02664cam a22003253u 4500 76311 UtSlPG 20260610134751.0 m cr n 260607r20251903utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d 03024964 UtSlPG en iso639-1 SF Simpson, Frances, 1857-1926 The book of the cat Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2025 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Release date is 2025-06-15 Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) "The book of the cat" by Frances Simpson is an illustrated compendium for cat fanciers written in the early 20th century. It explores the history, breeds, care, exhibiting, and anatomy of domestic cats, supported by many plates and photographs. Aimed at enthusiasts and breeders, it blends practical guidance with cultural background and profiles of notable catteries and clubs. The opening of the work presents extensive contents and plate lists, followed by an introduction in which Simpson outlines her goal of a readable, experience-based handbook, acknowledges expert contributors (from veterinary care to foreign and American cats, Maine cats, and anatomy), and quotes Harrison Weir’s warm endorsement. Chapter I, “Cats of the Past,” surveys origin myths and the cat’s prominence in ancient Egypt (Pasht, Bubastes, mummification), notes scattered classical references, and contrasts medieval superstition and cruelty with later esteem from writers, artists, and heraldry; it also touches on folklore, nursery rhymes, and art, highlighting Madame Ronner, Eugène Lambert, and Louis Wain. At the start of Chapter II, the text lists cat names across languages, revisits beliefs like “nine lives” with anecdotes of feline endurance and homing, emphasizes the cat’s usefulness in public institutions, mentions the cats’-meat trade and comic asides (census and ping-pong cat), and introduces the organized fancy with a roll of clubs culminating in the National Cat Club’s leadership and aims. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Originally published: London: Cassell and company, limited, 1903 Cats https://archive.org/details/bookofcatsimpson00simprich https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/76311 117036 117036