My First cat show ;)

[Grete]

Went along to the Nottingham and Derby show today - my first ever cat show ;)

I had no idea what to expect and I really wasn't prepared for how busy it would be!

I met up with Kay first and got to admire and cuddle Roxie - she is one gorgeous kitty and so laid back she's almost horizontal! A little while later I got to meet Fran and her husband too and it was fantastic talking 'cats' with them all :)

I managed to miss Soupie every time I went to Mr F's pen lol but I have to say Mr F IS Mr Fantastic! Such a gorgeous boy :) I was sorry to miss you Soupie!

Both Kay and Fran are lovely, friendly ladies who totally put me at ease and patiently answered all my (many) questions about cat showing :)

The cats being shown were just beautiful! I am just amazed at how many breeds there were. There were even a couple of Singapura's which made me think instantly of DM :)

I also had a lovely chat with a very kind gentleman who was showing a Burmese and I was surprised how many of the Burmese traits Fizz has which was nice :)

The stalls were fantastic too - came home with a laser toy (yay!) which both cats are fascinated with, a radiator bed, LOTS of little throwy toys and a feathers on a stick type thing. The cats don't know what to play with first! :)

I have to admit I was faintly disapproving of the whole showing cats thing, even with no experience of it, it seemed a bit mean to expose cats to each other in cages and with stress but I have to say, MOST of the cats I saw today were just chilling out and very relaxed. One of two I saw I thought really shouldn't have been there but I guess there will always be people in it for the prestige rather than having their cats welfare at the foremost.

On the whole it was a really good experience and one I am hoping to repeat at the show at Bingley Hall at the end of February :)

Thanks again Kay and Fran, I was actually really scared going there on my own and you helped so much :)

*hugs*

[Mags]

Glad to hear you enjoyed the Show, Grete..:D

Well done to Fran and Kay for looking after you... :smt023

[Fran]

Grete, it was lovely to meet you today! and great to talk 'cat' one of my fav topics ;) I hope I get to meet you again at a show in the future. Don't think I will get to the Bingley Hall shows this year but you never know ;)

I missed Soupie yet again :roll: Hope you had a successful day today :)


It was lovely to see Kay and her lovely cats again, I'll let her tell you how they got on today ;)

A very enjoyable day indeed :cool:

[babycakes]

Sounds excellent Grete and well done to you for going and and mixing X mustn't have been easy (maybe unthinkable a while ago?).
Well done Fran and Kay for your support

[Soupie]

:lol: I am not really elusive but cannot stand still on my gammy leg for long so have to walk or sit down! Today we did a lot of walking and investigating a kitten on show for a Selkirk breeding programme:)

I will be at Cov and Leicester Grete! with both boys and I shall be easily findable as will be parked on the Selkirk club stall that day ;)

will do a report when I have recovered!

[Soupie]

One of two I saw I thought really shouldn't have been there but I guess there will always be people in it for the prestige rather than having their cats welfare at the foremost.



Just had to respond to this - just because a cat is having an off day doesn't mean that is usual for the cat. My friend's kitten today who normally is the life and soul of the show - absolutely adores being there and wonderful to handle had an off day today and was very grumpy and it was so unexpected and sometimes is something you just cannot predict :(

What I am trying to say is that sometimes it is easy to assume a straight not caring about welfare but cat could just have decided not up for it that day.

Or do you mean the cats were in poor condition? if so then I would agree 100% a cat shouldn't be there that day ;)

Glad you enjoyed it for the most part though and thanks for the comments about my boy :D

[dandysmom]

I''m so glad you enjoyed your first show, Grete! Quite an experience the first time, isn't it? And you saw some Puras!! Lovely little cats, not that I'm the least bit prejudiced about them...:roll: And how nice to meet Fran and Kay, pleased they helped make it a nice experience. Fizz and Bubbles are going to have such fun with their new toys! And I agree with Soupie about a cat just not being in the mood sometimes. My breeder friends cats normally loved it but did sometimes have an off day. Did you get any pics?

[Grete]

What I am trying to say is that sometimes it is easy to assume a straight not caring about welfare but cat could just have decided not up for it that day.


You know Soupie, you are totally right and had I thought about it harder, I would probably have come to that conclusion ;)

Or do you mean the cats were in poor condition? if so then I would agree 100% a cat shouldn't be there that day ;)

I didn't see one cat that looked ill or in poor condition to be honest - there were a couple that had had runny poos but I think that is just the excitement of the day. As I said I was well impressed with how most of the cats just took it in their stride.

Glad you enjoyed it for the most part though and thanks for the comments about my boy :D

Hehe he was just so gorgeous, are you taking him to the one at the end of Feb? I still want my cuddle ;)

[Grete]

I''m so glad you enjoyed your first show, Grete! Quite an experience the first time, isn't it? And you saw some Puras!! Lovely little cats, not that I'm the least bit prejudiced about them...:roll: And how nice to meet Fran and Kay, pleased they helped make it a nice experience. Fizz and Bubbles are going to have such fun with their new toys! And I agree with Soupie about a cat just not being in the mood sometimes. My breeder friends cats normally loved it but did sometimes have an off day. Did you get any pics?

I didn't get any pics although I did take my camera :( It was so busy and I was a little overwhelmed hehe. I also didn't know what the etiquette is on taking pics of others cats and didn't like to unless there was someone to ask... which invariably there wasn't lol.

[Grete]

:lol: I am not really elusive but cannot stand still on my gammy leg for long so have to walk or sit down! Today we did a lot of walking and investigating a kitten on show for a Selkirk breeding programme:)

I will be at Cov and Leicester Grete! with both boys and I shall be easily findable as will be parked on the Selkirk club stall that day ;)

will do a report when I have recovered!

A-ha! Lol well I look forwards to meeting you then! I didn't think you were being elusive - just busy! :)

[Grete]

Sounds excellent Grete and well done to you for going and and mixing X mustn't have been easy (maybe unthinkable a while ago?).

You are right - not that long ago I would just never have been able to contemplate going anywhere on my own, let alone to an unknown crowded place.

Lol I do have to admit tho that before I went, I was shaking and nervous how I'd cope going to an unknown place on my own but my hubby is brilliant at calming me down and encouraging me to do what I would like to.

Once I'd gotten inside, I was just goggle eyed at the number of breeds - most of which I had never seen in the flesh as it were, just pictures. Then Kay was so friendly and then Fran and it was just brilliant :)

[Soupie]

Hehe he was just so gorgeous, are you taking him to the one at the end of Feb? I still want my cuddle ;)


Yes in fact both Q and Mister will be there and I will be easy to find as well :D I shall be sat on my bottom behind the Selkirk Rex Cat Club Stall :lol: plus I'll pm you my mobile number before then ;)

[Kay]

It was so lovely to meet you Grete and I am glad you enjoyed the show and your cuddles with Roxie and Shannon. I am sure your babies appreciated you going as they seemed to have got a lot of pressies. You better bring a lot of money as the Cov & Leic has loads of stalls.

As for the point about cats not enjoying shows as you have seen most of them are laid back and relaxed with a few exceptions. These exceptations may very well have had a bad day, becoming into call etc but there are some people out there who continually show a cat that just doesn't like being shown. These people unfortunately do exist and are more interested in the so called prestige of owning a titled cat rather than the the cats feelings. I know, as a person who shows, that we like to think this isn't so but it does happen and in all of the breeds. Luckily these people are the minority. I myself have had experience of a cat that didn't like being shown. Angel hated it and therefore was only shown twice as a kitten. She isn't a nervous cat but just hated the show scene. I would never force any cat that didn't like it.