Well no, not quite. But also yes, kind of.
Cat shows are weird and wonderful, and completely addictive. It's a place to show off your cats, meet other cats, learn about other breeds and make friends with other enthusiasts.
(I'm already realising this is like, part 1 of 4 on shows).
In this part I'll give an overview of what happens on show day.
Shows are held in large halls (usually sports halls) around the country and there's usually at least one going on every weekend of the year and run by area or breed cat clubs. There are two kinds of shows, 'Breed Shows' which cater only to a particular breed, and 'All Breed Shows' which cater to all breeds. Sometimes a Breed Show will team up with an All Breed show and share facilities & resources to run their shows at the same time. Occasionally, two cat clubs will team up as well to put on a 'Double Show' (so two All Breed shows running at the same time). You can find out what shows are happening on the GCCF calendar.
The first priority of any show is the health and comfort of the cats, and there are a number of rules in place to enforce this. Firstly, no cats from the same household can attend 2 shows within 13 days. This ensures that any nasties that are picked up at one show (it's rare but it can happen), can't be passed on at another the following weekend. It also means that the cats get a proper break and aren't taken out every weekend. All cats must be up to date with their vaccinations, have their claws trimmed neatly,and must have been treated for fleas and worms. When you arrive at the venue with your cat, they go through a process called 'vetting in'. This is where a qualified vet checks the health of the cat and their vaccination record and signs them off as fit to enter the show. The vet will look at their eyes, ears, mouth, check the coat for signs of fleas or infection, have a feel of their tummy and a peek at their rear end. They'll also check the cats vaccination card to make sure it's up to date and observe the cat for general signs of illness.
Once your cat has been vetted in, you can take it to its numbered pen. Pens are set up on long tables throughout the hall. They're made of strong metal wire with solid dividers around 3 sides and a latch door on the front. To keep things anonymous, everything in the pen has to be white. Your cat can have a white blanket, litter tray and water bowl (they can have food as well but this has to be removed for judging in the morning and can be returned to them at lunch time along with a small toy). If the show hall is very hot, they can also have a fan on top of their pen to keep cool. If it's very cold (which I've never come across), they can have a heated pad underneath the white blanket to keep warm.
At 10am, exhibitors have to leave the pen area to let the judges in. The judges wear white coats and are usually accompanied by a steward. The pair have a list of the cats to be judged and go around the hall with a trolley (they look a bit like tea trolleys), which is equipped with sanitiser, kitchen towel and a rubbish bag. The steward will take the cat from the pen and place it on the trolley for the judge to examine. Once the judge has finished examining the cat, the steward will sanitise the trolley, the judges hands and their own hands before moving on to the next exhibit to prevent the spread of infection. The steward is also responsible for checking every cat is comfortable - if they've thrown litter around the pen the steward will tidy it up quickly, if the blankets are messed up the steward will sort them out. If the cat shows any signs of distress it will not be handled, and if it shows any signs of illness during the show there is always a duty vet to hand who will come and check it out. You are allowed to approach the pens again when the hall opens to the public around lunch time and give your cat some food and a toy.
The results of each class are noted on 3 slips which the steward takes to the show manager's table. The table workers put one slip in their master book, pass one to the certificate writers, and add the 3rd to the results board. Exhibitors can then check the board throughout the day to see how their cat has done. In the early afternoon, rosettes and certificates will start to be placed on the pens as well - I always love this bit. I'm pretty sure Boop doesn't understand most of what happens at a show but she loves getting a rosette and she will let you know about it if she hasn't got one!
So apart from cats, what is there to do? Most exhibitors go for breakfast when the judging starts around 10am and maybe a walk if the weather is nice enough - there's a lot of standing and sitting around so it's good to stretch your legs. Then there's the stalls and trade stands. Most cat shows have stalls selling cat related merchandise, charity raffles and tombolas, trade stands (like our friends at Crystal Clear), and, if you're lucky, cake stalls too!
You can also look around at all the different breeds, chat to other cat owners, and find information on a breed you might be interested in getting involved with.
The other option is to volunteer as a table worker or steward which will keep you busy all day long! More on that to follow...
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