Getting ready to show

sohni

TCS Member
Thread starter
Super Cat
Joined
Oct 2, 2007
Messages
941
Purraise
11
Location
Vancouver Island, BC
So, what are some good ways to train a cat to show? I am thinking it's time to start taking Tsekani out into public, for example to the petstore. And to take him on trips around town to get him acclimatized to the car. I have already brought him to my parents place twice and he was just fine with that.

Are there positions to put him in for showing? For my shepherds it's really regimented, they need to hold in a stack position. I just can't see training a cat to do that.
 

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
Basically you get them to "relax" when stretching them out (hands under the front legs and back legs. Hold them out in the air for a few seconds. I usually train mine to stand still on a small table.

Go over their head, body, coat. And then get them to sit and play with feather toys, sparkle toys, etc. You can get them to do a little jumping for the toy but have your hands partially on them so they don't jump down from the table. Trick is to keep them relaxed on the table and not want to take off
 

abymummy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 7, 2006
Messages
4,074
Purraise
11
Location
Malaysia
Here's some visual aids...this is what judges usually do in the judging ring...


The Stand Test

Checking head shape, muzzle, and overall general body condition by running hands from head to tail.







Play test







Sorry these pics only show the feathers, judges use other types of toys as well!

Checking the coat (no comments about green Abys please!
)



The stretch test:



There are more than these, but unfortunately, these are the only pics I have that show these tests well!

PS. The Abys are mine - GC Masmera Cahaya Bulan and GP Masmera SinarSuria - CFA ID Asia's first Division bred Abyssinian grands, from the same litter
. I showed the Maine Coon to Grand Champion
. The HHP (Oriental - he has a kink in his tail, never registered) is a dear friends' cat and possibly Malaysia's most famous HHP show cat, shown since the age of 6 months. The ASH from a breeder friend in Hong Kong.
 

abymummy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 7, 2006
Messages
4,074
Purraise
11
Location
Malaysia
I would also recommend that you train your cat to being caged. Not all cats take to being caged easily.
 

nekochan

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 5, 2006
Messages
2,760
Purraise
22
Location
Chicago, IL
Hey I have a related question... If a kitten tries to play-bite while the judge is going over them would they take points off? Sometimes my kitten takes certain handling as an invitation to wrestle even though I've made sure to never play with him using my hands as toys...
 

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
No - you must break your kitten of the habit of trying to bite hands when being handled. The judges don't know whether the cat is serious or not. "Hands" should be a good thing. If your kitten does it, start teaching him/her its NOT allowed.
 

nekochan

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 5, 2006
Messages
2,760
Purraise
22
Location
Chicago, IL
Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

No - you must break your kitten of the habit of trying to bite hands when being handled. The judges don't know whether the cat is serious or not. "Hands" should be a good thing. If your kitten does it, start teaching him/her its NOT allowed.
I have been trying to teach him but so far he does not seem to be learning...none of the methods I've tried have stopped him... :/
 

mzjazz2u

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 6, 2003
Messages
10,133
Purraise
4
Location
The Beehave State!
Originally Posted by Abymummy

Here's some visual aids...this is what judges usually do in the judging ring...


The Stand Test

Checking head shape, muzzle, and overall general body condition by running hands from head to tail.







Play test







Sorry these pics only show the feathers, judges use other types of toys as well!

Checking the coat (no comments about green Abys please!
)



The stretch test:



There are more than these, but unfortunately, these are the only pics I have that show these tests well!
Those pictures are good learning tools. So do the judges just play test with feathers? Should I start playing with Maxx with feathers more? Maxx plays hard all the time but most of the time he ignores feathers. I guess they don't impress him much.
 

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
Not all cats respond to certain toys - that's why the judges usually have a variety of 2-3 different types. Charlie prefers the pheasant feathers best of all.



As far as the kitten biting - have you tried a loud "hiss" when he does it?
 

abymummy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 7, 2006
Messages
4,074
Purraise
11
Location
Malaysia
Originally Posted by mzjazz2u

Those pictures are good learning tools. So do the judges just play test with feathers? Should I start playing with Maxx with feathers more? Maxx plays hard all the time but most of the time he ignores feathers. I guess they don't impress him much.
Persians and Exotics are used interchangeably here....


It's uncommon to see Persians, especially adults (Premiership or Championship) react to much - be it feathers or other toys. When they do react, it's like bonus points for the cats.

Judges test for Persians are a bit unlike the ones I posted pics of. Due to the nature of their cobby body and placid nature, most judges don't do a stand test. The stand test for them is on 4 legs not 2. Usually, no stretch test either. Instead, there's the lift on one hand test...hmmm, something like this...:


The Exotic pictured above is GC Loon Neo of Proventus.


The check the head test for Persians is also important. I will see if I can find a good picture of that.
 

mzjazz2u

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 6, 2003
Messages
10,133
Purraise
4
Location
The Beehave State!
I'm thinking Maxx should do well in premiership. He championed (I think it was 6 times) in the past. (Before I got him and had him neutered). I'd have to check that number for sure on the CFA site. I had looked up his registration number when I first got him. I just think it would be a good experience for me and a local show would be a good place to get my feet wet. Anyway... Maxx plays all the time. He thinks life is just one big happy playpen. I've never seen a Persian play like he does.
 

abymummy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 7, 2006
Messages
4,074
Purraise
11
Location
Malaysia
Somewhat more related to Persians and Zots but judges do use these for other cats too!

The head check







The lift







And more types of teasers





Note: All Persians shown here except for the black were born and bred in Thailand.....
 

ferriscat

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jun 8, 2007
Messages
777
Purraise
3
Location
Washington, DC
Be sure to train your boy for entering and exiting the cage. Always take him out of the cage back-side first -- get one hand behind his front feet and another hand in front of his hind feet to support him as you take him out of the cage. This is the way judges remove cats from the cages around the ring. Some cats have had violent reactions when they were taken out of the cage this way for the first time. You don't want to have any suprises for your boy!

Some of the European judges are afraid of the Maus. I believe the breeders there are not as careful about temperment as we are here. The breed, sadly, has to fight a bad reputation. The first time I took Bailey into a ring, the judge interpreted something he did as agressive. I had to take Bailey out onto the judging table for him. Be aware that this situation could come up for your boy during his first few times. Always give him a treat when he returns from the ring. Maus are smart cats and learn quickly, but they won't work for free!!

Finally, be calm as you take your boy from the benching area to a ring. Cats pick up on our emotions, and if we are anxious or nervous as we take them to a ring, they'll also be anxious and nervous.

If you find your cat benched next to another boy, please alert the ring clerk to the fact. Boys should not be benched next to other boys. Also, if you find there is a cat in the ring that is not behaving well (yowling, hissing, spitting), you can request to have your cat benched away from the poor performer. Don't be afraid to absent your cat from a ring if you feel there is something that might upset your baby. You have to protect him, afterall
 

mzjazz2u

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 6, 2003
Messages
10,133
Purraise
4
Location
The Beehave State!
Good tips everyone. I've been in contact with one of my Persian breeder friends as well and she's giving me some good tips for preperation too. Especially on keeping his blacks, black and his whites, white. Now the trick is keeping all the shampoos that are color specific from bleeding into the wrong color! Starting today, I'm going to start bathing him once a week right up till the show and give him a hot oil treatment once a month.

What are the judges looking for in the lift?

Sohni, Sorry for hijacking your thread.
 

gemlady

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
18,820
Purraise
31
Location
SW Indiana
While I doubt I would ever get my two in a show ring (HHP), The pics and tips posted are fantastic!

And green abys are cute, Adilah!
 

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
The lift is to feel the weight/balance of the cat and to kinda "show it off" - most cats will "fix" on something if lifted in the air and the judge can see the face/head without squishing it like on the table.

You want to see if the cat has sparkle, etc. - proper eye shape/color.


And thanks for the tip on how to train to be taken out of the cage (backwards) - I completely forgot about that - its "natural" for me to just do it at shows, so I gave it no thought.

As long as you do it EVERY time you take the cat out, they quickly learn how to adjust. Sometimes DH lets Charlie come out front first and I'll have to remind him to turn him around backwards
This includes not only taking them out backwards in the show ring, but also from your show cage at the benching area. You confuse the cat when you allow it one way from benching to show ring and then do something different after the judging. Keep it consistent.
 

abymummy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 7, 2006
Messages
4,074
Purraise
11
Location
Malaysia
Originally Posted by mzjazz2u

Good tips everyone. I've been in contact with one of my Persian breeder friends as well and she's giving me some good tips for preperation too. Especially on keeping his blacks, black and his whites, white. Now the trick is keeping all the shampoos that are color specific from bleeding into the wrong color! Starting today, I'm going to start bathing him once a week right up till the show and give him a hot oil treatment once a month.

What are the judges looking for in the lift?

Sohni, Sorry for hijacking your thread.
When color enhancing, always put on the white shampoo first before other colors. This will stop the black/gold/blue whatever color you're using from bleeding into the white!

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

The lift is to feel the weight/balance of the cat and to kinda "show it off" - most cats will "fix" on something if lifted in the air and the judge can see the face/head without squishing it like on the table.

You want to see if the cat has sparkle, etc. - proper eye shape/color.
Also for Persians/Zots, it also shows length of body - too long or just right cobby.

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

And thanks for the tip on how to train to be taken out of the cage (backwards) - I completely forgot about that - its "natural" for me to just do it at shows, so I gave it no thought.

As long as you do it EVERY time you take the cat out, they quickly learn how to adjust. Sometimes DH lets Charlie come out front first and I'll have to remind him to turn him around backwards
This includes not only taking them out backwards in the show ring, but also from your show cage at the benching area. You confuse the cat when you allow it one way from benching to show ring and then do something different after the judging. Keep it consistent.
Unless of course you have trained your cat so well that it will either:

1. Gracefully walk out of the cage (saw more than a few cats doing that! Suria does that most of the time
)

2. Jump straight into the judges arms! (Tsar Blu Russian Blues are famous for that!)

 

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
hmmm my RB was out of Tsar Blu lines (within 3-4 generations)
And I do remember he just practically walked out of the cage into the judges arms. I just thought it was cause Cassie loved people (his name was Cassanova - from birth)


IMO its better to train them to come out backwards. Charlie is allowed to walk out of the benching cage if he wants, but never in the show ring
 
Top