question about showing altered cats?

nekkiddoglady

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Just something I wondered...

why is it that you can show altered cats, but not dogs?

Dog shows are to evaluate breeding stock.. it would be pointless to show an altered dog, as it couldnt be used for breeding. Sometimes I do wish you should show an altered dog.. I'd love to put my Fred in the ring and see how he compares.

So, is the purpose of cat shows also to evaluate? Why are altered cats allowed? Please explain!
 

goldenkitty45

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I've always wondered that too...but glad the cat people are smart enough to allow them. Most times its a jump into a future breeder when you show altered cats, then into breeding and after retirement, you can go back to altered cats for the fun of it.

Dogs only come into heat twice a year and its not as hard to keep breeding dogs. With cats, its a totally different story.
 

starfish

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besides us Household Pet people wouldn't get to have all the fun! I love that 'mutts' can be shown. To me, it's about the fun and showing off your fuzzy to everyone else.
 
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nekkiddoglady

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ya, Ive seen mixed breed dog owners complain that they cant show their mixed breeds too.. then they get upset and act like its some kind of "beauty pageant".

I think they should offer some kind of alter class for dogs at least.

How are household pets judged at cat shows? I know with purebred dogs, they are judged based on how they fit the breed standard, but mixes dont have a standard.
 

mews2much

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Here is how they are judged.

http://cfa.org/shows/hhp.html
HOUSEHOLD PETS (HHP): TICA welcomes Household Pet exhibitors. HHPs have their own unique Standard and titles which are comparable to pedigreed cats. HHPs are judged primarily on condition, beauty, and show presence. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and colors and patterns are often a whim of Mother Nature.
 
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nekkiddoglady

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So, basically for HHPs.. it is a beauty pageant?
 
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nekkiddoglady

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I thought about maybe showing Bastet in an alter class.. perhaps I ought to show Bo Jangles instead.. he's quite a handsome cat.
 

wellingtoncats

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I don't think it's just a beauty contest they must have a good nature too


Here in NZ the quality in the desexed class is on a par with the standard of the Entire cats.
 
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nekkiddoglady

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Bo has a good nature.. he's a gentle giant... he's a big cat, he weighs around 15 pds. Actually, all of my cats are pretty good-natured..

Gozer can be rough, but she doesnt intend to be mean, she's just very playful, and likes to play rough. She's learned tho that she can play with James like that, but not me.

I just think that out of all of my cats, Bo is the best looking.. pics just dont do him justice.
 

lyrajean

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I'd love to show Midori as a HHP. She's beautifully marked, nice coat, and sweet, but she's a 7 toed mutant.
 

goldenkitty45

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I've heard many judges comment that the alters are better then the championship as they will hold coat and weight better without the hormones in their bodies
 

ferriscat

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Originally Posted by Lyrajean

I'd love to show Midori as a HHP. She's beautifully marked, nice coat, and sweet, but she's a 7 toed mutant.
Because the HHP class is supposed to be altered, extra toes are permitted and some judges are even partial to them
 

artgecko

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Not that I know anything about showing...But I'd think that showing alters still helps demonstrate the quality of the breeder's program / lines... And since most cat owners don't want to deal w/ males spraying and females going into heat...it makes sense to me.

I wish that dogs were the same way. I'd love to own a doberman one day and know that my first will be a "pet" only, but it would be nice to have the option to show an altered dog just for the ring experience with handling if nothing else (I really wouldn't want to jump into buying a breeding bitch right off).

Art
 

wellingtoncats

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Originally Posted by FerrisCat

Because the HHP class is supposed to be altered, extra toes are permitted and some judges are even partial to them
Or you could even move to NZ where the cat fancy has ALLOWED Maine Coons to be shown with multiple toes....
 

nekochan

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I've shown my polydactyl Maine Coon in HHP class. At the shows I've been to there is another person who always shows several American Curls with extra toes in HHP too. We mostly have CFA shows here so the polydactyls aren't allowed. There was one TICA show close enough and I showed my Maine Coon in the 'New Traits' class but it was a little boring because she was the only one. I was glad to be able to show her as a Maine Coon for once but it was not as interesting as when we actually are competing.
 

moonandstarkatz

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I think the dog fancy has a long way to go. I agree having a mutt class is a great idea. However, there are several options for pet owners to compete in AKC events as pets for titles. UKC is alsoa great organization for this and UKC in my opinion is my in line with the average pet owner.

As for HHP, I love it. My first show was with a neutered HHP male and he got Master in one show and I was hooked.
Daisy
 
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