A NEW OR IMPROVED FOOD, FOR CATB
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Spratt, of Camberwell, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED FOOD,
FOR CATB."
Sealed the 25th October 1872, and dated the 14th May 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Spratt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th May 1872.
I, JAMES SPRATT, of Camberwell, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OB
IMPROVED FOOD FOR CATS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the preparation of a food for cats
which shall not only be highly palatable to them and eaten with avidity,
'but shall be cleanly and wholesome_in_its_nature-and-beneficial in its
effects on their general health. At the same time it will obviate the
necessity of their feeding off horse flesh, oftimes from diseased animals,
and in consequence very prejudicial to the health of the cats fed thereon.
•

page_text: It is well known that cats are remarkably fond of fish, and advantage
is taken of this fact by imparting a fishy flavour to a mixture of farin-
aceous and other food, and other food either by the introduction of a
certain proportion of fish into the mixture, or by the substitution wholly
or in part for the fish of fish oil, fish itself being at times very difficult
to obtain. By preference whale oil is used, not boiled or clarified but
in the state in which it exudes from the blubber.
When oil is used entirely as a substitute for the fish, about eight
gallons of oil to the ton of other ingredients will generally be found
sufficient, but the quantity may be increased or diminished in accordance
with the amount of richness which it is desired the food should have.
When fish is used in the preparation of the food the quantity of oil is
diminished. In all cases I combine with the other ingredients composing
the food a certain quantity of animal matter, by preference of the kind
known as " meat fibrine," in the proportion of about four hundredweights:
of the meat fibrine to the ton of other ingredients, thus fully supplying in
the food all flesh making constituents. I also add a small quantity of
sulphur, in the proportion of about one pound to the ton. This combines
with the oil and assists its carbon in producing a rich and glossy condition
of the cat's fur.
As cats are less fond of saccharine matter than dogs and other animals,
and sugars are apt to clog and surfeit them, I use instead of sugar, dates
as possessing all the necessary qualities whilst they are at the same time
highly antiscorbutic and counteract any tendency to skin diseases. I
add the dates in the proportion of about one hundredweight to the ton.
The ingredients herein-before mentioned may be combined in or about
the proportions named with flour or farinaceous meal, and baked into
biscuits ready for use.
For some purposes it is preferred that the biscuits thus made shall be
ground into meal, and such meal made into packets or packages.
Sometimes instead of proceeding as above, ordinary biscuits are ground
into powder, and the ingredients hercin-before named are then mixed
therewith, so as together to constituto a meal capable like the preceding
of being put up in packages.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Spratt in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 14th November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SPRATT, of Camberwell, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Spratt, Her special licence that I, tho
said James Spratt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, tho said James Spratt, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED FOOD FOR CATS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Spratt, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after tho
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Spratt, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:—
This Invention has for its object the preparation of a food for cats
which food shall not only be highly palatable to such animals in itself
but shall also be cleanly and wholesome in its nature and beneficial to
their general health, while at the same time it shall obviate the necessity
of their feeding on the flesh of horses, which is often discased, and in
consequence not only very prejudicial to the health of these animals

page_text: I
:
but a source of danger as a known means of introducing contagious
diseases into human habitations.
It is well known that cats are remarkably fond of fish, and advantage
is taken of this fact by imparting a fishy flavour to a mixture, herein-
after mentioned, of farinaceous and other food. This is done either by
the introduction of a certain proportion of fish or fishy matter (either
raw, cooked, or dried) into such mixture, or by the substitution, wholly
or in part for the fish itself, of fish oil, fish itself being at certain times
very difficult to be procured. By preference whale oil is used, not boiled
or clarified but as it exudes from the blubber of the whale.
When fish oil is used entirely as a substitute for the fish about eight
gallons of oil in addition to the ton of other ingredients will generally be
found sufficient, but the quantity may be increased or diminished in
accordance with the amount of richness which it is desired the food
should have. When fish is used in the preparation of the food the
quantity of oil is diminished. In all cases I combine with the other
ingredients composing the food a certain quantity of animal matter, by
preference that known as "meat fibrine" or dried meat, such as is used as
one of the ingredients of the dog biscuits, for which I received Her
Majesty's Royal Letters Patent, bearing date the 24th of October, 1868.
This meat fibrine I use in the cat food in the proportion of about four
. hundredweights to the ton of flour or farinaceous meal. I also add a
small quantity of sulphur, in the proportion of about one pound to the
ton of flour or farinaceous meal. The sulphur becomes intimately mixed
with and ultimately combines with the oil and assists in producing a rich
and glossy condition of the fur of the cats.
As cats are less fond of saccharine matter than dogs and other animals,
and sugars are apt to clog and surfeit them, I use instead of sugar, dates
as possessing all the necessary sweetening qualities whilst they are at
the same time highly antiscorbutic and counteract any tendency to
skin disease. I add the dates in the proportion of about one hundred-
weight to the ton of flour or farinaceous meal.
The ingredients herein-before mentioned having been collected may bo
'mixed or combined in or about the proportions named with a ton or
thereabouts of flour or farinaceous meal, and I find that with the pro-
portions named an excellent food is made. The whole is then thoroughly
intermixed with water and kneaded in the usual way, or by means
(which I prefer) of the mechanical arrangements for mixing and

page_text: kneading, under Royal Letters Patent granted to Edward Wylam
November 16, 1871, No. 3093, which apparatus also forms or shapes
the ingredients thus kneaded into biscuits. The biscuits thus or other-
wise produced are then baked until ready for use. The baking may be
effected by an ordinary biscuit oven. In most cases, by preference, the
biscuits thus made are ground into meal, and such meal made into
packages of various sizes. The meal or food thus produced when
required for use is mixed with a small quantity of milk or of water,
either warm or cold, but by preference warm, in such manner as to be
of a moist but not a sloppy consistency. When instead of meal, biscuits
are used, they are firstly crumbled and then treated in like manner as the
meal.
Sometimes instead of proceeding as above, ordinary biscuits are ground
into powder and the ingredients herein-before named are then mixed
therewith so as to constitute a meal capable of being like the preceding
put up in packages. When made in this way a much smaller quantity
of oil is needed.
I have herein-before described the proportions in or about which the
different materials composing the food for cats are used, although I do not
strictly confine myself to the exact proportions, but may somewhat vary
them accordingly as they may sometimes vary in strength or quality, yet I
have hitherto found them to form in these named proportions a palatable
and nutritious food.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
I wish it to be clearly understood that what I claim is, the manufacture
and production of a new or improved food for cats, in the manner or
manners, by the mode, modes, and means, and with the materials named,
all as described within this Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Spratt, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.