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LONG-HAIRED CATS
LONG-HAIRED BLACK
One of the oldest breeds in Britain, the black long-haired
cat was much more numerous years ago than it is today. Before
and between the two wars, this was a breed that attracted
much attention at cat shows. For some reason, since the last
war it has declined in popularity. It is a great pity, for
when it is in full coat its beauty is hard to surpass. The
contrast between the dense black of the long soft coat and
the large round deep orange eyes is most striking. In the
past, Blacks have won the award of Best in Show on many occasions.
Although there are so very few of them, the type today is
very good. When young, the kittens are often rusty of coat
with shady roots, but these may turn out to be the finest
cats with the densest black coats. Sometimes they have the
appearance of a Smoke, with a whitish undercoat and very little
pure black showing, but with age this will disappear and the
lovely dense black colouring comes through, improving as the
kitten reaches maturity. A black cat may often come into its
full beauty with the second coat, that is, between the ages
of twelve and eighteen months.
As in the other long-haired breeds, the head should be broad
and round, with good space between the ears, which must be
small and set at the side of the head. They must be tufted,
neatly rounded at the tops, well covered, with no skin showing
through. Large wide-open eyes of deepest copper or orange,
with no trace of green, are required. The body should be cobby,
with short thick legs, making it low to the ground and forming
a square.
A long-bodied cat is ungainly and there will be no balance
of the head and the brush, as the tail is called; this must
be short and well furnished, so that it looks as broad as
the body when fully brushed out. The under part must be as
black as the body colour and not shaded or rusty. A brownish
tinge appears on the coat if the cat is often out in the sun,
if the coat is frequently licked, and also when moulting.
For perfection the coat should be jet black down to the roots,
long and fine of texture. When showing a Black, it is necessary
to groom and polish the coat for weeks with a silk handkerchief
or chamois leather. This, in addition to giving the fur the
so much admired lustrous jet black sheen, may help to remove
any white hairs. These are frequently seen, but may fall out
with the polishing, as they are coarser in texture than the
other hairs. A badly-presented cat is disappointing for the
judge, who will be looking for something really outstanding
in coat; first appearance is so important, and with a very
little effort a Black can always look ready for showing.
For breeding, it is advisable to use one of the best type
of long-haired Blues to help to continue the grand type which
some of the best have. Black to Black breeding is often used,
and is excellent, but it is also wise to use a Blue stud sometimes.
This was done in the past, and most successful Blacks in Britain
were bred in this way, or had a Blue grandsire or grand-dam.
There are many superstitions associated with black cats, both
long and short-haired, although opinion seems to be divided
as to whether they are lucky or unlucky. Once they were looked
upon as witches’ cats and familiars of the devil. Although
black cats are usually good-tempered and make excellent pets,
to see one in a terrific rage with the large orange eyes blazing
can be an awesome sight, and one can well understand why they
were regarded as having supernatural powers in medieval days.
In Germany, the appearance of a black cat in the room of a
sick person was said to portend death, but in Cornwall to
have a black cat in the house was supposed to be a preventive
or cure for epilepsy.
Standard Points
Colour Lustrous raven black to the roots, and
free from
rustiness, shading, white hairs, or markings of any kind.
25
Coat Long and flowing on the body, full frill
and brush,
which should be short and broad. 20
Body Cobby and massive, without being coarse,
with plenty
of bone and substance, and low on the leg. 20
Head Round and broad, with plenty of space between
the
ears, which should be small, neat, and well covered;
short nose, full cheeks and broad muzzle. An undershot
jaw shall be considered a defect. 20
Eyes Large, round and wide open, copper
or deep orange in
colour, with no green rim. 15
Note:- Black Long-haired kittens are often
a very bad colour up to five or six months, their coats being
grey or rusty in parts, and sometimes freely speckled with
white hairs. Fanciers should not condemn them on this account
if good in other respects, as these kittens frequently turn
into the densest Blacks.
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