Showing Your Household Pet

Showing Your Household Pet Helpful hints on showing your cat.
Contents
Where are the Shows? What Cats can be Shown? Should my Cat be Shown? The Entry Form Getting Ready for the Show	Going to the Show At the Show What are the Judges Looking for? At the End of the Day When All Else Fails
Where are the Shows? There are shows held all around the country every weekend. Finding out about them, however, is not always easy. Watch newspapers and for signs at pet stores and vets. The best source, generally, is Cats Magazine. Their Show and Go column lists not all, but a very high percentage of the shows held. Almost all purebred shows have a division for the household pet. When you find a listing for a show near you, on a date you can attend, contact the person listed for entry information. Entries for shows close 2-3 weeks before the actual show date to allow time to type the catalog, judges' books and to get the catalog printed, so be sure to allow sufficient time. (You will find that after you've attended a few shows, your name will suddenly find its way onto mailing lists and you won't have to write to ask for information as frequently).
What Cats can be Shown? Almost any cat can be shown. Minimum age is 4 months, there is no maximum. Almost all associations require that adult HHPs (over 8 months) be altered. TICA and ACFA allow declawed cats to be shown, CFA does not (other associations - inquire of the entry clerk if this affects you). TICA allows cats with physical handicaps, such as three legs or one eye, to be shown (other associations - inquire of the entry clerk if this applies to your cat).
Should my Cat be Shown? Is your cat in good health? Is it reasonably willing to be handled by strangers? A cat in poor health should not be shown. As to the handling, one cannot always be sure. If your cat tends to be friendly, you will probably do well. However, an occasional lover turns to a tiger in the show ring. The opposite sometimes happens as well - the tiger turns tame in the show ring because it's all so overwhelming. So, if your cat's in good health - why not give it a try?
The Entry Form With a household pet there are many blanks on the form that you will be unable to fill in. Don't worry about it. You are not expected to know the parents and breeder of your local shelter adoptee. You probably will not know the correct birthdate, but you can usually give an estimate. To determine if it's a longhair or shorthair, TICA suggests you look at the fur on the tail - a minimum of 1 1/2 inches and fluffy is usually a longhair (length on young kittens may be less). The importance of the cat's color depends on the association. In CFA it really doesn't matter. In TICA, HHPs are judged within color groupings and it is quite important. If you don't know the correct name for your cat's color, do your best to describe it. For example, black and white spots, or orange and black intermingled with white bib and feet, or gray and black stripes. If all else fails and there's something on the entry form you can't figure out, call the entry clerk. As a rule, they are more than happy to help the newcomer.
Getting Ready for the Show Be sure your cat gets a good balanced diet and exercise. If you have the opportunity, get your cat used to being handled by strangers. If it hasn't had it's shots, be sure to get them. It is imperative for your cat's health and the health of the competition that all routine feline vaccinations be up to date. Try to get this done a few weeks ahead to allow time for any unexpected reaction to pass. A day or two before the show, clip the claws on all four feet. This can be done with sharp regular scissors or with special scissors from a pet shop designed specifically for this task. You may be able to do this by yourself or you may need another person to assist if you have a " squirmer ". Push top and bottom on the cat's paw at the base of the claw to force its extension. Then with the other hand, clip the sharp point off the claw. Do this in good light so you can see where the blood line in the claw is. Do not clip into the pink area. Clip only the lifeless, clear tip of the claw. The procedure is akin to trimming your own fingernails. To bathe or not to bathe? Most exhibitors do bathe their cats. It tends to give them that little extra and also can be a valuable aid in getting rid of any fleas that may be hanging around. You will have to see what works best on your cat. A bath the day before the show may be just the ticket. On the other hand, yours may need to be bathed four or five days ahead and allowed time to fluff or sleek up. What shampoo to use varies also. Some coats react differently to different ingredients. Some people find a cream rinse helpful (usually on longhairs). Many owners follow their cat's bath with a flea dip to help keep fleas away for a few days. Be careful in using flea products. If you use a flea shampoo, do not follow it with a dip. If you use a plain shampoo, you may follow with a dip, but be sure the product is meant for cats and be sure to use proper dilution. You can make a cat sick by careless use of flea products. Additional grooming notes: Some longhair owners use grooming powder to get their cat's coat to " poof ". This is fine, but be sure to comb the extra out - the judge will not be pleased if the cat brings a cloud of powder along with it. Some shorthair owners use a soft cloth or chamois to rub their cat's fur just before judging - on some coats it gives an extra sheen.
Going to the Show You will need some kind of "drapes" for your cat's benching cage. The flyer should tell you the dimensions of the cage. Towels or sheeting can be good curtains. Use clothes pins, safety pins or the like to fasten them to the cage. You'll also need a floor for the cage - a small area rug or other soft fabric. Many owners bring their cat's favorite cushion for them. This can be especially comforting to the new show cat who has no idea what to expect. Be sure to bring along any grooming tools such as combs. You may also want an emergency cleanup kit (dry shampoo?) just in case the cat decides to use its carrier as a litter box and then proceeds to sit in it. This has happened to almost everyone at least once. Make like a Boy Scout and "Be Prepared" . Check the flyer for information on other items you will need to bring. Usually the show will supply litter and sometimes cat food. You will generally need to bring your own containers for food and litter. Do not bring the cat loose in your arms. The noise and smells (of other felines) can be startling. Be sure to use at least a harness and leash - but better yet is a carrier or ventilated box.
At the Show When you arrive at the show hall, check in at the front table. You'll usually receive a catalog, a card with your cat's number and benching instructions. If there is a vet check, proceed to the vetting station where your cat will be given a brief look over for health and lack of fleas, ear mites and the like. The vet will then initial the number card and you may proceed to the benching area. If there is no vet check (this is the case in the great majority of shows), proceed directly to the benching area and find your cage. Put on the drapes, put down the flooring, get your litter box set up and food and/or water if desired, then carefully release the cat into the cage. Check the back of your catalog for a judging schedule. This will tell you in what order the cats will be going up to the various rings. Although it does not tell you what time your cat will be judged, you can use the order to give you some idea of whether you'll be up soon or if there are several other cats to be judged first. Look at your cat's listing in the catalog and make sure it's correct. If not, report it to the person at the door and they can tell you who needs to know about it. Memorize your cat's number, or write it on the front of the catalog so you can find it easily. When you hear your number called, get the cat, give it any last minute quick grooming (major grooming should be done while the previous cats are still being judged) and take it promptly to the ring that called. Put the cat in the cage with its number on top with a minimum of fuss. Do not talk to the judge. Sit down in the spectator area in front of the judging table and watch. When you are instructed to remove your cat from the ring, again do so with a minimum of fuss and without talking to the judge. Pay attention for finals. If there were more HHPs than about 8 - 10, the judge will go through several rounds of judging before the class is complete. He/she will then call back the cats he/she thought were best. Listen for this call. In some associations the numbers are announced, in others you are simply instructed to check the numbers posted in ring such and such. Be prompt. After the finals ribbons have been hung, you may take a moment to thank the judge, but please don't try to engage him/her in a long conversation - there are many other cats yet to be judged. If you have something you really must speak to the judge about, wait until the show is over. Didn't do so well in your first ring? Don't be discouraged. At a cat show, each ring is independent of the others. The next judge may just think your cat is the most terrific she's ever seen.
What are the Judges Looking for? In household pets the standards for judging are very broad. Basically the judge is looking for a "nice cat". Is the coat clean? Is it free of flea dirt? Are the corners of the eyes clean? Are the ears clean inside? Is it a good weight for its size, or is it overweight or scrawny? How does it handle? Is it purring, or scared or somewhere in between? Is it beautiful or have some unusual marking? (Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder). It does not have to do any tricks (this is not a talent competition), but it is helpful if it doesn't try to bite the judge!
At the End of the Day Many shows have a Best of the Best. If your cat has taken a few finals you may want to be sure to stay for the BoB announcement. If you've had a less than great day, you may just want to pack up and go. Be sure you are allowed to leave. If you finish early, you are still required to stay through the advertised show hours - spectators are paying money to come in to see cats, not empty cages. If you absolutely must leave early, be sure to get permission from the show manager. When you "tear down" be sure to leave your area as clean as possible. Of course, you can't be expected to pick up those few flecks of litter that fell on the floor, but you can certainly take care of any trash or the like. The show committee has a lot of cleanup to do afterwards - don't make it worse by leaving your mess for them to take care of.
When All Else Fails Ask questions. We've all had a first show. We've all had something we didn't quite understand. The only rule with asking questions is to catch someone when they are relaxing between rings - don't try to stop and talk to someone who's in the process of carrying one of their cats to a judging ring - they really don't have time for your problem right now.
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