Thinking of entering cat show

I don't know anything about entering cat shows. I enjoy going to cat shows, but never entered a cat in 1. I don't have show cats, and wouldn't even know how to enter the household cat section either. But I just wanted to tell you, if you do enter your kittens, good luck! I'll go check out your other post now, can't wait to see their pictures, they sound beautiful

You can find information about cat shows on the cfa.org site. You might also want to post your question under the Breeders Corner forum. Are there any other shows before then that you can attend as a spectator?

Are your cats registered purebreds or will you be entering them as Household Pets? The preparation is the same for either, just different information on the entry forms. Be sure to check the box on the form that says you are a first-time exhibitor.

I've been showing HHPs for a couple of years, and added my abyssinian to the mix about a year ago. Mine are all shorthair cats, basically wash-and-wear. A couple of months ago I took a cat from the shelter to a show and needed help with grooming since she was longhaired. I got some good suggestions here.

I also got help from a friend who shows longhaired cats. This was her response to my questions:
"I generally use a diluted solution of Dawn dishwashing
detergent (the original version, not the ultra or any of the new
"flavors") as the initial wash to degrease the cat. After rinsing it
out thoroughly, I use a conditioning shampoo. It can be a human or
pet version. I just don't like to use anything that might dry out the
coat too much and I don't like using conditioner on the cats as it
sometimes makes the coat too greasy. A lot of people swear by Suave
products for shampoos. Then I rinse and rinse and rinse. Rinse with
diluted vinegar water (a couple of tablespoons to a gallon of warm
water) and then rinse and rinse and rinse some more. The hardest part
is getting all the shampoo out of the longhair, especially important
on a black cat as any left behind will cause dandruff particularly on
the back end of the cat.

I do blow dry my longhairs but I use a small metal dog cage on a
wrought iron patio table to do so. Blow drying in the carrier can
also be done but the static can be bad afterwards. Another option is
letting the cat air dry but then combing frequently to keep the coat
from curling. You are right in that a comb is much more preferable
with grooming a longhair. It doesn't pull on the coat as much or
flatten it. Since the cat will be wet, try to use a comb that has
teeth that aren't too close together to keep from breaking the hairs
and preferably metal to avoid static.

To reduce static at the show hall, you can wipe the cat with used
dryer sheets or lightly spritz the cat with a fine mist of water and
then comb out. If you have a small spray bottle or atomizer that
makes a fine mist that would be perfect."

Good luck, and welcome to the world of cat shows.

I believe you're allowed to enter kittens in one show without their CFA registration number, but you have to send them the number as soon as you have it. Merlin's breeder registered her entire litter and gave me his paper when I picked him up. I had to fill in his name and send the paper to CFA to get him officially registered. How long has it been since you got the kittens? I would contact the breeder and ask about the papers.

The color designations are very specific and you'll need to register the cats as the color that the breeder gave you. If a judge determines later that the color is incorrect, you can change it, but that really does not happen often. The breeders are pretty good at knowing their colors.

Did you buy the kittens as show quality or pet quality? ARe they from the same breeder? If they are pet quality, you can still show them but it would be politic to ask the breeder first. Some breeders don't want their pet quality cats to be shown.

They will be judged against a breed standard. Unfortunately, there are no points for cuteness except in the HHP category (which you can't enter for registered cats).

Welcome to the site!
I went to see the pics, very cute kittens. But I have to ask you...are your kittens registered pedigreed cats? The black one is definitely not shaded, could be a smoke though. Did the breeder sell them to you as show quality kittens?

We have at least one Persian breeder/judge here, WellingtonCats, who can propably give you grooming tips, and lots of others who show their cats (short- and longhairs). I think the best way to start is to try to get them used to bathing and drying with a hair dryer. You can also handle them a lot, so they are used to that also.

I replied to the same thread which was posted on the breeders corner, but as this one has more info and some answers to the questions I made to the other thread, I'm replying this one too.

The black kitten is not a black silver shaded, he seems to be black smoke (if the undercoat is white). See the second kitty pic (Kuura is his name) next to my username, he is my black silver shaded cat so you can obviously see the difference there. To me it seems like your kittens are pet quality, but that doesn't count out showing them unless the breeder has denied it. I'm not sure about CFA, but TICA for example will have the breeder fill out a form which says if the particular cat/kitten is allowed for showing. If your kittens are not purebred/pedigreed, you can still show them, with or without the permission of their 'breeder' in the Household Pet category.

Cute kittens (they are pet quality tho). I'm assuming you want to try them in the household pet classes. Some basics:

1. Kittens have to be 4 months old or older on the day of the show.
2. No cat can be declawed.
3. Kittens 8 months or older must be neutered/spayed.

As far as handling - have as many friends, etc hold the kittens and pick them up and pretend they are looking them all over, head, body, etc.

I train my show kittens on a table (like a coffee table) to stand on 2 back feet while the body is stretched out. Then on all 4 feet while you hold them around the shoulders firmly and examine the head, ears, etc.

Maybe watch a few UTube videos on cat shows and that will give you an idea of how the judges have them on the table, in the air, etc. - then practice and have friends practice the same things as if you all were judging your kittens.

Grooming will take awhile since long hairs are more involved. I would start a separate thread on "how to groom long hairs for a show" and those in here will give you good tips in getting them ready.

Here's a few videos you might like to watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7k73bGTvb4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLtukPPBfRI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDCgC...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClqbU...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or07K...eature=related

Your black one is a black smoke (that's the color you put down on the entry blank) The other is a flame point.

"Show" quality means they would compete in the championship or alter classes and they would meet the standard very well.

This is a CFA show quality Persian.

http://www.cfainc.org/client/breedpersianparti.aspx

Notice the much flatter faces then your kittens have. That's the major difference in a pet or show quality cat.

Well, in your case the kittens are supposed to look like Persians. Both of them to me look like pet quality because they have too long noses. If you wouldn't have mentioned which breed they are, I would have guessed domestic longhair. Then again, I'm not a Persian expert, I have Brits and a Foldie.

All breeds have written standards which tell you what the kitty of a specific breed should look like. If the cat has too obvious 'flaws' or lacks the characteristics and type of the breed, they are pet quality. Even some colors can be 'disqualifying' in some breeds. You can find the breed standars from your organization's website, CFA for example has one like this. Look for pictures (or go to a show) and compare your kitties, see if you can notice anything different in their physical appearance than the ones in cat shows.

The so called "doll-face" ones are just pet quality. You will NEVER find them in a championship show - they would be in the household pets only. The cats do not conform to the written standard calling for a shorter nose.

And a well breed Persian doesn't always have breathing problems - good breeders will only breed the healthiest cats together. The ones breeding the pet quality ones just don't want to breed to the standard so they criticize those that do.

If you notice on those breeders websites NONE of the cats even have a champion title because they are not show quality. Being "registered" is not a guarantee you have a show quality cat.

IMO if the breeder didn't give you the registration papers at the time you got the kittens, you won't be seeing them! Reputable breeders will have the papers ready by the time the kittens are going to the new homes at 3-4 months old.

I'm not arguing with you - you mention about the difference in pet or show quality. Your kittens will do fine in the household pet classes. I'm just pointing out the fact that there are not two types of Persians - its either a show or pet quality.

Most of us started showing cats with houshold pets and that's a good thing. If you need more specific help in getting ready for shows, just ask

No - tho I only bred and show shorthairs, I admire those with the patience to show long hair cats. However, I'm very picky about grooming those long hairs. If they were in my finals, they would be "perfectly" groomed with NO mats or tangles and the coat was clean.

Friends of mine used to show a pet quality purebred Persian (solid blue). Outstanding cat and usually in the top 5 in most rings. However, at one show I judged, the cat was not put up in the top 5. I gave it a 10th best and I know they were a bit upset. But after judging told them why.....because the cat had a tangle on the belly that I could feel.

They thanked me and went over their cat before the next ring - I knew they were concerned and I also knew they wanted their cat "perfectly" groomed!

When I judge, I look for grooming first, balanced and at the proper weight for the size and then personality. Personally I like the flashy tabby & whites or the calicos.

Heya!

Do you have any more pictures of your babies? I would be almost scared to sell them as pedigree kittens - they don't really look like Persians to me.

I breed Persians and I strive to meet the breed standards, and they don't have breathing or respiratory issues.

Some comparison photos for you:

Here's a photo of a pet quality one (SH Persian, "Exotic")



Show quality one (Persian)



They are brothers.

Personally I feel that when breeders who are breeding Long nosed Persians (IMO there is no such thing as a Doll Face) that they use the excuse they have better breathing to try and sell them

Do Persians need to be trained to be still? (Sorry Sam )



It really is polite to ask the breeder if you can show them, even in HHP it's their breeding you are representing.
I wouldn't allow PQ cats to be shown, not that pedigrees can be in HHP over here anyway.

Probably right Sam, and for those who don't like the 'flat face' there are plenty of other long haired breeds with longer noses to choose from.
This is part of my associations code of ethics that breeders must adhere to

Homemommy, your kittens are indeed cute and I'm sure you'll enjoy having them around Perhaps if you go ahead and enjoying showing them you can move onto a show quality kitten.

For some reason I'm having trouble connecting to the CFA website right now so can't give you exact quotes. I do know that CFA rules do not allow you to enter registered cats in the HHP category unless they have a disqualifying feature. That does not mean something like a nose that is longer than the breed standard. There are specific features that are named in the standard as disqualifying a cat for that breed.

Since I can't get to the CFA standards at the moment, I'll use my abyssinian as an example. Merlin is pet quality, even though he has Champions, Grand Champions, and Regional Winners in his pedigree. (The breeder was happy to allow me to show him). Disqualifying features in an aby include stripes, spots, or a necklace across the chest. Also the wrong color undercoat or paw pads can disqualify. Merlin does not have any of those DQ features, he simply isn't quite up to the breed standard and doesn't do well against the show quality competition. He did get his Premier title, which is not hard to do, but at the rate he's going he'll be old and gray before he gets enough points to make Grand Premier. He loves to go to shows and schmooze the judges, so as long as he's having fun I'll keep taking him.

I don't know how it works if you simply do not registered them, especially if the breeder has actually sent in the kitten/litter registration. If you are allowed to enter them as HHPs, you would put HHP as the breed on the entry form. You don't even have to indicate longhair or shorthair.

If you really want to take them to a show in March, you need to start doing a little research now. Look up the breed standard to see how your two compare. Also, I would push the breeder about the papers. Let her know you're wanting to show the kittens.

Goldy, the kittens are not show quality for kitten/championship/alter classes. As long as the kittens are not registered (and probably won't be according to the OP), then they can be shown in household pet classes in CFA.

They would just be listed by the color (black smoke and flame point), their coat length (long or short hair), the birthdate, and the owner. You don't even fill out the "parents" names or breeder on the entry blank.

Mmmmmmmm coz these grand champions from the 1900's had no issues did they? Perhaps interview a few more Persian breeders, specifically those who started in the 1940's/1950's like my grandmother and she'll tell you about all the problems of those traditional cats!

That's basically what I said. I was just pointing out that when I asked about entering Merlin as an HHP I couldn't do it because he is registered and has no disqualifying features. The only way I can show him is as an abyssinian.

Homemommy, just understand that anyone can post anything on the web, but that doesn't make it true.

CFA, TICA and ACFA are cat registries with many years of experience and tradition behind them. If you look up Persians on any of their sites and read the breed standards you will see what is considered show quality and what is not. Basically, if a breeder is breeding cats without referring to any of these standards - then they are what we would call backyard breeders - those who breed cats simply for the experience of having kittens or for profit.

This section of The Cat Site is where breeders of registered show cats hang out, as well as those who show HHP. We breed our cats according to standards set out by our chosen registry, but we also maintain the health and vigour of our breeds by selectively choosing which cats we breed to each other. The Persian breeders here are conscious of health issues within the breed and make choices accordingly.

As most have said, you should have fun showing your kittens in HHP and should begin getting them used to the hustle and bustle of being in public early on in their lives. Do make a point of going to visit the breeders showing Persians however, and I think you'll change your mind about them. In fact, before your kittens are old enough to show, go find a local one to check out and get an idea of how they work. Let someone in the HHP section know that you are interested and they will give you a lot of pointers.

Nope they really don't make a profit. Here's an article that explains why breeders charge what they do and where all the money goes (and its NOT in their back pockets).

http://home.earthlink.net/~sarsenstone/brdcosts.html