I did receive pm from one of the forumers here asking about why we should show our cats.
I think it’s better for me to give my opinion by creating a new thread here so that all the forumers here can contribute as well.

As to why the cat show is important :

1-for the pedigree cat’s owner – off course cat show is important to evaluate your cats’s breed standard. In other words, how close are your cats/kittens to their breed standard. And also to collect winner ribbon to become a champion and to collect points to become a Grand Champion, DW etc.

2-for the breeders – to prove that their breeding programme is working well and will keep on producing high quality kittens - when their cats/kittens won many ribbons and titles.

3-For the household cat’s owner (any non-pedigree cats) – to prove that you really care and love your cats, you should bring them to the cat show. Let the judges judge your cats – how well are you grooming them, how healthy are your cats, how good are your cats’ temperament and how well they socialize with others.

4-Generally cat show is a good place for all cat lovers, owners and breeders to gather and exchange their knowledge and expertise. Also to show their beloved cats to the others and to say hi to their friend’s cat.

5-And not to forget that this is the best place to learn about any cat's breed standard

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Hmmmmm...... We can see lots and lots of more good information from kulstud and catizzadi..... about neutering and now about showing... hehehhee... well.... i can feel this forum become more better and better from days to days.....and we care getting more and more members... in.... Thanks a lots for the information catizzadi

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Very well said Catizzadi. Where else can u find a concentration of cats, cat lovers & breeders other then in a cat show. This is also a very good place for ppl who wish to look for a good quality cat to meet up with breeder who hv it.

As I hv always said it's a must for any responsible breeder to show, so tht ur cats quality can b proven & evaluated by professional judges. As a breeder it is compulsory for us to know the quality of our cats so as not to breed backward. It is the code of ethic of any responsible breeder to breed toward the best in quality & not otherwise. In a cat show it shud b a learning ground for us to learn as much as we can about the breed we r involve with.

It has been a sad thing to know tht some ppl just cry bcoz their cat don't win but not understanding why, only to show this ppl learn nothing. We must always go to a cat show with an open mind & ready to learn.

i agree what Catizzadi n Coony mentioned. a cat show is suppose a place for education not juz for us but also the public. Breeders with their own cattery shud be encourage to promote their cattery by showing their cats. it is indirectly show how responsible u r as a breeder to maintain ur cats n also to know whether ur cats hv the show quality points. Business shud not be entirely in the breeders' mind.

As Coony said, whoever is sending their cats for showing/competition n did not win, it does not mean that ur cat is at fault n the owner shud be too emotional by it. learn n look for room of improvements (if there r...). n furthermore, if ur cat wins in a cat show, does not mean that in every cat show, ur cat will win since different judge wud hv different preferences. owner do hv the right to ask a judge for further comments although usually the judge will give a written script of every cat (applies only to Pedigree categories) that he/she judges...

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[QUOTE=Catizzadi]

3-For the household cat’s owner (any non-pedigree cats) – to prove that you really care and love your cats, you should bring them to the cat show. Let the judges judge your cats – how well are you grooming them, how healthy are your cats, how good are your cats’ temperament and how well they socialize with others.


So far I've only been to one show, and even then it was for a short while. During these shows cats will be handled by judges, right? What happens when cats don't like to be held? Like my Chewie, he doesn't like to carried or hugged. He'll slap you when you do. He's the type who follows you around the house, plays and sleeps with you and likes to be patted/stroked when he wants it... but no carrying whatsoever.

So does this mean he won't qualify? And where can I find more information about this?

A good show personality is both inherited and environmental – both born and made. Some cats are "natural" show cats. They are very social. They love "strutting their stuff". They are not fazed when being handled by strangers. All the stress and strangeness of showing is taken in stride.
Other cats, no matter how sweet and loving they may be at home, just don't like showing at all. But not to say that they won’t qualify for the show.

The most important thing is how you are going to train your cat to behave in the show ring. Cat is among the easiest creatures to train. Basically a good show cat will have self confidence, not easily stressed, playful, healthy appetite, liking all people, well socialize etc….
So if your cat doesn’t like to be handled – you have to train it.
Try to create a show environment in your house – with the noise, judging table, small cage etc.

As an example - food treat is an excellent way to encourage a cat to enjoy each step of the show training. A hungry cat will also respond more enthusiastically to a food reward. So everytime you successfully handle your cat give him some food reward. And then try to invite your friend/relative (stranger) to handle him as well.

Practice holding your cat the way a judge will hold it.
If it's a Persian, the judge will often hold it up high with both hands supporting its body.
If it is a Siamese or Maine Coon, the judge will stretch the cat.
Be sure your cat is accustomed to the judging style of its breed.
Once your cat is amenable to normal handling be a little less gentle. Let your cat become accustomed to a bit of rough handling (but not so rough as to frighten it). Not all judges are gentle.
BUT, if you think your cat is an aggressive type (hissing and attempting to bite) and cannot be train by whatsoever means, then, you might consider not showing him as it will endanger to the others.

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Catizzadi Persians
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http://catizzadi.blogspot.com/

As I hv always said it's a must for any responsible breeder to show, so tht ur cats quality can b proven & evaluated by professional judges. As a breeder it is compulsory for us to know the quality of our cats so as not to breed backward. It is the code of ethic of any responsible breeder to breed toward the best in quality & not otherwise. In a cat show it shud b a learning ground for us to learn as much as we can about the breed we r involve with.[/QUOTE]

Very well said Coony

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[QUOTE=horatio]i agree what Catizzadi n Coony mentioned. a cat show is suppose a place for education not juz for us but also the public. Breeders with their own cattery shud be encourage to promote their cattery by showing their cats. it is indirectly show how responsible u r as a breeder to maintain ur cats n also to know whether ur cats hv the show quality points. Business shud not be entirely in the breeders' mind.

As Coony said, whoever is sending their cats for showing/competition n did not win, it does not mean that ur cat is at fault n the owner shud be too emotional by it. learn n look for room of improvements (if there r...). n furthermore, if ur cat wins in a cat show, does not mean that in every cat show, ur cat will win since different judge wud hv different preferences. owner do hv the right to ask a judge for further comments although usually the judge will give a written script of every cat (applies only to Pedigree categories) that he/she judges...

Somehow, I nuked my first answer to this! Learning at shows.... the thing exhibitors like at FIFe shows is the written report on each cat - time consuming, but valuable if the comments are thoughtfully written. And usually the judge talks to the exhibiors about each cat as it's presented too. In Aust (no written reports) we talk about each cat as it's judged, not just the "stars". I think this is important because the owner of the plainest cat in the show paid as much entry as the winners, but they are most likely the owners who need extra help to improve their breeding.

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Lesley (Tasmania)

As to your last sentence - it can "set off" other cats if one cat plays up badly or is caged near them...but spare a thought for the stewards and judges. If an owner actually knows there's a strong chance a cat will react badly, they should keep the cat home. Not fair to the cat, not fair to anyone. There was once an English judge who almost died when a cat bit her...ended up with a hand amputated, instead.

Don't know that I agree that just any cat can be "trained" as such - in my experience, showy cats have always been handled heaps from birth and are naturally either docile or happy-go-lucky temperament, or just plain accepting of humans and what life deals them. But being socialised from an early age is the key.

You can, however, train a kitten to be handled very effectively.... when I got my aby neuter at 14 weeks, he immediately went into showpony training. Didn't take him long to get into the routine - whenever anyone puts out a hand, his front paws are in it instantly, and if the judge reads the body language properly, he then boosts himself up into full stretch, looking all over the place to see what action's happening elsewhere. Judges LOVE it (as do audiences) and I'm sure it's made the difference on a few occasions to the outcome. He's show-ponied his way to Kitten of the Year '97, Neuter of Year 98, 99, 00, 01.

One thing, though - if you use water sprays to "discipline" cats, don't be surprised if once on a table with a spray bottle in sight, they don't handle well. For them, they're in a "bad cat" situation - a judging table is not unlike a forbidden kitchen bench or dining table, and there's the enemy, the spray bottle.

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Lesley (Tasmania)

I am not a breeder and so, I will give my personal opinion in the point of view of a non-breeder.

Why Cat Show is important to non-breeders?

All breeders will say “Ohhh my cats are beautiful” or “My cats quality are conform to standard” and many many sweet talks. As a customer, I like to know whether those sweet talks are real! (Apply to those who buy "Show Quality")

PS- Beware.. When you cats lose or didn’t win, you will hear this from some breeders “When I sell you the cats, they are beautiful. This must be happening because you don’t know how to take care of them”. It could be true to some but not to all!

So, be smart buyers! To tell you the truth, sometimes we just cannot see the future of the cat’s overall quality when we bought them in their kitten’s age. ((Some breeders will disagree with this. Some of them claimed that they can FORESEE the cat’s quality – no offense breeders, I disagree)).

I like to advise buyers to do enough research and when your cats failed to be what they supposed to be at the later stage and the breeder blamed you saying that you didn’t care for them well, you will know how to fight back. Some cats take time to develop, that should take into considerations too.

Learn about your cat’s genetics, inheritance and get to know the cat’s mom, dad and his/her siblings will help you with your fire-backs (if you were blamed). It is best if you could see the cousins, grandmom and grand pa too! Remember, beautiful human mom and dad could produce ugly children too! Beautiful at young age can also turn to be less striking at adult age and ugly at young can turn to be beautiful at adult.

No offense to breeders, but this is merely another education of the day to us as customers.

To know the truth about your cats is to enter the cat show! From there, you decide!

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