Showing
Although our cats are first and foremost family pets we do also take our Tonkinese neuter Whispa to local cat shows, we are able to do this because he seems to enjoy the experience and has a fun day out in new surroundings, if he were to dislike going to the shows we would stop taking him. Here is a little about Whispa’s latest show news and also what to expect if you plan on showing your cat.
Whispa's latest show was on the 2 nd of April with the Kernow cat club in the leisure centre in Torbay. He was awarded the first in his open class and the best of breed and also a third in one of his misc. classes. I am very proud of him as this was his first ever show! He took it all in his stride! Well done whispa! Xxx
Before leaving or the show
Before you leave for the show you must make sure that your cat is healthy, happy, registered in your own name and has all the right documents. Give them a manicure, you must make sure the claws are clipped to a reasonable length, but not too short, you must never cut in to the quick as this is very painful for your cat and it does make him bleed from the claw. Check your cat for any missing patches of fur or any bite or scratch marks if he lives with other cats, this can cause them to be rejected at the vetting in as they may think its ringworm so you would have traveled all that way just to be sent home again! . Check his ears for signs of ear mites and wax buildup, if his ears are flakey or waxy give them a wipe over with a cotton wool ball dipped in warm water. We never need to brush Whispa with a brush or a comb, we find that stroking him every day just showing him how much we love him is all that’s needed to get all the loose hairs out and the oil from our hands makes their coat shine! Some people like to take a chamois to a show to give them the extra shine but we find that he is silky and shiny enough already! The things you need to take to a show are
Cat inside his cat box (very important not to forget this one.)
His vaccination record showing his up to date inoculations.
A plain white blanket or fleece.
A plain white food bowl and some food.
A plain white litter tray and some litter.
A plain white water dish (ideally one of the ones with hooks on so you attach them to the back of the pen to stop them spilling or being meddled with in any way.)
Also if it is a hot day I take some pre frozen ice blocks to wrap in his blanket to keep him cool, if it is cold I take the snugglesafe which holds heat for up to 12 hours.
A toy or something to entertain him after the hall reopens in the afternoon.
At the show
Most cat show are open from about 7:30 to start the penning in, of course you don’t have to be here this time, some cats react differently to the situation, some people like to get there early to allow their cat time to settle in before a show starts, whatever way you want to do it you must be penned before the show starts and the hall is closed at 10 am, we don’t like to be there any later then half nine, and I prefer to be at the venue at 9 to allow for long vetting in queues. After you arrive you need to collect your envelope from the desk, this will have your class numbers on and your name and address, pen number and hold any extra entry passes and catalogue vouchers that you have bought with your show entry form. And you will need to be vetted in, well the cat will… its usually easy to find where you have to go, you just follow the long queue! If you don’t see one there may be signs or ask anyone you see, if they have a cat box they are on their way there, if they don’t they have already been so someone will know! You need to at this point have his vaccination card ready and also the envelope for the vet to sign to say your cat is healthy and can enter the show. After vetting in you take your cat and all his things to your pen, put the white show kit in to the pen and fill the water up, you can either take your own water or fill it from the bathroom. We take our own bottled water because Whispa is a spoilt cat! And then add the cat. Remember not to put the food dish or any toy in to the pen at this point, you mustn’t have anything in or on the pen other then the white show kit, if you display anything on your pen you will be disqualified. You must have completed all this before 10 am. The show manager will announce that you need to clear the hall, so at this point take anything of value (you must leave the cat thought) and collect your show catalogue on the way out, again just follow the queue for this! And then you have several hours to explore the local area, you won’t be allowed back in to the hall until mid day or sometimes one p.m. Whilst you are out of the hall the judges will be looking at the cats for the open classes, sometimes you are allowed on a balcony overlooking the hall, but check if this Is allowed before hand.
When you get back after the hall re opens the public will also be allowed in, you may find that they will ask you questions about your cat when you go over to talk to him and clean his tray and give him some food. It is always helpful to know a little about your breed and cat in this case, if you are asked a question you don’t know then ask for their contact details and get back to them with an answer if you can. It’s always good to promote your breed, especially if it is a slightly unusual one. Some people may ask to stroke our cat or hold it, it’s a personal choice if you let them do this, but I personally would not let them unless I knew them personally and then I get them to use an antibacterial hand cream that I carry on me in my bag. This is to try to keep disease and illness out of my home where I might have pregnant queens or kittens that hadn’t had any vaccinations. There is always a danger of this at a show and you need to keep all risks to a minimum to protect your furry family left at home.
You now have about 4 or so hours to socialise, look around at the trade stands, and entertain your cat. There are still judges going around with tables looking at the cats, if a judge wants to look at your cat stand well back from the pen and dolt talk to the judges, this is very important so the judge doesn’t distinguish that its your cat. Shows do not officially finish till 5 p.m. and you may not take your cat out of the hall until that time unless the show manager closes the show early but it is entirely up to the manager. You will soon know if it has closed early or not, people will rush for their boxes in the bid to miss the huge queue coming out of a car park at the end of the show! When you pack up please make sure you remember everything you came with, they usually have bins you can put the dirty litter in. finally put your cat in his basket and take him home to a good meal and a lovely cuddle! Remember that even if you don’t win your cat is still the same lovely cat that you had before!
The GCCF
The GCCF is the “club” that all pedigree cat owners belong to, you don’t send subscriptions or have to renew them yearly but when you get the pink slip of the cat in your name then you “belong” to the club and are expected to abide by their guidelines and their rules also. They have a whole load of website pages to advise you and help you on a lot of the subjects you need to know, for e.g. showing help, the rules you need to follow when you show, when the shows are, who runs them and where they are held. There are many useful links here for you to read about when thinking about getting a new kitten.