The Marquis of Dingley’ (born in March 1901) and his siresibling bred by Miss Cope, namely ‘Don Pedro of Thorpe’ (born in April 1901) owned by Mrs H. Slingsby.

Along with their sire, ‘Abdul’, these three males formed a veritable triumvirate that dominated the show classes for this colour variety, either themselves or with their progeny.

Any breeder therefore, wishing to break into the silver tabby conclave, would ideally seek to purchase or use at stud, any one of these three magnificent males.

But all were descended from the common ancestry of ‘Ch.Topso of Dingley’ and through ‘Abdul Hamet’.

‘Topso’ is one of the few foundation cats that can be traced across a myriad of cattery bloodlines, due to the contribution made by a number of his descendants into a wide variety breeding programs for Tabby, Silver Tabby, Shaded Silver, Chinchilla and Smoke Persians.

This can largely be attributed to the wonderful work done by Miss Anderson Leake in establishing the ‘Dingley’ strain and then working hard to enhance and preserve it over a roughly twenty-year period.

Her bloodlines were duly magnified by the achievements of Miss Moore, with ‘Ch. Felix’, Miss Freeland, with ‘Felix Mottisfont’ and later, Miss Cope of ‘Roiall’ cattery, who was immensely faithful to the ‘Dingley’ strain in her own breeding , and whose cats were similarly disseminated into other catteries.

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

CHAMPION TOPSO OF DINGLEY – the first truly famous Silver Tabby Longhair, born in May 1886, who stands at the apex of the Dingley strain of Silver Tabbies, and who was once described

by Helen Winslow, as ‘the Best Long-haired Silver Tabby in England’.

Image: ‘Concerning Cats’ (1900) by Helen M. Winslow.⁹

ABDUL HAMET OF DINGLEY – a great-grandson of ‘Champion Topso of Dingley’ And a key contributor to the ongoing ‘Dingley’ strain of Silver Tabbies.

Photo: Fur and Feather, ‘Cats: Show and Pet’ (1903) by C.A. House

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

immensely faithful to the ‘Dingley’ strain in her own breeding, and whose cats were similarly disseminated into other catteries.

But the successes attributed to both ‘The Marquis of Dingley’ and his sire-sibling ‘Don Pedro of Thorpe’ were not limited to just the males from the line. Miss Cope, who began with a female named ‘Silver Tangle’(Roiall Silver Tangle), bred by Mrs White Atkins, developed her own strain based almost entirely upon Miss Leake’s foundation, producing in turn, ‘Roiall Dewdrop’, from ‘Silver Tangle’ and ‘Thames Valley Silver King’, (Dewdrop later being the dam of ‘Don Pedro’), and then from ‘Silver Tangle’ to ‘Abdul Hamet’, the stunning ‘Roiall Fluffball’, described by Mr C.W. Witt as “ the best silver tabby living!” ⁴.

Another female from this breeding ‘Roiall Silver Butterfly’ was sold to Mrs H. Slingsby, from where she took the name ‘Silver Butterfly of Thorpe’ So, in context at least, ‘The Marquis of Dingley’ originally stood centre stage, alongside his famous sire ‘Abdul Hamet of Dingley’ and his ever-popular younger half-brother, ‘Ch. Don Pedro of Thorpe’.

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.” ³

PARENTAGE & OWNERSHIP:

contribution of ‘Miss Fluffie’ to this combination should not therefore be overlooked as she brought into the equation, two significant factors.

Born in April 1894, she was a very senior female, being nearly seven years old when she produced ‘The Marquis,’ and later, when nearly nine years old, both ‘The Dingley Owlet’ and ‘Dingley Fashion’! She was an able and reliable brood queen, and one of the very few surviving granddaughters of Miss Leake’s foundation Silver Tabby male, ‘Ch. Topso of Dingley’.

Therefore, through her sire, ‘Ch.Felix’, she brought to this combination a line-breeding on ‘Topso’, who was three generations back on the pedigree of ‘Abdul Hamet’. She was therefore likely to have augmented and strengthened the polygenes for Tabby markings in this combination.

But what is lesser known, is that her own dam was ‘Brookville Fluffie’, was sired by none other than the world renown father of the Chinchilla variety, ‘Ch. Silver Lambkin’.

(What an amazing pedigree!).

Miss Leake had in fact done this breeding earlier, with ‘Miss Fluffie’ producing at least three silver tabbies on August 24th, 1900, all of which were sold for breeding. They included the silver tabby males ‘Cassim of Broadstairs’, owned by Miss Jackson, ‘Dingley Delight’, owned by Mrs Dwight Cutler, and a female ‘Trinity Abdula’, who was sold to Mr G.H. Watkinson. In the same litter as ‘The Marquis of Dingley’ was a silver tabby female, ‘Zano’, who was sold to Mrs Paisley. ²

‘The Marquis’ was born on March 24th, 1901, bred by Miss Leake, out of her oldest Silver Tabby female, ‘Miss Fluffie of Dingley’. The contribution of ‘Miss Fluffie’ to this combination should not therefore be overlooked as she brought into the equation, two significant factors.

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Stud advertisement from ‘Cats: Show and Pet’ (1903) by C.A. House. ³ Image: Courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection

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Miss Leake’s ‘For Sale’ advertisement for ‘The Marquis of Dingley’, in the May 28th,1904 issue of ‘Our Cats’. ⁴ Image: Courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection.

Certainly at the early stage of his adult career, Miss Leake retained ‘The Marquis’ and proudly advertised him, extolling his many successes on both the show bench and as a silver tabby stud cat.

She also reminded everyone of the summary achievements of his sire, ‘Abdul Hamet’ as the sire and grandsire of practically every successful silver tabby on the show bench.

Anyone reading these statements would be forgiven for thinking that ‘The Marquis’ he was indeed a worthy successor to his sire.

Note the bi-line under the heading, (opposite) which states: ‘14 Years of Prize Pedigree’, which alludes to Miss Leake’s successes on the show bench since 1889, with ‘Ch. Topso of Dingley’ (1886) ,through to what was the current day.

suggesting that he is clearly earmarked as a possible successor to his famous sire.

But for whatever her reason, she then advertised him ‘For Sale’, the first advertisement appearing in the May 21st, 1904 issue of ‘Our Cats’; and subsequently followed by a second advertisement that appeared a week later, on May 28th, 1904.

He was duly purchased by Mrs. Clark, of ‘Ashbrittle’ cattery fame, who counted among her famous stud cats, the blue Persian, ‘Skellingthorpe Patrick’, the Chinchilla’s ‘His Majesty of Whitehall’ and ‘Cairo Ramadan’, and the celebrated Russian Blue, ‘Peter The Great’.

Beginning with the June 18th, 1904 edition of ‘Our Cats’, we then find the “Marquis’ happily included in the Stud Advertisements for Mrs Clark’s ‘Ashbrittle’ cattery. In the editorial column of that same issue, appears an announcement of the removal of Mrs. Clark’s ‘Ashbrittle’ cattery to Bath, along with the recent acquisition of ‘The Marquis of Dingley’.

Note also, the pride taken in advertising ‘The Marquis of Dingley’ as the prize-winning son of ‘Abdul Hamet’; at this juncture, suggesting that he is clearly earmarked as a possible successor to his famous sire.

But for whatever her reason, she then advertised him ‘For Sale’, the first All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc. advertisement appearing in the 21st May, 1904 issue of ‘Our Cats’; and subsequently

Mrs Clark’s stud adverts taken from the August 27th and September 3rd issues of ‘Our Cats’ 1904. ⁴ One clearly including ‘Marquis of Dingley’, the other sadly showing he has now been removed.

Images courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection.

‘Ashbrittle’ cattery to Bath, along with the recent acquisition of ‘The Marquis of Dingley’.

It also includes a rather tongue-in-cheek commentary about the number of breeders now located in the Bath and Cheltenham districts: -

bought at a long price from Miss AndersonLeake. Fanciers seem to be congregating in the neighbourhood of Bath and Cheltenham. When shall we hear of a Western Counties Cat Club?” ⁵ Sadly, the joy of a new home and a new and valuable stud cat was to be short-lived, with the sudden and tragic loss of ‘The Marquis’ in less than three months.

“The well-known Ashbrittle Cattery has ‘flitted’ to near Bath, and Mrs Clarke’s splendid stud of cats are now ‘at home’ to visitors. Skellingthorpe Patrick, His Majesty AN UNEXPECTED TRAGEDY of Whitehall, and Peter the Great from a trio as perfect as we can hope for in this wicked The tragic and untimely loss of ‘The Marquis world. To these three, Mrs Clarke has of Dingley’ was ultimately reported in the recently added the Marquis of Dingley, September 3rd issue of ‘Our Cats’: bought at a long price from Miss AndersonLeake. Fanciers seem to be congregating in the neighbourhood of Bath and Cheltenham.

When shall we hear of a Western Counties All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc. Cat Club?” ⁵

“With the greatest of sympathy for their owners, we have to announce to-day, the death of two noted stud cats, whose removal will be a real loss to the Fancy. The Marquis of Dingley, so recently purchased

by Mrs. Clark from Miss Leake, and just coming into full coat has been poisoned, owing to a drain being left open near his house. One of Mrs Clark’s own queens in the same cat-house also succumbed to the infection.” ⁵ The report then goes on to give an account of the loss of the well-known Chinchilla male, ‘Kuhe of Ranelagh’, owned by Mrs V.Roberts, as the result of a fight with another stud cat.

There can be little doubt that the loss of ‘The Marquis’ would have been heartfelt for both Mrs Clark, who had an excellent reputation for maintaining a collection of only the highest quality stud males representative of their breed and colour, and for Miss Leake, who had clearly taken the very difficult decision to let him go, so that he could contribute to the furtherance of the colour variety in another noted cattery.

Sustaining the loss of such a valuable and successful son of ‘Abdul Hamet’ would have been keenly felt by all who followed and supported the progression of this strain of Silver Tabbies, duly descended from Miss Leake’s memorable early male, Ch.Topso of Dingley. It would also have been a timely reminder that with any type of lifestock, circumstances can and often do change rapidly and unexpectedly.

SIBLINGS & SHOWS: One litter sibling and two full younger siblings from a repeat breeding are recorded. The latter siblings were ‘The Dingley Owlet’, a Shaded Silver female, who was subsequently exported to the United States and ‘Dingley Fashion’, a Silver Tabby male who appears to have been shown successfully, jointly owned and later retained as a replacement for ‘The Marquis’, when he was eventually sold to Mrs Clarke and later died under tragic circumstances.

ZANO (Silver Tabby Female). Born 24th March, 1901.² Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley Dam: Miss Fluffie of Dingley Although this appears to be the only litter sibling of record, subsequently sold for breeding to Mrs Paisley, another unrecorded sibling has since been traced in the form of the silver tabby female ‘Dingley Koko’.

DINGLEY KOKO (Silver Tabby Female).

No confirmed date of birth.

Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley Dam: Miss Fluffie of Dingley This female is referred to in a letter to the Editor of ‘Our Cats’, published in Sept. 1904.

The letter is written by her owner, Mrs Porter, who writes: “My other pets consist of a beautiful, graceful silver tabby queen, ‘Dingley Koko’, bred by Miss Leake, own sister to the late ‘Marquis of Dingley’....”

THE DINGLEY OWLET (Silver Tabby Female).

Born 25th February, 1903.⁶ Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley Dam: Miss Fluffie of Dingley

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THE DINGLEY OWLET Photo: A. Radclyffe Dugmore. ‘Country Life In America’, September 1908 ⁹ Image courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection

Bred by Miss S. Anderson Leake. Owned by Miss Ava L. Pollard, of Elizabeth, New Jersey.

as a Shaded Silver, while in most data-bases, she is listed as a Silver Tabby.

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’.

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.

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

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 contained unmarked silver heritage.

marked

and

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’.

DINGLEY FASHION (Silver Tabby Male).

Born 25th February, 1903.² Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley Dam: Miss Fluffie of Dingley

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DINGLEY FASHION Photo: ‘J.Russell & Sons. Cover page, ‘Our Cats’ Magazine, January 16th, 1904 ¹⁰ Image courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection

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.

CASSIM OF BROADSTAIRS (Silver Tabby Male). Born August 24th, 1900.² Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley Dam: Miss Fluffie of Dingley Sold for breeding to Miss Jackson.

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.

DINGLEY DELIGHT (Silver Tabby Male). Born August 24th, 1900.² Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley Dam: Miss Fluffie of Dingley Sold for breeding to Mrs Dwight Cutler.

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. Other full older siblings include: -

TRINITY ABDULA (SilverTabby Female). Born August 24th, 1900.² Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley Dam: Miss Fluffie of Dingley Sold for breeding to Mr G.H. Watkinson.

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Above: ‘CH. DON PEDRO OF THORPE’, a sire sibling of (below): ‘THE MARQUIS OF DINGLEY’.

Between them, these two sons of ‘Abdul Hamet of Dingley’ dominated the Show bench for this colour variety, adding to the considerable fame enjoyed by Miss Leake’s strain for producing well marked Silver Tabbies.

Photos- (Above): Cropped Cover picture from ‘Our Cats’ 14th March, 1903 ⁶ (Below): Cassell & Co, ‘The Book of The Cat’ (1903) by Frances Simpson

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NOTABLE SIRE SIBLINGS CHAMPION DON PEDRO OF THORPE Born as ‘Roiall Don Pedro’, this handsome male was originally registered with ‘The Cat Club’ as ‘Edgbaston Don Pedro’ which suggests he was intended to go to a Mrs. McMichael, a breeder resident in nearby Edgbaston, Birmingham, but for whatever reason, this sale appears to have fallen through and he was eventually taken up by Mrs. Slingsby of Thorpe Hall, hence is final appellation as ‘Don Pedro of Thorpe.

‘Don Pedro’ was a strikingly marked robust male, who was a successful show kitten and an excellent stud cat. Along with his halfbrother ‘The Marquis of Dingley’ and their common sire ‘Abdul Hamet’, he helped to dominate the Silver Tabby classes with cats from the ‘Dingley’ strain.

With the sad loss of ‘The Marquis’ reported in September, 1904; the ‘Don’ became the young and pre-eminent successor in the male line, his main competition coming from a younger full brother to ‘The Marquis’ in the form of ‘Dingley Fashion’.

But it is mostly to the progeny of ‘Don Pedro’ that we find the continuation of the Dingley lines in the United Kingdom, initially through his sons, ‘Don Roderick of Thorpe’ (1902), ‘Don Pasquale of Thorpe’ (1906) and ‘Monarch of the North’ (1909).

ROIALL STARLET Also known as ‘STARLET’, (Silver Tabby). Born April 7th, 1901 ² Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley, Dam: Roiall Dewdrop

‘ROIALL STARLET’ A litter sister of Ch. Don Pedro of Thorpe Photo: Cassell & Co, ‘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 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,”. ⁴ As far as can be ascertained, there are no other recorded offspring from this breeding, nor any subsequent offspring from ‘Starlet’.

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‘ROIALL FLUFFBALL’ - Photo: ‘U.S. Register & Studbook’ (1906) ⁷

ROIALL FLUFFBALL

ROIALL SILVER BUTTERFLY

(Silver Tabby). Born July 12th, 1901. Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley. Dam: Roiall Silver Tangle.

Bred and owned by Miss E.M. Cope.

(Silver Tabby). Born July 12th, 1901.² Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley.Dam: Roiall Silver Tangle.

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

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 linebreed, there was no outcross to ‘Thames Valley Silver King’.

Like ‘Don Pedro’, ‘Fluffball’ was shown for spectacular wins as a kitten, taking first at Westminster in 1902, then in 1903, taking first at both Westminster and Bath.

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 ⁸ Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley.

Dam: True Love of Dingley.

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‘CH. DUNSDEN ABDUL’ – Photo: J. Russell & Sons. ‘Our Cats’ December 17th, 1904.⁵ Image courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection

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 being exported, and a Second at Clevedon, in the United States in December of the same year. ⁸ ARLINGTON DINGLEY BELLE (Silver Tabby Female). Born August 3rd, 1901.⁸ Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley.

Dam: True Love of Dingley.

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

CH. DUNSDEN ABDUL (Silver Tabby Male). Born circa 1903.

Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley.

Dam: Dunsden Duchess.

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.

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

‘Dunsden Abdul’ duly went on to become a Champion in his own right.

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‘MISS HAMET’ – Photo: ‘Our Cats’ Magazine, December 19th, 1903.

Image: Courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection.

MISS HAMET (Silver Tabby). Born 13th April, 1901.² Sire: Abdul Hamet of Dingley.

Dam: Kittiwake.

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’.

SHOW WINS From Miss Leake’s own advertising we find a listing of ‘The Marquis of Dingley’s’ most noted successes, which include: -

1st, at Westminster 1902 and 1903. Also two Gold Medals, Challenge and Breeders Cups, the Countess of Aberdeen’s Trophy, the S.C.R Trophy and Medal; as well as 2nd and 3rd and four Specials at Slough. ⁵

BREEDING & PROGENY Although Miss Leake’s own advertisements allude to ‘The Marquis’ being a reliable stud who produced kittens that were winners of ‘firsts’ in their respective classes, but to date we have found no official record of progeny registered from him, which could lay claim to these distinctions.

IN SUMMARY ‘The Marquis of Dingley’ during his shortlived time was as famous, if not more so, than his sire-sibling, ‘Ch. Don Pedro of Thorpe’.

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The Winter Quarters at Dingley Hill, the home of Miss Leake’s famous ‘Dingley’ Cattery Photo: Cassell & Co. Ltd, ‘The Book of The Cat’ (1903) by Frances Simpson ²

than his sire-sibling, ‘Ch. Don Pedro of Thorpe’.

His successes as a kitten and as a cat, added yet more glory to the already burgeoning fame of his sire, ‘Abdul Hamet of Dingley’, who could already lay claim to being the sire and grandsire of more Silver Tabby winners, than any male that had yet lived.

Due in part to his grand looks and stature as an adult, he cemented yet further the crown upon the ‘Dingley’ strain as a ‘must-have’ for anyone wishing to pursue and preserve the beautiful patterns that were the stamp of the cats from these bloodlines.

His short life was a reminder that true beauty is most often a transitory and fleeting gift, to be prized, enjoyed and celebrated as fully as possible, while it yet lives amongst us.

References: 1. ‘The Book of The Cat’ (1903) by Frances Simpson 2. ‘The Cat Club Register’ (Vols. 1-5) 3. ‘Cats: Show and Pet’ (1903) by C.A.House.

4. ‘Our Cats’ (1903) 5. ‘Our Cats’ (1904) 6. ‘Stud-book of the American Cat Association. (Vol.1) 7. ‘U.S. Studbook & Register’ (1906) 8. ‘Stud-Book & Register of The Beresford Cat Club’ (Vol.3) 9. ‘Concerning Cats’ (1900) by Helen M. Winslow.

10. Photos and Quotations as per credits noted.

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A-CAT-EMY CONCEPTS is proud to present A NEW PUBLICATION FROM ‘THE ALCHEMY OF CAT BREEDS’ SERIES

‘The Descendants of Bastet’ gives a complete overview of the first century of the Abyssinian breed, from the first mention of the breed in the early 1870s through until circa 1970. Additionally, chapters on the later development of the colors red, blue, and fawn ar included – plus the longhair version of the breed is discussed in a chapter on the origins of the Somali.

The book is 8 1/2 x 11. Pre-index, it is 265 pages chock full of historical information for Abyssinian lovers! It includes a great deal of registration information, pedigrees, progeny reports and photos of cats important to the breed history.

Preview of the introductory pages here – http://bit.ly/3aBqFys Contact Karen (catfanrep@gmail.com) for pre-order form.

No payment is due at this time; you will be contacted when the book is available for mailing.

A word from the Author…

The origins of the Abyssinian breed are unknown, and are likely to stay that way. While anecdotal stories tell of cats being imported from Abyssinia (now Somalia), geneticists have expounded theories that the breed originated in countries bordering on the Indian Ocean.

Records relate the early importation of cats, but from where is never specified.

Breeders have told stories of cats resembling the Abyssinian being found in Abyssinia, but they are hearsay and cannot be positively confirmed. So while origins will remain guesswork, and are explored in-depth herein, the unknown bits are most likely to remain guesswork forever.

The Descendants of Bastet weaves together what we do know and what can be confirmed regarding the history of the breed growth, in intimate detail, using pedigrees, progeny reports and historical records, starting with that first mention of Zula, on to Queen Jumbo who was the first registered Abyssinian. While we don’t know Queen Jumbo’s birthdate, we do know that she died in 1893. Other Abys of her era included Sedgemere Peaty and Sedgemere Bottle, both produced from unknown heritage; both, however, important to the early development of the breed and pedigrees.

This book is the exciting culmination of years of research, studying of pedigrees, scanning of photos and scrupulous reading of many old magazines in search of tidbits to include and expand upon. The first print run was limited to 175 copies, and there are a small number of copies still available for purchase. If you are interested, please contact Karen Lawrence at catfanrep@gmail.com.

A-CAT-EMY CONCEPTS is proud to present A NEW PUBLICATION FROM ‘THE ALCHEMY OF CAT BREEDS’ SERIES

‘A Persian Rhapsody in Blue’ – Volume 1, provides a rare look into the pre-history and establishment of the Blue Persian Cat, from the first recorded importations direct from the Khorasan province, into Europe in the 1620’s; to a detailed development in 19th and 20th century Britain. Includes many new images of Blue Persian cats, not published in well over 100 years. In depth coverage, of Foundation bloodlines and famous strains. In A4 format, Pre-index, this book comprises of 546 pages of detailed information and rare images of key progenitors of the Persian cat, and their breeders.

Preview of the introductory pages is found at – http://bit.ly/3gOMM8b Contact John (nutrenz57@yahoo.com.au) for pre-order booking form.

A word from the Author…

What a long and amazing journey it has been, to collate, collect, curate and document the amazingly complex journey of the Blue Persian cat, from its genetic ancestral home in the mountainous regions of Khorasan province, to its establishment in Western Europe, and in particular, its strong foothold in the British Isles – a journey that took the best part of 260 years before it was finally recognised by a dedicated handful of English and Scottish breeders, as unique and full of beauty.

From relative obscurity in the mid 1880’s a small but growing band of faithful adherents to its cause, did the faithful groundwork behind this colour variety, which would see it rise to prominence in the world of cats, the formation of the largest specialty club in the world for a time, and an absolutely phenomenal period of expansion of its influence that mirrored the expansion of influence of the then British Empire.

The Blue Persian became the recognised ‘Prince’ of the Persian breed, the pinnacle of what could be achieved by any colour, if the same level of love and dedication was poured into new programs as the founders of the colour-bred Blue had poured into what had become, the cornerstone colour of the modern breed.

This writing of this first volume of the history of the Blue Persian has likewise allowed me to develop those necessary skills to tackle similar feline histories with a dedication that is all pervading. It is a privilege and a joy to embrace the detective work and pedigree research involved. I recognise the unique opportunity it has afforded me to meet and work with some amazingly talented and special like-minded individuals around the world, who share a similar or same passion. For that I am especially grateful.

FLURMONZ TUNDRA – Brown Classic Tabby Maine Coon male kitten Bred by Judy Formby, New Zealand.

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Tundra’s week from hell!

A SHOW KITTEN’S EXTRAORDINARY TALE OF SURVIVAL AGAINST THE ODDS EDITOR: We bring you this local story as it relevant to the numerous ardent cat fanciers around the world, who enjoy travelling regularly to cat shows; to compete with their treasured exhibits for points and titles, and to enjoy the society of like-minded individuals similarly engaged in the sport of cat show.

Most go well prepared for unexpected delays, the possibility of diversions due to weather, or incidents along the planned route, but there is always the potential for the unexpected. This was just such a case. Hats off to Judy, who despite the odds stacked against her, and her beloved cats, stayed the course and has one simply incredible true tale of horror to share.

This is her and Tundra’s amazing story: -

JUDY FORMBY with her Maine Coon kitten ‘FLURMONZ TUNDRA’ competing for honours at a cat show.

“What a horrific experience. Black ice, a blowout, and a seventy-metre ravine will always spell disaster. I reflect now on what I could have done differently… the feeling of not having control over the van… the pitch across three lanes, to fly off into the abyss! Time stood still. I remember thinking …here we go!”

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All content © 2022 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc

“We came to rest 35 metres down after three full rotations nose over tail, then sliding to a halt, passenger side down...

“I was able to stand ...I had to get help for Gudrun and the other 5 cats. (the ravine later proved only safely accessible by rope) ...

“My first thoughts were for the cats…

“It was awful, ten cars went past seemingly not noticing me, for some reason I found myself counting them. Then one finally stopped, (I'm not sure I would have stopped either), seeing this random figure dressed in red sequins (the show theme was Bling) waving frantically on the side of the road.

“The only remaining window was in the driver's door, though shattered it did wind down when I pressed the button. Releasing the seatbelt, I fell onto the passenger side.

“It was so dark, I thought of the torch that I carry with me and my cell-phone, everything had been thrown around or out of the vehicle.

I managed to climb out through the driver's window and jumped to the ground.

“In the light emitting from the one remaining small park light on the front of the van I could see the outline of Gudrun's head and front paws, he was pinned under the van up to his shoulders doused in petrol and in terrible pain.

(I called out to him and told him I would get help) ...

“I managed to climb the cliff face, the road level was a welcoming sight, grabbing handfuls of weeds I managed to get a leg up over the edge.

“The kind man that did stop was in disbelief when I pointed out the van lit only by the one little front park light…. He sat me in his car while he set to phoning for help.

“Things happened too slowly from this point … the fire brigade, the police, and an ambulance, all arrived. Another car caught in the ice, rolling off the road directly above the van.

“Fortunately, it was held up by a couple of small trees and the firemen anchored it to the fire engine to stop its descent. Four people were pulled from that car.

Opposite: A view of the 70 metre ravine, down which the large van flew end over end with three revolutions, landing on its side, about 30 plus metres above a stream.

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Cliff Olsen, on one of our many daily excursions descending by rope, down into the ravine to retrieve possessions scattered over a wide area.

“I managed to persuade the Man to ring the Hunterville Vets and I was able to get hold of their on-call Vet. Who, as luck would have it, was Lucy, my regular vet. I felt happier that she was on her way.

“Reports came to me that Gudrun had been carried up under a fireman's coat and was in the cab of the fire engine.

“LeeJay was transported up in a pillowcase (out of the ambulance) and the 3 young girls, Rosita, Wisolda and Wvida were brought up together in a show cage.

days later when I collected them all from the Vets, LeeJay had no injuries.

“It was extremely hard, two days later being driven over that piece of road and descending that ravine on a rope that we attached to a tree.

“I was mortified to see signage everywhere advertising the fact that opossum poison had been laid a week before. But Tundra was down there somewhere.

“The travel crate that held Tundra was empty, it had been crushed at one end and there was no sign of Tundra.

“Cliff and I went down and up that cliff face every single day, multiple times, retrieving possessions that were scattered over a huge area, never losing sight of the fact that Tundra was down there somewhere.

“I insisted on seeing the cats into Lucy's care before going to the hospital. I was released the next morning after a multitude of tests.

“I was very relieved, four days later when the Van was lifted out, and found that Tundra wasn't under it, crushed.....

“Gudrun has forgiven me but it took 5 days, he has since had half his tail amputated and will lose a lower fang... the 3 young girls managed ok and were happy to see me two days later when I collected them all from the

“We set traps Thursday at the crash site and either side of the ravine, on the chance he had moved on. Understanding the ground cover of blackberry, clematis vines and rotting logs, was 6 feet deep, the clematis vines even covered

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Left: ‘Gudrun’ who sustained injuries resulting in half his tail amputated, and the loss of one fang.

Right: ‘Leejay’ who was lucky enough not to sustain any injuries at all.

6 feet deep, the clematis vines even covered the trees, ten to twenty feet high…. No evidence of life that night.

“A couple of evenings I would sit there talking to him, singing quietly, hoping he would hear me, until it was too cold to stay.

Cliff tried to prepare me for the worst, but I knew in my heart he was ok.

“Friday we visited morning and evening, our hearts lifted when we found the trap sprung and the food gone….but was it Tundra?

Saturday we bought and placed a 'Yager' night vision sensor camera at the site, in hope of catching something on film.

“Cliff was travelling back to Auckland on Sunday, so an early morning visit was planned. Again the trap was sprung, even though we had joined two traps together

though we had joined two traps together thinking he was too big for one.

“The evidence on the camera was enough to lift one's soul. He had been mooching around the trap all night, setting it off by lying on top of the door. We reset it and went home with lightened hearts!

“Stacey arrived late Sunday afternoon.

Tundra had been out there a week at this point. We drove out to the site, getting there in the dark. Another big challenge, having to go down the ravine in the dark on my own…

“Half-way down I could have sworn I heard a plaintive little meow, then another, by torch light I could see the trap had been sprung yet again. We chatted to each other till I got to the trap, only to find it empty. I sat down and

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Two views of the recovered wreckage of the Van in the yard.

the trap, only to find it empty. I sat down and continued to talk to him. Finally, he decided to come out, climbed up on my knees and, as he so often did at home, nuzzled his way under my jumper, his motor purring very loudly….

“I ascended the cliff face one more time. One hand on the rope, torch between my teeth and

hand on the rope, torch between my teeth and supporting him with the other hand ....8 feet from the top I put him in a pillowcase, as he did not like the traffic noise.

“I didn't feel safe until we were secure in the car... only then was I able to relax. He had no injuries.

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Sincere thanks to Cliff Olsen who dropped everything to come to my aid and to his lovely wife for letting him.

“Cliff was with me for a week working beside me through the gathering of possessions, the setting traps, running me around hundreds of miles in his car, and providing much appreciated moral support, I think he went home fitter than when he arrived.

“My thanks to Stacey Day who picked up the gauntlet going forward and who was ultimately there the night of the rescue.

“Thanks also to Jenny who stepped up selflessly to take care of animals at home.

“Thanks to all the professional attendees.

Taihape Fire Brigade, Police, Ambulance Paramedics and the Hunterville after/hours Veterinarian Lucy who came out to collect the five cats and took care of them. Bless you all.

“I have not forgotten all you wonderful people out there who prayed, who messaged, who called, who offered help, who donated (this wasn't my idea) but sincerely thankful…to the lovely Judy James, dear friend ( where would I be without you!) To Sally for everything. So Grateful to everybody who cares.

“Thanks to the Lord, I walked away with only a Band-Aid on my little finger.... we are all home safe now.

“There were 6 vehicles that went off that stretch of road in 36 hours due to black ice … There were no fatalities. A number of others, (show people) have since reported sliding on the ice there, but were fortunate to get through unscathed. On a finishing note. Please consider staying another night, rather than driving home after a show during the winter months.”

Judy Formby

A GRATEFUL FLURMONZ TUNDRA AT HOME

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Cartoons ©Graham Harrop

GC, BW, NW, VENIZIA REDSILVER SURFER OF TIGGERLAND

FACTFILE Pet name: Venizia RedSilver SURFER of Tiggerland Breed: Maine Coon (Male) Colour/Pattern: Red Silver Tabby & White (Cameo Tabby) Date of Birth: January 16, 2014 Sire: Ch. Versus Aslan of Venizia (Odd-eyed Brown Tabby & White) Dam: Felis Wonder Majesty of Venizia (Tortie Silver Tabby & White) Breeder: Chuleeporn & Ken Narvisiriwiwat Owners: Chuleeporn Narvisiriwiwat/Fion Cheng/ Jimmy Lee Notable Awards and Achievements: Best of Breed Maine Coon, 2014-2015 Best Cat, International Division, 2014-2015 CFA All-Breed Cat of the Year, 2014-2015

SURFER’S STORY Notes from interviews with Fion Cheng (Hong Kong) & Jimmy Lee (Malayasia) Editor: We wish to thank Fion Cheng and Jmmy Lee for their assistance with material for this article, and for supplying of many of the images of ‘Surfer’ as a kitten and at cat shows. We also acknowledge the photographers Assawin (Thailand); Ree Yip (Hong Kong) and Tetsu (Japan) for consenting to the use of their photographs.

The story of Surfer’s rise to fame is a unique one, as are all of his achievements gained along the way during what can only be described as his ‘incredible journey’. That he achieved what he did, was in many respects due to the huge commitment made on his behalf by the unique team created by both his breeders and his co-owners. It was an incredible feat, and one which probably none of them would have dreamed of being achievable when they began it. What is even more amazing is that this team included folk from three different countries, exhibiting within and outside of their respective homelands!

Editor:

Tell me about the circumstances surrounding the eventual birth of Surfer and his littermates.

Jimmy Lee:

His breeders were Chuleeporn and Ken Narvisiriwiwat, based in Thailand, whom I had both mentored and previously sold a breeding queen, named Felis Wonder Majesty of Venizia. She was his dam, and she was a Silver Tortie Tabby & White. His sire was an Odd-eyed Brown Tabby & White named Ch. Versus Aslan of Venizia. Their subsequent breeding produced a litter born January 16, 2014, which comprised of four beautiful kittens.

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The litter of four Maine Coon kittens by ‘Aslan’ and out of ‘Wonder Majesty’ born January 16, 2014.

Litter bred by Chuleeporn & Ken Narvisiriwiwat (Thailand) Photo: Assawin (Thailand)

Editor:

From the photo of the kittens, they are an impressive line-up and variety of colours. With your being located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, how did you get to see them initially?

Jimmy Lee:

With the dam being a silver tortie tabby and white, there was always the possibility of an unusual array of colours and markings. The litter included one Black & White, two Silver Tabbies and White, and one Red Silver Tabby & White. My wife and I were naturally eager to see them so consequently there were many pictures shared online, over their initial few weeks of development.

Editor:

So how did Fion and Raymond enter into the story?

Jimmy Lee:

Fion and Raymond were good friends of ours already well-established breeders based in Hong Kong, with Maine Coon bloodlines imported directly from the United States. It was already obvious to me that this litter contained quality progeny, so I contacted her and recommended that she visit Thailand to see the litter for herself – which she did.

Editor:

And what were your impressions Fion?

Fion:

Upon seeing them in person, it was indeed very clear that this was a remarkable litter, so even in type throughout and so beautifully marked.

I was immediately drawn to the Red Silver Tabby and White male, to his

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Kitten photos of ‘Surfer’ when aged just two months old, taken in Thailand.

Photos - Above: Ken Narvisiriwiwat. Below: Assawin

All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

Venizia RedSilver Surfer as a kitten at one of his first shows in August 2014, in Bangkok, Thailand.

Photo: courtesy of Fion Cheng.

Fion: (cont.)

boning, his head type, with defined muzzle and firm chin, his ear set and of course, those delicate finely pencilled red tabby markings on a clear silver ground. Plus..he had an adorable personality! Very much to my amazement, Chuleeporn offered to give him to me… as she could easily see how enamoured I was with him!

Editor:

So tell me how he was named, and what was decided with regard to his ownership?

Fion:

He was named after a comic strip character, known as the ‘Silver Surfer’ from the Marvel comic strip series, but altered to suit his red colouring, so he ended up with the name ‘RedSilver Surfer’. It was decided that he should be co-owned by his breeder, and his new co-owners and campaign managers, being myself and Jimmy Lee.

Editor:

And where was he first exhibited?

Fion:

In Bangkok, Thailand, in August 2014. He was entered into two 12-ring shows, and at the second show he was the highest scoring Kitten. We then realised that to campaign him as a kitten, he needed to be moved. Ken

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‘Surfer’ on his grooming table at a show in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – exhibited by Jimmy Lee. Photo: Jimmy Lee

Fion: (cont.)

decided that it would be best if he sent Surfer home with Jimmy to be exhibited at Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia first, keeping in mind that for him to take a major regional award, he would need to be exhibited in China. For that to happen, and, given the quarantine restriction of 30 days within either Hong Kong or mainland China, Jimmy committed to taking him to China for the 30-day home quarantine period.

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‘Surfer’ inside his travelling carrier’ Photo: Jimmy Lee

Editor:

And what shows did he attend in China, and with what results?

Jimmy Lee:

In September we attended four shows, two with Surfer entered as a kitten, and two entered as an adult. His last kitten shows were on the weekends of September 6-7 and September 13-14, 2014.

Editor:

I imagine that it must have been nerve-wracking to then see how he would then fair amongst the competition as a young adult!

Jimmy Lee:

It was exciting for sure. But he did not disappoint. His first Championship Show was on the weekend of September 20-21, and it was at this show that he gained both his Championship, and his first Grand Points! At the second show, on the weekend of September 27-28, he Granded!

Editor:

What happened after that?

Fion:

Jimmy had already committed to showing Surfer for those four weekends, but of course it was necessary for him to return to his wife in Malaysia and for his business interests there, so I then picked up the commitment to continue exhibiting him in China.

Editor:

So, you would have been chasing higher counts as an adult I presume?

Fion:

Yes, of course. He did spectacularly well at a big show in Shanghai, where he gained valuable points, and was Best Cat in Show in many of the rings.

Earlier, CFA Judge David Mare had suggested to Jimmy, that we should seriously consider taking Surfer to the World Show in Philadelphia, and

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Jimmy Lee, waiting with Surfer, cat carriers and luggage, bound for the World Show in Philadelphia.

Photo: Raymond Shum

Fion: (cont.)

it seemed that now the time had finally arrived to make that decision.

So, after a lot of discussion, Jimmy Lee, Ken Narvisiriwiwat, myself and Raymond Shum all decided to go to the World Show to campaign Surfer for a possible National Win. Of course, none of us had any experience of a World Show before, so this was a very big step for all of us!

Editor:

I am well imagine, but how exciting it must have been. So tell us about the experience, whom you met while there, and the outcomes…

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At the World Show in Philadelphia, November 2014.

Left: Donna Hinton of Nascat Maine Coons. Right: Fion Cheng with GC Venizia RedSilver Surfer of Tiggerland Photo: Jimmy Lee.

Fion:

November soon arrived. We all boarded our flights for Philadelphia with considerable excitement and nervous anticipation. We were duly met by our good friend Donna Hinton of Nascat Maine Coons – who had bred GC, DW, Nascat Supercharged of Felis Wonder DM – who was in fact, Surfer’s grandsire and the American link between Donna, Jimmy and also Ken and myself, through Surfer.

Editor:

What were Donna’s impressions of Surfer? Had she seen photos of him prior to this?

Fion/Jimmy:

She had already been impressed by the many photos we had sent over of him during his campaign as a kitten - and had seem him grow into a cat in the most recent images sent to her. But upon seeing him in the flesh, she was simply staggered by his boning, his developing breadth of chest, his strong deep chin and in her words ‘his perfect profile’. She also considered his lovely colour to be an unusual bonus, with his delicate red pencilled mackerel pattern showing clearly against his silver ground.

After seeing him in the ring at this show, she was of the opinion that his personality aided him also, that he was born to be a show cat. In Donna’s

words All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

At the World Show in Philadelphia, November 2014.

Above: L to R: Ken Narvisiriwiwat, Fion Cheng with Surfer, CFA Judge Diana Rothermel, & Jimmy Lee. Below: L to R: Jimmy Lee, CFA Judge Larry Adkison & Fion Cheng with Surfer.

Photos: Raymond Shum

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GC Venizia RedSilver Surfer of Tiggerland held aloft by Judge Kathy Black in Ring 3.

Photo: Jimmy Lee.

Fion/Jimmy:

word’s he was ‘easy on his feet, happy jumping for a judge’s wand, and keen to dance to the judge’s tune’. He was she said ‘the full package,’ and ‘the best she had seen in 25 years of breeding’.

Editor:

Wow, that’s quite a statement from such an experienced breeder!

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GC Venizia RedSilver Surfer of Tiggerland Photo: Ree Yip (Hong Kong)

Fion:

Yes, it was amazing, heart-warming, and so unexpected.

Editor:

So, tell us what happened at the World Show?

Fion:

Well, very much to our surprise. At just 10 months of age Surfer had appeared to us to do the impossible. He had competed with well over 600 exhibits, finalled in every ring… and, against all the odds, had succeeded in taking out 4 Best Cat Awards!

By the end of the Show, he had taken Best Maine Coon in the Red Show, Best Longhaired Cat in Show, and was the 3rd Best All Breed Cat in the Championship division.

Editor:

You must have been delighted! So, I guess by this time you must all have been wondering - ‘where to from here?’

Fion:

It was all a bit of a blurr. But yes, we were ecstatic with how he had done, and it certainly made us feel that the trip had been worthwhile.

Prior to the show, we had discussed his future show career as an adult in earning points towards a possible National title. By the end of the World Show, we were reasonably confident, that with a continuance of his adult show career, there was a chance we could gain a National Top 25 ranking.

With that in mind, Jimmy again committed to taking him back to China and to exhibit him there at the largest shows available between this show and the end of the Show season.

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GC Venizia RedSilver Surfer of Tiggerland Photo: Ree Yip (Hong Kong)

Editor:

Your expectations seem reasonable under those circumstances, but of course, nothing is guaranteed. So, what happened next?

Jimmy:

Once back in China, I continued to exhibit Surfer at all the highest count shows. The aim to gain a Top 25 ranking seemed within reach and at that stage we would have been delighted to just get into the Top 25. But after some weeks, we observed him rising steadily higher in the rankings. So much so, that that now appeared to be more than possible. My aim was to at least maintain that possibly go higher.

It gradually became evident to us, that not only could he gain a National ranking in the top 25, but he could also possibly gain a Breed Win, as the Best Maine Coon for that show year.

As the weeks turned into months, he rose further in the standings, until, the unbelievable happened, when, in the last few weeks - much to our delight and joy, he appeared in the standings as CFA’s highest ranking cat in Championship! At #1!

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CFA Cat of the Year 2014-2015, - GC, BW, NW, Venizia RedSilver Surfer of Tiggerland, resting at home.

Photo: Raymond Shum

Editor:

What an amazing journey for all of you! And such a well-deserved win, for what must surely be the most diverse team of dedicated breeders and co-owners, ever to work together, aiming for the same result across multiple National boundaries, and against such high odds!

Our hearty congratulations to you all!

Commentary: Such perseverance by Surfer’s exceptional team of supporters is to be thoroughly admired.

It also stands as a testimony to the exceptional friendships and trust forged between all the parties.

‘Surfer’ ultimately made CFA history, by becoming CFA’s Cat of the Year, for 2014-2015.- by being the FIRST Maine Coon in history to take that honour, by being the highest scoring cat in the International Division for 2014-1015, and the Best of Breed Maine Coon Cat in CFA for 2014-2015.

We predict this will be a triple record to stand yet for some time to come…

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An early red classic tabby Maine Angora (a fore-runner of the modern-day Maine Coon), photographed in New York,

by Culver Pictures, circa 1908 © 2021 Image: courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection

PRE-CURSOR TO THE MODERN-DAY MAINE COON

by John Smithson For many readers, the photograph opposite, of a red classic tabby Maine Cat is clearly indicative of a modern-day Maine Coon cat.

Its size, boning, long rectangular body, long legs and long tail, all bearing witness to its similarity to its modern-day counterpart.

Long before the Persian longhair took a foothold on the American continent, with its shorter compact body, shorter rounder head and short legs and tail - Angora cats, or at least their late 19th century European namesakes, were the most popular and populous cats to be found in the United States.

for an ever-increasing market, had created a natural vacuum which was at first at first by modest Maine cat breeders and fanciers located in that state, but then latterly, also by entrepreneurial cat farmers, located in both Maine, and in country localities nearest to Boston.

A cursory examination of early cat show listings in North America, notably those held in Boston Massachusetts, from as early as the late 1870’s and the early New York Fanciers shows dating from the early 1880’s, demonstrate for us, that of the longhaired varieties in particular, the ‘Angora’ was the widest and best known.

It is important however, so keep this in context, as by this time, although Persian cats were known, the number of breeders in the United States were very small by comparison.

By this time also, the term ‘Angora’ was generically applied to any cat with long hair, regardless of its ancestry, or from whence it came.

The Maine Cats had in fact been well established in that state, and the business of providing a regular supply of longhaired cats fo

A ‘Coon Cat’ - with other exhibits at the New York Fanciers Show, ‘Harpers Weekly’, January 26, 1884.

It would also be fair to say that the foundation stock for the Maine cats, were the descendants of various longhaired cats imported with their owners as pets, and/or as ships cats, a number of which were also polydactyls!

Such importations would have taken place often over the preceding two centuries.

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EUROPEAN GENERIC ANGORA CATS – FROM AN ENGRAVING PUBLISHED IN 1845.

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over the preceding two centuries, as settlers from Europe arrived, and fishing boats carrying cats landed in north American coastal climes, such as Nova Scotia, Quebec and Maine, bringing with them, cats of English, Finlandic, Norwegian and even Siberian root stock into the North American continent.

Today, the differences between the varieties of Domestic Shorthairs and Longhairs and more identifiable and extreme than in former times; and as such are easily recognised by an expert in the field of feline phenotype.

But for the common man, and especially before cat fancying had caught hold, the differences were far less obvious or apparent, even causing difficulties for some naturalists.

In the main, the differences between Longhaired varieties lay in the length and texture of the coat, and only moderately in the physical form or type, known and referred to as the ‘conformation’ or ‘phenotype’.

Phenotype (the actual shape) is defined by the shape of the underlying bone structure. The modern Angora cat, or ‘Turkish’ Angora cat, is a finer, lighter boned cat of elegant proportions with moderately longer legs, with a plume to the tail, with a finer and silkier texture to the coat.

The head is longer, with ears set higher and closer together. That was still the case, even for some long-hairs being exhibited when Harrison Weir wrote his description of the Angora as late as 1889. The Persian cat by comparison, heavier, somewhat stockier build, shorter legs body and tail, with a slightly thicker but still silky coat, with much longer hair; and generally broader both in chest and head, with smaller, lower set ears.

However, these descriptions are generalisations, based on how the breeds look today. There are many instances where early longhaired cats would have fallen between the two types described, and some that developed into even larger, shaggier coated cats with longer rectangular bodies and straighter profiles.

larger, shaggier coated cats with longer rectangular bodies and straighter profiles.

It is possible that some of these were also contributing ancestors of the modern-day Forest Cats, shaped predominantly by the need to survive in the climates in which they found themselves; possibly included in what are today, the equivalent of the modern Norwegian and Siberian longhairs; and in due course, the Maine Cats (often referred to early on as ‘Maine Angoras’), which today form that popular breed the Maine Coon.

The Turkish Angora itself, has been modified over time by breeders, attempting to refine and create an appearance which complies with the more extreme interpretations of the first written descriptions and their subsequent breed standards. These cats, which are the show specimens seen in American Cat Shows today, have very high close-set ears, longer heads and much finer boning than their original ancestors.

During the last century, a breeding program was established at the Ankara Zoo, with the intention of preserving the qualities and phenotype of the original Ankara street-cat, but specialising in the ever-popular Whites, particularly those with odd-eyes, usually one blue and one amber. The modern show cat, when compared to this stock, is decidedly finer in bone and more ‘foreign’ in body conformation, the cats at the Zoo appearing to have a more moderate head shape and ears set further apart.

THE TERM ‘ANGORA’ It is probably a good time at this juncture, to point out the historical difficulties encountered by the use of the term ‘Angora’ and to spend a little time explaining why this has caused so much confusion over a long period of time, to both those reading and/or writing about the

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It is possible that some of these were also

THE ANGORA CAT – Illustration by Harrison Weir Image: ‘Our Cats and All About Them’ (1889)

writing about the history of the longhaired breeds, but equally, in the minds of the general public.

unmistakable long coat. This terminology was equally applied to the Angora Rabbit, also ‘turkish’ in origin, with long hair.

The confusion arises mainly, due to the common misuse of the name, which initially was used as is clear from our discourse, to describe only those cats which originated from the lands in and around the city of Ankhara, and therefore a cat which is definitively Turkish, in origin.

So, almost by default, the word ‘Angora’ became not only a general description of the place of origin of these animals, but a technical term or nomenclature (jargon) linked intrinsically to ‘long hair’.

This fame and the use of the term ‘Angora’ to mean long-haired, was already widespread throughout all Europe, well before the arrival of the very specific longhair known as the Persian cat; so that in the mind of the general public, if it was long-haired, it was immediately associated with the term ‘Angora’, and thus the word became a generic substitute for anything with long hair.

This was, by definition, inextricably linked to its geographic association to the Long-haired breed of goats, also known and described as Angoras, and whose defining difference and fame, was similarly associated almost purely to the unique fibre qualities of the goat’s unmistakable long coat. This terminology was equally applied to the Angora Rabbit, also content © 2022 ‘turkish’ inAll origin, with longFelis hair.Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc

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THE SPECTATORS AT THE FIRST CRYSTAL PALACE CAT SHOW OF JULY 1871 Cropped Image from: ‘The Naturalist’ July 22nd, 1871. Archive of The Harrison Weir Collection

substitute for anything with long hair.

It is easy to understand that in France, where the true descendants of Turkish-based Angora cats were so well known, that this tradition was already fixed in the minds of the French public, but it also persisted to a large extent among the American public, who were similarly exposed to the common generic usage of the term ‘Angora’.

But let’s return to the European ‘Angora’ and its development in Europe, from the time of Peiresc through to the late 18th and early 19th century, with anecdotal evidence which shows the gradual transition involving acceptance of both the European Angora, and the Persian long-hair, side by side.

ANGORA AND PERSIAN CATS AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE The first organised Cat Show took place in the Crystal Palace on July 13th and 14th, 1871.

The Judges engaged for this event were Harrison Weir, his brother Jenner Weir, and the Rev. J. Cumming Macdona. Over the two days that the exhibition was open to the public, over twenty thousand spectators visited the show, which was deemed to be a spectacular success.

Initial analysis of published news reports from even the earliest cat shows, provides ample evidence of a good mix of both Angora and Persian long-haired cats among the exhibits entered, but there is a noticeable increase in the number of Persians dating from this period.

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increase in the number of Persians dating from this period.

The British were, at the height of their influence internationally during the reign of Queen Victoria, and many wars were undertaken to strengthen the position and influence of the British Empire, including excursions into what would today be Ethiopia, into Afghanistan, India and China. It was during this period also that the British, while based in India, kept at bay, French incursions into South East Asia, including into Thailand (Siam), allowing the Siamese Kingdom to continue as an independent nation.

As British interests in the Levant and Egypt were pursued, and India became the seat of the British Raj, many new varieties of cats were imported via Calcutta and Bombay, coming from places like Siam, Hong Kong, Burma, Thibet, Afghanistan and of course, from Persia; so that India became the clearing house and Southern gateway for a steady flow of imports from central and eastern Asia, back into Britain.

It is also during this early period of cat exhibitions, that the differences between the Angora Longhairs and those styled as or imported as Persian longhairs became muddled, with even some judges considering them to be more alike, or difficult to discern between.

From the first Crystal Palace show reports, we find at least three Persian cats mentioned, and one described as Mrs Louisa Macguire’s ‘French-African’ long-hair (Lloyd’s Weekly, July 16, 1871) which had obviously come into England from North Africa via France. Those recognised as Persian cats at this show included one owned by the Hon. Mrs Grey, described as a Persian of ‘rare pedigree’ and ‘having been brought to this country on the shoulders of an arab’,

shoulders of an arab’, (The Era, July 16, 1871); as if to reassert its origins in the middle east.

Yet another, (reported in The Graphic, July 22nd, 1871); was a Persian said to have been imported direct from that country and described as ‘remarkable for the great beauty of his black, grey and white coat’ and as ‘a very amicable beast’. Lastly, as summarised by the report in ‘The Era’ – ‘There were some splendid specimens of the Persian cat, and No.50, a huge black animal, originally belonging to the late Lord Palmerston, and now shown by Mr. Tanner, of Hanwell, was an object of much remark’.

At the North Woolwich Gardens Show, which followed in early August, organised by a Mr. Holland (one of two purely entrepreneurial events held in London between the two Crystal Palace shows of that year); we find a report which demonstrates the diversity of origins of some of the exhibits, which simply states: - ‘There were specimens from Thibet, Angola, Dongalah, Persia, etc..’

Nevertheless, the ‘Angora’ was still well represented, and evidence of its wide appeal and acceptance is provided by this snippet, taken from a report in the Daily News, of May 16, 1872; which also speaks of the Persian cats exhibited at the third Crystal Palace Show of May of that year: - ‘Persians, with their long hairy coats, as if ready to be turned into Kashmere shawls; the Angoras, which although also foreigners, are more familiar to our cat collectors…

In another report from the same show taken from the ‘Freeman’s Journal’ of the same date, is this interesting snippet: - ‘There were some squirrels in the same cage with a batch of kittens which had been reared by a Persian cat…’ In the same article, the possible identity of the Angola cat exhibited at North Woolwich Gardens the year before is also revealed, as well as a previous win at All content © 2022 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc one of the shows in 1871: - ‘Miss Hales exhibited the Angola cat, Suitram, the

already enjoyed a high public profile, being exceedingly well-known as a prolific specialist writer of children’s adventure story-books In the years to follow, a handful of his natural history stories, or those which involved stories linked with animals, would be illustrated by Harrison Weir. One of these, was aptly entitled ‘Shireen & Her Friends – Pages from the Life of a Persian Cat’. On the cover of this book is a gold embossed portrait

by Weir of a Persian cat!

He also penned a book entitled ‘Cats: Their Points and and Characteristics’ (1876), published by Dean & Son, in which we find some interpretative illustrations of both Angora and Persian cats, some of which were being exhibited at the same time, between 1873 and 1876.

Angora & Persian cats illustrated in Dr Gordon Stables book (1876) ‘Cats: Their Points & Characteristics’ Image: The Harrison Weir Collection

at North Woolwich Gardens the year before is also revealed, as well as a previous win at one of the shows in 1871: - ‘Miss Hales exhibited the Angola cat, Suitram, the winner of the Silver Medal at the show of 1871’.

DR. (WILLIAM) GORDON STABLES MD, RN.

In the same book appears together on the same page, illustrations by an unnamed artist featuring both a Prize-winning Black Angora and a Prize-winning Silver Persian. It is interesting to note that the name of the owner of the Black Angora is the same person who exhibited a prize-winning Black Shorthair, out of a Black Persian, “imported from that country”, at the Crystal Palace Show of 1873, and drawn by Harrison Weir.

That person was Miss M. Armitage, of Monte Bello, Honor Oak Park. The images from that page are shown here, the Black Angora female can be seen nursing a kitten. Note that while the Angora has a long coat which is silky in appearance, the Persian has a fuller longer coat, especially noticeable in the tail and a larger mane.

It did not help that by the late 1880’s, in the earliest stud books, there was no delineation between the terms ‘Angora’ or ‘Persian’, as it was not considered important. Hence, cats were described as Long-haired or Shorthaired, and at the shows, competed as such.

Another gentleman, with whom Weir was well acquainted, and whom Weir had arranged to be invited to officiate at Cat Shows, was Dr (William) Gordon Stables R.N. This intrepid gentleman already enjoyed a high public profile, being exceedingly well-known as a All content © 2022 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc prolific specialist writer of children’s adventure

A BLUE-EYED WHITE ENGLISH ANGORA MALE – ‘AJAX’ (USR: 399) BORN IN AUGUST, 1893.

This male was imported to the United States by Mrs. D. W. Stevens, of Westfield, Massachusetts.

Photo: Coleman, Westfield, Mass. ‘The Book of The Cat’ (1903) by Frances Simpson.

Nevertheless, it gradually became clear, that this regime was inadequate; especially as judges were beginning to assess exhibits by the written standards for the so-called ‘breeds’, when in fact they were using one standard for ‘long-haired cats, and another for ‘short-haired’.

The dichotomy was that the standards were too generalised, as they were not truly written for the breeds, as much as for a ‘grouping’ of breeds under the generalised heading of either ‘Longhair’ or ‘Shorthair’ both of which were regularly expanding, and, which over time contained breeds with ever-increasingly more clearly defined differences!

actually favoured by its wording for the head, the structure of the Persian Long-hair in comparison to the Angora Long-hair. No allowances were made for other types except in Coat texture, where it was noted as ‘fine, silky, and very soft in the Persian’, ‘with a slightly woolly texture in the Angora’, ‘and still more so’ in the Russian longhair.

In this way, in England at least, the term ‘Angora’, was lost in an environment where the semantics mattered but little. Although we do find long-haired cats shown as ‘Angora’ in the early days of the fancy, the terminology conventions of early registers, effectively were killing the use of the term ‘Angora’, replacing it with ‘Long-haired’ in general nomenclature.

It could also be argued that the first written But this was not the case in the United States, standard for Long-haired cats (published by where the term ‘Angora’ was still popularly Harrison Weir in his book ‘Our Cats’ (1889), accepted by the general citizenship, as a actually favoured by its wording for the generic term meaning ‘long-haired’. head, the structure of the Persian Long-hair All content 2022 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc in comparison to the©Angora Long-hair.

Above left: Catalogue cover for the Madison Square Garden Cat Show, of May, 1895.

Above right: Photo of ‘Cosey’ the Maine Angora winner of the Madison Square Garden Show.

Catalogue Cover, The Harrison Weir Collection. Photo of ‘Cosey’ by Tetsu, courtesy of The CFA Foundation, Inc.

accepted by the general citizenship, as a generic term meaning ‘long-haired’. Hence, there were imported ‘Angora’ cats from places like France and Switzerland, while in Maine, the establishment of cat farms specialising in the mass production of longhaired cats, simply to cope with the huge public demand. Distributed in such large numbers, they became known locally and nationally, as ‘Maine Angoras’.

However, there were still European Angoras, or cats possibly descended from such stock being regularly imported into the United States.

One such cat, was the blue-eyed white male ‘Ajax’ pictured at the top of the page opposite. Of this cat, Helen Winslow writes in her book ‘Concerning Cats’ (1900): -

“Ajax is one of the finest white Angoras in this country. His owner, Mr. D. W. Stevens, of Westfield, Mass., has refused five hundred dollars for him, and would not consider one thousand dollars as a fair exchange for the majestic creature. He was born in 1893, and is valued, not only for his fine points, but because he is a family pet, with a fine disposition and an uncommon intelligence. At the New York Show in 1895, and at several other shows, he has won first prizes.

When ‘The U.S. Register and Studbook for Cats’ was published in 1906, 13 years after the birth of ‘Ajax’, he was listed as number 399, with the breeder noted only as ‘In England’, with his parentage listed as ‘Blueeyed White Sire and Blue-eyed White Dam’.

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Madison Square Garden Cat Show 1895, Catalogue Advertisement for Walnut Ridge Farms.

Image: Archives of The Harrison Weir Collection.

Ajax, is therefore essentially of ‘unknown’ pedigree, but clearly a beautiful cat. In England he could have equally been shown as a Persian of unknown parentage, as the first Stud-Book of the National Cat Club was published in the same year as his birth, 1893.

It contained numerous cats where sire and dam were listed as unknown. It is equally possible, that ‘Ajax’ could also have been born in England, but bred legitimately from an unregistered French Angora sire and dam.

MAINE ANGORAS

Maine, where, there had long been established a cat farming industry, which had eventually spawned similar ventures in Chicago, Illinois; and in Massachusetts, particularly near Boston, its Capital.

This industry had formed on the back of, and in response to, a simply spectacular public demand for a very specific commodity; longhaired cats! Cats were sought primarily as house pets but also, to occasionally supplement various private breeding programs throughout the expanding nation.

Notwithstanding, some ‘French’ Angora’s By far the greatest source of long-hairs in the were still being imported by individuals who United States, did not come from the were at that time, considered to be specialist importation of Persians, (which were breeders. regularly supplemented over a long initial period); but instead, from long-haired cats These cats sourced from Maine, were simply with their primary origins in the State of known as ‘Maine Angoras’, and here we see Maine, where, there had long been a clear example of the term ‘Angora’ now established a cat farming industry, which had being unilaterally applied to any cat with long hair.Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc eventually spawned ventures in All content © 2022similar Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Chicago, Illinois; and in Massachusetts,

A Black & White Angora male bred at Walnut Ridge Farm, on the outskirts of Boston.

Photo: ‘The Angora Cat’ (1898) by Robert Kent James.

a clear example of the term ‘Angora’ now being unilaterally applied to any cat with long hair. Although there may have been foundations of French or other European Angora’s in the early mix of cats entering Maine, there were also longhairs of Scandinavian and Russian origin reaching those shores, long before the advent of the cat fancy.

It is therefore distinctly possible, that a DNA analysis of long-haired cats from Maine, is likely to include a mix of both Turkish Angora strains and quite possibly mutations from Norwegian or Siberian strains. In the Boston Show catalogue of 1883 held in The Harrison Weir Collection, there is one specific longhair set part in a class of its own for ‘Siberian’.

On the outskirts of Boston, in the early 1890’s was established the ‘Walnut Ridge’ Angora ‘farm’, which was indicative of the industry created by the demand for long-hairs. Cats based upon Maine Angora lines were bred here in

created by the demand for long-hairs. Cats based upon Maine Angora lines were bred here in their thousands and sold across the nation. This being only one of handful of such farms in that locality.

In the catalogue of the Madision Square Garden Show in NewYork in 1895, can be found an advertisement from the Walnut Ridge Farm Co., (shown opposite), which proudly claims not only to be the largest Angora Farm in the world, but to have sold over 1,000 Angoras during the last season!

But if our readers find the sheer scale of this enterprise difficult to comprehend, then the following quotes taken from a news article entitled ‘INROADS ON MAINE’S ANGORA CAT TRADE’ re-published in the Los Angeles Herald on September 10th, 1899; should clarify any doubts about the scale of the business of selling Angora cats and kittens: -

All content 2022 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc their thousands and sold©across the nation.

This was only one, of handful of such farms.

1,000 less each season. The demand is so great for them that the farmers cannot keep up with a sufficient supply. Maine people made over $50,000 last year on their cats.

This is rather a lucrative business when one stops to think that three years ago but few shipments could be recorded. The express companies are large gainers.”

The proprietors of Walnut Ridge Farms had further claimed that Angoras from their farm have won more prizes in Boston, New York, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Chicago, Berlin, Paris and many other cities than any other five farms. This would suggest that their operation itself comprised of at least five separate farms. It encourages readers and/or potential buyers to send for their illustrated catalogue.

‘Randus’ a Blue Maine Angora owned by Miss Gay. ‘Munsey’s Magazine’ September 1901.

“There were larger shipments of cats from Maine the past year than for any season previous, there being over 6,400 cats shipped out of the state, going to all parts of the United States and exported to foreign countries. One concern alone, the Walnut Ridge Farm company of Boston, sent 986 Angoras…

“Besides this large shipment of Angoras, there are now over 14,860 Angora cats remaining in various sections of Maine. It is estimated that there are only 32,500 Angora cats in all America, compared with several million common cats.

“The number of Angoras in Maine is gradually diminishing, there being at least 1,000 less each season.

Although we have not yet succeeded in finding a surviving copy of one of their farm catalogues, we do have access to a near match, in the form of Robert Kent James’ book ‘The Angora’, published in Boston in 1898.

This unique work is profusely illustrated with a large selection of Angora photographs supplied by Walnut Ridge Farms, many of the cats illustrated having been produced at one of the farm’s establishments.

Even a cursory examination of these images shows that quite a few of the cats already show a leaning in one facet or more towards the Maine Coon in structure, particularly on the heavy boning, longer legs and long body.

Few if any would come close to the refinement one would expect of a truly ‘Turkish’ Angora.

In her article, ‘Cat Raising as a Business’, (1901), writer/cat fancier Dr. Mabel CornishBond described the Angora and Persian cats as: - ‘the royalty of catdom’, while at the same time describing ‘Maine Cats’ as ‘the half breed descendants of Angora’s brought from Oriental ports by old time sea Captains’.

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Described as a ‘Mahogany Buff’ male, this Maine Angora was bred at the Walnut Ridge Farms.

Photo: ‘The Angora Cat’ (1898) by Robert Kent James.

This view seems extraordinarily harsh, given the fact that the recording of ‘pedigrees’ had only been seriously undertaken at that time, for approximately 14 years at best, and there is a significant difference between the definition of the term ‘pedigreed’ and any suggestion of breed purity!!

them, the original and strikingly beautiful white Turkish Angora, and by mixing them with both domestic longhairs extant from earlier distributions of cats during both the Roman era and later during the Christian crusades, had by default created a blend of European Angora.

The truth is, that what defines a breed is multi-faceted. First, there is genetic origin, then there is phenotype, more commonly referred to as the shape or defining underlying bone structure. Thirdly, there is coat structure and texture; and lastly, coat colour and pattern. Other factors include geographic location of the breed development, and both the motives and the conventions established by the breeders surrounding the purpose of ‘preserving’ or maintaining the prospective breed.

This was subsequently re-infused with more of the original Turkish stock up until the middle to late 17th century, when a new blend including some of the new Persian lines were added into the mix.

The Europeans, had taken their initial cue from the Turks, and had borrowed from them, the original and

The result was a generic cat, with a generic name, ‘The Angora’ which found its way into the new world of the Americas and was, during the late 19th century distributed widely across the United States. While these new ‘Maine Angoras’ were being widely disseminated across the Americas, a new diaspora of Persian lines were being sought from Middle Asia and imported into Western Europe in significant numbers,

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the foundation cat upon which the Maine Coon cat of the modern era was established; and which, by selective intervention has become one of the most widely accepted and successfully popular breeds of the late 20th and early 21st century!

This was a gradual transformation, which took place contemporaneously alongside an equally successful exploitation and second distribution (diaspora) of the British developed Persian Longhair.

MAINE ANGORA KITTEN OWNED BY MRS. SOMERS ‘Munsey’s Magazine’ September 1901.

Western Europe in significant numbers, made possible by the incursions of the British Empire and the British fascination with all things ‘Eastern’.

The eventual demise of the generic ‘European Angora’ of yesteryear, has left us in the modern era with three very distinctly different and strikingly beautiful breeds, the original Turkish Angora, a purer more refined Persian, and the new, unique, and strikingly handsome Maine Coon.

What should have probably, more correctly be styled as the ‘European’ Angora, became

John G. Smithson

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