At the first modern cat show, which took place in London in 1871, the stars — more than 150 of them — snoozed on crimson pillows positioned in luxuriously close proximity to saucers of milk. If they were too lethargic, women would poke them with their parasols. There was a lot of variety, but only a few recognizable breeds, like the Persian and the manx. One attendee called the Siamese, which were new to the country, an “unnatural, nightmare kind of cat.”