International Cat Judge Praises Standard Of New Zealand Pets

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28012, 5 July 1956, Page 2

International Cat Judge Praises Standard Of New Zealand Pets

NEWS FOR WOMEN

“The children’s pets were the loveliest array I have seen in any country; the children were very keen, and they deserved the prizes they got,’’ said Miss Kathleen Yorke, ar international cat judge, commenting in Christchurch yesterday on the Southland Cat Club’s show, which she judged at Invercargill last week-end. There were more than 200 entries in the household and children’s pel section, said Miss Yorke. She thought many of the pets must be of pedigree stock, though they were not registered.

There were very good short-haired cats in the Southland show, but the long-haired cats needed a lot more grooming. Miss Yorke said. They were not so well groomed as those she had judged in Auckland in June. One Chinchilla neuter at Invercargill was outstanding. “I saw also some nice short-haired smokey cats which we have not got in England. The coats were black, but when parted showed pearly white, which was very attractive,” she added. In England, three women were international judges of all breeds of cats —Mrs Joan Thompson, who was in New Zealand a few years ago; Miss Evelyn Langston, and herself, said Miss Yorke. Their work was voluntary, but they travelled to many parts of the world at the invitation of the governing councils of the cat fancy, and their travelling expanses were paid. Miss Yorke is chairman of the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy of Great Britain. Recently she judged eats at shows in Sweden. Sacred Cats of Burma

The most unusual cats she had seen were of the breed known as the sacred cats of Burma, Miss Yorke said. She had judged these cats at the Paris shows, and had seen them nowhere but in France. The cats were sealpointed like the Siamese, but they had long fur coats. They were the colour of the Siamese cat, but had white

“gloves” extending an inch up each leg. The feet must be pure white. She had heard that some breeders had sent cats of this breed to Switzerland from France. In England there was what was known as the Burmese cat, but it was short-coated. Miss Yorke said. This Burmese breed had originated in America, and the English breed was

similar to the American. The coats of this breed were a dark, very glossy brown, and the eyes of the cats were between yellow and green in colour, almost matching chartreuse. Though she had bred Persians and considered them intelligent—almost super-intelligent—Miss Yorke said the most alert and intelligent cats were the Siamese, and they were also the mi st ailectionate. Cats that were intelligent were made so by being spoken to and treated as members of the family. They heard words spoken to them, paid attention, and understood. Manx Cats Miss Yorke said she had judged Manx cats on the Isle of Man. There were very few litters of Manx cats that did not have long-tailed kittens in them. The Manx cats had to be mated with long-tailed cats, or cats that had small tails, otherwise the breed would die out. One could not mate a tail-less cat with another tailless one. The true Manx cat of championsnip standard must have no vestige of a tail. There were many legends about the origin of Manx cats on the Isle of Man, Miss Yorke said. One was that they had been put ashore by a ship’s crew, but the stories were just legends. Miss Yorke lives about 18 miles outside London, and has three pedigree cats tor pets. She has lost several cats from old age during the last eight months. Most of her cats had lived to a great age, she said. The oldest was a Persian blue, aged 22%. She had bred Persian cats for many years, but ceased breeding them when she became a judge, as she was away from home a good deal, and could not give the kittens the necessary attention. Miss Yorke said. Her travels had taken her to many parts of England, Scotland, America, Scandinavia, and many other countries in Europe, said Miss Yorke. Scandinavian countries had imported many cats from England since the war.

In Christchurch, Miss Yorke is the guest of Mr and Mrs A. J. Danks until Friday morning. Mr Danks is president of the Siamese Cat Club. Before she arrived in New Zealand, Miss Yorke judged at the Sydney Cat Show on June 1 and 2. Next week she will return to Sydney on the first stage of her homeward journey. She will judge in Wellington before she leaves New Zealand.