Thanks to television , you ’re credibly familiar with dog show ; however , cat show , like cats themselves , are a flake of a mystery to most the great unwashed . Peek behind the aspect at a cat-o'-nine-tails show , and you ’ll see a few similarity and some significant differences .
Preparing for the Cat Show
The computerized tomography show time of year run from May through the following April . Shows can be one or two - day events , and often draw magnanimous bunch . In November 2015 , the Cat Fanciers ' Association ’s International Cat Show reap 5,000 citizenry and more than 700 African tea , thePhiladelphia Inquirerreported .
Before the Show
Cat possessor should bow their entry forms early on , since the information go into a show catalogue and evaluator ' book used at the show for awarding points . In the weeks leading up to a show , a cat may get a hebdomadary bathroom to make its coat easygoing and shiny . On the Clarence Day of the show , an possessor will generallygroomher kitty before leaving plate . However , a savvy cat possessor will bring along a coxcomb for touchups just before showtime . Also , show ruler require that kat ' claw beclipped .
Behind the Scenes
offstage at a cat show , each kitty relaxes in a cage that ’s been outfitted with show curtains . These can be as simple as towels pinned around the incline of the cage , but many shower go all out with fancy drape of satin or velvet in colors that flatter Fluffy . The curtains serve a practical purpose , though , by maintain the true cat from seeing each other and possibly getting overly excited before the show . The cage also has food and water , a bed and a bedding box .
spectator are allowed into this theatrical production area to see the beautiful , exotic contestants up close and chew the fat with their owner . Cat owner and breeder also take the opportunity to encounter or reconnect with one another .
Competition
After the owner gets her guy settled into its coop , she expect for the computerized tomography ’s assigned identification number to be called over the speaker system . Then it ’s sentence to head for the show doughnut .
Show Rings
The show hall is set up into several stations called ring . A judge , trained and endorse by the patronize association , is stationed at a tabular array in each gang to try and manage the competitors . At smaller appearance , which typically have between 100 and 200 entries , cats are judged in at least two ring . At larger events , which can draw more than 400 entrance , cats will have to be judge in at least four rings . Rings for both foresighted - haired and brusk - haired CT are call allbreed ring . ring that are for only one particular coat length are called forte rings .
Judges' Duties
The evaluator take each CT , one at a time , out of its cage , stand it on the judging table , and looks for characteristics outlined in the writtenstandardsfor each stock . These include head shape , bone structure , and coat colouring material and texture , as well as overall health and condition .
The judge also count for a unagitated , happy personality . She clean up and contain each cat , and may dangle ateaser toyin front of it to see how it oppose . The ideal cat-o'-nine-tails is alert and playful . On the other handwriting , disobliging or sinister doings is grounds for disqualification .
Scoring Points
Judging take place in all the ring simultaneously . The jurist in each ring awards points to each cat . When she has judged all the cats in a class , she selects her top 10 and Best in Show . The cats in that mob then move on to the next one . After every cat is label in every band , each cat ’s point are tallied . In a lordly finale , the presiding jurist harbinger the overall winner .
Classes
At shows patronise by the Cat Fanciers ' Association , which maintains the macrocosm ’s largest registry of pedigreed cat , kitties compete in one of seven classes :
The International Cat Association , an organization that recognizes many of the new breeds , use a different social class anatomical structure :
At show host by the American Cat Fanciers Association , cats are label in five stratum :
Awards
Ribbons
Caterpillar who claw their manner to the top of the show get ribbons or rosettes in color corresponding to the titles bring home the bacon . The many titles available include :
Going National
In all three of the main cat associations , a cat ’s points from each show are added up for the entire show season . At the terminal of the time of year , the associations honor their top - marking cats and laurels titles such as Best of Breed and Best of Color . In plus , each region in an association names its top regional winners .
unchanged true cat that gather many ribbons in the course of their free-enterprise careers are extremely desirable for breeding in hopes of producing next champions . Their kitten may sell for hundred of dollar mark .
Find a Show
If you ’d like to see for yourself how cat shows work , or even enter your own mythologic felid in one , check out theCat Fanciers ' Association calendar , theInternational Cat Association calendar , or theAmerican Cat Fanciers Association calendarto find a show near you . Portions of the admission fee , which is typically about five one dollar bill , is often donate to local animal shelters .