a. The GCCF, Felis Britannica and TICA
There are currently three main organisations that register pedigree cats, set breed standards and organise cat shows. Each of these has their own rules and regulations for members, and run their cat shows differently.
Felis Brittanica, or FB, is the smaller of the two organisations, and the one I prefer to show my cats with. They are the UK branch of the Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe). The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy is the larger of the two organisations. The CatTica All Breed Cat Club was founded in 2003 and is affiliated to TICA, The International Cat Association.
You can show with any of the organisations, providing that there you leave at least 13 days between shows, and that your cat is registered with that organisation. However, certificates won with one body are not transferable to the other. So if, for example, a cat won three classes with FB and thus became a Champion, it would not be a Champion with the GCCF or TICA. For this reason, most people prefer to show their cats with one of the organisations only.
b. Preparing for a cat show – washing the cat!
The cost of showing cats can be quite high, in terms of money and time. You must register and pay for an FB show at least a month in advance (sometimes up to three months in advance for GCCF shows, and two months for TICA shows). The forms for doing this are available on the FB website. The cost of showing cats decreases if you have multiple cats sharing a pen, but is approximately £25 for a single cat in a large pen.
Unless you own a shorthaired cat, you must wash and groom the cat a few days before the show – this is rarely fun, for the cat or owner, but cats do become used to the process! The bathroom should be warm, with towels on the floor, and warm towels ready to dry the cat. The water (ideally from a manoeuvrable shower head) should be warm, not hot – a cat’s skin is very sensitive to excess heat or cold, and can easily be scalded or chilled. The cat should be washed from the bottom of its ears to the tip of its tail, but not on its face. It is very difficult to wash a cat alone, but quite easy for two people – one person firmly holds the cat’s shoulders, while the other shampoos and rinses. As with human hair, it is very important to rinse all the shampoo out, otherwise the cat’s coat will be dull and greasy.
After the final rinse, wring the cat’s coat out and gently rub him down with a warm towel. Some owners blow-dry their cat – this is certainly the quickest drying method, and leads to a beautifully fluffy cat with no crinkles in his fur. If your cat will tolerate this, ensure that the hairdryer is on a very low, cool setting, and never leave the cat alone! If your cat refuses to be blow-dried (as mine do), ensure they have a warm room (even in the summer time) in which to lick themselves dry.
c. What happens at a cat show.
The best way to get an idea of what cat shows are like is to go to one as a visitor. At Felis Britannica and TICA shows, members of the public are admitted after 10 am, and at GCCF shows, after 1 pm.
All three web sites have details about the requirements for their cat shows. At TICA and FB shows, owners must arrive with their cats to ‘vet in’ (have the cat inspected by a vet) between 7:30 and 8:30. This necessitates a very early start, or overnight accommodation at a cat-friendly hotel such as Travelodge. Cats are placed in 4ft x 2ft pens (metal cages). Up to 3 cats may share a cage. Owners must bring with them a litter tray, food and water, and something for the cat to lie on. Most owners also choose to decorate their pens with curtains and cushions, which provide additional shelter and comfort for the cats.
In FB shows, owners can stay with their cats all day, and present them at the show bench to be judged. The Open classes are judged first, and Best In Show is judged later in the afternoon. Judges give full verbal and written comments about each cat. Cat shows tend to end at about 5pm, and owners are asked not to leave before the end of the show.
At TICA shows, owners can also stay with their cats all day. Each cat is judged by all judges present (usually 4 or 5), which makes for a busy day! Males and female cats are judged together, but entire cats, neutered ("alter") cats and kittens are judged separately. When the cat's number is called, owners put the cats in cages, for the judge to take out and handle. Because of constraints on time, judges do not give a verbal or written evaluation of a cat unless it makes their Finals (the equivalent of Best in Show). This can be quite frustrating if your cat does not gain one of the highly-contested Finals places.
At GCCF shows, cats are ‘vetted in’ as above, and placed in 2ft x 2ft pens. Only one cat may be placed in each pen. All of the show equipment – food/water bowls, litter tray and one or two blankets – must be white (this is to ensure that all cats are anonymous). Pens are not decorated. After leaving their cat with water and a litter tray, owners leave the hall, and only return when the judging is over (usually about 1pm). After this, they stay with their cats until the end of the show at 5pm. There are more classes in GCCF shows – as well as entering an Open class, cats may enter 3 or more side classes.
There are usually a variety of trade stalls at cat shows where you can buy
all cat-related products including toys, food, grooming equipment, shampoos,
litter and scratching posts.