The History of Cat Shows

Many years ago when thinking of a large number of cats kept in London alone, I conceived the idea that it would be well to hold cat shows. The domestic cat sitting in front of the fire would then possess a beauty and an attractiveness to its owner, unobserved and unknown because uncultivated heretofore. We possessed with this view of the subject, I called on my friend Mr. Wilkinson, the then-manager of the Crystal Palace. With his usual business-like clearheadedness, he saw it was a thing to be done. In a few days I presented my scheme in full working order, the schedule of prizes, the price of entry, the number of classes, and