Miss H. Cochran, writing of neuters, says : "There are, without doubt, a great number of people who like to keep a cat, especially a Persian, for a pet pure and simple - one that will be the admiration of all, and of service in ridding the house of mice and rats. They will attain a greater size, and in nine cases out of ten retain all the pretty habits and antics of their kittenhood. Neuter cats are often very troublesome in a large cattery ; they fight with each other and with the queens, which have a poor chance against their superior size. I think they do it for fun."

In Fur and Feather "Zaida" thus writes of neuters : Undoubtedly it is a crying mistake for neuter cats to be allowed to compete in open classes, but personally I should be delighted to see more classes for them at shows, and much greater interest taken in them. Sometimes one is tempted to think the ordinary run of cats has deteriorated in general beauty, remembering the splendid animals, both English and foreign, which we used to see in friends' houses in our childhood ; but the real explanation lies in the fact that formerly " house " cats were almost entirely kept as pets, and handsome kittens were obtained for the purpose. Nowadays anything not good enough for breeding from is made a neuter, and fanciers undoubtedly look on them with a certain contempt. Why should this be more the case with cats than with horses ? For a perfect household pet the neuter cat holds its own, if only the public would universally acknowledge it. But too often every purchaser of a kitten starts breeding, and multiplies a race of weedy, ill-kept animals, who do little credit to their owner. A cat with kittens is undoubtedly a charming sight ; but a female cat is more or less of a worry, and is, besides, only in coat for a very short time each year.

Then a torn cat roams, fights, and is often objectionable, but the stay-at-home cat is always a thing of beauty, never requires periods of seclusion, will mouse and rat with the best, and be a credit to any establishment. In short, we should like to see more of them, not fewer, and a neuter class for every colour in a show. In many a household cats are now disliked through the ill-advised action of some member of the family in starting breeding with more zeal than knowledge, and without proper convenience. If a lovely neuter, or even two or three, reigned in their glory, there would be an end to the trouble, to the groans of the other members of the family, to the " wasn't engaged to wait on cats " of the servants.

"Benoni." The Property of Miss Cottor. (Photo: F. Wallace, Dalkeith.)

In the schedule of the Beresford Cat Club show, held at New York, January, 1903, the classification for gelded cats reads thus : "Class 25, neuter, white or black; Class 26, neuter, blue or smoke; Class 27, neuter,' any other colour'; Class 28, neuter, any colour tabby with white." It will be seen, therefore, that in America a much more liberal classification is given for long-haired neuters, and for short-haired there are three classes provided. I do not know, nor have I heard of, any remarkable American neuters, and no photographs have been received by me for reproduction in this work.

If we go back some years in the fancy, I remember Miss Sangster's " Royal Hector," a blue of great celebrity ; also same owner's "Royal Bogey," a handsome black with a white star. Miss Boddington's cobby, woolly-coated white " Ba Ba" appeared later in exquisite form, winning well till he was eleven years old. At this same period Mrs. Herring's little smoke " Ally Sloper" and Miss Molony's big, heavily coated black " Uncle Quiz " were noted winners.

Miss Adamson's Chinchilla Neuter

Then we come to Mrs. Willman's " Charlie," a fine blue of " Beauty Boy " strain, and Miss Knight's " Albion Joey," one of the finest neuters ever exhibited, a huge smoke with the roundest of heads, a trifle marked and not good in eye, but a glorious animal.

A little later came Madame Portier's "Blue Boy," and, as I have received some notes from the owner of this magnificent cat, I will give them : - " I am very proud of my' Blue Boy,' born on St. Patrick's Day, 1895. He has won twenty-eight first prizes and many specials, and his championship before he was a year old. I had an offer of £20 for him. The greatest honour' Blue Boy' received was a caress from her Majesty, then Princess of Wales.

"I often take my pet out for a walk on a collar, and he is quite easily led, and people often stop and ask if it is really a cat. I send you his photo for reproduction in' The Book of the Cat.' " One of " Blue Boy's " wins was at the Richmond show, 1902, where he was greatly admired for the dignified way in which he comported himself on a lead. In these up-to-date days, however, " Blue Boy " has to run the gauntlet with superior coloured eyes, but in shape, size, and coat he holds his own. Miss Kirkpatrick's " Chili," now no more, was a beautiful creature - a silver}' smoke, almost a smoke tabby, with a wonderful fleecy coat and grand frill. Mrs. Reay Green has always been the proud possessor of superb neuters - "Mosca," a blue ; "Abdul Zephir," a chinchilla ; and later "Ajax," who has done some winning. Viscountess Esher also has quite a cattery of neuters. I procured for her a sable, almost unmarked and very rich in colour, a white with limpid sea-green eyes, and a Siamese with perfect points.

Miss Cochran's "Patpaw" (now in the possession of Viscountess Esher), a son of the celebrated tortoiseshell "Tawney," is rather small for a neuter, but full of quality, with wonderful orange eyes. " Persimmon Laddie," owned by Miss Whitney, is, perhaps, the most perfect specimen that has been seen in the pen of the neuter classes. He is not a brown and not a tabby, but a sable ; and, having the blood of the " Birkdale Ruffles " and " Champion Persimmon " in his veins, it is no wonder he carries all before him. No photograph can do him justice.

Mrs. Boyce's "Fur" could beat any male chinchilla now on the show bench ; for in colour, shape, and head he is well-nigh perfect. Mrs. Millar's "Lord Bute" is a monstrous black, and in spite of his green eyes is generally in the prize list ; but in Mrs. Curtis's "Baron Bonelli" he met more than his match at the Crystal Palace in 1902. This black cat (a son of "Johnnie Fawe") has all the good points of "Patpaw," including his gorgeous eyes, and he is very large. Miss Holmes' " Blue Tut" has won many honours, and Miss Chamberlayne's "Tiger" is a handsomely marked brown tabby. Miss Meeson's "Fluff Duvals," another brownie, won first at the Crystal Palace and Brighton, and after a second at Westminster came home to die ! Miss Averay Jones has a splendid chinchilla neuter " King Cy," a possession too precious to be risked at any exhibition.

"Nigel The Raven." Mrs. Meller's Short-haired Black Neuter

So much for the long-haired pet pussies, and we will take a glance at past and present short-haired neuters. A lovely coated cat was " Tiger of-K-epwick," owned by Mrs. MacLaren Morrison, a brown tabby, as his name denotes. Then Mrs. Butler's orange, which for many years won at the Crystal Palace and Brighton. Mr. Lane had a good yellow-eyed white, "Leonidas." Mrs. Herring owned a well-marked brown tabby in " Sir Peter Teazle." Of late years the most remarkable short-haired neuters have been Miss Cartwright's really lovely Siamese "Chote" and Lady Alexander's blues, " Brother Gamp " and " Tom Gamp," who are rarely, if ever, defeated. A richly coloured orange tabby neuter, "Red Eagle," also hailed from the same cattery.

In judging neuters, I think it is rather a mistake to go too much by points. I consider size should be a most important factor, also coat and general effect. Of course, in close competition points would come into question; but I really think that a large, heavily coated neuter, whose colour was a trifle unsound, or whose markings or eyes were below par, should not be placed below a small mean-looking cat who, however, excelled in these points.

Louis Wain, writing on a general survey of the Crystal Palace show of 1900, referring to the neuter class that he judged, says : - "Neuters have suffered somewhat through the extended schedule of the' whole' cats. At one time it was quite a usual thing for exhibitors to have their' cats neutered to preserve the natural beauties of a fine cat, and very often a really handsome cat was neutered because he stood no chance in a class of twenty or thirty cats, and yet would take first as a neuter in a class of six or eight. The neuter classes have not grown as have the other classes. As 'home' cats neuters should be encouraged, and I feel sure that many are kept at home in fear of the dreaded' blues,' which are usually unbeatable." Mr. Wain also complains of the poor classification for neuters at our shows, and on this particular occasion he states that the cats were such extremely fine animals that they needed classes of their own for him to do justice to their merits. Certainly there ought at least to be three classes provided for neuters at our large shows, viz.: Neuters, self-coloured (blue, black, and white); neuters, tabby, "any colour"; and neuters, "any other colour."

Madame Portier's Neuter " Blue Boy." {Photo: Hana, London.)