So how do I go about cat showing? and getting suitable cat?

[Soupie]

I can no longer horseride due to injury and miss "competing" and showing which I found great fun :)

I'm looking at getting my own house this year and will then be able to have more cats subject to Pousse being ok of course - although she has lived with other cats before ;)

Been reading the showing forum and it looks quite fun and I rather fancy having a pedigree and doing a little showing.

How does one get started and what sort of breeds are best for showing but also being a pet too?

Thanks in advance from a pedigree and showing dunce :D

[Mags]

I'm sure you will get some replies soon Soupie ........ I'm afraid I have to leave it to the experts!;)

[dinahsmum]

As Mags says, I'm sure someone will be along with an answer for you soon.
In the meantime I have found this link, to the feline equivalent of the Kennel Club - might give you a bit of a start
http://www.gccfcats.org/index.html

[dandysmom]

It's not for the faint-hearted! I had breeder friends,,,it's a time consuming and expensive hobby, involves lots of traveling and can be very competitive. On the plus side, it's incredibly rewarding, and you meet some lovely people! Just a comment from one who watched showing from the outside, so to speak!

[Sweet]

I am afraid I cannot help re. the showing side, but loved going to the
Supreme back in November last and mostly all the breeders I spoke to were lovely and very friendly, so I would imagine very hard work but very rewarding too, you will make new friends also x

[charliebubs]

Hiya Soupie,

I think the first step would be to find a breed that you fall in love with and take it from there, speak to a few breeders, find the cat club that supports that breed (i.e. The British Ragdoll Cat Club in my case) and check out their website. Most will have a list of approved breeders and available kittens etc.

I'd start by perhaps buying a cat magazine, like Cat World and looking in their sections at the back for kittens and breeders etc.

Once you have decided on the breed and spoken to a few breeders make sure that you make it clear that you want a "show quality" kitten and unless you also want to breed, this will be sold to you as a neuter.

Breeders will all be really helpful and not pushy. Most breeders have other friends that breed, so if they do not have a show quality kitten they may be able to refer you, or you might have to go on a waiting list.

Once you have the kitten, you should join the club that supports that breed and keep an eye on the list of up and coming shows that is on the GCCF website (linked above).

You won't really know what to expect at your first show, but it is a fantastic experience!!! :) It is true that it's not a cheap hobby though and there is often travelling involved and it can make for a very long day, but it's also very rewarding and I have met some wonderful people through showing and the cat clubs that I have joined. I would recommend it as a hobby!!! :)

Good luck and just shout if you have any questions.

:)

[Fran]

Hi Soupie, if you are unsure which breed you would like then the best way to find out would be to go to some shows. You'll be able to see all the different cats and chat with breeders who will be able to give you the low down on their breed plus which if you buy from a breeder that shows themselves then you will more likely be able to get a show quality kitten and lots of help from the kitten's breeder when you come to show the kitten yourself. Showing is a lot of fun and you get to meet some very nice people. On the downside it is quite an expensive hobbie and the days are very long. Good luck with it and if you need any further help then just ask :)

I too miss competing and showing with my horse. We only have the one horse now who is in semi-retirement...

[Hreow]

Definitely go to a few shows, look at the cats and speak to as many people as you can face. :-) There are a lot of good breeders that do not put an ad in the magazines. Mostly because they have enough inquiries just from word-of-mouth. If you're looking for a less-shown breed, or one that has yet to qualify, start on the home-page of one of the large global organisations and find the "umbrella" organisations for your breed. Try here for a start:
http://www.gccfcats.org/clubsnshows.html The breed-organisation is likely to have a longer list of reputable breeders.

You already have a moggy, if your "Cats owned" is up to date. You can always start by finding a local (ish) cat-show and entering the "Household pet" category. If your cat is likely to put up with sitting in a cage between 8 and 17 on a Saturday, watching people and occasionally getting lifted out for inspection by the judges, that is. It will give you an idea of what to accustom a pedigree cat to, if you decide that showing is what you want.
If you visit a GCCF show, all but the judges and the stewards are bundeled out of the hall more or less as soon as their charge(s) is in its cage in the morning and not let back in until 12-12:30. Check with the show manager. You can generally wander around the stands selling cat-stuff while you wait, which can get expensive. :grin:

[Soupie]

With a household pet class what do they look for? I never thought of showing Pousse - she is very good about sitting in her cage :)

Thing is though she has hardly any teeth and a bald patch from an ill fitting collar before I got her? that would be counted against her wouldn't it?

Thanks for the useful advice! I am rather partial to Bengals and Tonkinese :D

[Fran]

There are no standard of points as such for moggies although they'd expect that there wasn't an obvious tail fault present, umbilical hernia etc., so it basically comes down to which one takes the judge's eye on the day and is well presented for the show. Allowances may be made for lack of teeth but if Pousse has some hair loss then I definitely woudn't show her as they can be quite funny about hair loss at the shows.

I don't know very much about the Tonkinese breed but I do know Bengals can often be difficult to co-habitate with other breeds. They like their own kind. It would be well worth you popping along to a few shows, looking at the different breeds and chatting to breeders :)

[charliebubs]

With a household pet class what do they look for? I never thought of showing Pousse - she is very good about sitting in her cage :)

Thing is though she has hardly any teeth and a bald patch from an ill fitting collar before I got her? that would be counted against her wouldn't it?

Thanks for the useful advice! I am rather partial to Bengals and Tonkinese :D

Hi Soupie,

I'm not too sure what they look for with the household pets, as with the pedigrees they have a "standard of points" set by the GCCF which is what the judges are looking for. I'm entering one of my other cats into a household pet section in April, so will let you know after that how we do!!!!

I would think that the bald patch may count against poor Pousse, as I guess they look for quality of coat, eyes etc. However, I know that some shows have sub-sections in the household pet bit for "best rescue cat" or "prettiest female" or "longest whiskers" and things like that........so maybe it would be worth a go, just to see how you got on and to experience a show?!

If you want any more help, just shout. Or if you fancy coming to one of the shows that I'm at send me a PM and maybe we can arrange to meet up and I can show you what I know - which may not be all that much as I'm quite new to showing myself!!!! :shock: :D

[Hreow]

There is a section for pets at the end of this:
http://www.noreastcatclub.co.uk/schedule2007.pdf (page 25 - start from the end)
Not that I'm teling you you have to go to Scotland. :-) It's just the catalogue I've just finished picking classes from myself. It will give you an idea of the classes that may be available. I've seen longer lists of classes for moggies, but I don't think they get that many moggy entrants in Dundee. There is also a list of the rules for this show - they're pretty standard.

Another way, if you have some experience handling various cats, is to get in touch with the show-manager and ask if they need any stewards for the show. The stewards get assigned a judge. They retrieve the cats from the cages to hand to the judge, keep the examination-table clean and runs errands. That would get you up close and personal to the whole thing and will give you an insight into what the judges look for. For GCCF you do not need to be certified to do this, but there may be many trusted and/or qualified steward-volunteers ahead of you in the line. :grin: