Cat Shows
Catshows always are a topic which is discussed quite controverse:
there are only "showpeople" and "non-showers" - and no bridge between.
But Shows are a important and needed part of cat-breeding insofar as I can only see there, in competition with other cats of the same color, gender and age how good is my cat. How near to the written standard is my cat? or am I - believing my cats the most beautiful of the world, what they are - got lost and are now far away from what i should breed according to standard..
And shows cn be a lot of fun with meeting friends, people one knows, - and who claims that winning isnt important is lying;) - even breeders are vain enough to like it if their cat is winning.
And it is not so, that it is painful for cats to be at a show. most cats do like it- and if one of mine doesnt, well, i dont force her any longer when she managed to win the three certificates needed for FIFe-Championship. These she has to have for me - and during these three shows i get an insight how her character might be: shy, cool or outgoing. An agressive or shy cat shouldnt be seen at a show - and maybe, but this is just my opinion, she shouldnt be bred as well. I confess, I dont want to have a shy cat as well as I dont want to have one which doesnt be "within "standard in my breeding programme.
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One has to divide between "traditional- "or "ring"-judging: at FIFe- or WCF-shows you will find the "traditional" judging. With CFA and TICA you can have this also, but mostly you find the judging in form of congresses. How judging is done in the different associations you can read on their respective webpages.
The criteria a cat is shown are the standard of its breed , which is the ideal. The perfect animal would have 100 points and the higher a title the cat get the higher she has to come near this figure. once finished a title the cat is starting coolecting points for the next , higher one.
And the judges report is kind of sacrosanct. means: once the judge said "it is like this" it is so. Even if you believe otherwise;) One sees and experiences quite a lot of these situations over the years, because one believes: the own cats are the best all over.. and well,I explain how it is at FIFe, where I do my showing:
who is carrying the cat to the judge: the steward or you? You yourself. In FIFe you are allowed to carry your cat from your cage to the judges table. You also put your cat on the table. You talk with the judge, who, in best moments tells you everything he thinks about your cat according to standard. In not so genuine moments he grumbles something into the cat and writes a lot on the certificates sheet you will get in the afternoon, just to see: excellent tail, excellent head, excellent this - why the heck hasn’t he chosen us for nomination??grin..(of course, because another cat with the same excellents was just better. Or better groomed. Or..)
I believe this to be a quite good system, because you can learn about the judge, yourself ; your idea of standard; your breeding and your cat,) – and a good judge will always just judge the cat, not the owner. Mostly it works- and for the rest, well this happens in every form of showing I suppose.
The only place where you are not allowed to be seen with your cat is at the best in show- there only the stewards are carrying the cats on stage.
And, well, as it is with this system.. it is quite often happening in a best of variety, where you stand with all the cats in your colorclass (and their respective owners) in a line to have the best animal chosen out of boys, girls and kitten, that I, a not really young and not very slender male are standing there with a tiny kitten on my hands and next to me is a tiny little woman with a full grown tomcat presenting him in full length;)) well..imagine it –or better not!;))
