Scottish Cat Club

The Scottish Cat Club has had mixed fortunes over the years, but no matter what the set-backs has always survived, and we hope always will. If we can survive two World Wars and the Great Depression we can survive anything! The Club played a pivotal role in the founding of the UK cat fancy as we know it today, being the second formally-constituted cat club in the UK, holding some of the very earliest cat shows. The world's first official cat show was staged at London's Crystal Palace on Thursday 13th July 1871. It was the brainchild of writer, artist, and noted cat lover, Harrison Weir. His main objective in organising the first cat show was promoting their welfare rather than providing an arena for competitive cat owners. Our Club's overall aims very much reflected Mr Weir's desire to promote the welfare of cats. So successful was the show that other shows were held all over Great Britain, including a show in Glasgow later in 1871. Early texts also refer in passing to a show in Scotland in 1875 which attracted 570 exhibits, and annual shows of the Scottish Rabbit, Cat and Cavy Club whose 1896 show was held in the Waterloo Rooms in Glasgow on 1-2 January. By 1887, cat shows were regular events and the National Cat Club was founded in London. The Scottish Cat Club was the next cat club recorded, being formed in 1894. From the year it was founded the club ran many shows which were staged in Glasgow. Frances Simpson (1903) records the following information on the club: Silver plated stirrup cup inscribed: 1st Nat'l Cat Show, Glasgow, 1871, 2nd Prize C.A. Chardenal. (C A Chardenal was the name of a famous author of French language teaching texts for English speakers during the Victorian era). The Scottish Cat Club, founded 1894. Hon sec J F Dewar, 2, St Patrick Square, Edinburgh. Annual subscription, 5 shillings. The Scottish Cat Club is in a flourishing condition, and has been steadily working up members since 1894. A show is annually held, and fanciers over the border are taking a much keener interest in cats. An example of an active Scottish cat breeder of the time was Mrs Mackenzie Stewart, who bred Persians, and clearly started the noble tradition of Scottish-bred cats who can more than hold their own down south: One of the largest catteries in Scotland, where the fancy grows apace, is owned by Mrs Mackenzie Stewart, of Seagate House, Irvine. Mrs Stewart has possessed several notable cats of different breeds. Her blue stud cat "Ronald" has made himself a name in the south of England as well as in the north.