From: david@tms390.micro.ti.com (David Thomas)
Subject: Re: Cat show
Organization: Texas Instruments, Houston
Distribution: na
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1993 21:19:07 GMT

cs431109@umbc8.umbc.edu (cs431109) writes:

>I just went to a cat show today and wanted to make a few comments. First,
>if you love cats and have never been to a cat show, GO! You will see some
>of the most beautiful cats in the world. And some of the "show" breeds,
>like the siamese, look much better in person than in picture. 

>One thing I don't understand is how the owners get the cats to be 
>so well behaved and friendly. The judges pick them up and turn them 
>around, and even blow on their fur -- yet the cats behave themselves. 
>One Somali I saw was even flexing its paws in delight as it was being 
>judged! How do breeders get their cats to tolerate strangers and being 
>around so many other cats? 

Most breeders get their kittens accustomed to being handled by people
from birth.  They start taking kittens to shows when they are four months 
old.  At that age, most kittens aren't afraid of anything for more than a 
few minutes.  Also, the pedigreed cats come from long lines of show cats, 
so to a certain extent, the breeders have been selecting for this temperament
in the show hall.

Some cats never learn to enjoy the show hall.  You usually don't see them--
they are sold as pets or just stay at home.

>There is one drawback though -- the owners don't want you petting or
>touching their cats since you could spread disease from cat to cat. It
>was pretty tough being around all those gorgeous friendly cats and
>not being able to pet them.

You can, if you know how and when to ask.  You might not want to simply 
walk up to an exhibitor and say, "can I hold your cat"?  Rather, strike 
up a conversation first by asking the exhibitor some questions about their
breed.  These are cat people--they love to talk about their cats.  Once
you have established a dialogue, then you can ask if you could hold the
cat.  There are good times and not-so-good times to try this.  Wait until
later if a) the cat has just been carefully groomed and is about to go to 
a judging ring, b) the cat (or the exhibitor) is obviously not in a good 
mood, or c) the cat (or the exhibitor) is asleep.  Be patient and observant. 

Many exhibitors will keep a spray bottle of Nolvasan (or equivalent) at 
their cage so that spectators can disinfect before handling the cat, just 
as the judges do between cats.  Look for it.  Always ask to spray your hands 
before handling the cat, even if the exhibitor does not require you to.  
It shows that you know and care, and helps you gain the exhibitors trust.

Some cats are more suitable for handling than others.  In particular,
exhibitors of longhair breeds may be reluctant to let you handle their
cats simply because they will need ten or fifteen minutes of grooming
after being handled.  Some breeds tend to be nervous, and the exhibitor 
has to control the amount of stress, otherwise the cat will rebel before
the weekend is over.  Finally, some of the biggest cats (some Maine Coons,
for example) simply don't feel stable in a person's arms and would prefer 
standing on the grooming cart.

>A few messages ago, someone asked about cats that were like the wild
>cats. I forgot to mention to them the Ocicat, which looks like an
>Ocilot. The Ocicat is a beautiful spotted cat that looks very wild.

Neat cats.  The Ocicat and the Bengal are both spotted breeds that have
a "wild" look.  Unlike the Bengal, the Ocicat does not have any wild 
ancestors.

>I've also fallen in love with yet another breed -- the Somali. They
>are a long haired Abyssinian, and look like wild foxes.

Beautiful.  The sorrel Somalis in particular look like red foxes.

I'm glad to hear you had a good time.  Cat shows also raise a lot of 
money to support local shelters, neuter/spay programs, and veterinary 
research to benefit cats.  
-- 
David Thomas  Texas Instruments  (david@wotangate.sc.ti.com)  (713)-274-2347