What a lovely kitty in this white cat drawing. In fact, she was labeled as a perfect example of a white Persian cat by the founder of the National Cat Club. Harrison Weir (1824-1906) loved all animals, but, he had a particular fondness for cats.
Our Cats and All About Them was published in 1892. Weir illustrated and wrote the book which featured numerous cat drawings. This cat’s name was “The Colonel.” Weir had purchased it at a show at a discounted price of 2 guineas. When they first met, the cat was extremely affectionate and sweet. But, when he took the cat home, he found out it was deaf. When it was frightened, the poor kitty, would howl as if it were 10 cats in one.
Weir explained that for some unknown reason white cats tend to be deaf, particularly if they also have blue eyes. His kitty had pretty amber-colored eyes but was unable to hear anything.
A friend offered to adopt the kitty in this white cat drawing. They too loved its disposition but were quite unhappy with its voice. The Colonel finally found the perfect human companion – a “very dear deaf lady.”
If you like this white cat drawing, I’ve got some good news for you. There’s an even larger version – just click on the picture above to access it.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.
