Domestic cats are now divided by the character and color of the coat, coinparative length of tail, etc., into certain varieties recognized by fanciers, according, to rules formulated by the societies which hold annual competitive exhibitions in New \ irk, London, and other cities. The prin cipal divisions are twI)—long-haired, or Asiatic, and short-haired, or European cats. The long haired varieties are two, the -\ ngora and Per sian.
The .lagora cat came originally from Angora, and has a small head and rather large tufted ears; the long silky hair should hang in tufts and clusters, shortening toward the end of the tail. The colors are varied, but black and dark slate colored ones with orange eyes, or blues and whites with light eyes, are most valued.
The Persian is also long-haired, but is larger in body and the fur is coarser, and increases toward the end of the long tail: the color may be almost any, but deep black with orange eyes is preferred; blue is the next best color.
The short-haired cats are mainly distinguishes] by their colors, as tortoise-shell, tabby, white, blue (or •te. The hair may differ somewhat in length and texture. but in this respect the diversities are too slight and in constant to count Tortoisc-shell eats are rather small, long-bodied, and graceful; in color. black, red, and yellow, rich and deep, and dis posed in sharply defined patches upon short, close, silky hair. Eyes, bright amber to orange yello•. The presence of white sets the animal aside into a 'variety known as Tortoise-shell and where the white should be in a distinct blow on the face and on the breast and legs. All these eats are good mousers, but less affec tionate than some others.
Tabby is the name given to handed or brindled cats, in allusion to the wavy pattern of their coats, like the old-fashioned 'watered' fabrics from the East once known in commerce as 'atabi' tend more lately as 'Wifely.' Four varieties arc recognized by fanciers—brown, spotted. blue (or silver), and red tabbies. Good examples of these types must conform to their standard; anything else is simply an un•lassed 'tabby-eat.' "The brown tabby," says Iluidekoper, "has a ground color of a rich reddish dark brown, With no white, and even, regular bars and bands of solid shining black over every part of the hody; these bands must be perfectly distinct, and there must be no spots." The Spotted Tabby may be of any base color, and is uniformly and equally spotted all (Wet* with black spots set in lines. The eyes of both these varieties should be orange. The Clue or Silrcr Tabby is a rather small. very slender, graceful, close-haired eat, bright blue or else silvery in color, setting off the jet-black narrow bands with great sharpness; cushion of the feet black; long tail, ringed; eyes orange for the blue, yellow for the silver race. The poi Tabby varies from reddish brown to red in base color, having well-detincJd bands of darker red, and no white whatever; eyes. orange or yellow.
This cat is an important factor in breeding tor toise-shells; in fact, 00 per cent. of male tortoise shell kittens are red tabbies, the females only, as a rule. being proper to•toise-shells. They are good-natured domestic cats, great mousers and hunters for birds; they are also expert fishers. White and short-haired eats form a special class, characterized by eyes of turquoise or clear sky blue; or, if yellow, there must' be no greenish tinge. These are quiet, affectionate cats, very often deaf. Self-Colored cats include those which are of some one solid color, and their eyes should be orange-yellow for the blue (or Maltese, as it is known in America I, orange for the black, yellow for the gray, and gold for the test eat. The more uniform the color the better. Mack cats and Illaek-and-Whitc cats are classed :separately, and in the latter case the white should be only on the face. muzzle, breast, and paws; the eyes vary from orame-yellow to 'sea-green.' The royal cat of Siam reverses this somewhat, being dun. or fawn-•olor, with black face, ears, tail. and feet. The Manx eat differs from others not only in being tailless (as a rule), but also, like the Siamese variety, has the hindquarters decidedly elevated. A white Alanx cat is almost unknown, and black ones are exceedingly rare.
Butmoca:AritY. Champtleury, Les Chats (Paris, 1870: anecdotal. illustrated) ; Helm, Rollarpflan zra and Hauslhirre (Berlin. 189.4) ; G. Bolles ton, "On Domestic Cats," in Journal of .1aatotay and Physiology, Vol. 11. (London, 1868J ; Weir, Oar Cats Varieties. Habits, and .1Ianagetnent (Ne• York, ISS9) ; J. Jennings. loomestic and Fancy rats (Loudon. 1S93): Stables, rats: Handbook to Their Classification and biseascs (and] Training (London. I897) ; 1:. II. lluidekoper, The rat (New York. 1895; standar& of form, treatment, etc.) ; Marten W. Winslow, Coact rainy rats (11oston, 1900; dis cursive) : Agnes Il.epplier, The Fireside Sphinx New York, 1901; historical and literary).
CAT (in old ships the eat-fall led through the •at-head, a projecting beam on the bow, frequently ornamented with a eat's head). In nautical par. Inace. the rat, or cat-purchase, is a device used in getting the anchor up in the securing position after it has been hoisted by the capstan as far as the hawsepipe. Sec ANCHOR.
CAT. In military engineering, a heavy beam with a harp iron point, used during the Middle Ages in besieging castles or tow It was pro vided with a MON aide cover of timber, for the protection of those who worked it, by swinging it back and forth. it was called a eat because it clawed into a wall. It was also known as a mouse or fox, because it gnawed a round hole. and as a hog or sow, froin the round hack of its cover, or because it worked with its tusk, like a boar.