? for our breeders ...

What does the term "unchallenging" mean to you?

I was just reading the CFA Sib breed standards and under the Temperament it says "must be unchallenging".

Interesting show season ahead for me. I have a temporary Wegie son at home, god willing, to be granded as a GP this weekend.

I'm campaigning Suria for DW.

And if all is well, I may just be showing a Sib to GP as well!

I may just be the weirdest and crazy cat lady ever! Who ever heard of a short hair breeder showing the 3 forest cats to Grand just because she can?

Unchallanging to me is a cat who doesn't give me a hard time with handling or swatting or attempting to bite when handled.

However, that should be for ANY breed, so I'm not sure why they state that.

I don't like that being in the standard. It gives the judges reason to think that the breed itself has temperment issues. . . not to mention, there are some judges that think every cat that can't be tossed around is challenging.

I work with two breeds that have bad reputations when it comes to temperment, and it really grinds my gears when I ask a judge for their personal opinion on my cat and they only thing they will talk about is its bad attitude (and I'm talking about a cat that has one of the best temperments we've ever seen!) It's not at all fair to the Sib breed to have that in there; what in the world was the BC thinking???


Good luck with your Wegie boy!

It's there and I was wondering about that myself....

Anyhow, he's only an itty bitty baby now but he's looking good

my prospective new son....

Oh and here's my VERY temporary Wegie son - he needs 6 points to grand....

I have no idea what I am looking at as far as the Siberian Standard goes, but he sure is precious!
The Wegie boy is very nice too; those ear tufts!

Originally Posted by FerrisCat

I have no idea what I am looking at as far as the Siberian Standard goes, but he sure is precious!

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Me too! Which was why I was reading the standards!

I like this:

"The general impression is one of roundness and circles..."

Itty bitty sure got him a round head!

We all know there are some cats in every breed that have a "tude".

Basically none of those cats should be in a show hall to begin with. It takes a special cat to be a show cat and not all are cut out for it and as many of us know, it only takes one really bad experience at a show for a great cat to decide: no more shows, I'm done, I've had enough of this.

Unchallenging to me means, the cat doesn't display any "tude". Fear or nervousness is ok, but no display of aggression, no striking out, no biting (including air bites), no lunge to intimidate.

Nial - too bad you are not up here to help us explain to a certain Korat owner that their cat should NOT be shown! We tried to be nice about it - wish a brick would fall on their heads!

Your kitten definitely has a nice square in the front (the broad chest), a nice round head, good pads and tufts, and the profile its hard to say as I can't tell from the picture.

Unchallenging is because the early Siberians were ferals and not sociable at all. Its been bred down and so Siberians are very loveable now. Now granted, not all were ferals, some were housepets and farm cats but most still didn't care for the idea of showing. Siberians in temperament tend to be balanced, they should play and cuddle and in the show hall (the ones that should be shown), they are unchallenging to the judges, freindly to all and playful. I have 5 Siberians, of those, I would and do show 3 of them. How close to foundation is your kitten?

Daisy

Hi Daisy!

Been waiting for your comments! How close to foundation? Very!

He's not my cat...yet. I may just co-own furrever. We're still in negotiations and of course, being a pessimist, he must survive the next couple of months before anything is decided.

I honestly have no knowledge of Siberians except to know the difference between the 3 forest cats - basic really, rectangle, triangle and circle!

I may just pm you later for grooming tips and tricks - never realised that a cat could have TRIPLE coats!

Originally Posted by Abymummy

I honestly have no knowledge of Siberians except to know the difference between the 3 forest cats - basic really, rectangle, triangle and circle!

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You're going to be a forest cat expert before you know it!!

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Nial - too bad you are not up here to help us explain to a certain Korat owner that their cat should NOT be shown!

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Do you have any rules regarding cats acting out? Here it's 3 strikes and your out, cannot be shown again.

Sorta of. One of the judges did talk to them about their cat and the reactions - but they are hard headed and refuse to listen. Matter of time before the cat bites one of the judges - he's threaten a lot of them and no one will have the courage to call the owners on this.

Even sadder, this owner keeps the cat in a carrier INSIDE a popup tent (portable cage) the ENTIRE time its in the show hall. The poor thing has no room to move! They also show British SH's and they have large open cages to sit in - not the Korat.

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Even sadder, this owner keeps the cat in a carrier INSIDE a popup tent (portable cage) the ENTIRE time its in the show hall. The poor thing has no room to move! They also show British SH's and they have large open cages to sit in - not the Korat.

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Is there a show rule against this?

Apparently not - the carrier is in the darker potable cage. You would not know its there unless you really looked. As long as the cat is in a cage - that's the rule. There is a rule that cats cannot be in carriers UNDER the cage - so maybe that's how they get around it.

Hi GoldenKitty,
Sorry I didn't see your post sooner. I don't know how I missed it.
So anyways, here in the US our rules specifically state no kitten or cat may be in a carrier unless being transported in or out of the show hall.

Thats cool you are getting a kitten close to foundation and looking at the head, I have some ideas on what line it is from - I have a new kitty coming also, but thats a surprise and will be a good one. He will be my new boy for when Armand retires.

As for challenging, our judges will say good luck and goodbye to any cat that acts out.
Daisy

Are you talking about my Oci or the Korat. I don't think I said which cattery my Oci was coming from. PM on your guess

The Sibi baby or at least the lines it comes from in say Siberia or Moscow (I am guessing not St Pete). I am leaning due to the broader head and longer coat Siberia.
Daisy