Cat show - how to prepare for it?

Cat shows are a big event for cat lovers. For breeders, this is a test of their breeding work, and for ordinary guardians, the score received from the judge is a confirmation of the beauty of their purring wards - everyone wants their pet to get the highest possible score. However, you need to prepare for such shows; prepare yourself and your cat. How to do it? Can all cats be shown? What do you need to do to show your pet? And how to put a cat on an exhibition?

What are pedigreed cat shows?

Cat shows are sometimes called cat beauty pageants, but this term is not entirely accurate. In fact, the invited judges-felinologists evaluate not so much the beauty of the animals as the compliance of their appearance with the standard of the breed to which they belong. And the standard is nothing more than a description of the ideal representative of this cat breed.

The first pedigreed cat show was held at London's Cristal Palace in 1871 and featured British Shorthairs and Persians. Initially, they tried to present cats on leashes as dogs. However, it soon turned out that this was a very bad idea. So they started showing cats in cages, which is what they are doing now. At exhibitions organized under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe), the largest international felinological organization, during the evaluation, cats are brought into the ring and placed in front of the judges on the tables, and before and after the evaluation they are in cages.

Here I should point out that FIFe is not the only organization of cat breeders in the world. I mention this because these associations differ in show rules and breed standards. What's more, they don't even agree on the number of recognized breeds or which cats are purebred and which aren't. Therefore, in this article, I will rely on the rules developed by FIFe.

Cat shows are primarily exhibitions of purebred animals. Are there exhibitions of outbred cats? Yes, such events are organized, but they do not have the same status as the furry shows discussed in this text, and they do not happen often.

Can all cats participate in cat shows?

We are talking about exhibitions of pedigree cats, so they are visited primarily by pedigree cats, or rather pedigree representatives of all breeds recognized by the felinological organization, under whose patronage the exhibition is held. At the time of writing this text, 48 cat breeds are officially recognized by FIFe (a list of them can be found on the website of this organization).

Fédération Internationale Féline also allows non-recognized breeds to participate in its cat shows - they are judged but not eligible for the title of champion. At FIFe cat shows, it is not allowed to show or even breeds that have been bred by crossing a domestic cat with a wild cat - the only exception is the Bengal cat, which is a descendant of a domestic cat and a wild Bengal cat. The FIFe also prohibits the exhibiting of breeds suffering from (pseudo-)achondroplasia (such as the Munchkin) or osteochondrodysplasia (such as the Scottish Fold), or breeds whose ancestors were such cats.

The cat show remains closed to pregnant and lactating females. In addition, cats with visible genetic defects (such as dwarfism, a kink in the tail or the wrong number of toes - too few or too many), sick, deaf, blind, cross-eyed cats, with an umbilical hernia, declawed animals or simply dirty are not also cats under the influence of drugs and after certain cosmetic procedures such as coloring. Kittens under 4 months of age are also not allowed to participate in cat shows.

Interestingly, outbred animals may appear at pedigreed cat shows. These are ordinary domestic cats, popularly known as dachovtsy, and not cats that look like purebreds, but do not have a pedigree. (Non-pedigree animals, but meeting the standard of a certain breed, are sometimes allowed to show in the so-called novitiate, but only when the novitiate is allowed in this breed, and these are exceptional cases.).

What do you need to do to take part in a cat show?

Thus, we see that cat shows are not held for every cat, and the main condition in such an event is the presence of a cat that can officially be admitted to such an exhibition. This may be a truism, but we must remember this!

So, we have a purebred cat or an ordinary domestic fluffy cat and we want to show it at the exhibition. What should we do? How to put a cat on an exhibition? The first step is to register with one of the existing clubs that bring together breeders and cat lovers.

The largest felinological organization in Russia is FARUS. FARUS, in turn, is a federation uniting regional associations of cat breeders. Therefore, we must choose one of these clubs - preferably the one closest to our place of residence, but this is not necessary - and sign up for it and register our cat. Of course, we will have to pay the appropriate fees, that's understandable. However, these are not exorbitant amounts.

Once we do this, our next step is to apply for one of the cat shows. We can exhibit a cat in the country or abroad - as we wish. But first it’s better to go to an exhibition in Russia, it’s easier and cheaper, and we don’t know how our cat will be appreciated and whether participation in the exhibition is suitable for him and us - it varies.

How to prepare for a cat show? Required documents

We should start preparing for the cat show long before the date. In fact, it is worth starting from the first minutes of your cat's stay in our house. I mean the emotional preparation of the pet for exhibitions, but more on that later. Let's start with the most important documents that we need to take with us.

First of all it will sanitary book and in case of foreign exhibitions special passport on the cat. The book or passport must contain information about current vaccinations, confirmed by the signature and seal of a veterinarian. According to FIFe regulations, cats participating in the exhibition must be vaccinated against feline panleukopenia, feline calicivirus, feline herpes and rabies, and vaccinations must be done no later than 15 days before the exhibition. If we are going to a foreign cat show, we must check the veterinary regulations in the country - applicable additional vaccinations, mandatory deworming, etc. - which we must comply with.

We are also obliged chip pet. The cat's chip number must also be entered in the cat's health book or in the cat's passport. The chip is the basis for identifying the cat, so it can be checked at the border. It will also be read by a veterinarian before entering the exhibition. This doctor will also check the general health of our pet.

In addition to a medical book or a passport with information about current vaccinations, you must also take to the cat show pet health certificate issued by our veterinarian not earlier than 3 days before the show, and if ours is fluffy white, then a certificate confirming that he is not deaf.

Also, don't forget to bring application for an exhibition or confirmation of admission to the exhibition, confirmation of payment exhibitions and cat's pedigree or a copy of it (may come in handy).

How to prepare for a cat show? Necessary accessories

As I said, at the cat show, animals are kept in cages. Exhibition cages are usually 65 cm high, 60 cm wide and 60 cm deep. If we bring several cats or a representative of a large breed, we can ask for a double cage (for an additional fee), then the bottom of the cage is 60 cm by 120 cm.

The cells are openwork, even the bottom is not uniform, so you need to prepare the right decor. We need something rigid to cover the bottom - a mattress, blanket, etc. - and opaque curtains for the sides - these will isolate our pet from the neighbors in the next cage. Such decoration of the cell, its color and shape depend only on our idea and taste - the rules do not indicate how it should look. However, it is worth choosing colors that will highlight the beauty of our pet.

Other elements of aviary equipment are: tray, couch and bowls for water and food (it is best to buy those that can be hung on a cage - the pet will not knock them over). Some cat toys may also come in handy, such as a feathered fishing rod.

Don't forget to bring a cat brush or comb, cleaning wipes and the necessary cosmetics for cats (depending on the type of coat) to the exhibition. We will need them for final care before the assessment.

How to prepare a cat for an exhibition? cat behavior

There is no denying that cat shows can be stressful for your pet. And nervous cats often behave unpredictably. Some, for example, become aggressive, which is grounds for disqualification. Therefore, we must prepare it mentally. This is what I had in mind when I wrote that the animal must be prepared for exhibitions from the very beginning, preferably from a young age.

First of all, we must accustom your cat to people — there will be a lot of strangers at cat shows. There will also be judges holding the animals. So we should encourage our guests to hold our purring friend in their arms, pet him and play with him.

Showing cats is also a special way of presenting them - they are kept in such a way as to highlight the advantages of their physique. In preparation for the exhibition it is worth accustom your cat to “show holding”. I would also advise not to force your pet off the tables - remember that at a cat show, cats are judged on tables, so this item should not cause bad associations with the pet.

Our purring charge should also get used to transportation and travel.

How to prepare a cat for an exhibition? Appearance of a cat

A very important element of preparing an animal for a cat show is proper care, especially grooming. In this case, not only grooming procedures are important, but also proper feeding - diet has a great influence on the appearance of animals, especially on their coat.

The method of care depends on the cat's breed. Of course, all animals need to be brushed regularly, but some breeds also require bathing, dusting the coat with special powders or spraying with antistatic liquids. In this article I will not be able to describe how we care for individual cat breeds - this is a topic for several separate texts. I will only note that the cat must be clean, without tangles in the fur, without streaks under the eyes, etc. Before the exhibition, we must trim the claws - this is our responsibility.

Cat shows are good preparation, but that's not all

Cat shows - if we want to participate in such events, we need to know how to prepare for them. The most difficult task is to prepare the cat, especially if it belongs to a long-haired breed. Properly caring for a Longhair can be quite a challenge - experienced breeders and exhibitors have their own ways that they don't want to reveal to others.

So, if we are just starting our adventure with pedigree cat shows, we should be patient. Over time we will gain relevant experience. However, let's not forget that success at such exhibitions largely depends on the beauty of the animals. There is nothing we can do if our cat does not meet the breed standard.