Showing question

Is it normal (I know normal is relative!) for your cat to hiss at other cats that it sees? How forgiveable is it for a kitten to hiss in the ring when it sees the other cats all around it?? Is this par for the course? Do they knock it off with experience? I am concerned about this because Gigi hisses at the rescue kitties she sees all the time at the pet supply stores we go to. Naturally I expect she'll do the same when I put her in the cage in the ring at her first show. How worried should I be?

Very few cats don't hiss at "stranger" cats in a show hall or outside the house. I've had a few, but just about all of them will hiss a little at a cat when too close.

I've had some cats that hated other certain cats and would look at them and hiss - but others they would ignore. My Cornish Rex HATED Devon Rexes with a passion and if he "smelled" or saw one in the ring he would zero in on that cat and hiss - he would ignore any other cat in the show hall!

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Very few cats don't hiss at "stranger" cats in a show hall or outside the house. I've had a few, but just about all of them will hiss a little at a cat when too close.

I've had some cats that hated other certain cats and would look at them and hiss - but others they would ignore. My Cornish Rex HATED Devon Rexes with a passion and if he "smelled" or saw one in the ring he would zero in on that cat and hiss - he would ignore any other cat in the show hall!

Click to expand...

Okay, that makes me feel a lot better!
I have a dog who has always had a problem with strange dogs, so he would growl when another dog in close proximity; EXCEPT for Basset Hounds! He would playbow Bassets! LOL! I guess it was their comedy..they made him laugh and made him feel at ease...who knows??

Cleo hisses in the judging area.
She is fine in the benching area.
Itis normal.
She even hissed at the judges because she was mad at the other cats.

Originally Posted by mews2much

Cleo hisses in the judging area.
She is fine in the benching area.
Itis normal.
She even hissed at the judges because she was mad at the other cats.

Click to expand...

Phew!! Okay, thank you both!!!!!!

It's normal but it's nicer on the show bench if they don't do it.

Cats hissing when they put near other cats or are standing up for a final that hiss I can forgive but cats hissing at people really shouldn't happen if the cat is comfortable.

Originally Posted by WellingtonCats

It's normal but it's nicer on the show bench if they don't do it.

Cats hissing when they put near other cats or are standing up for a final that hiss I can forgive but cats hissing at people really shouldn't happen if the cat is comfortable.

Click to expand...

I agree with Sam, and for myself I will not continue to show a cat that hisses show after show.

Hissing during judging means the cat is not happy being there, and I won't put my precious pets through that if it's not what they want.

Pay close attention to how seasoned veterans bring up their cats to and from the ring. They handle them in such a way that they don't give their cat a face-full of the other cats already in the ring. This could mean shielding their cat's eyes with their hands or holding them so that they face people at all time. You can also distract your cat with a toy or a treat as you are walking up to the ring. Make sure that the cage in the judging ring is already open so that you're not fussing with opening it when you put your cat in the ring--opening the cage with your cat in hand usually results in a hiss for the cats next door!

Hissing is OK for cats as long as the cat does not feel tense while the judge is handling them. If a judge does not feel confident in the way a cat will behave, they will not bring them up to be handled a second time in the final.

IMO Depends on the cat actually...I have had cats that hiss but when judged perform beautifully for the judge, posing when needed and playing when needed. I don't automatically pull a cat from a show unless REALLY merited.

I was at a TICA show last Sunday. My Sasha behaved really good until he was on the 4th and 5th ring. He started hissing (very first time) One important thing is some cats get really uncomfortable especially when you are showing them all day long. Luckily, Sasha got to sleep a while before he was on the 6th ring. Once he got what he needed, he was back on his best behavior.

One of the judges mentioned that you want to give them a threat once you place them into the cages in the ring and when you pick him up. This might help a little bit in your case.

http://www.fuzzysiberians.com