CATTERY AT MORNINGION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2604, 10 February 1904, Page 49

CATTERY AT MORNINGI ON .

AND A WORD ABOUT DOGS AND CANARIES.

The '"fotey" v>hich pined a-noy upon remoi al to a h&ighbourhood whf re be could not "^port" a cat — because there were none — was, it mu«st be acknowledgrcl, t3'picai to a fault of his species. Admitting' so much, it toi'iows that Mr Tom Hides'^ Froiic. with her six pups and other keiinol companions, will haye — livmg as they do just round the corner from a whole terrace of ""at residences — no lack of life-sustaining ; but it rests with Mi Kerr, pation and support of tii3 fehnc=, to 6<?o that said spoit is of the anticipatoiy order only.

Cat.= ! Such cat«, and such palatial -_at homes ! Surely cats — even &ucn fuiry bca'it:cs a= Mr Kcrr's — w ero jievrr hou s ed in c ueh glciy and comfoit in Xevr Zealsnd before. Fancy! fne l>anc"' om^ly-bu'lt tvoloo.iied co'.rpges, eaeli and a 1 ! dejgr. ■'J to en-i'i'o luxir.oiK ea. c and ' c?hb The reoms are lofty and commodious, '.veil raided fiom the ground, pioperly \entiaied. opened the mn, and gua.dod from wind and wet. Jv>st one Tom \nd one fcrna'e ("'queens, "' t>i6y are called in cattery talk) occupy each ho'i=e, and by and-bye. no doubt, a- f nti'li--^ in-crea-e. upper =torey? and \eran f lahs will be. evcctc'l and go cart-s supplied; bur of ihi= of eouii c anon.

Xo. 1 cattery terrace — roiutfl the coiner rc>sido Linden Laura, winner of third in Sydney lasl season, and Pa^ha, Mr Hides': well k:iown terrier 8 , both looking paiticulaily anticipatory at the time of my \ i>it — is tho lc-idenco of But Robin, a Pewan r.ristociai v,ho=c- poihait ha-, enribellxhed, «i : illustration of cxi ejDtioral Mine beauty, the pajt- of several Oid Country journal-. Tlu^, gentleman is one of the lais^t cv t\aIntel in iMigianJ, and uoiYiith-i-andiug ti at onl}- fhiee weeks ha\e elaz~ J -inr-e bis importation fiom the Old Couiitrj-, pud that ho is by no r,i a:»-> a kitten, ho nhows no <?\iJ^nee cf ill eft'<-<?t oniuj to tho wear and teai of the lo'igr ocean -\ojaje. H<* lookr, nubility u=e!f • — a rentable Atlmuabl-e Ciiciitou: indeed, Mr Cuyler H^tiiigs portrdj ing slut eeiebrity did jiot look more di-^iifW a> .iwauh ot all he fcurvcj id (or puuia-!) t i i dot = Jilui, Rohm I,'lonl of ilr Kc-ir 1 - i'Jcmu,ton ccU'ery. Robin's jiv-'-nt coin., amor '.» Lady Kilchei-'ei, a giaeeful <reatur:> (Xew Zealand bred), blue m bl&o 1 and v.^riiioi c as her partner. Robin ha* th.> re-patat'on of 1 oi'-u one of t'.'c be -4 sfoc'-c-cc-Lir-^ I-rowii to Hi.' Kiiqli^h Lincy He jsuu bone an 1 * into hio pio-^nv, but l.p-~ nevti been kno< n 10 «iiitct co'our or markiups — his jouug i'l\vav- follow iii' 4 Hit ir nu in . uch re^> • t- : Uiorcfore it trf-cs without furll" 3 !' f. ulrpnc that in ark'inon to tie po-',' -itu al ;,U otlipv Mitu^s. I'il-.'.c Uobm is gallantly ,t«elf The Diu-he-3 of LchK a 1 d Fek\ m Lo/j'iv, (VO qt'C^'Hs, ,11,,'O'l'H ', d Bill, Rob'!! 11)1011 the \cyag.- 1 c .it fi i i/> t.ic crt'.s i r\ of tlu.r bioc\ . Mr C. W. Witt, of Lczdls Cattciy, 11 Ll'UIUj.2 Lajil.

Speaking of the Tom Blue Robin, Mm P. Millar, a lady who visited England in the interests of some Am&ncau journals, cays: — '" He is a huge blue tabby, silver bi-ed, and has, when mated to silvers, produced some excellent sptcimsne. He is typical of his breeder's itoek — i.e., delicate in colouring of coat (which ie sou:id from tip to root), cobbines-s of figure, bull-doggisn Lead, and, above all. his glorious cj r es " The Duchess and Felecia are of equal merit, and, indeed, as much almost may- be eaid of all th© rest of Mr Korr's stock, as all hail from the same source.

At> further evidence of the qua lily of M. Kerr's importations, it may perhaps suffice to say that Mr Witt is president of the Birmingham and Midland Counties Cat Club, and one of {he best-known cat breeders irt ihe v. orld, and winner of innumerable* prizes As to his prizes, it may be mentioned! that Lady Marcus Beresford's Nemophylla. which won the gold medal for best longhaired cat in the show, was by Blue Rob;i> — Myosotis : and Mr C. Witt's Mabel oc Loz&lis, bj" Moko — Sen Sen, won the bronze medal for the best long-haired blue femalecat at the We. tminbt-er Cat show in ad ol the Traasvail War Fund.

The Duchess, Felicia Lczpll. Sand?', Marony, Netta. and Kino, all Persians, occup3' the otb.er hou^>p« of the tei-raee, and in their respective pc-rsons represent all favourite colours and shades, and irrespective of colour, would look well ni the best of company for their cobbinesn and com-pactine-ss of build, large lound heads, briglrfcyellow es'es, full brush-like tails (after vh& ctylo of a collie), plentiful frills and manes.

Mr Kerr informed me that, though de-vid-ed by wne netting only, his cats never fight, ?ncl aro as fond of attention from, himi-elf and visitors in the way of pattings, etc, as ony hearthrug fa\ovrite cf the common variety. He feeds them on a vaiiety of food, milk <-ops and cooked meat being the chief supply.