Showing house cats

I was told that this would be a better place to post questions, so here they are. I have never done any shows before, and just found out that regular house cats can be showed. So I have a few questions before I considering showing.
First: What kind of cat is good for showing/ what are good qualities?

Second: What do cats get judged on?(appearance, temperament etc)

Also any other advice, stories would be appreciated.

Thanks

Manda

I saw your post in the Lounge...and really, Godiva is a great person to ask - She went through the whole process with us sometime late last year with great results! If only we could find those old threads, I'm sure they would be of great assistance.

But to quickly answer your question:

1. Any kind of cat that is healthy and loved and it shows is good for HHP. As for temperament, a "show-off" or at least a cat that is calm in demeanor, not anxious around people and cats is good.

2. What do they get judged on? Mainly on condition and purrsonality. Bright eyes, healthy gums, excellent grooming and coat condition.

A "unique" cat will do well in shows. What I mean by unique is something like, the color of the cat is well, different! For example, one of the more famous TCS HHP show cat is Tobie...great purrsonality with a very unique coloring which took many judges (even until now) to determine exactly what color he is. A cat with super clear markings - if it's a classic, a clearly defined bullseye pattern combined with good personality.

I hope this helps at least a little bit!

Originally Posted by Abymummy

2. What do they get judged on? Mainly on condition and purrsonality. Bright eyes, healthy gums, excellent grooming and coat condition.

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Also over here they do fun side classes like longest whiskers, longest tail, shortest tail etc.

Originally Posted by missymotus

Also over here they do fun side classes like longest whiskers, longest tail, shortest tail etc.

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I have seen classes like that here too, 'kitten with most expressive eyes', 'cat the judge would most like to take home', that sort of thing.

Generally they would be looking for well groomed, fit, alert cats with good coat condition and nice temperament that aren't stressed and don't mind being handled. I'm sure it doesn't do any harm if your cat is the type who is likely to lick a nose and purr when picked up by a stranger Here the HHP classes are split into Shorthair and Longhair, and there are different classes for different colours. I think my Radar would do well on the basis of his irregular swirly facial markings, as long as he could restrain himself from sinking his teeth into the judge's thumb!

Originally Posted by missymotus

Also over here they do fun side classes like longest whiskers, longest tail, shortest tail etc.

Click to expand...

I actually manage fun shows (ie. non pedigree) and one of THE most popular categories we've come up with is....

Kinkiest Tail In Show

Here's the basics (I showed HHPs and pedigrees).

First the cat has to be neutered or spayed if over 8 months old. CFA bans all declawed cats; ACFA and TICA will allow in HHP but don't encourage it.

Anything goes as far as the kind of HHP, but you do better if your cat is friendly to strangers, easy going and has a good temperment. Some take to it right away and "ham" it up (usually the males); others take awhile. If your cat is unhappy with showing, please don't show him/her - you can tell after a few rings (or one show).

You can "train" your cat at home by letting friends and family handle your cat. Stand them on a table, pet them, stretch them out (back two legs on the table) and have their head held still. The best way to learn is to attend a cat show and watch how the judges handle the cats in the rings, then go home and practice on your cat.

There is no written standard other then to be in good physical shape (not too fat or too thin), well groomed (especially longhairs), clean, eyes/ears clean and nails clipped.

Usually a cat that has unusual markings or traits (like a polydactal) will catch the attention of the judge. Some judges pick their favs by a cat that looks like one of their childhood cats or some have fav colors. I was an ACFA HHP judge and my fav cats were the red tabby boys and the calicos.