From Sarah Hartwell
Regarding fur-bearing reptiles and tortoises being insects (Feedback, 11 December), in 1900 a ring-tailed lemur (a primate) won the foreign breed class at the Crystal Palace cat show in London. The matter was widely discussed in the general press and in animal fancier publications at the time.
The owner defended his win because the sailors who often brought home lemurs termed them “Madagascar cats”. The judge, a Miss H. Cochran, defended the award by saying “A lemur is a lemur, and a Madagascar cat is a Madagascar cat.”
In the 1920s, it was reported that several of these animals were exported to the US. On their journey these assumed “cats” were fed on cooked meats – a quite unsuitable diet for a fruit-eating lemur.
Chelmsford, Essex, UK
