The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-28
LOVERS OF KITT|ES
ORGANIZE A CLUB
Pussy Who Lies in the Lap of
Luxury to Have Protection
in Shows.

The recent efforts of Seventh ward
ers to abridge the personal liberty of
.'the harmless, necessary cat" will be
combatted by new society provi
dentially created in defense of Tom and
Tabby. This is the Minnesota chap
ter of the National Cat club, organized
last week with headquarters in ST.
Paul
The cat club, be it known, is not
club of cats; its president is no vener-
able, rheumatic gramallkin who's proved
his title to command in many an acri-
Tnonious board fence convention. The
recording secretary is not an ogling
puss who can never hear a neighbor
move a resolution without climbing up
instinctively to offer an amendment
Yet cats will be admitted to the cat
club; cats will be cherished by the cat
club. Without it's cats the club could
not suggest, in French or English, a
legitimate treason of being" Cats will
be credentials. Once catless, mem
Der has lost her character, her stand
ing in the club, but she can uphold
her status with the tiniest kitten. Love
me, love my cat, will be the principle
Of sorority; by way of emblazonment
above the entrance of the club head
quarters will shine the golden proverb,
every cat has her night"
The culture of superior cats will be
the prime intention of the club; to i'm
port cats, to buy eats that others have
imported; to rear the biggest cat; the
smallest cat; the cat with longest
whisker or with most convolving tail.
The f1uffieSt cat in Minnesota may give
her owner influence, even envy, at the
club. The sleepiest cat will find her
self distinguished; only thorrid," cats
that catch mice, cats that lose their
fur away from home, will arouse these
whispers of taboo.
Run away, sweetheart! 90 mustn't
play wiz naughty, dWef-ful pussie, no
90 MUSTN'T"
But cats that look like other and
more previous cats will be the darlings
of the club; will enjoy the contest cor
ners in the club rooms; will accept,
with austere wink, the sweetest kisses
from the prettiest members. What
ever a cat doesn't do-Whether she
drinks cream only or sleeps for twenty
hours-she will justify the founding Of
the club by manifold resemblance to
her ancestors.
Persian cats must have the points"
of Persian cats; the more points the
more Persian; the more Persian the
more precious" and prizeworthy.
Variation of type, survival of the fit
test, the charm of contrast, the har-
mony of difference-all are watch
words of crude human science, not to
be echoed by catology.
isn't she the loveliest creaturei Elk
actiy like her great greatgrandma at
the New York show!" No Spanish
grandee, in all his pride Of ancient
similarity, could grasp at higher ideals
than does judge of animal shows.
Hany Of the cat club fanciers, more
steadfast than Egyptians in their par
ticular devotion, were formerly mem
bers of the Berrisford Cat club at Chi
cago. But this organization divided
it's allegiance. The Berrisfordians
gave cat exhibitions as adjuncts to
poultry shows; lowered eminent cats
to the environment of ribald roosters
and commercial hens. "Why, my darl-
ing pussy could scarcely sleep at all,
the chickens kept up such a frightful
racket" protested yesterday a former
member of the Berrisford association.
The end was inevitable. When, in
the course of human events, it becomes
necessary for one cat club to dissolve
the social bands that connect them
with another, decent respect for the
opinions of mankind require that they
declare the causes which compel them
to the separation.
The seeding Berrisfordians have
therefore announced that they have
severed all allegiance to the Cook
county fanciers because:
They held cat shows in connection
with chicken shows.
They made their cat shows subSi-
diary to chicken shows.
They sometimes placed cats and
chickens on a parity.
They permitted the chickens to keep
the cats awake.
They compelled the cats to exercise
out of doors.
They advocated the feeding of milk
to cats. instead of cream.
They gave prizes to mongrel. that is,
American cats, so-called.
Finally, they established prizes for
| practical mousers."
well, that was the limit as my
husband says" explained a seceder
last night. WED sent our cats down
to Chicago and to other Berrisford cat
shows; we'd put up with all their alb
surd regulations and nearly killed our
sweet little kitties"-"O, fie! Rudolph!
| You wicked, wicked cat!" interjected
the speaker, thrusting a bloody finger
| between her lips and dropping, with a
genuine dull thud," the large Angora
| pet that had resented her affectionate
kiss. "Of course" she added, smiling,
| ''the poor thing didn't mean to; I woke
| him up
But when they introduced a 'mouser
| class and our club rooms in Chicago
We're besieged with all sorts of dirty
newsboys and colored porters and
janitors and Office boys and every sort
of people, bringing every sort of
scrawny cat-some without an eve,
not all Of 'em with full set Of fur and
one, yes, one, actually with only three
legsi-when they brought around these
dreadful things and offered to show
how they'd catch mice, why, we ladies
| had simply to resign.
| Mice! Indeed, my own dear Rudolph
never caught mouse in all his four,
| long, happy years, did he. Rudy? Such
| things are not to be mentioned at our
new club rooms. If any woman says
o micen she'll be fined for swear-I
mean for rude language.
| Our shows are going to be cat
| shows-for, by and of the cats. Dur
| ing two hours every noon the doors will
be closed so our pussies can get a little
rest. Hath not a cat nerves?
! We'll admit nothing but imported
cats or the descendants of imported
| cats at our shows. Any cat whose an
cestors aren't in the books can't come
| in at all; no, indeed, not if she's got
| five ears or a tail seven feet long.
mo children will be allowed at our
| shows, unless they're accompanied by
! parent or guardian and the children
| must be very quiet and not touch the
cats. A cat can't grow up as she
~. 0,,1e Z III