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LONG-HAIRED CATS

LONG-HAIRED WHITE

LONG-HAIRED WHITE (Blue-eyed)

There are three long-haired breeds recognised, the white with blue eyes, the white with orange eyes and the odd-eyed with one orange eye and one blue. The Blue-eyed White is the original breed, and was known abroad generations before breeding was started in Great Britain. France had many with glorious deep blue eye colour. They were supposed to have been imported from Asia originally, and were known as Angoras, later to be called Persians. Years of selective breeding produced the fine specimens seen in North America and France today. Forty or fifty years ago Britain too had some excellent types, but now there are comparatively few being bred. Probably this is partly due to the deafness which seems to affect most blue-eyed white cats. Very few have perfect hearing. Any odd-eyed specimens, that is, with one blue eye and one orange eye, appear to have good hearing. These are useful for breeding, and have been used most successfully in the past. Odd-eyed Whites are now recognised. They can now win challenge certificates and can become champions.
The Whites keep themselves spotlessly clean generally, and it is often remarked that they must have been kept shut in to be so immaculate. This is quite untrue, as man people allow them complete freedom and the coats are still glistening and pure white. The feet and paws may become soiled sometimes, but if this happens just before a show, a little warm soapy water and a quick dry will soon put matters right.
White cats must be kept free from yellow markings, which are great faults but are often seen at shows. As with all breeds, whether long-haired or short-haired, the tail of a White must be kept free from grease which tends to make it yellow. Males seem to be most affected, but with constant grooming the tail can be kept as clean and pure in colour as the rest of the body. A cat with a yellow greasy tail would be placed down at a show.
Although once of very poor type, the variety has improved enormously, but it is still difficult to get really deep blue eyes. The coat is nearly always of the softest texture, long and luxuriant, with a short and full brush. Purity of coat colour is very beautiful to see, and it counts so much to present the perfectly prepared exhibit. Ideally, the body should be cobby, low on the legs, forming a square. It must not be coarse,. The nose should be short, with a strong muzzle, as a shallow muzzle may spoil an otherwise good specimen. The ears must be well-furnished, and the round and wide-set eyes should be deep blue.

Standard Points

Colour Pure white, without mark or shade of any kind. 25

Coat Long and flowing on the body, full frill and brush, which
should be short and broad; the coat should be close and
soft and silky, not woolly in texture. 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, deep blue in colour,
or if odd-eyed, one deep blue an done orange or copper. 15

LONG-HAIRED WHITE (Orange-eyed)

In an endeavour to improve the type of the Blue-eyed White, mating the females with Blue, Black and Cream Long-haired was tried. All these breeds have orange eyes, and the results of these out-matings were some of the liveliest of whites, with brilliant orange or copper eyes. The effect of these eyes in lovely typed snow-white faces was much admired and the breed became very popular. For many years the two varieties were shown in the same classes at cat shows, but as it was found that they were given a separate breed number in 1938, and separate judging in the open classes with challenge certificates for both breeds was then possible. Whites are not necessarily obtained from two white cats, and the matings of a White with a Black may result in a litter containing both black and white kittens.
Although the war was responsible for many breeds becoming rare, this variety did not seem to suffer, and today there are some wonderfully typed Orange-eyed Whites being shown. They do not appear to be affected by deafness. France seems to excel in breeding this variety and there are many really outstanding specimens shown there.
At British shows, a cat with a sparkling fully white coat, a big frill and large round wide-open orange eyes, in beautiful show condition and well exhibited, attracts much admiration and attention.

Standard Points

Colour Pure white, without mark or shade of any kind. 25

Coat Long and flowing on the body, full frill and brush, which
should be short and broad; the coat should be close and
soft and silky, not woolly in texture. 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, orange or copper in colour. 15