The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-08-18
AN ANGORA. CATTERY
MISS NELLIE wHEATLEY DISCOVERS
NEW INDUSTRY FOR WOMEN.
sian beauties, the Pride Of Every
Feminine Heart.


coverer and pioneer is typical Chicago
girl-shrewd. snappy, progressive and al
together too energetic to live the life of
purposeless Incidence and haphazard
pleasure-seeking that her comfortable
home environments might naturally allure
her into. This young woman who has hit
upon new vocation admirably adapted to
those of her own sex whose tastes are
quiet, refined and domestic is Miss Nellie
Wheatley, of rs Walnut street Her home
is one of more than ordinary comfort, and
she could have led life of ease and
pleasure without thought Of the serious
sperplexities of a business venture. But
she was not made that way. Laying aside
her violin. on which she is skillful per-
former, Miss Wheatley laughingly ex-
claimed:
And so you wish to know how came
to get into the business Of raising Angora
cats? WE'LL it was funny enough. To begin
with, was always desperately fond of
pets, especially of cats. That's the old maid
Of it. you see. AT least some people might
look at 1t that way; but those who hold
that theory only accept a jesting tradition
without stopping to think that the cat has
been the only really domestic animal that
the human family has ever known-the
four-footed creature that has shared the
very hearthstone OF home with every gen.
GRAFTON of civilized man. When you come
to think of 1t. what is the picture of
hearth without a cat? What artist painting
himself to leave out a cat? So, you see,
the cat is not nearly so typical an adjunct
of an old maids paradise as it is of the
However, didn't think Of all this at the
start. was simply and intuitively. fond of
cats, and one day, when a beautiful little
o1> II or Gnff
down. took it in and cared for it: AS l
held it in my lap and stroked its back
fell to wondering about cats In general
their different types and kinds OF course
/ knew that there was such a variety as
the Angora, but 1t was then simply name
to me. My curiosity was made more tnan
passing and / began to look up the sub
ject. The more / investigated the greater
my interest became. 1t did not take long
to discover that it was the proper and
fashionable thing for a lady of wealth to
have her thoroughbred Angora and that her
establishment could not be considered COM
plete without one of these silken pets.
was greatly in excess of the supply, so
much so that they were practically unoD,
tainable in Chicago; and could not De nad
from any source without long delay. do
not believe there are more than twenty-five
or thirty thoroughbred Angora cats, owned
in Ghieas1 today this il too not tow much an
in excess of it. Of course, under such
conditions found prices high, at least so
they seemed to me. was astonished to
learn that Mrs. W. X. Vanderbilt paid $1,000
for her fine Angora.
CATS AT SIS APIECE.
''The fact that would have to pay $50
for pair of first-class cats did not frighten
ne O particle. The more / had to pay the
better prices 1 would get when once
launched in the cat business. But where
1 to get my first cats? Nobody could
tell me. Finally went to bird store and
inquired there. / was told to correspond
with a certain gentleman in Boston. did
so-and had my first experience with the
professional cat broker He replied that
he had no cats. but would procure pair If
ordered TO do so by telegraph. / telegraphe.
and then waited on the qui vive for my ca is
to come. Two weeks of anxious expectancy
passed. and still no cats came, After that
pense, for / had to wait six months before
my purchase arrived. Try as l might /
could not learn where 'or by whom those
cats were raised, and in all my subsequent
experience with cat brokers l have never.
in a single instance, been able to find out
where they obtained their stock.
household?' Miss Wheatley was asked.
"Oh, yes and she laughed as she con-
tinued. Il lost one Of the Boston kits first.
a perfect little beauty. After it had passed
on to the realm of feline shades l de-
termined to learn, If possible. what had
actuated by business considerations. not
idle curiosity sentiment. 1 called in a
young medical student and ply
m nshn ss 'n 81
perhaps ps; it was-but i was bound to learn
little thing / had the satisfaction of being
informed that its brain didn't fit its head.
They didn't put it exactly that way, but
that was the substance of it. 1 felt very
mn w PerhaDS
you would like to take a peep at my cat
terry? That's a good English word. and if
have to be put there.
Acting on her own suggestion. she led the
way. to the second floor.
siesta On a couch. ..Yes-I bought him nat at
the start of the Trilby craze, which ac-
of noble race. Just see how beautifully
golden his eyes are. That's an essential
point in a thoroughbred Angora. There is
sirable A pure white cat which is not
deaf and has blue eyes is the ideal and
brings the highest price. solid yellow
in value-then follow the other soio colors,
the preference being for silver grays.
The fine points to be looked for are .prin--
cipally small. tasseled ears. a well-developed
ruffle under the chin. feathered toes.
large, sleek bush, and golden, blue or
brownish eyes. A tint of green in the eye
tracts much from the value of the animal.
Taffy is a good type. He has the liberty of
the house, but the others are kept in the
top story"
As she chatted. Miss wheatley went up
another fight of stairs into uncarpeted
rooms of the maEsard. She was reminded
of the commercial side of her enterprise.
Pointing to pure white cat which stood
with its nose against the screen door which
shut 1t from the hall, the proprietor of the
cattery said:
FOUR KITS WORTH $225
well; there's Caprice and her little FAM
ily of four kits-all as white as milk and
having a full list of good points. / calcu-
late that there are 1925 worth of cats in
that room. provided the kittens raised
to about year old. A good mother cat
like Caprice will raise about twelve kittens
a year, which, If pure white. should bring
from $50 to $40 each when well raised. A
days menu for a grown cat is two meals
of cooked liver and all the milk it will
drink Kittens are fed three times day.
From this you can figure out something OF
the income and expense OF the business.
The greatest expense is stocking the cat
terry" at the start 1t takes considerable
patience and care. but not much hard work.
and 1 find that the pleasure and amuse-
ment of caring for them, watching the
pranks and development OF the kittens and
Teaching them various accomplishments al
most paws for all the bother Of them.
w. Msno q