Well Barney will be going to his first show next Sunday and I am on the look out for tips and advice.
We went as spectators to see what goes on a few weeks ago and my major concern is that he is in a cage from about 7.00am to 5.00pm. We have requested a double cage for him to try and mak him more comfortable, but I still have my concerns. How well do they do sitting in cages all day? We have lovely purple curtains and a mat for him and we are going to find a food, water and litter container to take as well.
From what I can tell it looks like a pretty boring day. Vetting at around 7.30am and judging at 9.00am, with a close at 4.30pm. I have my reservations about the benefit versus detriment effect of the showing him, so I have told my husband that if he is uncomfortable and unhappy at the show we wont take him anymore, I think making him stay with me for the whole day may also deter him from future shows. I'm just struggling to find a valid reason to put a 6 month old kitten through shows when we don't breed, so we aren't trying to promote our cattery. Don't get me wrong, I am going there with an open mind I am just concerned about the welfare of Barney.
Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated.
They sleep off the day mostly but some people also have little toys hanging from the roof of the cage and little mice and things in there to play with (after judging only) so Barney shouldn't be bored; there is special hanging toys for cages that you can buy at most shows. I'd also be surprised if you got a double cage. There is limited double cages as usually they are only for entire males for Maine Coons and Ragdolls, with the occasional neuter and kitten depending on the cat's size. Usually the judging goes to about 12:30 but it can go longer depending on how many rings of judging there is and how many cats a judge has to judge. There is little stalls selling things and the day is as much about being social as showing your cat so the day certainly isn't boring. You make lots of friends that you talk to for most of the day but you can also leave the cat there in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon but beware of people that may try to steal your ribbons, prizes and even your cat. It is quite common for ribbons and prizes to be stolen and I have heard of people in Melbourne and Sydney putting padlocks on their cats cages as people try to steal the cat. The day is so long because of the amount of paperwork that has to be during the day, and to be honest I think they do it really quickly for the amount they have! Some cats won't care at all about shows, others won't want to be there and it is each to their own. If you don't want to show, then I don't understand why you are. You seem to be going into the show world assuming you won't like it and that it will be boring. Barney will be fine, cats sleep 18 hours of the day so I don't think he will mind being in a nice soft bed asleep for most of the day with visits out of the cage for cuddles and flops on the bench. But it is each cat to their own and some cats just don't like it (usually the spoiled ones that haven't been trained to show).
Good Luck with your first show.
We paid for a double cage, but I have also heard that they are either first in or most in need, so I am not holding my breath. The reason we are doing it is because my other half wanted to get a show quality ragdoll and see what it was like to show a cat. He registered Barney in my name because he thought a man showing a cat would be sissy
So it is more my husband than me that wants to enter the show world, but I am the official registered owner on all of the paperwork, hence I end up doing most of the work. Barney is a mixture of independent and happy to snuggle or play with Felix, so he is not totally dependent on being around Ava and Felix to be happy. So maybe he will just sleep through the day.
Good luck Kathryn!!!! and let us know how it all goes
I know nothing about showing, but I too wish you luck and be sure to report back on how it goes (take pics!)
I hope your day is much better than you seem to be expecting and Barney does well. You're right though, it is a long day and I hope you have more luck than I did at my first show. I took Athena and had no experience so made the mistake of leaving her food in while judging took place. No-one had told me this wasn't allowed but oh boy was I in trouble. Then Athena decided she didn't like the experience and hid under her bedding. The lady showing the cat in the next cage decided to take it upon herself to wait until I wasn't by the cage and then report me for having a sick cat at the show. Poor Athena wasn't sick but she was hot because she was crammed in the corner, behind the litter tray, underneath the vetbed. She was sweating but only because she was so hot. When I voiced my concerns to the judges they wouldn't let me take her home even though the other woman was still telling everyone about the poor sick cat in the cage next to hers. Despite all of this Athena still came second and was only marked down because she was so distressed. The other woman's cat came first and then she kept complaining that someone had injured her cat's tail when one of her friend's mentioned she could feel a tail fault. All in all it wasn't a day I've been in a hurry to repeat, I've thought about it a feew times but what with cost, the travel, the long day and the chance of upsetting one of my babies I just haven't convinced myself that it's worth the hassle.
Your first time at a show take as a learning experience and ask a lot of questions. I learned so much from my first show. I asked a lot of exhibitors and breeders tons of questions. I also didnt even know how to get the show curtains in the cage and someone helped me without me asking.
Always buy a double cage as you get more space.
If you cat doesnt like it then it is up to you what to do. You dont want a miserable kitten but some tolerate it and some like it. Some may not eat or use the litterbox the whole time there but not to worry.
Good luck.
Thanks for the advice FluffyHuffy and Gail. We saw a lot of cats hiding in their curtains at the show we went to a few weeks ago. The owners there were quite nice and happy to explain about their breed, we also picked up some curtains there. But that was another cat association from teh one we are registered with, and apparently their is a fair bit of rivalry. The breeder that sold Barney to us will also be competing at the show, so hopefully she will guide us in the right direction. Gee FluffyHuffy I never knew you had to have their food out of the cage at judging time. From what we saw a few weeks back they took them out of the cage and to a table to assess them, there were chairs in front of the table for people to watch, kind of like a classroom. But this may not be the case for the association we are with. Lots of unanswered questions. I guess as long as we go in there with no expectations and just try to enjoy the experience it should be fine. I think if Barney reacts badly to the day we might avoid future shows are competitors and just enjoy spectating! You never know until you try
I will take lots of pictures for you Teresa and will report on the day promptly after the show! Luckily the venue is only about 30 minutes away so it wont be too far. I just hope they don't make everyone stay until 4.30pm after a 7.30am start! Thanks for the advice everyone, I feel a bit more positive and open minded about the day now.
Did you get your curtains from Suz, Kathryn?
(03-14-2010 05:35 AM)blueragdoll Wrote: [ -> ]Did you get your curtains from Suz, Kathryn?
I actually found some at the cat show we went to a few weekends ago. Lovely royal purple satin. But I think we may need another set if we decide to continue entering, as it is a bit staticky. Another fabric type would be helpful, especially if the static spray doesn't do the job on it so I may need to contact Suzanne.