What is the Ruff of Don Tarquinio? In The Reticence of Lady Anne, Saki writes: > Don Tarquinio lay astretch on the Persian rug, basking in the firelight with superb indifference to the possible ill-humour of Lady Anne. His pedigree was as flawlessly Persian as the rug, and his ruff was coming into the glory of its second winter. The ruff of Don Tarquinio, A Cat , is said to be "coming into the glory of its second winter". What is Don Tarquinio's ruff? Is it implied to be apart of their body, or is it, as Lexico defines it, "a projecting starched frill worn round the neck, characteristic of Elizabethan and Jacobean costume."

The cat’s pedigree is Persian. If we look at the Persian Breed Standard we read:

> COAT: long and thick, standing off from the body. Of fine texture, glossy and full of life. Long all over the body, including the shoulders. The ruff immense and continuing in a deep frill between the front legs. Ear and toe tufts long. Brush very full.

From this we can appreciate that the ruff is the collar of long hair around the animal’s neck that stands out somewhat as an Elizabethan ruff.