Now that there are specialist societies for several breeds of cats, prizes for these are well supplied at the various shows. I would, therefore, suggest that fanciers should try to encourage Blacks, Whites, and Brown Tabbies, who have no society to look after them, and offer specials on their behalf.

Cats are very sensible to strong odours or perfumes. They have a great objection to the smell of orange-peel. I am sure they resent the very strong disinfectants used at some shows. They particularly dislike their beds to be scented with any of these fluids or powders.

Have you noticed the different colours of cats' noses according to the breeds? In Blue cats they are just about the colour of the coat, the same with Black Persians. Orange cats have pink noses, and the Silvers mostly a sort of brick-dust colour; this also is the case with Brown Tabbies.

Here are particulars of two very inexpensive articles useful to fanciers. If you do not have your tins made for holding the earth, then purchase large earthenware flower-pot saucers. These are much preferable to wooden boxes. Baskets come expensive if you need many for cats travelling, so I advise you to lay in a stock of margarine baskets, which your butterman and grocer will let you have for a few pence.

Let me recommend my readers to pay a visit to the Camden Town Institution for Lost and Starving Cats. It is splendidly managed, and all information as to the most humane way of destroying injured or aged cats is readily given. One has to see, in order to believe, how absolutely painless is the sleep of death in the lethal box for poor pussy.

When your pets are in full coat, then is the time to have their photographs taken. It is often very convenient and useful to have a good picture of your stud cat or queen to send to would-be purchasers of them, or of their kittens. A reproduction in Our Cats has often proved a splendid advertisement for fanciers.

Never be persuaded into purchasing a cat or kitten that is suffering from snuffles, or nasal catarrh. This troublesome complaint, which is often the remnants of distemper, is seldom really curable. It is most distressing, not to say disgusting, to have a cat that is sneezing all over the place.

If you are desirous of discovering the pedigree of a cat, you should send a shilling to the secretary of the club and ask for it to be looked up and forwarded to you.

It is a very good thing to accustom your cats to answer to their names, and if you give them some high-sounding title for the register and the show catalogue, keep a nice short pet name for home use.

It is often supposed that worms take whatever medicine is given to the cat; but this is not so, the worm absorbs the nourishment, and if a substance is given that assimilates readily with the food then these pests are destroyed, and when dead, expelled.

When trying to pick out the best kittens in a litter of Self-coloured ones, first see whether there is any white spot on throat or stomach, then direct your attention to the size of head, width between the ears, and broadness of face. A short tail is to be desired in both Persian and English cats.

When you are ordering medicines from any of the cat doctors, be sure and give the age of your cat or kit, and it is also advisable to mention some of the symptoms of the illness with which they are troubled.

A kitten may be considered a cat when it has shed its first teeth. This process takes place between six and nine months, and often during this period puss is out of sorts, and refuses her food, for the gums are tender and sore.

It is always a sure sign of good health if, when a cat or kitten has finished a meal, it slowly stretches itself, then sets to work to have a vigorous wash up, and finally curls itself round into a ball and falls asleep.

Many cat fanciers may not be aware that really good and healthy foster-mothers can be procured from the excellent homes for stray cats in and about London. The few shillings given go to help on the humane work of these splendid institutions.

It would seem that Self-coloured Manx cats are more rare, and consequently more valuable than Marked or Tabby ones. Therefore, when Black or White Manx cats are for sale it is well to secure them.

The tail of a Persian cat should not be tapering at the end; this is a defect that we often meet with. The fur on the tail should be as long at the tip as higher up.

Ear tufts in Persian cats add wonderfully to their personal appearance. They take away from the size of the ear and fill in an ugly vacuum. In choosing a puss, look out for these fine feathers.

Keep the pick of a litter for yourself if you intend showing or wish to get a good sum for a grown-up cat, but don't be tempted to retain two or three just to see how they will turn out.

We do sometimes hear of the bite of a cat being fatal, but this is very rare. I have been badly bitten several times in separating cats, but beyond a certain amount of pain no bad results have followed. On each occasion I have plunged my hand into a basin of hot Condy and water, and kept it there for some minutes, and thus the poison (if any) has been drawn out of the wound.

Owners of stud cats are always gratified to receive letters from the senders of queens announcing the arrival of the family, mentioning the number of kittens, and any other interesting details. If one is born dead, or dies shortly after birth, it is considered correct to enter the birth of the whole number of kittens in the cat papers.

If you belong to a Specialist Society, try and assist your secretary by sending prompt replies to any questions which may be submitted to you as members, and if in your turn you wish to make some inquiry, it is only polite to enclose a stamp for an answer.

Never lose an opportunity of giving a helping hand to a novice in cat breeding, and don't offer the services of your stud cat just for the sake of the fee when you feel and know that a cat of a different type and breed would give better results to the owner of the queen.