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b
y
GEORGE S. FICHTER
Illustrated
b
y
ARTHUR B. SINGER
Under the general edi torshi p of
VERA R. WEBSTER

GOLDEN PRESS NEW YORK

Western Publ i shi ng Company, I nc.

Raci ne, Wi sconsi n
FOREWORD
An ordi nary gray c at taught me t o l i ke cats . Unti l then, I
had accepted them onl y as ani mal s that other peopl e
kept as pets.
For seven years thi s cat was si l ent. Often we studi ed
each other i ntentl y but wi thout renderi ng j udgment. Al l
the whi l e, the cat mai ntai ned great reserve, perhaps
sensi ng that she was i n a househol d that had bordered
being anti -cat. But wi th her qui et grace, she won her
way. I found mysel f becomi ng an admi rer not onl y of
thi s parti cul ar cat but al so of al l her ki nd as the cl ever,
cal cul ati ng creatures that they are.
Ti me softened the gray cat, too. Now she communi
cates wi th qui et mews that get her messages to me. She
has anal yzed me unti l she knows exactl y how to produce
the performance that she wants . I respond to her de
mands wi th al most sl avi sh wi l l i ngness.
Thi s cat, now part of my l i fe for sl i ghtl y over a de
cade, observed the wri ti ng of thi s enti re book. When I
found pad marks on the manuscri pt pi l e in the morni ng, I
knew she had gone over the ni ght' s work wi th i nqui si ti ve
stares and sni fs. I have no i dea whether she approved,
but I do hope you fnd thi s book meani ngful and useful . I
do regret that the cat di d not get to see earl i er the su
perb i l l ustrati ons by Arthur Si nger. These she wi l l share
wi th you. G. S. F.
GOIDFN, G
OIDFNGU!DF GOIDFN PRESS& ond GOIDFNCkAFI
ore frodemorks of Western PubIshng Lompony, |nt.
Copyright 1973 by Western Pblishing Company, Inc. All rights reserved, including rights
of
reproduction and use in any form or by any means, including the making of copies by
any photo process, or by any electronic or mechanical device, printed or written or oral,
or recording for sound or visual reproduction w for use in any knowledge retrieval system
or device, unleu permission in writing is obtained from the copyright proprietor. Produced
in the U.S.A. Published by Golden Press, New York, N.Y. Library of Congress Catalog Cord
Number: 72-92486.
CONTENTS
THE CAT .....
Its personality and traits
THE CAT'S FAMILY . ....
Characteristics, evolution, and descriptive album
THE DOMESTIC CAT.
Origin and spread of the domestic cat
CATS AND SUPERSTITIONS ........ .
Days of witches, magic and superstition
CATS IN LITERATURE AND ART
Famous paintings and literature featuring the cat
BASIC BREEDS OF CATS . .
Short-Haired Cats, Long-Haired Cats
CATS AS PETS . ,
Kitten or full-grown, pedigreed or alley; food,
living quarters, training, grooming, bathing,
common ailments; selecting a veterinarian;
kittens; shipping, traveling, boarding
CAT CAN'S AND CANNOT'S.
MORE INFRMATION
INDEX .
4
8
60
64
68
75
106
155
158
159
THE CAT
To those who l ove cats-the ai l urophi l es-the cat is a
pl ayful , cl ever, courageous ani mal , soft, gentl e, and i n
tel l i gent. At the opposi te extreme, and wi th feel i ngs
equal l y i ntense, are those who di sl i ke the cat and who
may even sufer from a morbi d fear of them, a rare and
unfortunate mal ady known as ai l urophobi a. But anyone
who has even read thi s far has al ready decl ared hi msel f
to be a "cat" person. Al ready he has been caught up by
the eat' s qui et, capti vati ng personal i ty.
Such a creature as "the cat" trul y does not exi st.
Each i ndi vi dual cat has a personal i ty that is qui te di sti nct
from that of any of i ts breed or, for that matter, of i ts
l i tter. Personal i ti es of dogs, i n contrast, are much more
uni form wi thi n the breed.
Over a peri od of ti me of l i vi ng with a cat, a master
l earns to know hi s pet ' s i di osyncrasi es. The cat, i n turn,
l earns i ts master. But the meeti ng pl ace must at l east be
hal fway-or a l i ttl e i n the eat ' s favor. A cat thri ves on
afection but spends l i ttl e of i ts energy to i ndul ge its
master, whi l e a dog makes a special efort to pl ease hi s
master. A cat never gi ves i n total l y. I t refuses t o be con
quered to the extent of becomi ng a domesti c sl ave.
Al ways it hol ds a bit of i tsel f in reserve.
At ti mes a pet cat seems al most human in its under
standi ng of how to achi eve i ts desi res. It empl oys its i n
sti nctive mastery of practi cal psychol ogy to wi n i ts way.
Ordi nari l y a cat wi l l go out of i ts way to keep from ac
knowl edgi ng i ts dependency on you for its comforts and
i ts wel l -bei ng, but there are grati fyi ng occasi ons when i ts
afecti on spi l l s over and i s expressed wi th purri ng and
by an i nsi stence on bei ng cl ose. I t i s these ti mes and
moods that, for many pet owners, are most cheri shed.
Kittens are soft and
cuddly, flled with an
inquisitive playfulness
and warm afection.
Sometimes even an
old cat reverts to kitten
ish ways, much to the
astonishment and de
light of its owner.
A mature cat displays
almost regal dignity.
Some become much
more indiferent than
others. They may be
haughty or even a bit
snobbish, but one need
almost always breaks
the barrier: a good meal
that is to their liking.
THE PARADOXICAL WORLDS OF THE CAT show
cl earl y when you open the door and l et your pet out i nto
the ni ght. It becomes an enti rel y di ferent ani mal , i ts
eyes no l onger soft and understandi ng but i nstead
abl aze with wi l dness. It travel s i n the world of i ts wi l d an
cestors, i nhabited today by i ts untamed cousi ns. These
i ncl ude the Li on, ki ng of beasts, and others l ess regal .
As wi l d as i t may be deep i nsi de, the domesti c cat
responds to afecti on. Though equi pped wi th sharp fangs
and hooked cl aws and wi th the abi l ity to use them
efecti vel y, the domesti c cat enj oys ki ndness and ca
resses. I t does not del i ght i n the ki nd of roughhouse pl ay
that pl ease dogs and seems to be more sensi ti ve to
harsh words. Yet a cat bri ms with pri mal pri de and can
never rel i nqui sh its sense of basi c freedom. Thi s dual ,
paradoxi cal nature i s what makes a cat so mysteri ousl y
di ferent from other pets .
In the night, the docile house cot becomes O sly, sinewy hunter.
A cot uses its paws like hands to open doors or drawers.
CATS CAN BE CLEVER, though most commonl y they
refuse to do what you ask them to-at l east at the ti me
you ask i t. I f you try to teach your cat to open a door,
you may gi ve up i n despai r and concl ude that the
cat-yours, at l east-has no i ntel l i gence. But your cat i s
probabl y j ust bei ng stubborn. I f on i ts own your cat
wants to show you that i t knows that the knob i s the
mechani sm that operates the door, i t wi l l demonstrate i ts
understan. di ng of how i t works. Cats reserve the ri ght to
use thei r i ntel l i gence as they see ft, whi ch al most i nvari
abl y i s to beneft themsel ves. I f you deri ve pl easure or
beneft, too, i t i s coi nci dental .
One poi nt i s cl ear, however: i f once you become fas
ci nated by cats, you have acqui red a l i fel ong occupa
ti on, for study them as wel l as you may, you can never
part the mysti c shroud that cats keep between them
sel ves and thei r human masters. Cats can be l oved, but
they can never be total l y understood.
7
THE CAT'S FAMILY
From the tabby to the Li on, al l cats share features that
make them members of a di sti ncti ve fami l y of mammal s,
the Fel i dae. General l y, cats are di vi ded i nto three
groups: smal l cats, whi ch can purr-a sound produced by
vi brati ng the vocal cords; l arge cats, whi ch can roar but
cannot purr; and the Cheetah, the l east catl i ke member
of t he fami l y.
Typi cal l y, cats have a round, al most owl i sh head wi th
bi g eyes that are di rected forward. Thi s is the face of a
ni ght hunter. Most cats do prowl at ni ght, and duri ng the
day they nap. They usual l y creep up on thei r prey and
then pounce rather than runni ng to catch it. There are
excepti ons, of course. The most di vergent is the Chee
tah, whi ch depends al most whol l y on i ts speed to over
take i ts prey.
Cats wal k on thei r toes, whi ch have thi ck pads that
enabl e them to move qui etl y. They have fve toes on
thei r front feet and four on thei r hi nd feet. Nearl y al l
cats are good cl i mbers-that i s, they can go up a tree
easi l y. Comi ng down i s more di fcul t for them because,
unl i ke squi rrel s, they are not abl e to spread thei r hi nd
l egs and reverse the di recti on of thei r feet so that thei r
cl aws can be used to hol d them i n pl ace.
Except for the Bobcat and the Lynx, the wi l d cats al l
have rather l ong tai l s. Thei r f ur vari es i n l ength-short i n
those that l i ve i n warm cl i mates, l ong i n those that must
endure col d. The pattern di fers even wi thi n a speci es.
Both the Jaguar and the Leopard, for exampl e, occur i n
bl ack phases as wel l as i n spotted forms. The basi c pat
tern that is most preval ent throughout the fami l y i s a
dark stri pi ng on a l i ghter background, as in the Ti ger or
i n tabbi es.
8
The face of a master night hunter-large, owlish eyes directed for
ward, the cups of the ears turned to pick up the slightest sound.
Cats are general l y sol i tary ani mal s. A few ki nds hunt
or travel i n smal l groups, but they are not soci al ani mal s
i n t he sense that wol ves, hyenas, and other members of
the dog fami l y are.
.
The most di sti nctive features of the cats are thei r
eyes, tongues, teeth, ears, cl aws, and whi skers. These
are the tool s wi th whi ch they get thei r food, avoi d dan
ger, fght thei r battl es, and keep aware of the worl d
around them. These speci al parts of thei r anatomy are
descri bed i n greater detai l on the fol l owi ng pages.
9
TEETH in cats are not devel oped
for chewi ng. Al l cats have 30
teeth-1 6 i n the upper jaw and
1 4 i n the lower. Even the smal l est
teeth are poi nted and are used
mai nl y for sei zi ng Od hol di ng
prey. I n both the upper and lower
jaws, the cani ne teeth are large
and dagger- l i ke. The jaws them
sel ves are powerful , enabl i ng the
cats to hol d their prey i n an unre
lenting grip.
Unable to chew, cats swallow
their food i n chunks. I n compen
sation, their digestive juices are
very strong so that the l arge
pi eces of food ore easi l y assi mi
lated. I n nature, cats are al most
total l y meat eaters.
1 0
A CAl' S TONGUE i s rough,
covered with ti ny, hard poi nts. I n
t he large cats, these are sti f
enough to tear the fesh and
bri ng blood i f the cat l i cks you.
Cats can use thi s rough tongue to
rasp fesh from the bones of the
ani mal s they ki l l . These horny
projecti ons are actual ly modi fed
taste buds.
A cat uses the projecti ons on
its tongue to hel p keep its coat
cl ean. All cats are fasti di ous crea
tures, spendi ng a goo share of
their time cl eani ng and adjusti ng
thei r fur. The rough tongue serves
as a brush or a comb to put the
hair back i n order when i t be
comes rufed.
THE EYES of cots ore the l argest
of al l carni vores. Further, the si ze
of the pupi l s i s adjustable from
mere sl its i n bri ght l ight to ful l
orbs at ni ght. At night, the cot
con let i n all the light that is
avai l able so that it can see when
i t i s l i teral l y too dark for other
ani mal s to see.
A speci al membrane at the
back of each eye refects te l i ght
and ampl i fes i t so that even di m
l i ght i s uti l i zed ful l y. I t i s thi s l i n
i ng at the back of the eyes that
makes a cot' s eyes gl ow when a
l i ght is shi ned on them at night. I f
t he l i ght conti nues t o stri ke the
eyes, the pupi l s ore cl osed down
and the gl ow stops.
A CAT' S EARS ore I orge, thei r
cupl i ke bases extendi ng over
about hal f of the head. They
serve as funnel s to col l ect even
the smal lest sounds. I nsi de the
ears are long, sti f hai rs that oct
as sensors i n pi cki ng up sounds.
Even when a cot has its eyes
cl osed and i s apparentl y sound
asl eep, its ears may turn and
twi st conti nual l y to pi ck up and
i nterpret the sounds i n its sur
roundi ngs.
No one real l y knows whether
the cat can determi ne preci se
l ocati ons by sound, but i t i s cer
loin that sounds ore i mportant
gui des t o these night hunters i n
hel pi ng them locate thei r prey.
1 1
A CAl' S CLAWS ore val uabl e
tool s used for cl i mbi ng and al so
for protecti on and for catchi ng
prey. I n al l except the Cheetah,
the cl aws con be retracted or
extended. Smal l muscl es hold
them i n conceal ment, but when
the cot needs them, they con be
l et down-sharp and ready for
acti on. A dog' s claws cannot
be retracted.
Kittens soon learn to hol d i n
thei r cl aws when pl ayi ng wi th
peopl e, but i f a ki tten or ful l
grown cot becomes angry, i t con
unl eash ten curved, razor-sharp
cl aws that con send any i ntruder
howling. Cots scratch on trees or
posts to wear down their claws,
whi ch conti nue to grow. The pro
cess i s like fling their nai l s.
WHI SKERS are a eat's feel ers.
They sti ck out over the cat' s eyes
and at the sides of its face and
are hi ghl y sensi ti ve to touch.
When a cat moves through the
darkness, its whi skers serve as
the gauges to determi ne whether
a space i s I orge enough for i t to
pass through. I f the whi skers do
not touch, then the cat' s enti re
body con pss through.
I nteresti ngl y, cots hove al most
no col l arbone, and what they
hove i s not connected sol i dl y to
the breastbone and the shoulder
bl ade a it i s i n other ani mal s.
Thi s makes the cot narrower and
more fexi bl e i n the shoul der re
gi on. I t i s a surpri si ngl y short
span t! .at must be gauged by the
whi skers for a cot's passage.
Mi aci ds were weasel -l i ke ancestors of modern cats.
FOR ABOUT 35 MILLION YEARS cats have been di s
ti ncti vel y cats. Thei r di rect- l i ne ancestors were mi aci ds
short-l egged, l ong-bodi ed, weasel -l i ke, forest-dwel l i ng
ani mal s that were al so the ancestors of dogs, ci vets,_
and other carni vorous ani mal s. Cats apparentl y evol ved
al ong the same path as the ci vets, whose most fami l i ar
present-day member i s probabl y t he mongoose. Appear
ance of modern types of cats from these ci vet-l i ke
ancestors came qui ckl y, wi th few transi ti onal types known.
Whi l e cats have a fami l y begi nni ng that probabl y pre
dates the dog fami l y by a few mi l l i on years, thei r i nti
mate associ ati on wi th man came much l ater. Cats have
been domesti cated for onl y sl i ghtl y l onger than 5,000
years. The dog, i n contrast, has been man ' s compani on
for 50,000 years or more. Even when they di d submi t to
associ ati on wi th man, cats surrendered l ess compl etel y
than di d dogs. To thi s day, cats have kept a strong
bri dge to thei r wi l d ways .
1 3
TWO TRIBES OF CATS devel oped in the earl y hi story
of the fami l y. The branch that prospered was composed
of cats al most i denti cal to those l i vi ng today. From the
start, they were i ntel l i gent, agi l e ki l l ers. They were wel l
equi pped to assume a l eadi ng rol e i n a worl d that had
become rul ed by mammal s.
The other branch of the fami l y was a di vergent group
of ani mal s noted most for thei r extremel y l arge cani ne
teeth. These were the saber-toothed cats, and there were
a number of speci es.
Probabl y the most famous of the cl an was Smilodon, a
l ion-si zed but more powerful l y bui l t cat. I ts sharp cani ne
teeth were as much as ei ght i nches l ong. No one knows
how these big cats actual l y used these oversi zed teeth.
Presumabl y they empl oyed them l i teral l y as daggers to
bri ng thei r prey to the ground. It is al so specul ated by
some authori ti es that, despi te thei r ferce appearance,
these gi ant cats were much too slow-movi ng to be
matches for the speedy mammal s that were rapi dl y de
vel opi ng duri ng thei r day. The great cats could overtake
the sl ower repti l es and possi bl y some of the l arge herbi
vores, but they coul d not compete wi th more agi l e pred
ators that devel oped i n thi s same peri od. I t i s spec
ul ated by some that these gi ant cats may have been
l argel y carri on feeders, usi ng thei r gi ant-si zed teeth to
di g the fesh away from the bones of al ready dead
ani mal s. For about a mi l l i on years, however, these bi g
toothed cats were very much on the scene, wi th speci es
found i n both Europe and North Ameri ca.
No one real l y knows why, but duri ng the I ce Ages,
the bi g-toothed cats di sappeared and became part of the
geol ogi c past. Along wi th many other ani mal s of thei r
day, a l arge number of Smilodon remai ns were found i n
the La Brea Tar Pits i n Cal i forni a.
1 4
Wi l d cats are wi del y di stri buted throughout the worl d, but as shown
above, their abundance i s greatest i n warm regions.
WILD CATS of 35 speci es and dozens of races i nhabi t
the worl d' s l and areas. Among the l arge l and masses,
onl y Austral asi a, Antarcti ca, and Madagascar l ack native
speci es of cats . The domestic cat, of course, has been
introduced to al l pl aces i nhabited by man and has be
come feral in many areas, i ncl uding Austral i a and many
i sl ands . Parti cul arl y on i sl ands, feral cats have been
damagi ng, anni hi l ating nati ve bi rds and other smal l
ani mal s i n fndi ng food for themsel ves.
Some speci es of cats l i ve i n col d cl i mates, both at
hi gh al ti tudes in mountainous regi ons and al so in near
arcti c conditions in the Northern Hemi sphere. Some
authori ti es say cats evol ved in cool temperate regi ons.
Today, however, cats are represented most abundantl y
both i n numbers of speci es and i n indi vi dual s in the
warm subtropi cs and the tropi cs. Asi a has the greatest
number of speci es (about 20); Europe has the fewest
( 2) . Some speci es have wide ranges, extending over two
or more continents; others have very restr i cted ranges.
1 6
Wi l d areas are rapi dl y shrinking in si ze or are di s
appearing compl etel y. Many wi l d creatures, as a resul t,
are now endangered. Over hal f the speci es of wi l d
cats face thi s pl i ght. Mainl y thi s i s because of the
di mini shed l i ving space or destroyed habi tats. In some
cases, however, the cats have been hunted or trapped
into near-obl i vi on. For some speci es, i t i s not known
whether thei r remaining popul ations can respond even
to speci al protective measures that are now being taken
to preserve them.
Al l but a few of the very rare speci es of wi l d cats,
some of whi ch may now be extinct, are descri bed
bri efy on the fol l owing pages .
Pumas range from Canada O
Patagoni a, i nhabi ti ng col d and
mountai nous regi ons as wel l as
steami ng j ungl es. They hove the
wi dest range of al l cats i n the
Western Hemi sphere, though
confned to wi l derness areas. As
a contrast, the Black-footed Cat
i s found onl y i n a restri cted
desert region of A !ri ca.
CHEETAHS, the l east catl i ke members of the cat fami l y,
l i ve in the savannas of Afri ca and southern Asi a. Al most
greyhound- l i ke i n appearance, a Cheetah has l ong, sl i m
l egs, l arge, muscul ar haunches, and a near l y dogl i ke
muzzl e on its proporti onatel y smal l head. In moti on, the
Cheetah reveal s i ts mastery of coordi nati on that make it,
for short spri nts, the fastest ani mal on earth. Though a
Cheetah can cl i mb, i t rarel y does so. Another name for
the Cheetah is Hunti ng Leopard.
The Cheetah's reddi sh-yel l ow coat is covered wi th
round, i ntensel y bl ack spots. I n those that l i ve i n north
ern Afri ca, the spots tend to run together, formi ng al
most Leopard- l i ke stri pes. A conspi cuous bl ack l i ne ex
tends from the corner of the eye to the mouth on each
si de. In Afri ca, the Cheetahs have a short, manel i ke ruf,
l acki ng in Asi ati c ani mal s. Most authori ti es bel i eve the
Cheetah ori gi nated in Asi a.
Cheetahs nei ther roar nor purr, t he typi cal sounds
made by cats. I nstead, they make musi cal, chortl i ng
noi ses, al most bi rdl i ke, or they howl and bark, much l i ke
dogs. They cannot retract thei r cl aws compl etel y into
sheaths. A ful l -grown Cheetah mal e may b 7 feet l ong
(i ts tai l 2-2V2 feet of the l ength) and wei gh 1 20 to 1 40
pounds. The femal e is about a thi rd smal l er.
The Cheetah's need for l arge amounts of food and l i v
ing space confi ct wi th man's uses of the l and, and so
thi s cat struggl es for survi val i n i ts last remai ni ng strong
hol ds. Many have been caught and caged for exhi bi ti on;
others have been ki l l ed for thei r pel ts . I n capti vi ty, a
Cheetah becomes qui te tame, even if caught after it i s
mature. The l ongevity record i n zoos i s 1 6 years, but
unfortunatel y, many of the caged ani mal s di e of enteriti s
after a much shorter ti me i n capti vi ty. The breedi ng and
reari ng of cubs i n capti vi ty i s rare.
1 8
SPEED i s essenti al to the Chee
tah i n obtai ni ng its food i n the
open country where it lives. Typi
cal l y, i t feeds on smal l antel opes,
such as the Bl ackbuck, that ore
feet and have greater endurance
i n l ong runs. But they cannot
equal the Cheetah's speed for
short di stances.
The Cheetah i s reported t o be
abl e t o exceed 40 mi l es per hour
wi thi n two seconds of i ts start
and to reach a top speed of more
than 70 mi l es per hour. It can
20
mai ntai n this speed for only a
few hundred yards, however, and
so i ts success depends on i ts
bei ng abl e to get close enough to
its prey before maki ng i ts "ki l l
i ng" run. Someti mes i t strikes its
vi cti m' s hind l egs, causi ng i t to
fal l , or dependi ng on how it has
approached, i t may l eap onto the
ani mal 's back and grab i t around
the neck. The Cheetah . usual ly
eats onl y a portion of the ki l l s
and does not return later to fni sh
the carcass.
A' cheetah's charge i s astoni shingly swif
but for only a short di stance.
Because they tame easi l y and
ore such ski l l ed and exci ti ng hun
ters, Cheetahs were i n years
gone by trai ned by sportsmen of
I ndi o and nearby countri es. The
hunti ng procedure was much l i ke
that i n fal conry.
General l y mature ani mal s, al
ready keen i n the ways of the
wi l d, were captured to be hunt
ers. Younger ani mal s become too
lazy end were to unfami l i ar wi th
hunti ng to be good sporting ani
mal s. The trai ned hunter was
taken i nto the fel d wi th i ts head
under a hood. When quarry was
si ghted, the hood was l i fted and
the Cheetah turned lose so that
i t could make i ts swi ft dash to
bring down its vi cti m.
Cheetahs hunt al most total l y
by si ght and duri ng the day or on
bri ght moonl i ght nights. I n the
wi l d, two or three ani mal s may
hunt together. Young Cheetahs
often cl i mb trees. Mature ani mal s
cl i mb onl y i n emergenci es, as
when chased by dogs.
2 1
LIONS once ranged northward i nto Europe as wel l as
bei ng abundant over most of Afri ca and Asi a. About a
dozen di sti nct races were recogni zed. Now the "ki ng of
beasts''

is confned to the savannas of Afri ca and to I n
di a, where a few hundred l i ve i n the Gi r Forest.
A l arge mal e measures 8 to 9 feet l ong, stands 3 to
312 feet tal l at the shoul ders, and may wei gh 500
pounds . The femal e i s perhaps a thi rd shorter and
wei ghs consi derabl y l ess than the mal e. The mal e has. a
l arge mane, yel l ow in some and dark in others. A uni que
feature of both sexes is the horny "cl aw" in the tuft
of hai r at the ti p of the tai l . I ts functi on i s not known.
Li ons are not ordi nari l y savage creatures. They do not
command thei r ti tl e as "ki ng of beasts " by force.
Rather, the ti tl e comes to them perhaps mai nl y because
of thei r powerful potenti al and regal appearance. Wi th-
22
out questi on, the li on is one of the most i mpressi ve of
al l ani mal s. The mal e' s roar may be heard l i teral l y for
mi l es. I t adverti ses hi s domai n to other mal es and i m
presses the femal e of hi s choi ce. Femal es roar, too, but
not as l oudl y.
Li ons hunt si l entl y and at ni ght, often wai ti ng at a
waterhol e to get thei r prey-antel ope, zebras, and other
grazers. Duri ng the day, they sl eep.
Pri des are the l oosel y organi zed groups of li ons.
These may consi st of onl y three or four ani mal s, or i f the
hunti ng i s good, a pri de may consi st of several dozen
ani mal s. One mal e i s boss, though there may be several
younger mal es as wel l as a number of l i onesses i n the
pri de. There i s al most no quarrel i ng, even over food un
l ess i t becomes scarce. Tempers do fare unti l the ani
mal s pai r of at mati ng ti me.
23
HUNTI NG LI ONS stal k thei r
prey and then pounce to make
the ki l l . The whol e pride general ly
enters i nto the hunt. The mal e, i f
he parti ci pates, frequentl y goes
upwind of the prey. His scent
forces the prey to move of i n the
opposite di recti on-to preci sel y
where the l i onesses are wai ti ng to
make the ki l l .
As a rul e, i t i s an ol der l i oness
that does the ki l l i ng. She has
apparentl y l earned from past
experi ence how to move cau
ti ousl y and to be pti ent. The
young members of the pride are
often too i mpetuous and make
their rushes too soon.
Typical l y the l i ons creep as
cl ose as possi bl e. They do not
make runs of more than 50 or
1 00 yards. For these short di s
tances, they can attain a speed
of about 30 mi l es per hour. Al ert
antel opes or other grazers may
escape, for they are not pursued
far. li ons apparentl y have a poor
sense of smel l and so do not at
tempt to trai l their prey far. They
are al so a bi t too l azy to exert
themsel ves unl ess their hunger
i s great. They prefer to wai t for
some other unsuspecti ng ani mal s
to come by.
After the ki l l , al l the members
of the pride move i n for a share
of the feast. After they are fl led,
they sl eep, but they may come
back to the same carcass the next
day to eat more-i f scavengers
have left any. li ons wi l l eat a
great vari ety of foods-from the
grazers on the savannas to such
strange fare as termi tes, fsh, and
even garbage. Now and then an
ani mal di scovers that i t i s easy to
ki l l domesti c l i vestock and be
comes such a pest thot i t must be
ei ther trapped and taken to a
new terri tory or i s ki l l ed.
SLEEPI NG LI ONS reveal an en
ti rel y di ferent character of the
gi ant beasts. With thei r stomachs
ful l , the ani mal s stretch out cl ang
the low l i mbs of trees, thei r l egs
dangl i ng. They l ook as though
they woul d tumbl e with the sl i ght
est sti r. On the ground they
someti mes sl eep on thei r back,
thei r feet sti cki ng up i nto the ai r.
They are perfect pi ctures of dead,
sti f ani mal s. The vari ety of posi
ti ons assumed by a sl eepi ng Li on
defes descri pti on and bel i ef, far
these huge ani mal s are masters
of l azy rel axati on. They spend
thei r days resti ng i n the shade.
They hunt i n the cool of the ni ght
or someti mes conti nue i n the
earl y morni ng i f they have not
been too successful i n the dark.
I n the wi l d, the Li on probabl y
does not l i ve much l onger than
fve years. Older, feebl e ani mal s
become vi cti ms themsel ves of
predators or succumb to di seases.
I n capti vi ty, however, the Li on
has l i ved as l ong as 25 years .
Wi th age, the ani mal s become
more sl uggi sh and sl eep even
more than usual . An ol d Li on
depends al most total l y on hi s
younger fri ends t o make t he ki l l s
and then to al low hi m to joi n
them i n the feast.
25
TIGERS are big Asi an cats, reachi ng a l ength of 8 feet
or more and wei ghi ng as much as 500 pounds. They are
found most abundantl y in the l owl ands of the tropi cs but
range northward i nto the mountai ns of Si beri a. Ti gers
l ack manes, though ol der ani mal s may get a thi ck, bushy
neck ruf. Thei r basi c col or i s a tawny yel l ow, wi th heavy
browni sh or bl ack stri pes that provi de perfect conceal
ment i n the shadows of the forest where they l i ve. Ani
mal s that l i ve farther north are pal er and have l i ghter
stri pes. Both bl ack and al bi no i ndi vidual s are recorded,
and whi l e the Ti ger typi cal l y has yel l oweyes, the al bi nos
have bl ue eyes.
Ti gers ar e sol i tary ani mal s. They hunt mai nl y at ni ght,
and whi l e they prefer deer, cattl e, and si mi l ar l arge
prey, a hungry ani mal wi l l not turn away from even a
mouse. They are excel l ent swi mmers, crossi ng bays and
l akes to get to new hunting terri tory. Or on hot days, a
Ti ger may go into the water si mpl y to get cool . It does
i ts hunti ng at ni ght.
Hybri ds of Ti gers and Li ons are known both in the wi ld
and in captive ani mal s, but they are not common. A "ti
gon" or "ti gl on" i s a hybri d of a mal e Ti ger and a fe
mal e li on. A "l i gon" i s the product of the mating of a
mal e li on wi th a femal e Ti ger. In both hybri ds, the stri p
ing i s evi dent. and there i s general l y a hint of a mane i n
the mal es.
Hunted for thei r skins, captured for exhi bi ts, and al so
ki l l ed because of thei r marauding, Ti gers are rapi dl y
becoming scarce. In the past two decades, a popul ati on
of an esti mated 30,000 has been reduced to perhaps
fewer than 2,000 ani mal s. Thi s puts these magni fcent
beasts on the endangered l i st.
SI BERI AN TI GERS, consi dered
by many to be the most
magni fcent of all the cats, are
the largest and the most heavi l y
furred of the cl an. There are re
ports of these gi ants measuri ng
more than 1 2 feet long and
weighi ng as much as 650
pounds, exceedi ng i n si ze the
l argest of the Lions. The l arge
size of the front l egs and paws is
especi al l y noti ceabl e i n Ti gers.
Si beri an Ti gers are pal e. The
background col or may be al most
cream, and the stri pes are not
as di sti nct as i n other vari ati ons
of the speci es. I n the Bengal
Ti ger, the background col or i s
yel lowi sh orange, and the stri pes
are a very strong bl ack.
Ti gers hove o reputation for
occosi onol l y becomi ng moneoters.
These ani mal s ore the excepti on,
the cravi ng for human flesh
apparentl y comi ng only after on
older ani mal has become too
sl ow to catch wi l d game end has
mode the di scovery that man i s
easy prey and al so pal atabl e.
Such O beast may ki l l many
peopl e before i t i s hunted down.
Despite i ts l arge size, a Tiger i s
amazi ngl y agi l e compared to the
Li on. I t i s al so remarkabl y steal thy,
passi ng through jungl e brush wi th
al most no noi se. But the Ti gers
ears pi ck up the sl i ghtest sounds.
Ti gers hunt mai nl y by fol l owi ng
noi ses. Vi si on and sense of smel l
are not wel l developed.
JAGUARS are the l argest cats in the Ameri cas, some
i ndi vi dual s measuring as much as 8 feet l ong ( incl uding
the tai l ) and wei ghing more than 200 pounds. Most
ani mal s are about a thi rd smal l er. Jaguars are exceeded
in si ze onl y by the li on and the Ti ger .
Jaguars once ranged as far north as Texas and Ari
zona in the Uni ted States and were found southward to
Patagoni a in South Ameri ca. I ndi vi dual ani mal s sti l l wan
der over many mi l es of terri tory, but the stronghol d of
the Jaguar is now the tropi cal l owl ands of Central and
South Ameri ca. Thei r handsome coats have made them
pri zed by hunters. Some conservationi sts are concerned
that the popul ation of these much-hunted ani mal s needs
careful watching to prevent extinction.
The most water-l oving of the big cats, the Jaguar
hunts al ong streams and i s wi l l ing to tackl e an al l i gator
or to take a fsh. I t al so hunts in the upl ands for peccar
i es, deer, and other l arge ani mal s. Essenti al l y, the Ja
guar i s nocturnal, but l i ke other cats, i t wi l l hunt in day
l i ght hours i f i ts stomach has not been fl l ed. Despi te i ts
l arge si ze, the Jaguar i s an agi l e cl i mber and wi l l pursue
prey i nto trees. I t wi l l l eap from tree to tree to capture
and ki l l i ts prey. Though it typi cal l y remains in the wi l
derness, the Jaguar shows no great fear of man. For
tunatel y, accounts of ani mal s attacking h umans are ex
tremel y rare, again showing a resembl ance to the Ti ger.
Jaguars occur i n two col or phases. The most common
has a yel l owi sh-brown coat with rosettes of bl ack spots
formi ng a chainl i ke pattern. Because of the spots, an
other common name for thi s bi g cat is Ti ger. A l ess
common form i s bl ack, wi th the spots showi ng through
onl y fai ntl y. Though these bi g cats are kept successful l y
in zoos, they general l y remain qui te al oof and never
become real l y doci l e and fri endl y.
30
LEOPARDS, though smal l er than ei ther the li on or the
Ti ger, have a reputation for being much more ferce,
partl y because they are more l i the and athl eti c in thei r
habi ts. The most wi del y di stri buted of the bi g
cats-occurri ng throughout Afri ca except i n the deserts
and over al l of Asi a Mi nor and southern Asi a-Leopards
survive remarkabl y wel l i n part because of thei r secreti ve
habi ts. By day, they general ly keep wel l hi dden in the
dense brush, comi ng out at ni ght to hunt. I f a ni ght's
hunt i s unproducti ve, they wi l l conti nue to prowl duri ng
dayl i ght hours unti l thei r stomach i s fl l ed, someti mes
roami ng over 20 or 30 mi l es on a si ngl e hunti ng foray.
A Leoprd' s fare may be anythi ng from a deer or an
antel ope to a mouse or a l i zard. There are al so
32
gruesome records of indi vi dual s that have acqui red a
speci al l i king for human fesh. Leopards are swi ft runners
and agi l e cl i mbers, often wai ting in a tree and then
pounci ng on unsuspecti ng prey that passes beneath.
Portions of a ki l l not eaten are returned to l ater, the
unfni shed carcass someti mes hung hi gh in a tree.
Leopards are good swi mmers, hence streams and ri vers
do not become barri ers on thei r treks .
A l arge mal e measures about 7 feet l ong, a thi rd or
more of the l ength consi sti ng of the sl i m, graceful tai l . I t
wei ghs 1 00 to 1 25 pounds. Rare indi vi dual s may be 9
feet l ong and wei ght 200 pounds. The basi c col or i s
yel l owi sh, wi t h numerous bl ack spots, but over t he wi de
range of the speci es, there are many pattern vari ati ons.
33
r
BLACK PANTHERS, al ways with
emerald eyes, ore on al l -bl ock
phose of the leopard. A few
occur i n North Africa, but they
ore most abundant i n Southeast
Asi a and i n the East I ndi es. On
some bl ock i ndi vi dual s, the
pattern of spots shows through
fai ntl y, os i n Jaguars.
As a general rul e, these ore
ani mal s that l i ve i n dark, heavi l y
;
/ /
j
forested regi ons . Those that
i nhabi t more open country ore
l ighter and spotted, wi th the very
pal est coots and al most obscure
spots on ani mal s of the open,
rocky, treel ess regi ons. Ani mal s
of the open country ore al so
general l y l arger than those that
l ive i n the forests.
Si mi larl y, the thickness of the
coot vari es wi th the habi tat of the
/
ani mal . leopards of the tropics
have short fur, l i ke the sl eek,
gl ossy fur of the Bl ack Panther.
Those that l i ve i n col d cl i mates
have much Ianger fur.
leopards are such steal thy
ani mal s that thei r prey sel dom
sees them or even suspects thei r
approach. They may wai t on the
l i mb of a tree over a wel l -used
trai l and then drop onto thei r
vi cti m' s back as it psses below,
leopards general l y eat the
internal organs of the ki l l f.-st and
may drag the remai ns up i nto a
tree for a l ater meal .
When young, a leopard can
be tamed, but i t becomes dan
gerousl y di scontented, feroci ous,
and untrustworthy as it matures.
leopards are not seen among
the performi ng cats i n shows.
SNOW LEOPARDS, about 5 feet l ong, are rare,
handsome cats that l i ve hi gh i n the Hi mal aya Mountai ns,
at al ti tudes about 6,000 feet. Their thi ck coats of soft
fur-gray or yel l owi sh and l i beral l y marked wi th bl ack
spots or ri ngs-keep them warm i n the al pi ne col d.
Because of the heavy fur, thei r head appears smal l .
The habi ts of the Snow Leopard are not wel l known.
They feed on goats, sheep, and smal l er ani mal s. A
number of Snow Leopards have been kept successful l y
i n capti vi ty and have done wel l there. Another name for
them is Ounce.
CLOUDED LEOPARDS are l ong-tai l ed, short- l egged,
medi um-si zed cats-about 3 feet long and wei ghi ng 30
to 40 pounds. They l i ve in the j ungl es of Southeast Asi a.
The Cl ouded Leopard' s general l y gray coat, soft and
thi ck, i s spotted or stri ped wi th bl ack. The bel l y i s whi te
and unmarked.
Cl ouded Leopards have comparati vel y the l argest
cani ne teeth of al l the l i vi ng cats. Thei r habi ts are not
wel l known, but they apparentl y hunt at ni ght, resti ng in
trees duri ng the day. In capti vi ty, they try to avoi d bri ght
l i ghts . Young cats tame easi l y but become untrustworthy
when ol der.
37
PUMAS, al so cal l ed Cougars, Mountai n Li ons, and
Panthers, are l arge, tawny brown or grayi sh cats that
purr rather than roar . They range from Canada
southward to southern South Ameri ca but are found onl y
i n wi l derness areas. Pumas requi re l arge areas for
hunti ng, some cats roami ng over 1 5 to 20 mi l es i n a
ni ght. They prefer forested regi ons but may al so l i ve i n
mountai nous country-at al ti tudes of 8, 000 to 1 0,000
feet i n the Andes. Remarkabl y adaptabl e, they may al so
l i ve in steamy tropi cal j ungl es.
The mal e Puma i s about a thi rd l arger than the
femal e, typi cal of most cats. He may wei gh as much as
200 pounds and measure 9 feet long, i ncl udi ng the tai l .
Pumas ar e rel ati vel y short-l egged, and i n proporti on to
the remai nder of the body, the rounded head is rather
smal l . Pumas may al so vary consi derabl y in si ze from
one regi on to another. Those l i ving i n the tropi cs tend
to be smal l er and l i ghter i n col or than are those that i nhabi t
cool er cl i mates.
Though they are agi l e cl i mbers, Pumas general l y hunt
on the ground, usual l y at ni ght. They prey on deer or
smal l er ani mal s, i ncl udi ng even mi ce. Occasi onal l y they
ki l l cattl e or sheep, someti mes sl aughteri ng far more
than they need. I t i s these few mi screant i ndi vi dual s that
have made these bi g cats the obj ects of merci l ess hunts.
Normal l y, however, they avoi d human settl ements.
Despi te thei r l arge si ze and thei r feroci ty as ki l l ers,
Pumas become reasonabl y doci l e in capti vi ty. Li ke other
cats, they have qui te i ndi vi dual temperaments, some
bei ng consi derabl y more approachabl e than others . They
are most l i kel y to become hosti l e when they get ol der.
Though Pumas are wi despread and are much hunted,
surpri si ngl y l i ttl e i s known about thei r personal habi ts in
the wi l d.
38
SERV ALS are swi ft Afri can cats, 212 to 3 feet l ong and
wei ghi ng 30 to 35 pounds. Thei r coat i s fawn col ored,
attracti vel y marked with l arge bl ack spots, and the tai l is
ri nged wi th bl ack. They have l ong l egs, a short tai l, and
l arge ears, whi ch gi ve them the keen heari ng needed for
catchi ng rodents and bi rds in the grass and brush
country where they l i ve, south of the Sahara. Servais are
abl e to catch bi rds i n fi ght by l eapi ng fve feet or more
of the ground. They l i ke to be near water or
marshl ands, and they are adept at cl i mbi ng trees, whi ch
they often do i n pursui t of prey. Those l i ving near human
sett l ements may make meal s of poul try and young
l i vestock.
CARACALS l i ve in the deserts and grassl ands of North
Afri ca and western Asi a. Sl i ghtl y l arger than Servais,
wei ghing as much as 40 pounds, they are rated among
the most graceful of al l ani mal s. Fast runners and ski l l ed
hunters, the l ong-l egged Caracal s make thei r meal s of
gazel l es, bi rds, and other ani mal s. li ke Cheetahs, these
cats are speedy but ti re qui ckl y. I n Indi a, thi s cat was
trai ned as a hunting ani mal, al so l i ke the Cheetah, for use
parti cul arl y in hunting pi geons. Caracal s have l arge
bl ack ears wi th prominent tufts at the ti ps, si mi l ar to the
Lynx. Unfortunatel y, these handsome cats are now
becomi ng rare.
AFRICAN WILDCATS, al so cal l ed Egypti an Cats and
Kafr Cats, occur wi del y throughout the northern parts
of Afri ca. They are onl y sl i ghtl y l arger than the domesti c
cat, wi th whi ch they cross freel y. Some authori ti es
theori ze that thi s i s one of the domesti c eat' s di rect-l i ne
ancestors . Al l of the several col or vari ati ons of yel l ow,
gray, or buf have tabby marki ngs. Al so, the Afri can
Wi l dcat has a promi nent neck ruf whi ch i t l i fts
i mposi ngl y to hel p scare of i ntruders . Typi cal l y, there
are several rings of bl ack around the paws and al so on
the l ower porti ons of the l egs. The tip of the tai l is al so
bl ack. These cats ordi nari l y do thei r hunti ng at ni ght,
spendi ng thei r days sl eeping and resti ng.
42
JUNGLE CATS, sl i ghtl y l arger and l onger-l egged than
the domesti c cat, l i ve in southeastern Asi a, mai nl y i n
I ndi a. A few occur i n Egypt and other parts of northern
Afri ca. They are grayi sh streaked wi th darker marki ngs,
whi te bel ow and wi th a bl ack-ri nged tai l . The ears are
tufted, and there i s a crest of hai r al ong the back. I n
habi ts, the Jungl e Cat prefers to hunt i n the earl y
morni ng or l ate eveni ng rather than at ni ght, roami ng the
grassl ands and the j ungl e edges. Often i t i s found near
vi l l ages, where i t can prey on chi ckens as wel l as other
smal l ani mal s. I t tames easi l y and mates readi l y wi th the
domesti c cat, of whi ch i t may be an ancestor.
LEOPARD CATS, to 311 feet l ong, l i ve in the l owl and
j ungl es and mountain forests of Southeast Asi a, a few
rangi ng as far north as Si beri a. They make thei r homes
in caves or under rock l edges . In China, they are cal l ed
Money Cats because the bl ack markings on thei r si lvery
or gol den coats resembl e Chinese money. They look like
Ocel ots and, si mi l arl y, make good pets, though they
tend to remain more al oof and prefer not to be handl ed.
Some total l y rej ect being capti ves. Though thei r numbers
are seemingl y safe now, the increasing popul ari ty of
these handsome ani mal s for pets portends a fast-coming
ti me of cri si s for the speci es.
44
FLAT-HEADED CATS
are both rare and unusual . They
are l i sted among the growing number of ani mal s that are
i n danger of extincti on. The general col or of the body
coat i s reddi sh, but the ti ps of the hai rs are whi te, as are
the teardrop marki ngs around the eyes. Li ttl e i s known
about the habi ts of these smal l cats. They seem to prefer
hunting al ong waterways, where they catch mai nl y fsh
and frogs. Sti l l more unusual , they have a fondness for
frui ts and berri es, actual l y preferring them to rodents or
other ani mal food. I t is possi bl e that thi s is one of thei r
ways of getti ng l i qui ds. The Fl at-headed Cat i s found onl y
i n Borneo and nearby regi ons.
MARBLED CATS have a reputati on for bei ng among the
most ferce of al l cats in attacki ng thei r prey. They l i ve i n
the j ungl es of Southeast Asi a. Li ttl e i s real l y known
about the l i fe hi story of these smal l cats. Most
i ndi vi dual s l ook l i ke di mi nuti ve Cl ouded Leopards, though
there is consi derabl e vari ati on in thei r marki ngs. The tai l
i s about 2 feet l ong, equal i ng the total l ength of the
head and body. It apparentl y serves as a bal ancer when
the cat i s cl i mbi ng.
FISHING CATS are stocki l y bui l t smal l cats wi th short,
stout legs and a medi um-l ength tai l . They may wei gh as
much as 25 pounds. The browni sh-gray coat i s covered
wi th bl ack spots and streaks, and the tai l is ri nged with
bl ack. Fi shi ng Cats are not abundant, l i vi ng in the brush
and j ungl e country of southeastern Asi a. Thei r name
comes from thei r reported habi t of catchi ng fsh by scoop
i ng them from the water wi th thei r paw. They al so eat
shel l fsh, frogs, and other aquati c or semi aquati c
ani mal s, and they are known to attack dogs, cal ves,
sheep, and even peopl e, parti cul arl y smal l chi l dren.
TEMMINCK'S CATS are medi um-si zed-3 to 31/ feet
l ong-and general l y have an al l -yel l ow or gol den coat,
though in some i ndi vi dual s i t may be streaked wi th dark
and i n others may be sol i d bl ack or gray. These cats
occur wi del y i n Asi a, mostl y i n the southern regi ons.
They are parti al to rocky country but are apparentl y
much at home i n trees, too.
The very si mi l ar Afri can Gol den Cat is a di ferent
speci es that occurs i n both gol d and gray col or phases
that commonl y occupy the same area. I t i s now rare and
consi dered i n danger of exti ncti on. Both cats are com
monl y kept i n zoos .
46
PALLAS'S CAT l i ves in the rocky mountai nous country
of Ti bet and Si beri a. Smal l ( 1 to 1 1h feet l ong) , i t has
si l very, spotted, thi ck fur, ftti ng i t for the col d cl i mate.
The tai l i s ti pped wi th bl ack. Most unusual , the short ears
are set l ow on the broad head so that they are wi del y
separated, and the eyes are hi gh, the head l acki ng a
rounded forehead dome. These faci al features gi ve the
cat a feroci ous appearance and al so ai d it in peeri ng
over and around rocks wi thout exposi ng l arge amounts
of i ts head before i ts eyes are i n posi ti on to spot
potenti al prey.
SAND CATS l i ve i n the deserts of Asi a and northern
Afri ca. Thei r fawn or yel l owi sh-brown coats conceal them
i n the general l y browni sh l andscape, and the coarse
hai rs on the pads of thei r feet hel p to gi ve them tracti on
i n the l oose sand. Li ke many desert predators, they hunt
at ni ght. They have l arge ears, dependi ng on sound
rather than si ght to fnd prey.
EUROPEAN WILD CATS have survi ved the conti nent ' s
heavy settl ement by retreati ng t o the forests where they
exi st in surpri si ng numbers. Marked l i ke the domestic
tabby, they are a thi rd l arger and have a wi der, more
whi skery, fattened head, l onger and sl i mmer l egs, and a
more sturdi l y bui l t body. The bl unt tai l is ri nged and ti p
ped wi th bl ack.
Normal l y active onl y at ni ght, these feroci ous hunters
have been known to attack fearl essl y both man and his
dogs. Duri ng the day, these cats remai n hi dden in rocks,
caves, or trees . European Wi l d Cats are reported to cross
wi th domesti c cats, but there are onl y a few records
of the European Wi l d Cat having been kept successful l y
as a pet . I n zoos, they have l i ved more than 1 5 years.
48
49
OCELOTS, someti mes cal l ed Pai nted Leopards, are
handsome, doci l e creatures that l i ve i n the Ameri can
tropi cs. Because they are easi l y caught and qui ckl y
tamed, even as adul ts, many have been captured and
sol d as pets. They have al so been heavi l y hunted, thei r
spotted f ur used for decorati ve col l ars, cufs, and capes.
Because of the Ocel ot ' s l ack of resi stance to capture and
use of l i ttl e craft i n escapi ng hunters, i ts numbers are fast
dwi ndl i ng. Regrettabl y, as wi th many of the wi l d cats ,
these stri ki ngl y beauti ful ani mal s are now on the l i st of
endangered speci es. They must be protected to prevent
thei r exti ncti on.
Whi l e Ocelots have been kept as pets over many
centuri es, the habi ts of the ani mal s i n the wi l d are not
wel l known. They hunt al most whol l y at ni ght. Some
ani mal s even avoi d bei ng acti ve on bri ght moonl i ght ni ghts.
They eat a wi de vari ety of foods-from ani mal s as smal l
as l i zards and rodents to as l arge as monkeys and deer.
T
'
ose that l i ve near human habi tati ons occasi onal l y make
rai ds on chi ckens or smal l l i vestock. They are good swi m
mers and are reported to catch and eat fsh.
Dur i ng t he day, Ocel ots sl eep on t he ground, under
rocky overhangs, i n dense thi ckets, or someti mes tucked
safel y away i n cl umps of pri ckl y cacti . They are agi l e
cl i mbers and wi l l hunt or take refuge i n trees. Someti mes
they stretch out on branches to rest or to sl eep.
An Ocel ot's face i s streaked wi th bl ack, and i t has
numerous bl ack ri ngs and streaks over i ts body. I n some
ani mal s, the centers of the bl ack ri ngs are browni sh.
The basi c col or of the coat is pearl y buf, the underparts
whi te. Over thei r wi de range, there are many pattern
vari ati ons. An Ocel ot measures about 4 feet l ong, i n
cl udi ng i ts tai l , and may wei gh as much as 30 pounds.
Femal es are a fourth smal l er than the mal es.
50
MARGA YS resembl e Ocel ots, but most are smal l er-no
l arger than domesti c cats-and have a proporti onatel y
l onger tai l . They occur mai nl y i n the tropi cs of Central
Ameri ca but range northward as far as Texas and
southward i nto Brazi l . Margays, someti mes cal led
Ameri can Tiger Cats, are easi l y captured, and i f taken
when young, they tame qui ckl y to become doci l e,
afecti onate pets. As they become ol d, however, they
often l ose thei r tempers and are then dangerous. li ke
the Ocel ot, the Margay is in danger of exti ncti on. It was
presumbabl y never numerous, and very l i ttl e i s known
about the eat ' s habi ts i n the wi l d.
PAMPAS CATS have a wi de range in the grassl ands of
South Ameri ca, parti cul arl y i n Argenti na and Uruguay. I n
much of thei r ori gi nal terri tory, they are now exti nct. The
dark reddi sh streaks on the si l very coat provi de
conceal i ng camoufage i n the dry grass. The tai l i s l ong
and gray, and the underparts are whi te. One race i s
si l very gray wi th no marki ngs. Pampas Cats are about
the si ze of the domesti c cat.
Li ke several other smal l cats of South Ameri ca, l i ttl e
i s known about the habi ts of the Pampas Cat i n the
wi l d. It is bel i eved to be a nocturnal hunter, feedi ng on
bi rds and smal l mammal s. Over much of i ts ori gi nal
range, the Pampas Cat i s probabl y now exti nct, pushed
asi de by the settl ement of the l and. Whether i t i s en
dangered as a speci es i s questi onabl e, but presumabl y so.
53
GEOFFROY'S CAT ranges from Bol i vi a southward to
Patagoni a in South Ameri ca, i nhabi ti ng mai nl y
mountai nous country and avoi di ng human settl ements.
About 3 feet l ong, wi th hal f the l ength tai l , i t has a
l arge head and a streaked coat.
BLACK-FOOTED CATS, not qui te as l arge as domesti c
cats, once ranged wi del y over southern Afri ca but are
now rare and occur on l y in desert regi ons. They are
nocturnal , hence not commonl y seen . The sol es of the
feet are bl ack.
JAGUARUNDIS have a l ong, al most otter-l i ke head.
Someti mes, in fact, they are cal l ed Otter Cats, a name
they l i ve up to al so i n thei r habi ts. Unl i ke most cats,
Jaguarundi s take to the water readi l y. They are equal l y
at home i n brush and j ungl e country, however.
Jaguarundi s measure about 4 feet l ong, wi th hal f the
l ength consi sti ng of thei r tai l . Thei r l egs are compara
ti vel y short, addi ng to thei r otter-l i ke appearance. The
ears are smal l . Rangi ng from southernmost Texas south
ward through Central Ameri ca to Paraguay, Jaguarundi s
occur i n two di sti nct col or phases: reddi sh brown and
grayi sh bl ack.
LYNXES are the most wi del y di stri buted speci es of the
cats, i nhabi ti ng evergreen forests of the Northern Hemi
sphere around the worl d. These cats l i ke wi l derness
areas, whi ch are di mi ni shi ng, and they are al so hunted
for thei r coats. For these reasons, thei r popul ati on must
be watched cl osel y to assure protecti on, though at the
moment they appear reasonabl y safe. The Spani sh Lynx,
a di sti nct race and someti mes cl assifed as a separate
speci es, i nhabi ts the mountai ns of Spai n and Portugal . Its
popul ati on there i s now known to be endangered.
About 3 feet l ong and wei ghi ng 25 or 30 pounds, the
Lynx has a heavy grayi sh-brown coat, necessary in the
cold cl i mate where the an,i mal l i ves. Some of the l ong
hai rs i n the coat are whi te, gi vi ng i t a frosty appearance.
It has a short, bl ack-ti pped tai l , poi nted ears wi th sl i m
tufts at thei r ti ps, and a thi ck, whi skery ruf of hai r
around i ts throat. The hi nd l egs are consi derabl y l onger
than the front l egs so that the body sl opes sl ightl y from
the rear to the front. The feet are very l arge and are
padded, maki ng it easy for the Lynx to wal k over snow
wi thout si nki ng i n deepl y.
I n North Ameri ca, the Lynx feeds pri mari l y on
snowshoe hares. The popul ati on of the hares goes
through cycl i c fuctuati ons. Soon after the hares have
reached a peak i n numbers, the Lynx popul ati on al so
attai ns a hi gh. Si mi l arl y, the popul ati on sl umps when the
hare popul ati on does, wi th a sl ight l ag.
57
BOBCATS, whi ch go al so by the names Bay Lynx and
Wi l dcat, are onl y sl i ghtl y smal l er than the Lynx. They
l i ve i n the forests and wi l d country throughout North
Ameri ca, rangi ng as far south as Mexico and the tip
of Fl ori da. Surpri si ngl y, they may thri ve cl ose to human
habi tati ons, often near l arge ci ti es. Because of thei r
secreti ve, nocturnal habi ts, they are sel dom seen. Li ke
the Whi tetai l Deer, these cats have prospered where
forests have een cut and the l and opened.
The Bobcat ' s basi c col or i s brown, streaked and
spotted wi th bl ack, but there are a number of di sti nct
vari ati ons over the ani mal ' s wi de range. I n al l , the
underparts are whi ti sh. The Bobcat ' s feet are l arge but
not nearl y as broad as the Lynx ' s. A Bobcat may si nk
i nto the snow up to i ts bel l y where a Lynx pads across
as though weari ng snowshoes. A Bobcat' s tai l i s short,
or bobbed, whi ch gave the ani mal its name; i t i s barred
with bl ack above and i s white on the undersi de. The
l ong, poi nted ears are whi te i nsi de the cups and l i ned
broadl y wi th bl ack on the back si de. They are tufted
but are not as "whi skery" as the Lynx' s . Fortunatel y
for thi s cat, i ts fur i s not consi dered val uabl e.
Bobcats are known for thei r ferceness i n fghts and
wi l l attack ani mal s twi ce thei r own si ze. Thei r food con
si sts pri mari l y of rabbi ts and smal l rodents, but they
wi l l al so prey on deer, bi rds, and domesti c l i vestock,
l i teral l y maki ng a meal of whatever i t appears they
mi ght overcome. Those l i vi ng near settl ements commonl y
catch rats and al so feed on scraps around dumps. The
di et i s much more vari ed than the Lynx ' s.
I f captured whi l e young, Bobcats become qui te tame.
Thei r tempers are l i kel y to be unpredi ctabl e when they
become ol der, however. I n zoos, they thri ve wel l , where
some i ndi vi dual s have l i ved for more than 20 years.
58
THE DOMESTI C CAT
The exact ori gi n of the domesti c cat i s not known, but a
confrmed and conti nui ng rel ati onshi p between cats and
man became strongl y evi dent about 3000 B. C. i n Egypt ' s
Ni l e Val l ey. There cats apparentl y frst won thei r way to
favor because they ki l l ed rats and mi ce that pl agued the
granari es and al so hel ped rid the l and of other vermin.
Eventual l y, the Egypti ans worshi pped and protected
thei r cats, treati ng them as royal ty. They depi cted them
in art and in carvi ngs, and they cel ebrated cat hol i days.
The cats themsel ves were decorated wi th j ewel s. Pasht,
or Bastet, an Egypti an goddess representi ng femi ni ni ty
and materni ty, had the head of a cat and the body of O
human femal e.
When thei r cats di ed, the Egypti ans mourned as
though a human member of the fami l y had been l ost.
They mummifed the cats ' bodi es-and al so rats and
mi ce, presumabl y to provi de the cats wi th food in the
hereafter. Cats entombed in thi s manner numbered in the
hundreds of thousands. More than 300,000 mummifed
cat bodi es were taken from onl y one cemetery. A study
of thei r bodi es woul d have hel ped unravel the mysteri es
of the eat ' s ori gi n, but unfortunatel y, they were shi pped
to Engl and where they were aucti oned of by the ton
to be used for ferti l i zer.
The ori gi n of the domesti c cat thus remai ns obscure,
whi l e i ts hi story si nce domesti cati on i s vi rtual l y unri val ed
among the ani mal s associ ated wi th man. It is theori zed
that the di rect ancestors of the domesti c cat were proba
bl y Afri can Wil d Cats, whi ch to thi s day mate freel y , wi th
the domesti c cat. Some authori ti es specul ate that the
Asi an Jungl e Cat al so fgured in the domesti c eat ' s an
cestry, but probabl y no one wi l l ever know.
60
Egypti ans put cots i nto thei r art
forms, such as the frieze above
and the mummy bl ow.
Posht, the cot" headed Lgypti an goddess
of femi ni n i ty and matern ity.
6 1
SPREAD OF THE DOMESTIC CAT fro North Afri ca
took i t around the worl d wi thi n a few centuri es. The
Greeks were the frst Europeans to keep cats. Rats and
mi ce i nfested thei r granari es, too, and when the Egyp
ti ans refused to l et any of thei r sacred cats be taken to
Greece to combat the rodents, the Greeks began steal
i ng them. The Egypti ans made cat thi every a cr i me pun
i shabl e by death.
The Romans i n thei r conquests i ncl uded cats among
thei r spoi l s. They di d not revere the cats as the Egyp
tians did, however, and a Roman sol di er was murdered
in the streets of Al exandri a when he acci dental l y ki l l ed a
cat. Thi s epi sode brought on a seri es of repri sal s that
conti n ued unti l Egypt was fnal l y brought under total
Roman rul e. Wi th the fal l of Egypt, cats sl i pped from
supremacy, no l onger ranked as dei ti es .
Roman l egi ons, meanwhi l e, began to adopt the cat as
a symbol . They respected the craft and cunni ng of the
suppl e, green-eyed beasts, and though they fai l ed to put
cats to practi cal use as mousers, as had the Egypti ans
and the Greeks, the Roman sol di ers managed to l ose
or to l eve enough behi nd to gi ve cats a s ubstanti al
start wherever the armi es went.
The preci se paths taken by cats as they popul ated
other parts of the worl d are mostl y specul ati ve, but
al ong wi th rats and mi ce, they soon purred in ports
wherever

shi ps dropped anchor. They made thei r way

overl and on foot or by cart or wagon unti l they were
common everywhere man l i ved. Someti mes they earned
thei r keep by getting ri d of rodent pests, but as often,
the onl y demand made of them was to be the myster
i ousl y beauti ful creatures that they are.
I n I ndi a, cats gai ned back some of thei r l ost status as
rel i gi ous symbol s. Hi ndus were al l obl i ged to keep and
62
The mai n hal l af Japanese cal
templ e, Ga-Ta- Ku-Ji i n Tokyo ap
pears bel ow. I ts facade was cov
ered with drawi ngs af cats wi th
l i fted paws, a l i to bri ng goad l uck.
Now i n Japan, earthenware cats
are made with a l i fted paw to
symbol i ze thei r abi l ity to br i ng
good l uck ( l eft).
to feed at l east one cat, and ki l l i ng a cat was forbi dden.
In Chi na, where cats went by the name of moo, it was
bel i eved that ti me coul d be tol d by studyi ng a eat ' s
gl assy gaze.
Cats came on the scene in Japan al ong wi th Bud
dhi sm. Every templ e was protected from rats and mi ce
wi th the mi ni mum of a duet of cats. Those who had no
cats drew pi ctures of them or got cat i mages made of
wood, bronze, or si mi l ar materi al s. These were set where,
hopeful l y, they woul d fri ghten the rai di ng rodents . The
ruse di d not work, of course, and oddl y, thi s became the
cause of the eat ' s downfal l . Japanese courts l egal l y
banned the usel ess cats. But hordes of peopl e who had
di scovered that cats are comfortabl e pets kept them
anyhow.
63
CATS AND S U PERSTITI ONS
Cats fel l i nto di srepute i n Europe duri ng the Mi ddl e
Ages, and many of the supersti ti ons i nvol vi ng cats began
duri ng these troubl ed ti mes.
Freya, a Norse goddess, was depi cted as ri di ng a
chari ot drawn by bl ack cats . Chri sti ans denounced these
pagan peopl e who made cats a symbol i c part of thei r
cul t. These changes removed the cat from the company
of gods and put i t i n l eague wi th the Devi l . The bl ack cat
became the parti cul ar target of cruel ty to cats duri ng
these wrathful years. To thi s day, the bl ack cat suggests
evi l and bad l uck.
Ol d women seemed to take a speci al l i ki ng to cats,
and i t was ol d women, pri mari l y, who were wi tches that
cast dreaded spel l s of bl ack magi c over peopl e and
where they l i ved. Thei r cats, of course, were assumed to
be thei r accompl i ces.
An i ncident that gave strength of evi dence to thi s
bel i ef occurred when a woman accused of bei ng a wi tch
64
was whi sked from her pyre by fri ends. They performed
thei r rescue behi nd a screen of smoke and put a cat at
the stake i n substi tute. Just as the smoke cl eared, the
scorched, howl i ng cat escaped i ts bonds. The peopl e
were then convi nced that the wi tch had changed hersel f
i nto a cat and was free to avenge.
I n other i nstances, women thought to be wi tches were
tortured unti l they admi tted thei r evi l consort wi th cats.
They were l i teral l y forced to say that they coul d turn
themsel ves i nto cats whenever i t was to thei r advantage.
So it became general l y bel i eved that wherever there
were wi tches, there were surel y cats, or conversel y,
wherever there were cats, there were wi tches. The two
went together, and so they were persecuted together
condemned to di e i n bags tossed i nto ri vers or to be
burned to a cri sp i n i ron cages swung over roari ng
fres. The defensel ess cats sufered most. Thousands and
thousands were destroyed. Enti re days were devoted to
cat ki l l i ng and burni ng, as Europe sl i d i nto the fri ghten
i ng years of the Bl ack Death that took i ts tol l of mi l l i ons
of peopl e. Nearl y a fourth of the conti nent' s popul ati on
succumbed as rats carryi ng pesti l ence overrode Europe.
AS SYMBOLS OF GOOD LUCK, cats were restored to
popul ari ty by the same sort of magi c and supersti ti on
that had brought on cruel ty. These two competi ng
el ements-the peopl e who conti nued to bel i eve cats
were evi l spi ri ts versus those who began to l ook upon
them as good omens-brought the ani mal s both ki cks
and caresses.
A bl ack cat crossi ng a person ' s path, for exampl e,
was wi del y bel i eved to be the si gn of bad l uck. Yet peo
ple who kept black cats i n thei r houses were thought
l i kel y to be bl essed wi th good. A vi si t from a strange
bl ack cat was a bad si gn. Drawi ng the tai l of a bl ack cat
over sore eyes ni ne ti mes was sai d to cure them. Theatri
cal l ore read bad l uck i nto the presence of a cat on
stage duri ng rehearsal s, but i f a cat promenaded before
the audi ence on openi ng ni ght, the pl ay was expected to
be successful .
A bl ack cat crossi ng your path i s general l y consi dered bad l uck.
Bl ack cats, l i ke whi te heather, are symbol s of good l uck in Engl and.
I t was sai d that a bui l di ng woul d stand onl y i f a l i ve
cat were seal ed i nto its foundati on duri ng the construc
ti on . Cats were al so buri ed al i ve i n fel ds to assure boun
ti ful crops, and ki ttens were buri ed i n gardens to keep
the weeds from taki ng over.
Whi te cats have i n some bel i efs pl ayed a rol e oppo
site to bl ack cats. Thus a white cat crossi ng your path
presumabl y bri ngs good fortune. The person who fnds
the si ngl e whi te hai r that i s somewhere i n the fur of an
otherwi se al l -bl ack cat and can remove i t from the cat
wi thout bei ng scratched has i n hi s possessi on the great
est of al l good luck charms.
Cats, l i ke ther ani mal s, have al so been watched as
weather prophets. When a cat si ts wi th i t s tai l poi nted
toward the fre, a weather change is on the way. If it
washes its face before breakfast, chances are more than
sl i ght that i t wi l l rai n before sundown.
67
In Al i ce in Wonderl and, Al i ce met the "mad, " grmno ng Cheshi re
Cot, whi ch sl owl y disappeared except for its gri n that remai ned fr
a l ong ti me after the rest of the cat was gone.
CATS I N LITE RATURE AND ART
Leonardo da Vi nci decl ared that ' ' the smal l est of the fe
l i nes is a masterpi ece. " True, thei r natural grace coupl ed
wi th qui et, unobtrusi ve ways have made cats the favor
i tes of countl ess arti sts, writers, and i ntel l ectual s . Al l
seem to agree that the ti me spent wi th cats l evel s tan
gl ed thoughts and si tuati ons, for cats l i ve an astoni sh
i ngl y assured and even-keel ed exi stence.
Dr . Al bert Schwei tzer, the farer phi l osopher and
medi cal mi ssi onary, l oved cats. Wri ters by the score
have found cats to be comfortabl e, i nspi rati onal compan
i ons whi l e they work. Ernest Hemi ngway had a speci al
fondness for cats and l eft a l egacy of si x-toed cats at hi s
home i n Key West, Fl ori da. A l i st of wri ters who were or
are cat l overs woul d i ncl ude such fami l i ar names as
Edward Lear, Charl es Di ckens, Vi ctor Hugo, Si r Wal ter
Scott, Wi l l i am Dean Howel l s, Thomas Carl yl e, Wi l l i am
68
Wordsworth, Mark Twai n, Dr. Samuel Johnson, Edgar
Al l an Poe, the Bronte Si sters, H. G. Wel l s, Truman Ca
pote, Paul Gal l i co, Tennessee Wi l l i ams, and countl ess
others. Sufce i t to say, contempl ati ve peopl e l i ke cats.
As a natural resul t, the cat has found i ts way i nto the
creati ve outputs of many storytel l ers, from anci ent fabl es
wi th l ost authorshi p to modern tal es. They have ranged
from the nonsense poetry of Edward Lear ' s "The Owl
and the Pussy-cat" to Edgar Al l an Poe' s chi l l i ng horror
tal e, "The Bl ack Cat, " and more recentl y, Tennessee
Wi l l i ams ' "The Mal edi cti on, " a di sturbi ng story of a
psychoti c and hi s strange rel ati onshi p wi th a cat.
Ernest Hemi ngway ranked cots among hi s favorite compani ons, with
whom to shore both hi s meals and hi s i nnermost thoughts.
Mehi tabel cl ai med her spi ri t was once i ncarnated in Cl eopatra' s bdy.
MEHITABEL, the creati on of Don Marqui s, i s one of the
best known cats in Ameri can l i terature. A stray, tal ka
ti ve, and usual l y fri endl y cat, Mehi tabel was the constant
compani on of Archy, the cockroach, who wrote hi s tal es
on the author ' s typewri ter, usi ng no capi tal l etters ( wi th
few excepti ons) because he coul d not mani pul ate the
machi ne' s shi ftl ock key.
Countl ess stori es have cast the cat i n the rol e of the
arch enemy of rats and mi ce, a most natural characteri
zati on. Rudyard Ki pl i ng' s "The Cat That Wal ked By I t
sel f" tel l s how the cat made a deal wi th man. I n ex
change for getting ri d of rats and mice and for bei ng
gentl e wi th chi l dren, cats were to be assured forever of
a warm pl ace to sl eep and of mi l k to dri nk. Thi s woul d
be the l i mi t of the eat ' s associ ati on wi th man; i n al l
other respects, the cat woul d retai n i t s i ndependence.
70
Cat haters have been fewer, fortunatel y for the cat.
Shakespeare seemed to have a great di sl i ke for cats, for
he never had a ki nd word for them i n any of hi s pl ays
and had, to the contrary, much to say agai nst them. Ju
l i us Caesar was much afrai d of cats. Cats were new
ani mal s to Rome, and Caesar never l earned to under
stand them. Napol eon, too, coul d be compl etel y di s
armed by a eat' s gaze, whi l e he apparentl y had l i ttl e
fear of setti ng out to conquer the worl d.
Mauri ce Maeterl i nck was a wri ter-natural i st who used
words of wrath when he wrote about cats. Georges Cu
vi er and Georges Loui s Bufon were French natural i sts
who spoke out bi tterl y agai nst cats. Others have si nce
j oi ned them i n denounci ng cats as enemi es of bi rds.
Puss i n Boots, created by French
author Perrault, was a cl ever cat
that served hi s master by destroy
ing an ore and winni ng hi m
both a fortune and a pri ncess.
Ri chard Wi lli ngton, Lord Mayor
of London, owed a l arge measure
of hi s success to hi s pet cat.
To the Egyptians, cots were sa
cred. The deod were embal med and
buried i n el abrate cofns of
bronze or gol d, l i ke thi s one.
THE FIRST CATS IN ART were the Li ons depi cted i n the
famous drawi ngs on the wal l s of caves in France. But the
greatest ri chness of cat art, never si nce matched, came
from Egypt, when the domesti c cat soared to i ts hi ghest
peak i n i ts associ ati on wi th man. The cat appeared then
not onl y in pai nti ngs but al so i n countl ess statues, carv
i ngs, j ewel ry, and a vari ety of other useful and ornamen
tal obj ects. The most del i cate were ti ny gol d cat
fguri nes, manyof them made as amul ets to be worn
around the neck or hung on bracel ets . Larger carvi ngs
were commonl y of a mother cat wi th ki ttens. Pai nti ngs
showed Egypti ans putti ng thei r cats to work as hunters
or as compani ons of fshermen i n boats.
Wi th the ri se of the Roman Empi re, the cat al most
di sappeared from art. Even i n those ti mes, though, the
cat was a symbol of the most famous of the Roman l e
gi ons, and i t appears, too, i n a number of rel i efs. The
cat had l ost its regal posi ti on, however, and as Europe
was l ater swept i nto the Dark Ages, the cat fel l i nto such
di srepute that it sel dom appeared in works of art except
as a fgure of evi l .
Cats came back i n the art of I tal i an pai nters duri ng
the Renai ssance. Leonardo da Vi nci and many other
pai nters added cats to thei r works.
72
Detail from Hogarth' s The
Graham Children shows a wide
eyed cot eager to get at a bird
in a cage.
A Japanese pointing depicts the
uncontrollable curiosity of a cot
that has found a spider and must
decide next whether to pow at or
pounce on the crawling creature.
THE CAY'S PERFECTION OF FORM has been acknowl
edged by many of the worl d' s best arti sts. Some have
admi tted that i ts si newy grace somehow manages to
escape capture on canvas. Good depi cti ons of the cat
by brush are real l y few compared to the charm and
moods shown by the cat i n a di ferent art form-the pho
tograph. Of al l ani mal s, cats have proved themsel ves to
be superb subj ects for camera study.
74
THE BASI C B REEDS OF CATS
Cats beget more cats-and wi th l i ttl e di fcul ty. Yet no
two cats ar e i denti cal i n l ooks or personal i ty, and the
chal l enge of those who breed cats is to perpetuate and
emphasi ze those di ferences that seem desi rabl e. The
resul t has been a wi de range of types or breeds of cats .
Al l domesti c cats, no matter what thei r appearance, be
l ong to the same speci es-felis cetus.
Everywhere in the world there are speci al groups dedi
cated to the breedi ng of cats to produce parti cul ar
types. They have governi ng rul es on what consti tutes a
breed, and they keep l i neage records goi ng back to the
ori gi n of the breed. To encourage an even greater kal ei
doscope of col ors and coats, they hol d speci al shows at
whi ch the cats are i nspected and j udged. Cat shows are
hel d i n nearl y every maj or ci ty, wi th announcements i n
and coverage by l ocal papers. Even those who have no
cats to enter can enj oy and l earn at these events.
The cl assi c Egypti an tabby from whi ch al l of these
breeds stem i s bel i eved to have been a short-hai red cat
wi th a reddi sh coat stri ped wi th whi te. Short-hai red cats
are most common to thi s day, and they al so consti tute
the bul k of the so-cal l ed "al l ey cats" that seem to roam
streets wi thout owners.
The descri pti ons of cats on the fol l owi ng pages ft the
rul es of no parti cul ar cat fanci ers associ ati on, except as
they general l y accept te di vi si on of breeds i nto two
categori es: short-hai red and l ong-hai red. No one knows
exactl y the ori gi n of the l ong-hai red coat, but cats of
thi s type apparentl y frst appeared i n Asi a. The frst was
produced by short-hai red parents, of course, but the de
si rabl e l ong-hai red feature was then careful l y preserved
by sel ecti ve breedi ng.
75
SHORl.- HAI RE D CATS
Both i n appearance and poi se, these short-hai red di mi nu
ti ves of thei r l arge wi l d cousi ns of crags and j ungl es are
unquestionabl y cats through and through . Though nei ther
as exoti c nor as ari stocrati c as the l ong-hai red breeds { p.
94 ) , they are by far t he most abundant of t he domesti c
cats, accounti ng for an esti mated 95 percent of al l the
cats kept by man.
To qual i fy for shows, a short-hai red cat must have
ears set wel l apart and rounded at the ti p, and wi thout
conspi cuousl y cupped bases. The chi n shoul d be squared
or perpendi cul ar with the upper l i p rather than sl anted.
The eyes shoul d be rounded ( Si amese excepted) and set
i n a broad, ful l -cheeked face. The nose shoul d be broad.
A good short-hai red show cat has a broad chest and a
muscul ar body. I ts tai l is not di sproporti onatel y l ong i n
compari son to i ts body, nor are i ts l egs l ong and spi ndl y.
The feet are round and not l arge. The coat i s short and
thi ck.
A short- hai red cat can have a wi nni ng personal i ty
wi thout havi ng perfect show features , of course. Some
of the common, non-pedi greed cats are real l y cl assi c i n
form and l ooks; others show thei r mi xed ancestry.
Short- hai red cats are general l y hardi er and requi re l ess
attenti on than do the l ong-hai red breeds.
Some of t he most common breeds and col or vari ati ons
of short-hai red cats are descri bed on the fol l owi ng
pages. The l i sting does not cover al l of the breeds, and
thi s book treats separatel y the Ameri can ( or Domesti c)
Short- hai r pri nci pal col or vari ati ons ( bl ack, whi te, tabbi es,
and tortoi seshel l s) . Cat fanci er associ ati ons difer i n thei r
recogni tion of the di ferent breeds, and new ones are
bei ng devel oped regul arl y.
76
BLACK CATS are not preval ent, but they make up for i t
by bei ng conspi cuous. A green-eyed bl ack cat has unsur
passed mysti c maj esty, but for shows, the eyes must be
orange. There must be no whi te hai rs anywhere in the
sl eek, shi ny coat. Even the nose and the l i ps of the show
cat must be bl ack.
Ordi nary non-show bl ack cats usual l y sport whi te
somewhere on the body. Commonl y they wear a whi te
l ocket around the neck. Breedi ng pure bl ack cats i s
di fcul t. General l y they are not born bl ack but begi n as
darki sh ki ttens wi th tabby marki ngs ( p. 80) . The pure
bl ack coat does not show unti l the cat matures, i n a year
to a year and a hal f. Because tabby marki ngs are basi c,
i t i s not uncommon for two bl ack parents to produce a
l i tter of tabby ki ttens. On the other hand, a bl ack ki tten
may appear i n a l i tter produced by tabby parents.
77
WHITE CATS- pure whi te-are even l ess common than
bl ack cats . I t i s not rare for two whi te cats to produce no
whi te ki ttens or for a whi te ki tten to appear i n a l i tter
wi th bl ack parents. Geneti c puri ty is not easy to achieve
or to preserve i n cats (or any ani mal s) , and i t takes care
ful breedi ng over a number of generati ons to arri ve at
a pure breed of whi te cats.
For show purposes, a whi te cat must not have any
hai r of any other col or. I ts nose must be pi nk and i ts
eyes bl ue. Deafness often occurs i n these bl ue-eyed cats.
I t may di sappear i f the ki tten ' s eyes change col or after i t
i s several months ol d. Wi th careful breedi ng, even thi s
deafness can be el i mi nated eventual l y, however. Whi te
cats wi th yel l ow or green eyes are much more common.
RUSSIAN BLUE CATS may be sl ate bl ue or even al most
a l avender shade. Pure breeds have the same col or uni
forml y over thei r enti re body. Even thei r l i ps are bl ui sh.
Thei r eyes are orange.
Russi an bl ues devel oped i n the col d regi ons of north
ern Europe where thei r thi ck, soft fur hel ped to keep
them warm. The outer coat of hai r actual l y stands out
from the body rather than bei ng cl ose-pressed as i n most
short-hai red breeds. These tri m, graceful cats are noted
for thei r mi l d tempers and for thei r wi l l i ngness to be led
on a l eash. They are good mousers.
Russi an bl ues are a di sti ncti ve breed that shoul d not
be mi staken for the common gray cat that i s known al so
as a Mal tese Cat.
79
TABBY is a name used for stri ped cats. The name ap
parentl y ori gi nated i n the Attabi ah di stri ct of Baghdad i n
anci ent ti mes. There the Jews made a fne bl ack si l k that
was si mi l ar i n marki ngs to the stri ped eat ' s coat. In En
gl and and other parts of Europe, the si l k was cal l ed "tab
bi , " and so the name was gi ven al so to the cats that
came from the same regi on.
The Stri ped Tabby, or Ti ger Cat, i s gray wi th bl ack
stri pes that are verti cal on the si des from the shoul der to
the base of the tai l . Another stri pe extends hori zontal l y
from t he head t o t he t i p of t he tai l . The stri pes tend to
break i nto spots near the tai l , whi ch is commonl y ri nged
wi th bl ack. Typi cal l y there are two stripes on the cheek,
and the bl ack marki ngs form a l etter "M" i n the mi ddl e
of the forehead. The eyes may be ei ther green or hazel .
In some cats the stri pes are narrow; in others, broad.
80
Red
The Brown Tabby, known al so as Marbl ed Tabby and
Bl otched Tabby, has a basi c tan body col or. The strong
stri pes are bl ack, someti mes broken i nto swi rl ed pat
terns . The eyes may be green, brown, or an i ntermedi ate
yel l ow or hazel . The nose is reddi sh. Except for the
swi rl s, the marki ngs of the Brown Tabby are much l i ke
those of the Stri ped Tabby.
The Red Tabby has orange to coppery eyes. The basi c
col or of the coat i s a ri ch reddi sh orange, and the l i ps
are bri ck red. Orange Tabby i s another name some
ti mes gi ven thi s vari ety.
I n Si l ver Tabbi es, the basi c col or i s a si l very gray, but
the tabby marki ngs are bl ack. For shows, the eyes
shoul d be bl ue-green, but there i s a strong tendency for
them to be yel l owi sh. As wi th other tabbi es for shows,
there shoul d be no whi te i n thei r coats.
8 1
TORTOISESHELLS have sol i d patches of bl ack, cream,
and red. Mal es are rare, and those that do occur may
be steri l e. Show cats must have di sti nctl y separated col
ors, wi thout any evi dence of stri pes, ri ngs, or other
marki ngs. The col ors must not i ntermi ngl e to make the
cat bri ndl ed.
Tortoi seshel l s are attractive but have not been gi ven
as much attenti on by cat breeders as have cats wi th sol i d
col ors. They are not currentl y a popul ar breed.
The Cal i co Cat, a vari ati on, has the same marki ngs as
the ordi nary tortoi seshel l , but i t has white on i ts face,
l egs, and breast. In thi s breed, too, the mal es are rare.
Cal i cos are much more common, i n fact, than are the
true Tortoi seshel l s.
KORA TS
are Asi an cats that have become popul ar as
pets onl y si nce about 1 950. They are sti l l not common
and are expensi ve.
I n thei r n ative Thai l and, the name means "si l ver . " I t
refers t o the si l very bl ue col or of thei r gl ossy coat that
consi sts of a very fne, dense fur. Korats have much
l arger than average eyes, whi ch are yel l owi sh wi th a
green cast. One of the most di sti ncti ve features of the
breed is thei r al most heart-shaped head.
Korats enj oy human compani onshi p more than do
many other breeds of cats. For thi s reason, they make
excel l ent pets . li ke the Abyssi ni ans, the Korats can be
trai ned and can al so master many si mpl e tri cks. Because
of these desi rabl e trai ts, i t i s hi ghl y probabl e that the
Korat wi l l i ncrease i n popul ar i ty.
83
ABYSSINIANS, accordi ng to most authori ti es, date di
rectl y to Egypti an ti mes, and they do l ook much l i ke the
sacred cats of Egypt depicted in statues, carvi ngs, and
pai nti ngs. Thei r name was apparentl y deri ved from the
coi nci dence that the frst taken to Europe was procured
i n Abyssi ni a ( Ethi opi a) .
These sl ender, agi l e cats have a grace and wi l dness i n
thei r manner that sets them apar from most other
domesti c cats. They make excel l ent and afecti onate
pets, though they may be shy and wary of strangers.
They general l y l earn sl owl y but can neverthel ess be
taught tri cks and can even be trai ned to perform wi l l
i ngl y before audi ences. Unl i ke many breeds, the Abys
si ni an conti nues to be pl ayful after i t i s an adul t.
A purebre Abyssi ni an' s thi ck, soft coat i s a brown i sh
gray, much l i ke a rabbi t' s but wi th the same col or per
si sti ng al l the way to the roots. Abys have been referred
to as Bunni es or Rabbi t Cats because of thei r coats, whi ch
are ti cked wi th a darker col or, usual l y bl ack, that gen
eral l y forms a stri pe runni ng from t
h
e neck to the ti p
of the tai l . The pads of the feet are bl ack, wi th the bl ack
usual l y extendi ng up the backs of the l egs. The fur on
the i nsi de of the l egs i s typi cal l y orange. I n show cats,
there must be no white i n the coat.
The Abyssi n i an ' s hed i s graceful l y tri angul ar-cl assi c
i n shape. Te eyes may be yel l ow, green, or hazel ; the
nose is bri ck-red, and the tai l is l ong. The femal e' s voi ce
i s someti mes referred to as an uncatl i k
e
cooi ng, more
nearl y l i ke a dove. Unl i ke the Si amese, however, the
Aby does not make great use of i ts voice.
Abyssi ni ans are not easy t o breed. They produce smal l
l i ters i n whi ch mal es general l y domi nate. For thi s rea
son, the Abyssi ni an remai ns among the most expensi ve
of the breeds of cats.
84
85
REX CATS, al so cal l ed Poodl e Cats, are unl i ke ei ther
the typi cal short-hai red or the l ong-hai red cats . Thei r
coat i s soft, si l ky, and ki nky. Even thei r whi skers are
curl ed. They are l ong-bodi ed, agi l e cats wi th a
hi gh-arched back. The head is rel ati vel y narrow; the ears
are broad at the base and not excepti onal l y l ong, the
ti ps al most rounded.
Rex Cats are rare, hence expensi ve. They are becom
i ng more popul ar, however, especi al l y wi th peopl e who
do not l i ke cats wi th strai ght, short hai r but who al so di s
l i ke the bother of constant sheddi ng by the l ong-hai rs.
For these peopl e, the Rex may be most sati sfyi ng, for
i t has a coat even shorter than the usual short- hai red
cat. Rexes occur i n al l of the col ors and col or combi na
ti ons of the short-hai red breeds. They are i ntel l i gent and
very respons i ve to afecti on.
BURMESE CATS resembl e the Si amese ( p. 92) but are
not as sl i m. The sl eek, fne-hai red coat i s a rich dark
brown, l i ghter on the chest and underparts . A cham
pgne-col or Burmese occurs occasi onal l y i n l i tters and
has caught the fancy of some breeders.
A Burmese cat has a tri angul ar head and rather l arge,
pai nted ears. The eyes, di sti nctl y al mond-shaped, are a
ri ch gol d or yel l ow. The feet are smal l , and the tai l typi
cal ly has a bend near the ti p.
Burmese cats are l ess noi sy than are Si amese, and
they do not have as nervous a temperament. They are not
on ly i ntel l i gent but al so have excepti onal l y afecti onate
di sposi ti ons, whi ch accounts l argel y for thei r recent
growth i n popul ari ty.
87
MANX CATS have no tai l . In purebreds, there is actu
al l y a hol l ow area where the base of the tai l woul d ft.
Manxes that are not purebred have a stump of a tai l .
Addi ng t o thi s di sti nctiveness, these cats have a l arge,
rounded rump-so promi nent, i n fact, that Rumpy i s one of
the names by which they are known. Thei r hi nd l egs are
l onger than the front l egs, and the cats hop i n a rabbi t
l i ke manner rather than wal ki ng as cats normal l y do.
They can al so j ump and are rapi d runners. Because of
thei r powerful haunches and strange appearance, peopl e
someti mes cl ai m that the Manx i s a cross between a cat
and a rabbi t. Manxes have an unusual l y l arge, round
head and poi nted ears. Thei r soft, si l ky coat can be any
col or. The ori gi n of the Manx Cat i s obscure, but i t i s
best known as a resi dent of the I sl e of Man.
88
COON CATS got thei r name from the str i ki ng s i mi l ari ty
of thei r col ors and paterns to those of a raccoon. local
l y, thi s resembl ance has l ed to the bel i ef that the cat i s a
resul t of a mati ng wi th a raccoon . Though thei r ori gi n i s
o
b
scure, i t i s bel i eved t hat they arri ved i n Mai ne abard
an earl y tradi ng or fshi ng vessel , probabl y from a Scan
di navi an country. They are now mi xed wi th nati ve cats.
Because of thei r rel ati vel y l ong hai r, these cats are
someti mes descr i bed as l ong-hai rs. The tai l i s parti cul arl y
brushl i ke. I n Mai ne, where they are most preval ent, thei r
l onger hai r and furry col l ar hel p to keep them warm.
Mal es commonl y wei gh as much as 40 pounds, the fe
mal es about a thi rd l ess-both much l arger than most
domesti c breeds. Coon Cats are consi dered to be excel
l ent mousers.
89
HAVANA BROWNS, despi te thei r name, di d not ori gi
nate i n Cuba. They were frst bred i n Engl and but have
been recogni zed as a breed only si nce abou t 1 960.
Thei r name actual ly refers t o thei r sl eek, gl ossy,
dark-brown col or that i s uni form over thei r enti re bdy.
A Havana Brown ' s eyes are l arge, oval , and green,
preferabl y dark, and the whi skers are brown, usual l y
wi th a reddi sh or rose ti nge. The l arge ears are round
ti pped and not hai ry. The tai l i s of medi um l ength in
proportion to the body.
I n temperament, these cats are qui et and sophi sti
cated. They may at frrst gl ance be mi staken for a
Burmese because both are brown. But the Burmese is a
much darker brown and al so has gol d eyes rather than
green as i n the Havana Brown.
90
HAIRLESS ( SPHINX) CATS have such appeal i ng person
al i ti es that thei r unusual l ooks are soon forgotten by
those who own them. The resul t of a mutati on, they are
now bei ng preserved by breeders who are i nterested i n
novel ty vari ati ons.
These strange cats do not begi n l i fe compl etel y bal d.
The ki ttens are covered wi th a l ight coat of hai r t hat di s
appears soon after they are weaned. It is repl aced by a
dense coat of short hai rs that gi ves the eat ' s body the
. feel i ng of suede. There are no whi skers . The tai l i s l ong
and sl i m, and the eyes are gol d.
Seemi ngl y unaware that they ar e diferent, these cats
are very soci abl e. They are much more trusti ng, fri endl y,
and afecti onate than are most breeds. Because of thei r
bal dness, these cats are natural l y sensi ti ve t o col d weather
and must be kept out of drafts.
SIAMESE CATS are general l y consi dered to be the ari s
tocrats of the short-hai red breeds . Once the pri ze pets
of royal ty and rated as sacred, they are now the com
mon cats i n thei r native Thai l and ( former l y Si am) .
A Si amese cat has a di sti nctive voi ce. I t uters many
cri es that are not at al l l i ke the sounds made by other
cats . They u se thei r voi ce i n "tal ki ng" to thei r masters
and a
.
pparentl y thri ve on bei ng tal ked to i n return.
Si amese are among t he most afectionate cats .
These cats are sl i m, wi th a rather l ong and di sti nctl y
tapered tai l . Thei r sapphi re eyes are al mond- shaped, and
i n some, due to poor breedi ng, they are crossed. The
head i s al most wedge-shaped, the ears l arge and
poi nted. The fne, gl ossy coat i s l i ght brown or fawn over
most of the body, but on the feet and most of the l egs,
on the tai l , and on much of the face and the i nsi de of
the ear s, t he col or i s dar k brown t o nearl y bl ack. Ki ttens
are nearl y whi te when born.
Based on the col ors or "poi nts" of thei r dark areas, a
number of vari ati ons have been developed, rangi ng from
chocol ate brown to l i l ac. The Red Col orpoi nt Shorthai r,
growi ng in popul arity, is port Si amese.
LONG- HAI RED CATS
Long-hai red cats are the el i te of the domesti c cats .
Though not as abundant as the short-hai red breeds,
greater attenti on i s general ly gi ven them.
Ori gi nal l y, al l l ong-hai red cats were referred to as
Angoras . Then a di sti ncti on was made between
l ong-hai red cats cal l ed Angoras and others that were
cal l ed Persi ans. The separati on was based mai nl y on
sl i ght diferences i n coat textre. Many authori ti es no
l onger recogni ze thi s di ference, maki ng i t questi onabl e
whether a di sti nctive Angora category real l y exi sted. Al l
are referred to now ei ther as Persi ans or si mpl y as
l ong-hai red cats.
To qual i fy i n shows, a l ong-hai red cat must have a
broad, al most massi ve body and rel ati vel y short l egs.
The tai l must be short and heavi l y furred, or br us hl i ke.
The head must be round and broad, the nose short, and
the cheeks ful l . The ears must be smal l and wi de apart,
ful l y furred i nsi de and wi th no ski n showi ng. Al l
l ong- hai red cats have l ong, si l ky coats and a defnite ruf
of hai r around the neck. Long- hai red cats shed more no
ticeabl y than do the short-hai red breeds. Thei r owners
general l y groom them wel l and often so that the shed
di ng i s not normal l y compl ai ned about by thei r proud
masters . Cats that are j udged for sol i d col ors must show
no other col or marki ngs .
Most of the vari ous col or patterns of l ong-hai red cats
have coppery eyes. I n l ong-hai red tabbi es, the eyes are
green . Whi te cats have bl ue eyes ( l ess commonl y, or
ange) and typi cal l y have ei ther poor heari ng or are
total l y deaf.
Most of the short-hai red breeds of cats have l ong-hai red
compl ements as descri bed on the fol l owi ng pages.
94
BLACK PERSIANS, l i ke the bl ack short-hai red breed,
are not common, nor are they as popul ar now as they
were a few years ago. They have l arge, round, orange
eyes. Ki ttens of bl ack cats may have a browni sh coat
wi th dark roots . By the ti me the ki ttens are mature, i n
about a year and a hal f, thei r coats have become a ri ch,
gl ossy bl ack-i f the breeder was l ucky. Owners who i n
tend to show thei r bl ack cats do not al l ow them i n the
sun, whi ch wi l l burn the hai r and turn it yel l owi sh. They
groom the cats regul arl y and go over them wi th a cl oth
to give the coat a sheen . For show purposes, there must
b no trace of whi te i n the coat. Thi s i s rare. Even when
an al l - bl ack cat i s obtai ned, there i s no assurance that i t
wi l l produce bl ack kittens. Thi s probl em has made the
breed l ose favor wi th fanci ers.
95
WHITE PERSIANS are startl i ngl y attracti ve. Both orange
eyes and bl ue eyes are accepted for shows. Some are
odd-eyed-that is, they have one orange and one bl ue
eye. Sti l l others have green eyes. Wh i te cats, parti cu
l arl y those wi th bl
u
e eyes, have a tendency to be
deaf-at l east partl y. Breeders are tryi ng to overcome
thi s probl em and some report success.
Whi te Persi ans were presumabl y the origi nal s of the
l ong- hai red cats. like al l cats, they keep themsel ves
cl ean and present a near-i mmacul ate appearance even
without i nten si ve groomi ng. I n ci ti es, however, i t i s
difcul t for them to keep soot and gri me from thei r whi te
coats, and they must be bathed to keep them i n shape
for shows . Dry baths ( p. 1 24) can be used to prevent
them from getti ng col ds.
BLUE PERSIANS rate among the most popul ar and most
handsome of al l the l ong-hai red cats. Broadfaced, these
hardy, beauti fu l cats return your l ook wi th a di sarmi ng,
al most understandi ng expressi on.
For show, as in other breeds, the bl ui sh col or must be
sol i d, each hai r uni forml y bl ui sh from its ti p to its root .
The col l ar must not be pal er in col or nor can there be
whi te spots on the undersi de, as may occur in ol der cats .
The col ors range from l i ght to a deep, al most l avender
bl ue, wi th pal er col ors preferred for shows. The eyes
must be coppery orange i n show cats . Green and yel -
l ow eyes ar e common but not accepted.
.
The bl ue col or is not easy to mai ntai n in breedi ng.
Unl ess both parents are pure bl ues, a l i tter produced by
bl ue parents may contai n al most any other col or, com
monl y tabbi es. Or a bl ue may appear i n the l i tter of
non-bl ue parents.
97
CHINCHI LLAS, or Si l vers, have al most si l very coats,
each hai r ti pped with bl ack. Thei r nose is red, outl i ned
wi th bl ack; the eyes are green , wi th bl acki sh ri ms that
match the bl ack pads on thei r feet. As i n other
l ight-col ored cats, there i s a tendency for the l ong coat
to become greasy and turn yel l owi sh, parti cul arl y around
the tai l . Proud owners brush thei r cats wi th powder to
absorb the grease.
Ki ttens, as i n many other pure-col or breeds, are at
frst marked l i ke tabbi es. Even the l egs may be heavi l y
barred wi th bl ack. The stri pes di sappear as the ki ttens
become ol der-i n about two months.
I n the Shaded Si l ver, a var i ety, the ti cki ng i s darker
and t he undercoat i s pal e-but not whi te as i n t he pure
Chi nchi l l a. I n Masked Si l vers, both the face and the paws
are bl acki sh.
BALINESE CATS frst appeared as whi te mutants in a
l i ter of purebred Si amese about 1 955. In personal i ty
and body shape, they are defni tel y Si amese, wi th bl ue
eyes and a wedge-shaped head. They di fer i n havi ng
l ong, sof, si l ky coats. There are now seal poi nts, bl ue
poi nts, and chocol ate poi nts.
HIMALAYANS, al so cal l ed Long-hai red Col orpoi nts, are
the resul t of breedi ng Si amese wi th l ong-hai red cats . The
eyes are bl ue, and the coat col or is l i ke the Si amese. But
the shape of the body i s stocky, the head broad, and the
eyes round. Lost i n the breedi ng, too, was the wai l i ng,
demandi ng voi ce of the Si amese. The Hi mal ayan al so
has a warm, afecti onate personal i ty, as do most
l ong-hai red cats. The name refers to the eat ' s resem
bl ance to the Hi mal ayan rabbi t and has nothi ng to do
wi th where the cat ori gi nated.
98
SMOKES occur in two col or vari eti es, but nei ther i s
hi ghl y popul ar among today' s cat breeders. Smokes
were much more common earl y i n the 1 900 ' s.
I n t he Bl ack Smoke, t he face and the feet are bl ack;
the si des and the ear tufts are si l very. The basi c col or of
the body i s bl ack, but the roots of the hai r s are snowy
whi te, gi ving the appearance that the cat actual l y has
to coats. The whi te shows through as the ani mal
moves.
Newborn ki ttens ar e al l bl ack or nearl y so. The whi te
bases on the hai rs do not appear unti l the ki ttens are
three or four weeks ol d, and the ful l col or may not de
vel op for fve or si x months.
The Bl ue Smoke, a l i ght versi on, has a gray face and
feet, not nearl y as stri ki ng as the Bl ack Smoke.
1 00
BIRMANS, the sacred cats of Burma, are extraordi nar
i l y beauti ful , wi th l ustrous si l ky coats . They are a natu
ral breed that ori gi nated i n Burma where for many centu
ri es they have i nhabi ted some of the templ e grounds,
protected by the pri ests. Thi s breed has onl y recentl y
begun to be popul ar i n other countri es.
A Bi rman ' s eyes, al most round, are a deep bl ue. I ts
ears, nose, tai l , and l egs are mahogany or bl acki sh
brown. Thei r body i s bei ge ti nged wi th gol den orange.
The ori gi nal col or was seal poi nt, l i ke the Si amese, but
bl uepoi nts, chocol ate poi nts, and other col or vari ati ons
have been devel oped by breeders. I n al l of the col or vari
ati ons, the paws remai n snowy white, as though the cat
i s weari ng gl oves. The short, rather stout l egs support a
l ong, stocky body.
1 01
TORTOI SESHELLS wi th l ong hai r compl ement those
wi th short hai r ( p. 82) . As i n the short-hai red breed,
mal es are very rare and are commonl y steri l e. Thi s has
made i t difcul t to mai ntai n the breed.
A true Tortoi seshel l has three col ors- bl ack, red, and
cream. Preferabl y, there i s a streak of red down the
face. The col or patches are di sti nctl y separate. For
shows, there must be no i ntermi ngl i ng or bri ndl i ng and
no stri pes or other tabby marki ngs. Al so, there must be
no whi te hai rs showi ng anywhere on the body. The eyes
must be orange-yel l ow or coppery.
As in the short-hai red bree, there is a vari ety i n
whi ch whi te patches are added to the basi c col ors . These
are consi dered by many to be the most attracti ve.
CREAMS AND RED SELFS are breeds in whi ch the col
ors are qui te vari abl e. Pure stocks are rare and al most
i mpossi bl e to mai ntai n. Both were i n ti mes past referred
to as Orange.
Creams are yel l owi sh-pi nk, and whi l e they are not as
di fcul t to achi eve as the red col or, few are bred today
compared to the 1 920' s and 1 930' s when both breeds
were much more popul ar. The Cream shoul d have or
ange or coppery eyes. I n both the Cream and the Red
Sel f, the coats must be si l ky rather than wool l y and the
col ors sol i d.
A Red Sel f ' s coat i s preferabl y a deep red, l i ke an
I ri sh setter ' s . Both the nose and the l i ps are pi nk, and
the eyes match the coat. There are many l i ghter shades.
LONG-HAIRED TABBIES are the counterparts of tab
bi es wi th short hai r. Tabby marki ngs are domi nant,
hence the breed i s not as difcul t to attai n as are some
of the others . It is not among the most popul ar today,
however. Red, Si l ver, Bl ue, and Brown are the most
common base col ors . To achieve these col ors i n show
standards may be di fcul t.
For shows, they are bred to bri ng out the ri chest col or
i n thei r tabby marki ngs-whi ch must show cl earl y i n
stri pes, not bl otches. It i s not uncommon for these or for
any of the l ong-hai red breeds to sl i p back to thei r
1 04
short-hai re features. The ears may become too l ong,
the tai l too s l i m, or other characteri sti cs show that make
them l ose the stocky, compact bui l d that i s requi red of
the l ong-hai red cats for show purposes. Not i nfrequentl y
they wi l l devel op a whi te ti p on the tai l or a wh ite bl otch
on the chest or chi n. These are not acceptabl e features
in show ani mal s.
Tabby ki ttens are typi cal l y too heavi l y marked when
frst born, but these marki ngs general l y l ose thei r
strength as the ki ttens mature. Correct body form, whi ch
does not change wi th age, i s more i mportant.
1 05
CATS AS PETS
Peopl e who l i ke cats do not have to be tol d why these
an i mal s make such fne compani ons. The cats themsel ves
have al ready done this sel l ing job. Cats are sensi ti ve and
general l y undemandi ng, requi ri ng much l ess personal
attenti on than do most ki nds of pets . They are not noi sy,
nor are they destructi ve. Cats have admi rabl e reserve
and i ndependence. They do not serve masters out of
stri ct obl i gati on or bl i nd obedi ence but wi l l share pl eas
ures. They purr to make requests-and al so in grati tude.
Of al l the cats kept as pets, i t i s doubtful that more
than a fracti on of a percent were careful l y sel ected. I n
most cases, a nei ghbor or a fri end ofered a ki tten, and
some member of the fami ly was taken by i ts ways. Or
someti mes a homel ess cat l iteral l y adopts a fami l y. I t
Cared-for pets gi ve and take ful l measures of afecti on, whether they
l ack " papers" ( l eft) or have ful l prof of ari storacy ( above) .
appear s at the door, and i f gi ven food and a pl ace to
s leep, i t has found what i t wants-a good home. But i f
you di d have your choi ce, how woul d you go about mak
i ng a sui tabl e sel ecti on?
The answer i s stri ctl y personal , of course. I f you are
sel ecti ng from a l i tter of ki ttens, do not pi ck the one that
l ooks l onesome and forl orn, needi ng l ove and attenti on.
Chances are it avoi ds the pl ayful mel ee wi th others i n
the l i tter because i t l acks vi gor, ei ther due to i n heri tance
or because i t i s i l l . Your choi ce shoul d be the l i vel y, i n
qui si ti ve, soci abl e, bri ght-eyed ki tten.
A ki tten can adapt to a new home wi th ease. I ts
peri od of adj ustment, i f any i s noti ceabl e, wi l l be bri ef.
An ol der cat wi l l mi ss i ts fami l i ar surroundi ngs and former
associ ati ons_ Even i f a cat has strayed to your home, i t
wi l l take ti me to get over i ts cauti on.
1 07
Show cots compete with others of thei r breed for vari ous awards:
A PEDIGREED CAT? A cat or ki tten wi th papers si gni
fyi ng that its ancestry i s wel l documented and that its
breedi ng i s true can be had only by payi ng for its past.
Some pedi greed cats sel l for thousands of dol l ars, but
most cost much l ess. Knowi ng your eat' s geneal ogy wi l l
be fasci nati ng. You wi l l probabl y be abl e t o trace i t back
through more generati ons than you can your own fami l y.
I f you do deci de to get a pedi greed cat, you wi l l want
to guard i ts papers al most as much as you do your pet.
They wi l l be i mportant i f you deci de to enter the cat i n
shows. Or you may want to make your pedi greed cat
a parent. Produci ng more cats of i ts ki nd coul d earn back
i ts ori gi nal pri ce many ti mes over.
1 08
MORE THAN ONE CAT? Or how about a cat and a
dog? Do they mi x? The answers depend partl y on the
personal ity and age of the ani mal s and to some degree
on how you handl e the si tuati on.
Ol der pets general l y do not l i ke i ntruders. They have
staked out thei r terri tory-your home and i ts
surroundi ngs-and are ready to defend i t wi th tooth and
nai l . Do not try to force a fri endshi p. Be ready to sep
arate the ani mal s i f they get i nto fghts. Make certai n
you consol e your ol d fri end, who i s di spl ayi ng both l oy
al ty and j eal ousy. Let the ani mal s get acquai nted sl owl y
and i n thei r own way, whi ch may requi r e days or even
weeks. In time they wi l l usual l y learn at l east to tol erate
each other, establ i shi ng thei r own bounds and l i mi tati ons
on the rel ati onshi p. Someti mes a dog and a cat become
fast fri ends, but they remai n bel l i gerent i f a strange dog
or cat comes on the premi ses.
The most i mportant rel ati onshi p i s the one between
you and your cat. A happy cat wi l l gi ve many years of
sati sfyi ng compani onshi p.
Pal s and pl aymates-but respectful of each other' s ri ghts .
FOOD AND FEEDING -a bal anced di et and a regul ar
feedi ng schedul e are keys to your pet ' s happi ness and
heal th . You must sel ect the foods. I f you l eave the
choi ces to your cat, it may fl l i tsel f wi th foods that are
most appeal i ng to i ts taste. Despi te common bel i ef, a
cat does not have i nsti ncti ve wi sdom that tel l s it what
foods are best for i t to eat.
Cats need meat, whi ch i s thei r source of protei n. I n
the wi l d, a cat woul d eat mi ce, bi rds, and other smal l
ani mal s, and i t woul d eat them enti rel y, obtai ni ng from
the i nternal organs and from the parti al l y di gested food
in the ani mal ' s stomach the i ron and addi ti onal el ements
that are necessary for a wel l - rounded di et. So whi l e
meat i s an essenti al and basi c part of the di et, you must
provi de the suppl ementary mi neral and vi tami n needs
wi th other foods.
Meats of al l ki nds general l y appeal to cats . Most
meats can be fed raw, and occasi onal l y i t is wise to gi ve
the cat some l i ver, heart, ki dney, or other organ meats.
If you feed your cat horse meat, be sure to add a bi t of
fat now and then, for horse meat by i tsel f is too l ean.
On the other hand, you must tri m away some of the fat
from pork. Cats al so l i ke fsh, whi ch shoul d al ways be
cooked and the bones removed. A meal of fsh shoul d be
gi ven at l east once a week. Chi cken and turkey are al so
favori tes wi th cats . Gi ve them onl y the meat. Be sure
you remove the ski n, whi ch i s extremel y di fcul t for a
cat to di gest.
I f you feed your cat canned or packaged foods-and the
vari ety avai l abl e i s l arge-check the contents careful l y.
Good brands are wel l -proporti oned and contai n al l of
the necessary mi neral s and vi tami ns that your cat needs
dai l y. Wel l -prepared cat foods make feedi ng your cat a
much si mpl er task than i n days gone by. I nferi or brands
1 1 0
are i nadequate, however, and if your cat depends on
these i nferi or foods for a steady di et, i t wi l l not have
adequate nutri ti on.
Mi l k, a tradi ti onal favori te of cats, shoul d be ofered
after the sol i d foods have been fni shed. A saucer of
mi l k each day contri butes to a eat ' s total di etary needs.
Some cats do not l i ke mi l k, however, and i t may make
them i l l . Al ways, a bowl of fresh water shoul d be avai l
abl e. Many cats al so l i ke a vari ety of vegetabl es, both
cooked and raw. These can be ofered as a part of the
total di et, but frst make certai n that your eat ' s protei n
n.eeds have been sati sfed.
1 1 1
A VARIETY OF FOODS is i mportant in keepi ng a cat
happy. A cat may eat tuna wi th great enthusi asm for
meal after meal and then suddenl y turn away from i t,
obvi ousl y ti red of the same taste. Your cat i s not neces
sari l y bei ng fni cky. I t i s si mpl y l etti ng you know that i t
woul d l i ke a change. Later i t may go back to the tuna
wi th j ust as much del i ght.
Gi ve your cat some treats now and then. Ofer some
cooked hamburger or whatever other meat you are hav
i ng for your meal . Try a pi ece of boi l ed potato or some
cooked carrots, beans, or peas. Some cats al so l i ke but
tered bread. They may al so have qui te unusual
tastes-for such thi ngs as stufed ol i ves, cake i ci ng, or
cavi ar. Just don ' t begi n cateri ng to expensi ve tastes reg
ul arl y. If the basic diet i s mai ntai ned, no harm wi l l
come from i ndul gi ng the cat i n del i caci es now and then.
TWICE-A-DAY FEEDING ( morni ng and ni ght) i s gener
al l y recommended for an adul t cat. Once a day i s sati s
factory for some cats . Cats that are catered to may try
to get at l east a snack every hour or two. Avoi d thi s,
at l east as a regul ar practi ce.
You can l et your cat eat i ts fl l i f you wi sh. Total l y, i t
wi l l consume si x to ei ght ounces of food per day, but i f
you l et your cat eat whenever i t wi shes, i t may eat much
more-and get fat.
Food ( and water) shoul d be at room temperature, not
col d from the refri gerator. Put the food out at a speci fc
ti me each day. Your cat wi l l l earn i ts feedi ng ti me and
wi l l be ready and wai ti ng. I ts meal ti me wi l l be an event
l ooked forward to wi th an appeti te. Take uneaten food
away when the cat begi ns to wash its face, a si gnal that
i t has fni shed i ts meal . Don' t l et hal f-fl l ed food bowl s si t
out to col l ect i nsects and to get spoi l ed.
1 1 2
Gi ve each cot its own di sh and take it away when the cot is fni shed.
Someti mes a cat wi l l refuse to eat what you ofer. I f
you are gi vi ng good food that makes a wel l -rounded
di et, i nsi st that it eat or that it gets nothi ng. Ski p the
meal , and ofer the food agai n at the next ' feedi ng pe
ri od. Your cat wi l l get hungry enough to get over i ts
stubbornness-unl ess, of course, i t has l ost i ts appeti te
due to an i l l ness. You can soon determi ne whether your
cat i s si ck, and i f i t i s real l y i l l , you shoul d consul t a
veteri nari an i mmedi atel y.
The best measure of whether you are feedi ng your cat
properl y i s the cat i tsel f. I f i t eats wel l , remai ns acti ve
and happy, and has a l ustrous shi ne to i ts coat, you are
doi ng a good j ob of provi di ng both what the cat wants
and what i t needs. Be concerned i f your cat becomes
l i stl ess or mopi sh.
1 1 3
LIVING QUARTERS for your cat need not be el aborate.
Cats l i ke to be warm, and they enj oy a soft bed. In fact,
i f you provi de the kind of comfort you woul d l i ke person
al l y, you wi l l be gi ven your cat exactl y what i t l i kes .
Sel ect a speci fc pl ace for your cat to sl eep. Thi s
shoul d be a qui et spot away from the normal trafc i n
the house. You can make a bed of a box i n whi ch you
have put paper covered with a bl anket, or you can buy
a speci al cat bed. Don ' t be surpri sed if your cat rej ects
the bed-at l east for the time bei ng. Cats are both i nde
pendent and choosy. Your cat may prefer to sl eep on a
wi ndow l edge, on the top of a bookshel f, or in a chai r.
But cats al so l i ke change. They wi l l vary thei r sl eepi ng
pl aces from week to week, and eventual l y, if you

do not
force the i ssue, the soft, comfortabl e bed you have pro
vided wi l l probabl y become the favorite.
Cats appreciate havi ng a warm, camfartable pl ace to sl eep.
1 1 4
In contented rest, a cat fol ds its front l egs under i ts
chest, cl oses i ts eyes, and naps. I t can unl i mber from thi s
posi ti on i n a second i f di sturbed. Some cats l i ke com
pl ete qui et when they rest; others do not mi nd noi se and
may enj oy l i steni ng to musi c, even to the extreme of put
ti ng thei r head agai nst or even i nsi de a radi o or record
pl ayer to get the ful l efect of the sound.
A sl eepi ng cat, compl etel y rel axed and secure in i ts
surroundi ngs, may be al most as much pl easure to watch
as when i t i s awake. When asl eep, a cat sprawl s . Some
ti mes i t may rol l onto i ts back, or i t may l i teral l y hang
from a bed or a chai r. I f the l i vi ng quarters you provi de
are to your eat ' s l i ki ng, you wi l l have no doubt about i t.
Your cat, whether awake or asl eep, wi l l show you how
to enj oy every nook and cranny.
1 1 5
KEEPING YOUR CAT HAPPY shoul d provi de you wi th
many hours of pl easure. Most pet cats l i ve to an age of
about 1 4 years. Some have been known to l i ve for more
than 25 years. They never get too ol d to enj oy pl ay,
though thei r i nterest i n rompi ng sl ackens wi th age.
Pl ay is an i mportant exerci se and wi l l hel p keep your
cat i n good heal th. Put a bi g paper bag on the foor and
l et your cat expl ore i nsi de. The resul ts are often qui te
comi cal . Or your cat may get as much pl easure from a
wadded-up secti on of a newspaper that rattl es as it i s
batted about. I f you want t o j oi n i n the pl ay, ti e a stri ng
around the center of the paper so that you can pul l i t
thi s way and that. Thi s wi l l keep your eat ' s i nterest
aroused. Sl i p your hand under a bl anket and move i t
i n front of your cat-and try to escape the l i ghtni ng at
tacks. Trai l a stri ng across the foor or hang i t where
the cat can box wi th i t. Or you may have a cat that l i kes
to box wi th your hand ( j ust i nsi st that i t keep i ts cl aws
sheathed) . Rubber bal l s are al ways fun for cats. Be cer
tai n the bol l s are l arge enough so that your cat does not
swal l ow them.
Pet shops ofer a vari ety of cat toys, most of them
stufed wi th catni p to hel p make them attracti ve. These
are general l y proven pl ay i tems, though the obj ects you
fnd around the house may be j ust as sati sfyi ng. Avoi d
pai nted obj ects; the pai nt may be poi sonous. .
One of your eat ' s pl easures wi l l be bri ngi ng home
gi fts for you occasi onal l y. Most often these wi l l be the
carcasses of mi ce or rats; someti mes they may sti l l be
l i vi ng. I f your cat can manage, these treasures wi l l be
brought i nsi de to be bufeted about i n a speci al show for
you. Do not scol d your cat for havi ng put on thi s perfor
mance for you. Your cat is proud. It thi nks i t has per
formed a speci al favor for you.
1 1 7
If condi ti oned eorl y, most cats wi l l accept a col l ar and l eash.
TRAINING YOUR CAT consi sts mai nl y of teachi ng i t
to behave i n an acceptabl e manner. I t must l earn what i s
al l owabl e and what i s not i n your house. Thi s ki nd of
trai ni ng shoul d be started when the cat i s young so that
i ts good behavior becomes a habi t. An ol der cat wi l l be
more i nsi stent on havi ng i ts way, and you wi l l di scover
that no ani mal has more stubborn determi nati on than a
cat. In a wel l -organi zed househol d, however, a cat soon
adapts to the routi ne and wi l l expect you to fol l ow thi s
establ i shed pattern wi thout great vari ati on .
Nearl y al l cats, i f you start them earl y, can l earn to
tol erate a col l ar and even a l eash. A few of the breeds
seem even to enj oy col l ars and l eashes. A col l ar beari ng
a tag wi th your name and address may hel p i n case your
1 1 8
cat strays . But cats do general l y obj ect to any sort of
restrai nt. I t takes gentl e persi stence and pati ence on
your part to get them to respond.
Si mi l arl y, most cats ( but not al l ) can be trai ned to
come when you cal l or whi stl e. In the trai ni ng peri od
parti cul arl y, make certai n the cat is gi ven a reward of
ki nd words and a ti dbi t for i ts proper behavi or.
Most i mportant for the house cat i s toi l et trai ni ng-for
usi ng the l i tter box i f your cat must stay i ndoors or si g
nal i ng that i t wants to go out i f you l i ve where that i s
possi bl e. A ki tten that can stay wi th i t s mother l ong
enough wi l l l earn from her. Otherwi se, you wi l l have to
hel p. When i t i s obvi ous that the ki tten i s l ooki ng for
a pl ace to rel i eve i tsel f, pi ck i t up and set i t i n the
l i tter box or put i t outsi de. Prai se i t when i t performs
i n the proper pl ace. Scol d i t when i t makes a mi stake
and then al so show i t where i t shoul d have gone. You
may have to hel p the ki tten at frst i n l earni ng how to
dig a hol e to cover its wastes, but the l earni ng real l y
comes qui ckl y. Cats become qui te fasti di ous about thei r
toi l et habi ts, and they soon gi ve no probl ems.
A toi let-trai ned cat uses i t s l i tter box.
MOST CATS CAN DO TRICKS, if you have pl enty of
pati ence and the ti me to teach them. Some absol utel y
refuse. Remember that al l cats are consi derabl y more
i ndependent than dogs. Havi ng to perform is somehow
bel ow thei r di gni ty. But if you persi st, you shoul d be
successful in getti ng your cat to do si mpl e tri cks.
You have to adj ust your trai ni ng to ft the ti me when
your cat i s i n the mood to be taught, and you must al so
make certai n not to go beyond the l i mi ts of the eat ' s i n
terest at the moment. You must, i n fact, use a bi t of
cl ever psychol ogy i n the early stages of the trai ni ng.
Fi rst you anti ci pate what the cat i s about to do, then
command him to do i t and gi ve a reward for the perfor
mance. Eventual l y your command wi l l bri ng on the ac
ti on automati cal l y-a condi ti oned response.
li ke t he bi g cats i n ci rcuses, pet cats can do si mpl e tri cks.
Big cots ore popul ar performers in ci rcuses and other ani mal shows .
Ki ttens onl y four or fve months ol d can be taught to
shake hands, for exampl e. Once they have l earned such
a stunt, they wi l l conti nue to repeat i t throughout thei r
l i fe i f you keep them i n practi ce. A cat that shows a wi l l
i ngness t o l earn can be taught t o r ol l over, pl ay dead, si t
up-al l of the si mpl e tri cks that a dog can do. Properl y
taught, i t wi l l perform on command words, expecti ng a
tasty ti dbi t and a few rewardi ng words when it has done
i ts stunt.
Li ons i n ci rcuses and si mi l ar ani mal shows are perhaps
the best exampl es of performi ng cats . They are real l y no
smarter than your domesti c cat, but they are gi ven ri gor
ous trai ni ng day after day.
1 2 1
Even after a careful groomi ng, a cat puts i tsel f i n order agai n.
GROOMING hel ps to keep your eat ' s coat shi ny and
al i ve-l ooki ng. I t sti mul ates the growth of hai r, whi l e at
the same ti me removi ng the cl utter of dead, l oose hai rs
and preventi ng them from bei ng shed on the foor or the
furni ture. Regul ar groomi ng i s an essenti al for mai ntai n
i ng the good appearance of l ong-hai red cats and i s al so
hel pful far the short-hai red breeds, parti cul arl y at those
ti mes of the year when they are sheddi ng.
Most cat s l i ke t o be combed or brushed. Thei r appre
ci ati ve purri ng gi ves you the good feel i ng that your ti me
has been wel l spent. I f you l i ke to experi ment and know
that you have your eat' s confdence, you mi ght al so try
the vacuum cl eaner. Some cats enj oy bei ng vacuumed,
and i t i s surel y the qui ckest way to get ri d of l oose hai rs.
Groomi ng shoul d be started wi th ki ttens when they
are about a month ol d. At l east once a day go over the
1 22
ki tten ' s coat wi th a cl oth, stroki ng very gentl y from front
to back. Thi s wi l l condi ti on the ki tten for the brush or
comb to come l ater.
Use a steel comb for l ong-hai red cats. A sti f-bri stl ed
brush is good for short-hai red cats. These are speci al l y
desi gned ani mal combs and brushes t hat you can buy i n
a pet store. A l ong-hai red cat shoul d be combed every
day i f possi bl e. Be sure the coarse-toothed part of the
comb goes through smoothl y before you attempt to . run
the fne-tooth part through the hai r. I f the hai r has be
come matted wi th oi l or wi th burrs, frst try to untangl e
the hai r wi th brush stroki ng. I f thi s fai l s , tri m out the
mats wi th sci ssors.
Hai r i s general l y frst combed opposi te to the di recti on
i t normal l y l i es, and then i t can be worked i nto pl ace
smoothl y. Be especi al l y gentl e when you are combi ng
or brushi ng the stomach, where the hai r i s thi nnest and
the ski n i s most sensi ti ve. But no matter how careful l y
you do t he j ob, expect your cat t o go over i t s coat
agai n wi th i ts tongue to adj ust i tsel f.
HAI R BALLS are an accumula
li on of hai r i n the cat' s stomach
or i ntesti ne. As the cat grooms
i tsel f wi th i ts tongue, i t wi l l swal
low some of the l oose hai r, whi ch
wi l l be most abundant when the
cat i s sheddi ng.
Normal l y the cat regurgitates
the hair mass to get rid of i t, but
someti mes the matted hai r, whi ch
i s i ndi gesti bl e, passes on i nto the
i ntesti ne. There it may cause
great di scomfort. The cat coughs
and vomi ts wi thout movi ng the
hai r bal l , and the obstructi on may
grow l arge enough to cause con
stipation . Hai r bal l s someti mes
become so l arge and i mmovabl e
that they must be taken out by
surgery.
Groomi ng hel ps to prevent the
formation of hai r bal l s, but once
the hai r bal l has formed, you
must help your cat get rel i ef. A
mi l k of magnesi a tablet or a tea
spoon of mi neral or vegetabl e oi l
someti mes hel ps to l ubri cate the
mass of hai r and move i t through
the di gesti ve tract. Someti mes a
bit of whi te vasel i ne rubbed on
the eat' s nose wi l l do the tri ck.
The cat l i cks of the vasel i ne and
i n thi s way gets the l ubri cant i nto
i ts di gesti ve tract.
1 23
BATHE A CAT onl y if it is absol utel y necessary-to
get ri d of grease or si mi l ar substances. Cats are very
suscepti bl e to col ds, and so you must guard careful l y
agai nst t hei r bei ng wet and exposed t o drafts . For wash
i ng, use a mi l d soap ( not a detergent) and onl y sl i ghtl y
warm water. A touch of mi neral oi l around the eyes and
i n the ears wi l l prevent soapy water from getti ng i nsi de.
When you have fni shed, ri nse out the soap thoroughl y.
Thi s may requi re three or four ri nsi ngs. Dry the cat com
pl etel y, usi ng heavy towel s or even an el ectri c dryer i f
your cat wi l l permi t i t.
Someti mes dry bath powders wi l l do the j ob best.
These can be purchased at pet stores, but check wi th
your veteri nari an to fnd out whi ch he recommends.
Cornmeal or corn starch are al so efecti ve. Work them
.into the coat and then brush them out. Much of the di rt
wi l l come out wi th the powder.
CLIPPING A CAT'S CLAWS prevents damage to your
furni ture, rugs, bl ankets, bedspreads, and si mi l ar i tems.
Cl aws too l ong t o ft i nto t hei r sheaths are al so uncom
fortabl e for the cat.
I f a cat i s al l owed outsi de, i t wi l l fnd a tree or a post
on whi ch to scratch, dul l i ng and weari ng down i ts cl aws
by i ts own method. I ndoors, some cats can be trai ned to
use a square of carpet or a speci al scratchi ng post made
of carpet, cork, or wood. Wi thout i ts cl aws, a cat cannot
cl i mb or defend i tsel f. Onl y in extreme cases shoul d de
cl awi ng be done-and then onl y after consul ti ng your
veteri nari an. He wi l l probabl y recommend removi ng onl y
the front cl aws.
Tri mmi ng a eat ' s cl aws requi res two peopl e. One
shoul d hol d the cat wi th one arm around the body and
the other gri ppi ng the hi nd l egs frml y. The other person
1 24
A carpet-covered post makes an excel l ent scratchi ng post for a cat.
shoul d hold both front l egs, tri mmi ng the cl aws on frst
one and then the other paw. A sl i ght pressure on the
pad of the foot wi l l cause the eat' s cl aws to come out
of thei r sheaths for tri mmi ng.
Fi ngernai l cl i ppers wi l l do t he j ob, but speci al nai l
tri mmers are better_ Get t he cl aws i n a posi t i on so that
you can see through them to make certai n you do not
tri m down to the pi nk, l i vi ng part i nsi de. Thi s woul d be
pai nful , cause bl eedi ng, and possi bl y l ead to an i nfec
ti on. After the front cl aws are tri mmed, repeat the proce
dure to tri m the hi nd cl aws.
1 25
KEEPING YOUR CAT HEALTHY i s normal l y not a prob
l em. Wi th good food and a warm, dry pl ace to s l eep,
your cat wi l l ordi nari l y be happy and heal thy. Cats, l i ke
peopl e, do become i l l occasi onal l y, however, and they
are stoic enough to refrai n from showi ng si gns of si ck
ness unti l they need consi derabl e attenti on .
If your cat refuses to eat ( not si mpl y i ndi cati ng the
desi re for a change i n di et) , has reddi sh eyes and hal i to
si s, or begi ns coughi ng and vomi ti ng, you can be as
sured that your pet i s real l y i l l . Home di agnosi s of the
ai l ment is not recommended, unl ess you have had much
experi ence, are absol utel y confdent of the symptoms,
and know preci sel y what to do. You do not dare make a
mi stake, for some ai l ments, such as i nfecti ous enteri ti s,
can be fatal qui ckl y. Nei ther can you be absol utel y cer
tai n yoursel f whether your cat has rabi es, the fu, or si m
pl y a hai r bal l . The symptoms are si mi l ar.
letti ng a veteri nari an exami ne your cat i s safer for
you and al so for your pet. Certai nl y it is much more
comforti ng. Regul ar checkups and a program of i mmuni
zati on shots shoul d be t he rul e, starti ng when a ki tten i s
about two months ol d.
Si mpl e probl ems can be attended to, of course, and
your veteri nari an can hel p you sel ect i tems for an emer
gency medi ci ne chest. A few of the common needs are
l i sted bel ow.
1 26
FI RST AI D KIT FOR CATS
rectal thermometer
medi cine dropper
cotton bal l s
bandages
fea spray
baby aspi ri n
whi te vasel i ne
mi neral oi l , or mi l k
of magnesi a tabl ets
A VETERINARIAN shoul d be sel ected soon after you
get your pet. Ki ttens shoul d have i mmuni zati on shots for
cat fever ( i nfecti ous enteri ti s ) when they are about two
months ol d. Dependi ng on where you l i ve rabi es shots
mi ght al so be advi sabl e.
I n emergenci es, you may need the servi ces of a veteri
nari an i mmedi atel y, and i t i s comforti ng to be abl e to
turn to someone who knows your pet . Sel ect the veteri
nari an careful l y. Ask fri ends who have cats whi ch one
they have found best. I t i s i mportant that he l i ke cats.
Some vets may be good wi th other ani mal s but not gen
tl e enough to handl e cats. I t makes no di ference i f he
happens to be gruf wi th peopl e. But watch how he han
dl es your cat and how your cat responds to the treat
ment. He is your eat ' s doctor, not yours.
1 27
CATS HAVE ACCIDENTS AND . COMMON AILMENTS
j ust as we do. Some of these have to do wi th the normal
process of agi ng. Others may occur at any age.
FLAS are common probl ems
that you can attend to yoursel f.
When you see your cat scratchi ng
regul arl y, chances are i t nos an
i nfestati on of these smal l , bi ti ng,
blood-eaters. Do not use a house
hol d i nsecticide spray or dust on
your cat. These are poi sons that
the cat wil l pick up as i t grooms
i tsel f wi th i ts tongue. Use onl y
dusts or sprays made for cats.
To be absol utel y safe, ask your
veteri nari an to recommend the
one l east harmful . He may ol so
suggest addi ng thi ami ne (a 8 vi ta
mi n) to your eat' s food to hel p to
di scourage the feas.
Getti ng rid of the feas on your
eat ' s body i s onl y the begi nni ng
of the treatment. Fl eas l ay eggs
i n the eat ' s beddi ng, on furni ture,
i n rugs, and even outdoors i n
pl aces where the cat sl eeps or
rol l s. Use a vacuum on the rugs
ond furni ture. Suction al l the
cracks and crevices where the
ti ny eggs and larvae mi ght be
found. Wash the beddi ng. Repeat
thi s thorough cl eani ng every few
days to make certai n all the l i fe
stages as wel l as the adul t feas
have been destroyed.
Heavy i nfestations of feas wi l l
make your cat l i stl ess and may
al so weaken i t for i nfestati ons of
worms and various ski n di seases.
El i mi nati ng feas i s more than get
ti ng ri d of a di scomfort.
Adul t Flea
( l i fspan: 6 months to 3 years)
Larvae feed on organi c
debris; transform i nto
pupe in 5 to 7 days
Eggs
l ai d i n
bedding,
on foor,
or on
furni ture;
hatch i n 2
to 1 4 days
WORMS of vari ous ki nds can
i nfest your cot. The most common
are roundworms, tapeworms, ond
hookworms . Thei r symptoms are
much the same-a l i stl ess atti
tude, ei ther a l ack of appetite or
voraciousness, a dull coat, di ar
rhea, and vomi ti ng.
Worm medi ci ne i s sol d i n pet
stores, but be careful ! These are
powerful catharti cs, and i f you
get the wrong ane or use i t im
properly, you may do more harm
than good. For safety, i t i s wi sest
to have your cat checked by a
veteri nari an and then to fol low
his prescri bed advi ce. Remember,
too, that worms are spread when
l ife stages are passed i n the cat' s
feces, whi ch must be destroyed Ia
protect other pets and to prevent
rei nfestati on of your pati ent.
Change the beddi ng dai l y.
SKI N PROBLEMS i ncl ude ri ng
worm, whi ch i s caused by a fun
gus. Hai r i s l ost i n ci rcul ar
patches over the cat' s body, and
the ski n i n the bare areas be
comes scaly. These spreadi ng,
i tchy sores are i rri tati ng and
cause a cat much di scomfort.
They can also be the entry si tes
for vari ous bacteri al i nfecti ons.
Ti ny, spi der-l i ke mi tes may al so
i nfest cats, some ki nds occurri ng
onl y i n the ears and others onl y
on the head or on the body. Cats
can also get l i ce, or if they are
free to roam outdoors they wi l l
surel y pi ck up ti cks from ti me to
ti me. Unl ess you had experi ence
wi th these vari ous parasi tes be
fore and are confdent that your
treatment i s correct, check wi th
your veteri nari an at l east the frst
ti me you treat an i nfestati on.
Roundworm
normal
engorged wi th bloo
INTERNAL DISEASES OF CATS are general l y seri ous
and must be treated by a veteri nari an. I f your cat does
not have i ts usual vi gor, i t may be best to get profes
si onal advi ce. I nternal di sorders are usual l y mani fested
by vomi ti ng, di arrhea, or si mi l ar very obvi ous symptoms,
however. Take your pet' s i l l ness as seri ousl y as you
mi ght your own, for when a cat appears to be si ck, i t i s
probabl y much i n need of attenti on.
RABI ES is not common i n cots,
but i t does occur. There i s no
cure for rabi es after i t i s contract
ed. I mmuni zati on shots are ad
vised i f the cot wi l l be wonderi ng
where i t mi ght contact ani mal s
that coul d transmi t the di sease_
FLU, a common ai l ment in cats,
has symptoms much like those of
a cold i n humans, i ncl udi ng a
runny nose and sneezi ng. If your
cat appears to have a col d, keep
1 30
it i nside and away from drafts. I f
t he condition persi sts or appears
to worsen, see your veteri nari an.
Do not negl ect your cat, bel i evi ng
that i ts "bad cold" wi l l go away
on i ts own. Your pet may have
devel oped pneumoni ti s, a deeper
i nfection that requi res treatment
wi th anti bi oti cs . This hi ghl y in
fecti ous disease i s transmi tted
from cat to cat, hence i t may be
wi se to have an annual i mmuni
zati on shot to prevent recurrence.
PANLEUKOPNI A, or fel i ne
i nfecti ous enteri ti s, i s an ex
tremel y dangerous di sease, al
most al ways fatal to ki ttens and
al so to many ol der cats. Because
the symptoms may b l i ke those
for Au, i t mi ght be overlooked.
Treatment must be gi ven as soon
as possi bl e to save the cat. Thi s
i nvol ves a program of anti bi oti cs
and bl ood transfusions . Kittens
shoul d be i mmuni zed when they
are seven to ni ne weeks ol d. Thi s
i s usual ly accompl i shed wi th two
shots, someti mes with one.
URI NARY AILMENTS-cysti ti s,
an i nfammati on of the bl adder,
and nephri ti s, an i nfammati on of
the kidney-commonl y afect
cats, parti cul arl y mal es. These
ai l ments can usual l y be detected
when the cat has di fculty rel i ev
i ng i tsel f. I t may be "humped' " as
i t wal ks. Because of the danger
of uremic poi soni ng, take the
pati ent to a veteri nari an i mmedi
atel y.
I NFECTI OUS ANEMI A i s proba
bl y passed to cats by feas. I t is
caused by a parasite that des
troys red bl ood cel l s. I n ti me
the di seased cat l oses i ts appe
ti te, becomes thi n and l i stl ess,
and devel ops a fever. Cats wi th
thi s di sease general l y have some
poor and some good days as the
i nfecti on bui l ds up. For thi s rea
son, the di sease has often pro
gressed to a seri ous stage before
i t i s detected. Treatment wi th an
ti bi oti cs and wi th vi tami ns i s
efective i n the earl y stages and
to a l esser degree i n l ater stages.
Control l i ng feas, probbl y i s most
i mportant.
TOXOPLASMOSI S i s O rather
common parasi ti c disease that
appears i n cats and other
warm-blooded ani mal s. The eggs
of the parasi tes, protected i n
cysts, are passed out of the body
i n the feces. Cats are parti cul arl y
good transmitters of the di sease
because they careful l y bury thei r
feces, gi vi ng the eggs the neces
sary two or more days for i ncu
bation. The eggs then remai n vi
abl e and i n an i nfective stage for
as l ong as a year.
The egg cysts may al so get
into a host' s body (cat, human, or
other ani mal ) i f raw or rare meat
i s eaten. Pork and mutton tend to
be hi gher i n the number of cysts
than beef.
I n human bei ngs, the greatest
danger i s the contraction of the
di sease by pregnant women, for
i t may resul t i n bi rth defects. I n
other cases, an i nfection gener
al l y has onl y mi ld consequences.
For protecti on, a pregnant woman
shoul d not accept a new cat i n
the house, because i ts previ ous
di et wi l l not be known. I f there
are cats i n the househol d al ready,
the pregnant woman shoul d have
someone el se empty the l i tter box
dai l y. Thi s wi l l di spse of the
feces ( perferabl y burned) before
the eggs are i nfecti ve.
The cats i n the house shoul d
not be gi ven raw meat, and the
woman shoul d l eave al l of the
gardeni ng chores to other mem
bers of the fami l y unti l her baby
i s born. I f she vi si ts another
house where there are cats, she
should avoid petti ng them.
1 3 1
YOUR QUEEN CAT CAN HAVE KITTENS soon after
she i s ei ght months ol d-if you permi t i t.
Many pet owners prefer to have thei r cat s payed or
neutered as soon as i t matures, whi ch i s duri ng the
fourth or ffth month for a femal e and the ei ghth month
for a mal e. Thi s operati on i s si mpl er for the mal e than
for the femal e, but i t i s not di fcul t or dangerous for
ei ther. It is not expensi ve. Speci al cl i ni cs for neuteri ng
cats have been establ i shed i n some metropol i tan areas.
Spayed or neutered cats do not roam at ni ght. They
do not j oi n the crowd on fences or roofs in howl i ng,
yowl i ng choruses. Mal es do not get i nto fghts that
someti mes resul t i n bad cuts that become i nfected, nor
are they frustrated by bei ng kept i ndoors where thei r
sprayi ng may become vi rtual l y i ntol erabl e. Femal es al so
sufer both mental and physi cal di fcul ti es if thei r sexual
acti vi ti es are i nhi bited. But when the urge i s el i mi nated
by spayi ng or neuteri ng, both sexes become doci l e
stay-at-homes-and someti mes get fat i f thei r di ets are
not watched carefu l l y.
Al l owi ng your cat to have ki ttens may be part of your
pl an, parti cul arl y i f she i s pedi greed. By sel ecti ng your
eat ' s mate, you can control , at l east to some degree, the
ki nd of ki ttens she wi l l produce. Otherwi se she wi l l
surel y try and probbl y fnd a mate hersel f when she i s
ready, whi ch i s usual l y abut twi ce a year. Her ki ttens
may be surpri si ng col ors and patterns.
Ki ttens are born i n about ni ne weeks. Duri ng her preg
nancy, t he mother-to-be gos about her normal l i fe, but
she tends t o become a bi t more cauti ous and may sl eep
more duri ng the l ast days. Duri ng her pregnancy, s he
wi l l eat more food and shoul d al so b gi ven extra mi l k
to hel p repl ace t he energy drai n and cal ci um l osses from
her body.
1 32
A mother cat takes god care of her ki ttens, preferri ng no hel p.
About a week before the ki ttens are to arri ve, the
expectant mother begi ns l ooki ng for a pl ace to have
them. You shoul d hel p her, for i f you do not, she may
sel ect a cl oset, a shower stal l , or even your be.
A l arge cardboard box wi l l do. It shoul d be l ong
enough so that she can stretch out. You can cut away
one si de, but l eave the edge hi gh enough so that the ki t
tens wi l l not be abl e to crawl out. I t may al so b best to
l eve the top on so that the nest i s rather dark i nsi de.
You shoul d be abl e to open i t easi ly to get at the ki t
tens, however. Be sure to put the bx i n some
out-of-the-way pl ace so that the mother and her ki ttens
wi l l not be di sturbed. Put several l ayers of torn or
shredded paper i n the bottom and then l et the expectant
mother scratch around to arrange the nest to sui t her.
Put a bl anket or cl oth over the paper and al so an ol d
towel t o b used when t he ki ttens are born.
1 33
Thi s ki tten, wi th its eyes sti l l shut, is only about a day al d.
MOST BIRTHS go to compl eti on wi thout di fcul ty. The
number of cats born natural l y are good testi mony of thi s
fact. But i n thi s case you have a vi tal i nterest i n one par
ti cul ar cat-because she i s your pet. I f she i s pedi greed,
you may al so have a speci al i nterest i n her ki tens. I f she
appears to be havi ng troubl e ( one ki tten shoul d be born
every hal f hour) , you may want to cal l a veteri nari an for
hi s advi ce or hel p. Occasi onal l y the bi rths are not easy,
and he can gi ve her professi onal ai d, i ncl udi ng a Caesar
ean i f i t i s necessary.
WHI LE GI VI NG BI RTH, your cat
wi l l probably want your company.
She wi l l need the comfort of reas
suri ng words, but do not hel p her
unl ess i t i s absol utel y necessary.
The process usual l y i s compl eted
i n about two hours, but occasi on
al l y i t wi l l take ei ght to ten hours.
Each ki tten emerges head frst,
sti l l surrounded i n a pl asti c-l ike
sac. The mother wi l l i nsti ncti vel y
remove thi s sac. I f she does not,
1 34
then you shoul d do so i mmedi ate
l y, for the ki tten cannot breathe
unti l i t i s free of this encasement.
Si mi larl y, the mother wi l l
probabl y cut the umbi l i cal cord
hersel f, but i f she does not, then
you must do i t. The cord can be
pi nched of or, better, tri mmed
wi th a pai r of sci ssors ( steri l i zed) .
I t shoul d be severed about an
i nch and a hal f from t he ki tten ' s
body. Squeeze t he end together
for O few mi nutes so that there i s
l ittle l oss of blood.
The mother cat will i mmedi
atel y wash each of her newbrn
ki ttens. She appears to do thi s
roughl y, but she i s i nsti ncti vel y
sti mul ati ng the ki tten' s breathi ng
process and i s hel pi ng to sti r the
Aow of bl ood. You must be
watchful at this stage, too, for if
a ki tten shows no si gn of begi n
ni ng to breathe, you shoul d l i ft i t
out and hol d it upsi de down for O
few mi nutes. Mucus that may
have col lected i n its breathi ng
passages wi l l then move out of
the way. At the same ti me, rub
the ki tten gentl y but bri skl y wi th
a towel to start its ci rcul ati on.
Each newborn ki tten can be put
i n a smal l er box that you have
earl i er pl aced at one end of the
nest. The box al so contai ns a hot
water bottle wi th warm ( not hot)
water to keep the newborn ki t-
tens safe and warm whi l e thei r
mother conti nues to gi ve bi rth to
others. Four i s a common number
i n a l i tter, but there may be as
many as ei ght. Rarel y are there
more. I f a kitten begi ns to cry,
i ndi cati ng hunger, you may put i t
Ia one of the mother' s teats from
which you earl i er trimmed away
the hai r.
The mother cat wi l l eat the
pl acenta, or afterbirth, that comes
after each ki tten is barn. This i s
normal and should not al arm you .
You shoul d make certai n, i n fact,
that an afterbi rth does follow
each bi rth. If i t does not, you
shoul d draw i t out wi th your
fnger i f possi bl e. I t may cause
i nfecti on i f l eft i nsi de the mother.
Keep a bowl of water avai l abl e
for the mother cat. I f the bi rth
process conti nues over many
hours, you may al so want to
provide her wi th some mi l k.
A mother cat meti cul ousl y cl eans her kitten wi th her tongue, starti ng at
thei r bi rth and conti nui ng for many weeks afterward.
KITTEN CARE shoul d be l eft to the mother cat at frst.
She can atend to keepi ng them wel l fed and washed
much beter than you can. She wi l l not be too pl esed,
i n fact, i f you i nterfere, though a pet that feel s secure
wi l l be tol erant. Al ley cats that gi ve bi rth to ki tens out
doors may move thei r fami l y several ti mes to hi de them
away from pryi ng peopl e.
Ki ttens are at frst deaf. Withi n a few days, they can
hear and al so smel l and taste, but thei r eyes remai n shut
for a week to ten days. I t i s best not to take them from
the mother unt i l they ar e weaned-at si x weeks t o two
months. By thi s ti me they wi l l have thei r frst set of teeth.
THE EYELIDS of a bby ki tten
tend to stick together due to
normal secretions. Thi s may be
especi al l y true wi th an orphaned
kitten who will not have its
mother to help keep it cl ean. You
can wash the eyes wi th mist
balls of cotton or wi th a soft
cloth. Be very gentle. The sti cky
secretions shoul d b absorbed
wi thout rubbi ng the eyes. If thi s
does not work, ask your veteri
nari an to prescri be a speci al sol u
tion for cl eansi ng the eyes.
1 36
TWENTY-SIX BABY TEETH
shoul d be i n pl ace wi thi n approxi
matel y a month. These remai n
unti l the ki tten i s about si x
months ol d, when permanent
teeth push them out. At the same
ti me, four additional teeth ap
pear. Some ki ttens get thei r teeth
earl i er than six months, some lat
er. While teethi ng, the ki tten
may not eat well and wi l l be
easi l y i rri tated. Occasi onal l y a
veteri nari an i s needed to hel p get
the baby teeth out of the way.
IF KITTENS ARE ORPHANED, you must take over the
duti es of the mother. At frst, they shoul d be fed on l y
mi l k. Di l uted cow' s mi l k i s sati sfactory, but your veteri nar
i an ( sel ect one earl y who can gi ve advi ce and hel p wi th
any such probl ems) can gi ve the i ngredi ents and propor
ti ons necessary for a formul a i f you prefer .
Mi l k can be fed from an eyedropper or from a dol l ' s
btt l e, if the ki tten wi l l nurse. Someti mes you can hel p a
ki tten get started by l etti ng it l ap mi l k from a soaked
cl oth or from your fnger. Or you can rub some mi l k over
its l i ps to gi ve i t a starti ng taste. Do not force a ki tten to
take mi l k too rapi dl y, and do not al l ow i t to dri nk too
much at one ti me. Rather, feed it about si x ti mes a day
that i s, every four hours.
A mother cat l i cks her kittens after each meal to cl ean
them. Thi s gentl e massagi ng wi th her tongue al so hel ps
the di gesti ve process and bri ngs about an el i mi nati on. I f
the ki tten has no mother, you shoul d fol l ow each of i ts
meal s wi th a gentl e rubdown wi th a warm, moi st cl oth or
a sponge. Massage toward the rear. The ki tten wi l l
probabl y el i mi nate. Be prepared for thi s event. Do not
have the ki ten i n i ts cl ean bed or on your l ap.
A baby ki tten wi l l dri nk mi l k from
a
dal l " s battl e.
Ki ttens eagerl y lop up thei r shore of mi l k from a bowl .
AT FOUR TO FIVE WEEKS, ki ttens can take smal l
amounts of sol i d food. Baby cereal , bread soaked i n
mi l k, or speci al starter ki tten foods that can be bought i n
pet stores shoul d be used. The ki ttens shoul d be fed four
or fve ti mes a day. If they are sti l l nursi ng, three meal s
a day wi l l do.
Even when they are weaned, at about ei ght weeks,
refrai n from gi vi ng ki tens many sol i d foods . They have
smal l stomachs but gl uttonous appeti tes . Very soon you
wi l l l earn that ki ttens, l i ke adul t cats, have defni te food
preferences. Make certai n thei r meal s are wel l -bal anced,
however. They wi l l need meat and mi l k ( some ki ttens l at
er refuse mi l k) , and they may l i ke vegetabl es. Most
prepared cat foods contai n basi c needs. Al ways make
certai n that your ki ttens have a bowl of fresh water,
whi ch i s changed at l east once a day.
1 38
A WARM PLACE TO SLEEP must be provi ded. I f your
ki ttens are wi th thei r mother, thi s probl em is sol ved auto
mati cal l y, of course. They can not onl y s nuggl e cl ose to
her warm body but al so have snack food wi th i n easy
reach. But i f the ki ttens are orphaned or i f you h ave
taken them from thei r mother, the task of maki ng them
comfortabl e becomes yours.
A bx or a bl anket wi th a towel or a pi ece of bl anket
i nsi de wi l l do. Cut at l east one si de l ow enough so that
the ki tens have no difcul ty cl i mbi ng i nsi de. Put the bed
i n a pl ace where i t wi l l not be i n a draft, l i fti ng i t a few
i nches of the foor i f necessary. Fi nal l y, make certai n the
ki ttens l earn that thi s is where they shoul d sl eep. If the pl ace
you have provi ded i s warm and i f the ki ttens ' stomachs are
ful l , thi s l esson wi l l requi re no efort.
Wi th thei r stomach ful l , ki ttens snuggl e and sl eep.
BEIN TRAINI NG KITTENS EARLY. Don ' t l et them
devel op bad habi ts. I f your ki ten persi sts i n cl i mbi ng on
a tabl e or i n sl eepi ng on the stai rs where i t can be
stepped on or possi bl y tri p someone, i nsi st that i t does
not do these or other obj ecti onabl e thi ngs . Be frm-but
do not whi p your ki tten. li ke ol der cats, a ki tten does
not res pond to harsh treatment. Say NO l oudl y. At the
same ti me make a l oud noi se by swatti ng the stai rs or
t he t abl e wi th a fol ded newspaper. A ki ten does not l i ke
l oud noi ses and wi l l soan l ern to avoi d what causes
them to be made.
Toi l et trai ni ng shoul d be started as soon as the ki tten
is bi g enough to be about on i ts own, usual l y when it i s
about a month ol d. I f the ki tten i s sti l l wi th i ts mother she
wi l l take care of i t unti l then. I f the ki tten i s orphaned or
i f you took i t from i ts mother ear ly, then you wi l l have
had the chore of cl eani ng the ki tten regul arl y, as the
mother woul d. Use a soft cl oth.
When it is sti l l very young, however, a kitten can be
trai ned to go outdoors, or if thi s is not possi bl e, it wi l l
l ern to us e a s peci a I pan or box ( p. 1 1 9) . Thi s real ly
comes natural ly for the ki tten. Al l you need to do is pro
vi de the pl ace. Make certai n that you use a box or a
pan that can be cl eaned easi l y every day. Keep the box
in the same pl ace so that the ki ten knows exactl y where
to fnd i t. I f the ki tten makes a mi stake, as i t wi l l at frst,
scol d i t. As you do, show the ki tten agai n the pl ace you
have provi ded. A ki tten real l y l earns qui ckl y and wi l l
i ngl y. Li ke an adul t cat, it is embarrassed and obvi ousl y
di stressed when i t does somethi ng that di spl eases you.
A ki tten does not shed hai r as much as it wi l l when it
is ful l grown . Neverthel ess, start brushi ng and combi ng it
earl y in its l i f so that it becomes accustomed to the
process. Geting rid of l oose hai rs wi l l keep them out of
1 40
your way and al so out of your pet' s stomach where they
may col l ect and form a hai r bal l .
A wel l -fed ki tten kept i n cl ean, comfortabl e quarters
wi l l be bri ght-eyed and heal thy-on i ts way to becomi ng
the perfect pet, qui et and contented.
A cat that was condi ti oned to gentl e brushi ng as a kitten prrs appre
ciatively during i ts daily groomi ng i n loter l i fe.
KITTENS ARE PLAYFUL, a part of thei r growi ng-up
educati on that, i n te wi l d, prepares them for getti ng
thei r food and protecti ng themsel ves. The exerci se
strengthens thei r muscl es and al so gi ves them ski l l i n
fghti ng tacti cs. But ki ttens make thei r educati on fun for
themsel ves and for anyone who is watchi ng them.
If a kitten has brothers and si sters or is sti l l wi th i ts
mother, i ts pl ay wi l l be taken care of regul arl y. You wi l l
see even i n a sti l l cottony kitten t he crouched, steal thy
stal k that i s typi cal of cats. Thi s i s fol l owed by a swi ft,
rushi ng attack. I f there are two ki ttens, a wrestl i ng match
ensues . On i ts back, a ki tten makes powerful di ggi ng
ki cks wi th i ts h i nd l egs . I magi ne what such ki cks woul d
be l i ke from one of the big wi l d cats equi pped wi th
gi ant-si zed, hooked cl aws!
I f your ki ten i s al one, you wi l l have to be i ts pl ay
mate from ti me to ti me. Chi l dren general l y get as much
pl easu re from these sessi ons as does the ki ten. Usual l y,
i n fact, chi l dren must be cauti oned not to pl ay too rough
and to hol d down the pl ay peri ods to hal f an hour or
l ess. These can be repeated several ti mes a day, though.
A ki tten must l earn not t o pl ay rough, too. At t he very
begi nni ng, a ti ny kiten wi l l unsheath its ten needl e-sharp
cl aws as i t pl ays. I f the atacks are bei ng made on your
hand, the pl ay soon becomes pai nful . Scol d a ki tten
when i t cl aws you . I t wi l l soon l earn to keep i t s cl aws i n.
1 42
Cats that l ive in the country or in subu rban areas can
go outdoors dai l y for wal ks or to bask in the sun. Those
that l i ve i n apartments may be confned to the bui l di ng,
and t hey can sufer from t he l ack of exerci se. Dai l y
wal ks do hel p keep a cat i n good heal th . Thi s can be
done onl y i f te cat i s wi l l i ng t o wear a col l ar and wi l l
submi t t o a l eash. I f thi s i s the onl y way your cat wi l l be
getti ng exerci se, you can start prepari ng i t for the col l ar
and l eash whi l e i t i s a ki tten.
Pet stores ofer a wi de vari ety of toys t hat wi l l del i ght
your ki tten. Many i ncl ude a stufng of catni p. You can
fnd numerous obj ects around the house to pl ease your
ki tten, too. Li ke ol der cats, a ki tten wi l l l i ke a cardbard
bx i n whi ch i t can hi de, scratch, and then l ounge. Papr
sacks, crumpl ed pi eces of paper ti ed t o stri ngs,
feathers-tese wi l l keep a ki tten happy hour after hou r
by i tsel f.
I f you do not gi ve your ki ten toys, i t wi l l fnd i ts
own-and thi s may be dangerous. The curi osi ty of an
adul t cat i s exceeded onl y by that of a ki tten. Make cer
tai n i t does not chew on an el ectri cal cord, amuse i tsel f
by knocki ng i tems of a vani ty, get i tsel f l ocked i n a
cupbard, or get stepped on as it fol l ows you around
t he house. Ki ttens often get i nto predi caments that
demand your hel p, but each experi ence makes them a
bi t wi ser abut thei r worl d.
1 43
KITTEN TO CAT, A HUNTER. Thi s is the natural se
quence i n nature. I t was as hunters that cats frst earned
thei r keep wi th Egypti ans. The cats not onl y protected
the granari es from rats and mi ce but al so di scouraged
bi rds from eati ng frui t. As mousers, cats are sti l l appre
ci ated, but thei r reputati on for ki l l i ng bi rds has put them
i n the di sfavor of many.
Each cat i s diferent, however. Some are god at
catchi ng mi ce and rats; others do not want to be both
ered. Some derive great pl easure from hunti ng bi rds,
whi l e others can si t by a bi rd feder and scarcel y gi ve
the bi rds that come there a second gl ance. St i l l others
wi l l practice thei r i nher ited art of hunti ng from ti me to
ti me and then l ose i nterest, j ust as some peopl e pursue a
prti cul ar h obby wi th great enthusi asm for a whi l e and
then s uddenl y shi f to another. I t i s a mi stake to i ndi ct al l
cats fr the mi scrent behavi or of a few.
When a cat does go hunti ng, i t combi nes its cunni ng
wi th the remrkabl e anatomi cal features that make cats
master hunters. Tese i ncl ude its keen senses of heri ng
and si ght, i ts abi l i ty to move s i l entl y on wel l -padded
feet, and its swi ft, short-di stance runs that enabl e i t to
overtake its prey al most before they have had ti me to
muster a startl ed escape. I n hunti ng, cats are " l oner s. "
Thei r hunti ng methods are not devel oped for group work
i n packs as dogs ofen do, though some of the wild cats
do cooperate i n maki ng thei r ki l l s. The eat' s typi cal
method requi res great pati ence. Determi ned to make i ts
catch, a cat may si t si l entl y for an hour or even l onger,
not budgi ng from one spat unti l a mouse or a rat l oses
i ts cauti on and comes wi thi n range of the eat ' s
wel l-measure pounce.
A pet cat rarel y hunts to get meal s. Many are so wel l
fed, i n fact, that they have great difcul ty bei ng i nspi red
1 44
by the thought of a hunt,
stri ctl y for sport and the
sense of accompl i shment.
"Wi l d" or feral domesti c
cats have been ki l l ed i n
l arge numbers i n several
states and the contents of
thei r stomachs anal yzed.
Bi rds made up a very smal l
percentage of t hei r meal s .
Thi s i s smal l consol ati on to
the bi rd in your backyard
i f your cat suddenl y gets
the noti on to make that
bi rd i ts quest. Nor does
i t pl acate nei ghbors who
thi nk your cat i s dri vi ng al l
the bi rds away from the
area.
To take care of such
si tuati ons, you can get a
col l ar wi th a bel l on i t.
Thi s wi l l announce every
move your cat makes, and
after the cat l earns that i t
can no l onger sneak up on
i ts prey, i t wi l l turn i ts
attenti ons el sewhere. I t
wi l l probably l earn to use
the bel l to announce that
i t wants i n or out of the
house. Some cats seem to
appreci ate havi ng thi s
si gnal i ng devi ce.
AS A CAT BECOMES OLDE, it may begi n to requi re
special attenti on. When i s a cat ol d? Thi s vari es wi th the
i ndi vi dual . It depends on the eat ' s heredity and al so on
the ki nd of l i fe i t has l ed. At ten years, however, a cat i s
becomi ng a seni or ci ti zen . Most house cats l ive to be
twel ve or fourteen years ol d; some pets l i ve for more
than twenty years. The symptoms of agi ng i n cats come
on gradual l y.
Ol der cats are not as spry as they once were. I f youn
ger cats are around them, the spi ri t of pl ay may return
from ti me to ti me, but the ol der cat spends i ncreasi ng
amounts of ti me resti ng and sl eepi ng. Make certai n that
your ol d fri end has a warm, comfortabl e bed i n whi ch to
curl up and dream of other days. I f your pet gets caught
i n the rai n, dry hi m wi th a bri sk rubbi ng before he settl es
down for a snooze.
I f you permi t i t, cats wi l l eat more than they shoul d,
and i n ol der, l ess acti ve cats, thi s can resul t i n fatness.
Obesi ty i s no beter for cats than for humans. Watch
your eat' s wei ght. I f he bei ns addi ng ounces and then
pounds, reduce the amount of food he gets. Kep the
di et wel l rounded, of course, and pay no attenti on to the
compl ai nts that wi l l come frst. After a few days, your
cat wi l l adj ust to the restri cti on on food i ntake.
When your cat begi ns dri nki ng more water than u sual ,
be on guard for a ki dney ai l ment. Degenerati on of the
ki dneys is not u nusual i n ol dr cats, and if it occurs
gradual l y, i t causes no great difcul ty. But i t i s wi se to
have your veteri nari an check your eat ' s condi ti on and to
prescr i be a treatment if it is necessary. Ki dney di seases
can be seri ous and i t i s not uncommon for tumors to
develop i n the ki dneys of ol der cats.
Fi nal l y, j u st as i n humans, l oss of teeth and at l est
pri al deafness are l i kel y i n ol der cats. You may have
1 46
to begi n seri ng softer foods-even ki nds that can be
" gummed" -and you wi l l probabl y have to shout l ouder
when you cal l your fri end at the door. But i f you have
had your pet so many years that these i nfrmi ti es have
set i n, you wi l l not mi nd these s l i ght i nconveni ences to
make hi m happy i n hi s l ast days.
A grayed, ' ' senior ci ti zen " cat spends many hours sl eepi ng.
SHIPPI NG A CAT OR A KI TTEN may be necessary.
Thi s wi l l occur i f you are not taki ng the tri p yoursel f but
are sendi ng the cat or ki tten to someone. Or you may
al so be goi ng on the tri p but are not permi tted to have
an ani mal i n the passenger area.
Shi ppi ng by bus or by trai n i s advi sabl e onl y for short
di stances. For l onger tri ps, the ai rpl ane gi ves the fastest,
smoothest ride. But i n al l i nstances, the responsi bi l i ty of
maki ng sure your cat or kitten has a safe and sati sfac
. tory tri p i s real ly yours.
Fi rst of al l , do not make the shi pment u nl ess the con
necti on i s di rect. Don' t ri sk havi ng your cat or ki tten
spend unnecessary hours of wai ti ng i n l ayovers and per
haps even be mi ssed. Make al l of the shi ppi ng arrange
ments several days i n advance so that the boardi ng
procedure i tsel f i s very bri ef. Stay wi th your cat or ki tten
as l ong as you can to keep i t comfortabl e and to make
certai n i t i s bei ng l oaded properl y.
I f you can do so, make te shi pment col l ect. When
pyment is yet to come, the handl i ng of the cargo tends
to be swi fter and gentl er. Al so buy adequate i nsurance.
The cost i s not great, and i t wi l l gi ve you much peace of
mi nd t o know t hat your cat or ki ten i s bei ng given care
ful handl i ng en route.
You can ei ther rent or buy a carri er. I f shi ppi ng i s
l i kel y to come up often, i t may be best to purchase a
carri er of your own. In thi s way, you can keep the car
ri er in good condi ti on and can al so have ti me to get i t
ready for each tri p. You can even condi ti on your passen
ger to spendi ng ti me i nsi de i t so that the space i s not
unfami l i ar when i t comes ti me for the actual tri p. Before
the departure, put some paper on the foor of the contai n
er and perhaps even shred some of i t. Thi s makes an
easi l y di sposabl e l i tter that your ani mal may fnd useful
1 48
Speci al carri ers for cats get them safel y to thei r desti nati on.
duri ng the tri p and is easy to cl ean out. For short
tri ps-and most of those by ai rpl ane do not requi re many
hours-i t wi l l not be necessary to provi de food. I f you
wi sh, you can put some dry food i n the carri er. Some
peopl e l i ke to put the rati ons i n smal l pl asti c bags that
are stapl ed to the si des of the carri er. I f your cat or ki t
ten becomes real l y hungry, i t wi l l fnd these packages,
and getti ng i nsi de the bags gi ves i t somethi ng to do to
occupy i ts ti me duri ng the tri p.
Most i mportant, make certai n that someone wi l l be on
hand t o meet your cat or ki ten when i t arri ves at i ts des
ti nati on. I f thi s cannot be arranged, i t i s best to wai t and
make the shi pment at some other ti me. A wai t at a ter
mi nal can be i ndel i bl y frustrati ng for a pet.
1 49
Some cats enjoy ri di ng in automobi l es on short or l ong tri ps.
TRAVELING WITH CATS i s someti mes l ess expensi ve
and i s certai nl y more comforti ng than l eavi ng them wi th
fri ends or boardi ng them. I f you thi nk travel i s l i kel y i n
your eat ' s l i fe, start the condi ti oni ng ear l y, for an ol der
cat may never adj ust to ri di ng i n an automobi l e.
Ki ttens can general l y be trai ned at l east to tol erate
automobi l e tri ps. Fi rst l et them pl ay in the car whi l e you
j ust si t tere. After several such experi ences, start the
motor on the next vi si t to the car. Thi s gets them accus
tomed to the sound of the engi ne. I f al l goes wel l , begi n
taki ng short tri ps-around the bl ock or through the
nei ghbrhood.
Some cats l earn to enj oy car travel i ng thoroughl y,
especi al l y i f they know that food and a l i ter box go with
them. Pet . stores can even provide you wi th a cat car
seat so that your pet can si t up hi gh and see out the
wi ndows j ust as you do. But remember
'
to keep the wi n
dows cl osed far enough so the your pet cannot l eap out.
The u rge to have a l ook around outsi de may come when
the car i s movi ng or when you have stopped for a trafc
l i ght or a stop si gn .
1 50
Some cats never become comfortabl e in a movi ng car
and wi l l worry the dri ver and passengers by paci ng
around i nsi de. For everyone' s comfort, these pets shoul d
b transported i n a cage or carri er. I t shoul d be l arge
enough s o that the cat can move around and shoul d
have screens at the top and si des . But preferabl y, i t
shoul d not be so l arge that i t cannot b carri ed by a
handl e on top l i ke a sui tcase. Thi s wi l l make it easy for
you to take the cage from the car to the motel room or
wherever you put up for t he ni ght.
Even for cats that do not have to b caged, a carri er
i s sti l l advi sabl e for transporti ng them when you are out
of the car. Col l apsi bl e carri ers, much l i ke dufe bags,
are conveni ent for use i n these ci rcumstances. I t i s i mpor
tant to keep your pt confned or on a col l ar and l eash
when you are i n a strange area. I t i s easy for a fri ght
ened, bewi l dered ani mal to pni c and run of. You may
have difcul ty geti ng your pt to respond to your cal l s
or may not be abl e to fnd i t.
Use a carri er to keep your pet from getiing l ost i n a strange pl ace.
BOARDI NG YOUR CAT may be necessary when you
go on tri ps, parti cul arl y if your cot is a poor t ravel er. I f
you do not pl an to be gone l ong, perhaps you con get a
fri end to come to your house to core for your pet. It wi l l
be happi er wi th food, water, and a l i tter box at home.
Or maybe a fri end wi l l ofer to toke your cot to hi s
home duri ng your absence. I f you hove accustomed your
cot to "vi si ti ng" now and then, thi s may be possi bl e, but
there i s al so a danger that your pet wi l l run away and
go bck to hi s home.
Cats are not especi al l y good barders and woul d
much prefer t o stay i n fami l i ar surroundi ngs. I f your tri p
wi l l be l ong, however, i t i s probabl y best to fnd board
i ng faci l i ti es.
I f you do not know a good pl ace, cal l your veteri nar
i an to get hi s advi ce. Some veteri nari ans hove accom
modati ons for i nstances of thi s sort, and you may be
abl e to combi ne your absence wi th a medi cal checkup
for your pet. You mi ght al so fnd out where fri ends who
hove hod the some probl em have kept thei r cots.
Most i mportant, fnd a cl ean pl ace so that your pet i s
sti l l heal thy when you return. Accept the fact that your
cot wi l l not be happy u nt i l i t i s home agai n.
1 52
ABANDONMENT of cats is cruel and mal i ci ous-and a
much too common occurrence. Cats are extremel y sensi
ti ve. They thri ve on ki ndness and pamperi ng. Most of
those forced to feed for themsel ves may manage to sur
vi ve, but they are usual l y unhappy, fri ghtened, ski nny,
often di seased and neuroti c creatures. Through no faul t
of thei r own, these are the cats that gi ve thei r ki nd a
bad reputati on general l y. They become the shadowy,
sl i nki ng ani mal s seen i n al l eys and around garbage cans
and dumps. They howl and fi ght, steal food at market
pl aces, ki l l bi rds i n yards and parks -l i vi ng up to the
soci al outcast i mage thrust upon them.
Cats are abandoned for a vari ety of reasons, none
of whi ch are good ones. A cat taken to a summer cottage
may be l eft there because the fami l y is si mpl y ti red of
the pet. A bag of ki ttens i s dumped i n the country,
perhaps wi th the hope that someone wi l l feel sorry for
the wai fs and take them i n. But thi s rarel y happens.
When a fami l y moves, they may have no pl ace for thei r
cat i n the new home. They l eave i t behi nd.
Never abandon a cat or ki ttens. I f they ar e unwanted,
contact an organi zati on that can fnd a home for such
ani mal s or that can gi ve them humane treatment.
FERAL CATS are domesti c. or house cats that are
"wi l d . " Unl i ke the recentl y abandoned cat, or stray,
that i s general l y anxi ous to fnd a home agai n, a feral
cat is fercel y i ndependent. It shuns peopl e, though i t
may steal i ts food at the trash can or the garbage
dump. "Wi l d" cats of thi s sort are common i n most l arge
ci ti es and i n many rural areas.
Feral cats get thei r start when two strays produce a
l i tter of ki ttens that grow up never associ ati ng di rectl y
wi th humans. These ki ttens fnd mates among thei r ki nd,
1 53
Cats are remarkabl y capabl e af taki ng care of themsel ves in the wi l d.
and soon several generati ons separate the cats from
human contact. Each adul t femal e is capabl e of pro
duci ng two or three l i tters per year. Authori ti es esti mate
that the total number of feral cats in the worl d is wel l
i nto t he mi l l i ons.
These "wi l d" cats become carri ers of di sease that
can spread to pets . They are al so the notori ous ki l l ers
of bi rds and smal l game ani mal s as wel l as some poul try
and l i vestock. Thei r menace becomes most obvi ous on
i sl ands, where bi rds and other wi l dl i fe may be destroyed.
Ground nesters, such as seabi rds, sufer especi al l y.
Feral cats threaten to become a pl ague i n Austral asi a
where no cats were nati ve. But wherever they exi st,
feral cats are a resul t somewhere i n the past of the
abandonment of a cat or cats that woul d have been
happi er on the hearth .
1 54
CAT CANS AND CAN NOTS
Cats move i n such a shroud of mystery, al ways keepi ng
a psychol ogi cal di stance between themsel ves and thei r
human compani ons, that many myths have evol ved
around thei r behavi or and powers. At the same ti me,
cats are i ndeed ani mal s endowed wi th unusual capabi l i
t i es. Separati ng fact from fal l acy i s therefore often not
si mpl e. li sted here are a few of the common bel i efs
about cats, some of them true and others fal se.



I
CATS CAN USUALLY LAND ON

THEI R FEET i f they happen to fal l . /

from a tree, roof, or other el eva-
tion wi th thei r bock down. They
do not al ways manage to get

turned over i n ti me, but by

fi ppi ng thei r toi l and twi sti ng
thei r body, they make on aston-

i shi ngl y qui ck Ai p in mi dai r. A cot
c:

(
con be badl y hurt i n O fal l , notu-
)
rally, but i ts tough muscl es give i t
surpri si ng bounce that i s a protec-

live feature no matter whether
\
the cot l ands on its feet or hop-
_
pens to mi ss. But a cot defni tel y

has on uncommon sense of bol -

once. If the fal l is for enough to

\1
gi ve i t ti me to turn, i t wi l l al most
\
al ways l and on its feet.
Cots do not hove ni ne l i ves, a

bel i ef that has come about onl y

because cots do manage so often - ` \ J
to survi ve troubl es that woul d ki l l

other ani mal s.

CATS CANNOT SUCK A BABY' S
BREATH and ki l l i t. Thi s i s one
of the very common bel i efs that i s
absol utel y untrue. Because cats
l i ke chi ldren and many cats also
like to lie cl ose to a human bei ng,
i t woul d not be unusual for a cat
to l i e next to a baby. Between the
movi ng around of the two of
them, they mi ght indeed get i nto
a posi ti on i n whi ch i t l ooks os
though the cat i s trying to suck
the baby' s breath. Or the cat
may actual ly l i e on top of the
baby so that the baby coul d cough
and cry, al armi ng a mother.
I t i s best to keep the cat away
from the baby, mai nl y far sani
tary reasons. When the baby
becomes a mi schi evous chi l d, be
equal l y concerned for the cat' s
safety at ti mes. Cats and chi l dren
ordi nari l y become great compan
i ons, wi th the cat taki ng much
more abuse from the chi l d than i t
woul d tolerate from an adul t.
CATS CANNOT SEE I N THE
DARK. No ani mal can actual ly
see i n total darkness, for seeing
requires the exi stence of at least
some light. But a cat can see i n
extremel y di m l ight. I t can open
the pupils of i ts eyes very wi de to
l et i n whatever l i ght i s avai l abl e.
A speci al coati ng, the tpetum
l uci dum, at the back of the retina
reAects thi s mi ni mum of l i ght so
that i t i s ful ly uti l i zed.
CATS CAN FI ND THEI R WAY
HOME from long di stances.
They hove o remarkabl e, l ittle
studi ed homing i nsti nct that en
abl es them to travel hundreds of
miles through strange territory to
return to fami l i ar surroundi ngs.
Thi s does not mean that when
a fami l y moves and tokes thei r
cot wi th them there i s great dan
ger that the cot wi l l run away to
go bock to i ts ol d home. Despite
thei r seeming i ndi ference, cots
do hove great afection for their
"fami l y, " and it i s rare for a cot
to stray i ntenti onal l y from the
people it as sociates wi th i ts
home. Contrary to on age-old be
l i ef, cots real l y l i ke peopl e more
than they do pl aces.
CATS CAN SHOW GREAT
CONCERN for peopl e. There
ore recorded cases where cots
hove saved people' s l i ves by
waking them when a house was
on fre or there was a gas l eak.
They have al so al erted them to
the presence of scorpions, poi son
ous snakes, and other dangerous
i ntruders. Thei r afecti on end
understandi ng of thei r own fami l y
i s demonstrated i n many ways.
They know the usual voi ces and
sounds i n a house, but if a
strange voice j oi ns the conversa
ti on, the sl eepy cot suddenl y
becomes wi de awoke. A cot does
not move at the sound of the
fami l y cor i n the dri veway, but
a strange cor puts i t on al ert
i mmedi atel y. A cot i s al most
al ways hosti l e to new pets i n the
househol d, but i f the pet i s an ob
vi ousl y accepted addi ti on, the cot
l earns to tolerate i t and may
even become fri ends.
MOR E I N F OR MAT I ON
Ames, Fel i ci a, The Cot You Core For, Si gnet, The New Ameri can Li
brary, New York, 1 968
Aymcr, Brandt ( ed. ) , The Personal ity of the Cot, Bonanza Books,
New York, 1 958
Bryant, Dori s, Dori s Bryant's New Cot Book, l ves Washburn, I nc. ,
New York, 1 969
Carr, Wi l l i am H. , The Basi c Book of t he Cot, Gramercy Publ i shi ng
Co. , New York, 1 968
Deni s, Armand, Cots of the Worl d, Houghton Mi fi n Co. , Boston,
1 964
Gi lbert, John, Cots, Cots, Cots, Cots, Paul Hcml yn, london, 1 968
Mel l en, I da M. , A Practical Cot Book, Charles Scri bner' s Sons, New
York, 1 950
Mery, Ferncnd, The life, Hi story and Magi c of the Cat, Grosset and
Dunlop, New York, 1 968
Mi l ler, Harry, The Common Sense Book of Kitten and Cat Core, Bantam
Books, I nc. , New York, 1 966
Montgomery, John, The Worl d of Cots, Paul Homl yn, london, 1 967
Pond, Grace, The Observer' s Book of Cots, Frederi ck Warne end Co. ,
london, 1 959
Smi th, Ri cherd C. , The Compl ete Cat Book, Wal ker end Company, New
York, 1 963
Spi es, Joseph R. , The Compleat Cot, Prentice-Hel l , New York, 1 966
Van Vechten, Carl , Tiger i n the House, Al fred A. Knopf, New York,
1 936
Whi tney, leon F . , Compl ete Book of Cat Care, Doubl eday, 1 953
PHOTO CREDI TS: p. 6 1 , Briti sh Museum, bot. I , r ; Metropl itan
Museum, top I ; p. 63, Oguro Pl anni ng Co. - FPG; p. 68, The Granger
Col l ecti on; p. 69, 74, George leavens; p. 70, From Archy &
Mehi tabel by Don Marqui s copyri ght 1 930 by Doubleday & Com
pany, I nc. Repri nted by prmi ssion of the publ i sher; p. 7l , Keystoe
Press Agency, I nc. , I ; Jean Ri bi ere, r; p. 72, Metropol i tan Museum;
p. 73, John Web, top; Metropol i tan Museum, bot. ; p. 1 06, 1 09,
Mark Krastof; p. 1 07, 1 08, 1 27, 1 3 1 , Stanl ey Gorl i tsky; p. 1 34,
1 35, 1 4 1 , 1 54, Welter Chcndoha; p. 1 58, Seri ce de Documentation
Photogrphi que de Ia Reuni on des Musees Ncti oncux.
1 58
Abandonment, 1 53
Abyssi oni a, 84, 85
Accidents, 128
Acinonyx jubotus, 1 9
African Wi ld Cat, 42, 60
Aging of cat, 1 46
Ai l ments, 1 28
Aleurophi l e, 4
Aleurophobia, 4
Alexandria, 62
Anemia, infectious, 1 3 1
Angora, 94
Archy, 70
Ad, 68, 72
Automobile traveling, 1 50
Bal i nese, 98
Bastet, 60
Bathi ng, 1 24
Boy lynx, 58
Beliefs, 1 53, 154, 1 55
Blackbuck, 20
Black Cat, 66, 67, 77
Black Death, 65
Block-footed Cat, 54
Black Persian, 9 5
Blotched Tabby, 8 1
Blue Persi an, 97
Slue Tabby, 8
.
1
Boarding, 1 52
Bobcat, 8, 58-59
Breeds., 75- 1 05
Abyssi ni an, 84
Bal i nese, 98
Birman, 1 0 1
Black, 77
Block Persian, 95
Blue Persi an, 97
Burmese, 87
Chi nchi l l a, 98
Coon, 89
Cream, 103
Hai rless, 91
Havana Brown, 90
Hi mal ayan, 98
Karat, 83
Manx, 88
Red Self, 1 03
Rex, 86
Russi an Blue, 79
Siamese, 92
Smoke, 100
Tabby, 80, 104
Tortoise-shell, 82, 102
Whi te, 78
White Persi an, 96
Bronte sisters, 69
Brown Tabby, 8 1
Brushing, 1 22
Buddhism, 63
Bufon, Georges louis, 71
I NDE X
Burman, 101
Burmese, 87
Caesar, Jul i us, 71
Calico Cot, 82
Capote, Truman, 69
Caracci , 41
Carlyle, Thomas, 69
Carriers, " 5 1
Cot, domestic (general )
acceptance of other
pets, 1 09
accidents, 1 28
agi ng, 1 46
ai l ments, 128
as pets, 1 06
bathing, 124
boardi ng, 1 52
breeds, 75- 105
carri ers, 1 5 1
claws, 12, 1 24
cleverness, 7
collars and leashes, 1 1 8
combi ng, 122
di seases, 129, 130, 1 3 1
ears, 1 1
evolution, 1 3
eyes, 1 1
fami l y features, 8 , 9
feeding, 1 10, 1 1 2
groomi ng, 1 22
heal th, 126
hunters, 1 44
i ntell i gence, 7
ki Hens, 1 32
l i vi ng quarters, 1 1 4
luck symbols, 66
origin of, 60
porodoxicol nature of, 6
personal i ti es, 4
pl ay, 1 1 6
photographs, 7 4
spread of, 6 2
teeth, 1 0
toilet habi ts, 1 1 9
tongue, 10
toys, 1 16
trai ni ng, 1 1 8
traveling with, 1 50
tri cks, 1 20
whi skers, 12
Cheetah, 8, 1 8-21
Chi na, 63
Chi nchi l l a, 98
Chri sti ans, 64
Civet, 13
Cl aws, 1 2
cl i ppi ng, 124
Clouded leopard, 37
Coll ar, 1 1 8
Combing, 122
Coon Cot, 89
Cougar, 38
Cream, 103
Cuvi er, Georges, 71
Cysti ti s , 1 3 \
do Vi nci , leonardo, 68 , 72
Di ckens, Charl es, 69
Di et, 1 10
Di seases, 129, 1 30, 1 3 1
D'Y both, 124
Ears, 1 1
Egypt, 30, 72
Egyptians, 60, 62
Egyptian cot, 42, 75
EQYPtion tabby, 75
Enteri ti s , feline infectious, 13 1
Ethi opi a, 84
European Wild Cot, 48
Evolution, 1 3
Eyes, 1 1
Feedi ng schedule, 1 1 2
Felis bengolensis, 44
carocal, 41
cetus, 75
chous, 43
colocolo, 53
concolor, 39
geolreyi, 54
libyca, 42
lynx, 56
manu/, 49
margarita, 49
marmorate, 47
nebulosa, 37
ngrips, 54
pardalis, 50
planiceps, 45
rufa, 58
servo/, 40
silvesfris, 49
femmincki, 47
viverrino, 47
wiedi, 52
yogourorundi, 55
Feral cots, 1 53
Fi rst aid kit, 126
Fi shi ng Cot, 46
Flat-headed Cot, 45
Fl eas, 128
Fl u, 130
Foad, l 1 0
variety, 1 1 2
France, 72
Freya, 64
Gal l i co, Paul , 69
Geofroy' s Cot, 54
Gir Forest, 22
Golden Cot, African, 46
Greeks, 62
Groomi ng, 122
Hair ball, 123
Hairless Cat, 91
Havana Brown, 90
Heal th, 126
Hemi ngway, Ernest, 68
Hi mal ayan, 98
Hindu, 63
Howel l s, Wi l l i am Dea
Hugo, Victor, 69
India, 63
I sl e of Man, 88
Jaguar, 8, 30-3 1
Jaguarundi , 5 5
Japan, 63
Johnson, Dr. Samuel , 69
Jungle Cat, 43, 60
Kofr Cat, 42
Ki pl i ng, Rudyard, 70
Ki tten, birth of, 132, 133,
1 34, 135
care of , 136
diet, 137, 1 38
groomi ng, 141
pl ay, 142
trai ni ng, 140
Karat, 83
lo Breo Tar Pit, 15
lear, Edward, 69
leash, 1 1 8
leopard, 8, 32-35
Clouded, 37
Painted, 50
Snow, 36
leopard Cat, 44
lice, 129
li on, 6, 22-25, 72
literature, 68
li tter box, 1 19
living quarters, 1 14
long-haired cots, 94- 1 U
long-haired Colorpoi nt, 98
Luck symbol s, 66, 67
Lynx, 8, 56-57
Maeterlinck, Murice, 71
Manx, 88
1 60
Mao, 63
Marbled Cat, 46
Marbled Tabby, 8 1
Morgay, 52
Marquis, Don, 70
Mehitabel, 70
Mi aci d, 13
Mi ddl e Ages, 64
M; l k, 1 1 1
Mi tes, 129
Money Cat, 44
Mongoose, 13
Mountain li on, 38
Mummi es, 60
Napoleon, 71
Nephri ti s
Neutering, 132
Ocel ot, 50-5 1
Otter Cat, 55
Ounce, 36
Painted leopard, 50
Pal l as' s Cat, 48
Pampas Cat, 53
Panleukopenia, 1 30
Panther, 34, 38
Ponthero leo, 22
onca, 30
pardus, 32
tigris, 26
uncia, 36
Posht, 60
Pedigree, !08
Persian, 94
Phoeni ci an, 62
Play, 1 16
Pneumoni ti s, 1 30
Poe, Edgar Al l an, 69
Puma, 38-39
Rabi es, 130
Red Sell, 1 03
Renaissance, 72
Rex Cot, 86
Ri ngworm, !29
Romans, 62, 72
Rumpy, 88
Russi an Bl ue, 79
Sober-toothed Cat, 14
Sand Cot, 48
Schwei tzer, Dr. Albert, 68
Scott, Si r Walter, 69
Serol, 40
Shakespeare, 7 1
Shi ppi ng, 148
Short hai red cots, 75,
76-93
Si amese, 92
Si l ver, 98
Si l ver Tabby, 8 1
Smilodon, 14
Smoke, 100
Spani sh lynx, 56
Spaying, 132
Sphi nx Cot , 91
Striped Tabby, 80
Superstition, 65
"Tabbi ' " si l k, 80
Tabby, 80
long-haired, 1 04
Teeth, 10
Temminck' s Cot, 46
Thai l and, 83, 92
Ti ger, 26-29
Bengal , 28
Si beri an, 28
Tiger Cat , 80
"Ti gl on, " 27
"Ti gon, " 27
Toilet habi ts, 1 19
Tongue, 10
Toxopl asmosi s, 1 3 1
Toys, 1 16
Trai ni ng, 1 18
Travel i ng, 150
Tricks, 120
Twain, Mark, 69
Uremi c poisoni ng, 1 3 1
Uri nary ai l menh, 1 3 !
Veterinarian, 126- 1 3 1, 134,
152
Water, 1 1 1
Wel l s, H . G. , 69
Whi skers, 1 2
White Cat, 67, 78
White Persian, 96
Wi l d Cot, African, 42, 60
European, 48
species of, 16
Wi l l i ams, Tennessee, 69
Wi tches, 64, 65
Wordsworth, Wi l l i am, 69
Worms, 129
B C D E F
LA15
A GOL D E N NAT URE G U I D E
GEORGE S. FI CHTER has served as author, co-aut hor, and
edi tor of o number of Gol den Gui des as wel l as ot her nature
ond sci ence books for Gol den Press. He has al so aut hored
tech ni cal papers and numerous magazi ne arti cl es cover i ng hi s
brood i nterests i n t he natural worl d. A professi onal bi ol ogi st,
he taught zool ogy and conservati on at Mi ami Universi ty (Oh io),
edi ted a nat i onal sport fi sh i ng magazi ne, and served as an
executi ve of t he Sport Fi shi ng I nsti tute, Was h i ngton, D. C. He
l i kes al l an i mal s, but ranks cats, both wi l d and domesti c
, among
hi s favorites.
ARTHUR SI NGER, one of Ieday's foremost pai nters, i s a grad
uate of Cooper Union Art School and the f i rst reci pi ent of i ts
medal for di st i ngui s hed work. He has been ar teacher, art
di rector, and desi gner. As a young man, t he f i rst subj ects he
poi nted were cats-and now he f i nds h i msel f retur ni ng t o hi s
fi rst l ove. A deep i nterest i n natural h i story l ed Mr . Si nger
afi el d i n Europe, Nort h America, Sout h Ameri ca, t he Cari b
bean, and Afri ca. Hi s outstandi ng i l l ustrati ons for BI RDS OF
THE WORLD and BI RDS OF BRI TAI N AND EUROPE h ove
brought hi m worl dwi de accl ai m.
VERA R. WEBSTER, managi ng editor of al l sci ence publ i cati ons
for Gol den Press, was a sci ence teacher for many years before
accept i ng a posi ti on as head of the sci ence deport ment with a
maj or publ i s hi ng company. For the post decode she has been
acti ve in t he preparati on of sci ence books for t he young as
wel l as f or adul ts, i ncl udi ng t he publ i cati on of one of t he most
widel y used textbook series. She has travel ed ext ensi vel y i n
t he Un i ted Stoles as a cons ultant t o teachers of sci ence, i s a
l i fe member of t he Noti onal Sci ence Teachers Associ ati on , and
is dedi cated to t he goal of i ncreasi ng publ i c u nderstandi ng of
t hei r nat ural envi ronment.
GOL DEN PRESS NEW YOR K