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Soooo excited today as I am going to my first ever cat show. Can't wait to see all the other coonies and cats. Was going to take my camera but apparently you can't take photos, makes perfect sense really but as I say it's all new to me. Wish I could take Harry though :sad1: he'd probably love it !
Hope you have a great day, I was going to go to the one at Kendal but missed it had to take a spot down to liverpool for an mri, next year though :nod:
Hope you have a fab day - update us when you get back
Louise x
I've picked the thread up a little late, so hope you enjoyed the day, let us know how you got on.
Hope that you had a nice day... sorry only just got the link!!Quote:
Originally Posted by FreyjaRoMaine
Debbie
Badsworthcats
Hi all, wow what a great day ! it was how I expected really. Every breed of cat imaginable, although a lot of siamese and orientals. My only slight disappointment was the lack of MC's, there were probably only about 10 -12, but maybe this is normal anyway ? There were quite a few Norweigen Forrest Cats though.
We came away with a few bargains, I got a new carry box and various toys, Harry thought it was Xmas last night !! It's definately given me the bug, and won't be my last show. I'd love to show Harry, from what we saw at the show I think he would have done well, but then of course I'm biased and wouldn't know what the judges are looking for.
Wish I could go again today !!!
Interesting about lack of MC's,where have they all gone,at FB shows they used to have the biggest class but apparently at the next show there is not too many of us.Still great to see all the other breeds though isn't it.I love going to shows to catch up with all the friends we have made & hopefully pick up some bargains from the stalls....
I figured you'd get the bug, I know I have! It's funny about the MC candidates - at the TICA show I went to a couple of weeks ago, there were two MC kittens and three MC adults, which really surprised me. I got a much better feel for MC's at the GCCF Maine Coon Cat Show in July, although I would never enter Freyja for GCCF, she'd hate it. A real eye opener to see that many MC's in once place though!
At the TICA Show, there were fewer orientals and siamese, but oodles of bengals - not sure how or why it works like that but every other cat seemed to be a bengal!
Ha ha, I certainly did get the bug :rofl:Quote:
Originally Posted by FreyjaRoMaine
I think then my next show visit will be to a GCCF show, there is one at the NEC Birmingham in November, can't wait for that one :drool1:
Maine Coon Guild show is the same with FB,at Worthing last year & the year before there
were between fifty to sixty MC's being shown but then it is a special for that breed you would expect to see more of them. Last year a couple who were interested in the breed looked up the different sites & found out that FB had the MC special within the next couple of weeks so they came down over three hours on a motorbike to have a look & find out about breeders. Don't forget when you go to a GCCF show members of the public can't get in until later than at Tica & FB,think it used to be 12.
I went to the Lincolnshire/Humberside cat club joint show in Doncaster, and there were quite a few MCs there, including my breeder who was showing her stud cat and one of her females. MCs were quite well represented, I'd say about 15 MCs were there, just as many in fact as other breeds.
The stands were good, nearly spent £150 on a Tigga Tower! But managed to control myself and just came away with a little brush.
I'm really curious to see what you make of GCCF - aside from looking at some stunning MC's, I didn't like it at all, but I might just have been unlucky; the people weren't especially friendly (although that doesn't mean they were UN-friendly), and the cats were couped up in the show pens all day. Plus it was a baking hot day and all of them seemed to be breathing way to fast for my liking. Cats were stunning though, which made it worth the trip!Quote:
Originally Posted by harrymc
Tigga Tower is my cats best friend,it has three beds & a hammock on it & when they all charge at it we don't have to sit with our eyes covered praying it doesn't tip over on them...
Does have to be their main xmas present for the next couple of years though !
Well done with coming away with just a brush,if I leave with just a few catnip meeces hubby thanks his lucky starts for getting away so lightly....
Have to say that we had this exact discussion today about this valid point. For me personally I don't think I would show Harry for the reasons you say. When we were at the show yesterday an announcement came over the loud speaker to ask the owner of a cat to return to his cage as he was in distress. I can't imagine it's something the cat would enjoy, it's the owners that get the pleasure from it. That isn't to say of course that it isn't lovely to see all the cats, after all where else would you get to see them. This also isn't a dig at anyone that does show their cats, I'm saying it's just not what I want for Harry who is for me purely a pet. :smile:Quote:
Originally Posted by FreyjaRoMaine
I feel the same way you do. The TICA show was much more fun, although a bit manic. The cats spend the day in their own pens around the edge of the judging rings so they only spend a short amount of time in the judging pens. And you stick around whilst the judges do their thing, where as GCCF you're all booted out. Much more relaxed, and apparently FIFe goes one stage further with you handling the cat for the judges. I think Freyja would get on with FIFe so we're giving it a go in Edenbridge, purely for kicks - like you, I got my MC to be a member of the family as opposed to a show piece, but her breeder is confident that she'll do well so I'd like to give her a chance. If she likes it, we might do it again; if she doesn't, I'll revert to spectator only!
Yes I would say that would be a good move. Let me know how you get on, is the show soon ?
We have found both FB & TICA to be much more relaxed & that in its self makes it seem friendlier but I also think it is because you are allowed to stay with your cats all the while, you tend to get there & make friends with your neighbour even down to sharing any goodies you take along & everything seems much more nicer for both cat & owner.We always have fans to put on our cages if it is too warm but I know once at a GCCF show we were told to remove them & it was a boiling hot day so several of us said we would withdraw our cats & in the end were allowed to keep them on,don't know if that rule has been changed but you don't have to worry at either of the other two.Luckily most of the halls the FB use are sports halls so there is AC being pumped round.Did go to one show where it had gone wrong & it was so cold we even went & bought extra blankets for the cats to cuddle up into,can you imagine MC's tucked up....Also at FB & I think TICA when your cat gets the required certificates or points to become champion etc you have to move up into the next class,so at FB if you do a two day show & on the first day your cat gets its last certificate for that level you have to go & report it & the next day you would start working for the next level up, it might have changed now at GCCF but you did used to be able to put your cat in for a certificate that they already held. In the FB once your cat has reached the top you can enter for Prize of Honour that then entitles that cat to have the chance of being nominated & go for Best in Show which is great if you have a cat that you want to continue showing. We have done that with our Merl but now he goes along occasionally just to be on exhibition & lay in his chair all day having the fuss & cuddles that he has become accustomed too & he luvs it....not something he could have done at a GCCF show.
Humpf, you didn't say hi to me... we were there all day... I hope you appreciated seeing the feline god that is Riley, he is not fluff pot at the moment which is a pity but come winter he has a wonderful coat, trouble is most of the shows here are in the summer months... West Country is in Jan tho at Hutton Moor... lovely show; but it seems to get hot so early and then out falls the coat grrr.
I would like to go to a show but would not worry about not seeing the judging as I have been to crufts the last couple of years and my friend and I have a quick nose around the trade stands where I go to say hi to some of the people I know through work then its the discover dogs areas for the rest of the day where I fall in love so many times. I dont know if cat shows have that sort of area as I would need to make friends with most cats I saw!
Yes it's a shame that you can't 'talk' to the cats and see them in a much larger area where they can walk about or play with a toy. Most of the cats at a show are bored silly and confined in a small pen, alseep or hiding under a blanket, so you don't really see them at their best. But it is better than not seeing them at all. I must admit I fell in love with a solid black oriental - forget the exact name of the breed, but he looked like a Siamese cat, but was glossy black all over ...... stunning!Quote:
Originally Posted by Helen & John
October 3rd - not too far off, and it'll give me time to get some chain mail gauntlets for the bathing stage, I have the feeling I might need them...Quote:
Originally Posted by harrymc
Yep,we will be at that one but only taking the black & white boy Wellynton Boots & he also spends a lot of time sitting out on a chair so people can say hello to him,at Worthing last year Shimba got publics choice which meant more to me than him winning BIS neuter but again I think it was because this big mean cat sat on his chair & when people were allowed to make a fuss of him they couldn't believe how soft & gentle he was.
I can understand people though not wanting their cats touched because you don't know what can be passed on but I reckon working at a vets mine are pretty hardy anyway,
except if I have been in contact with something really infectious such as ringworm mine all get picked up & cuddled as soon as I walk in the door.
Anyone living near Grantham there is a FB show on the 12th September,last heard 191 cats going to be there.....
Hi Harrymc - were you at the Thornbury show ?? If so the hope to be mum and dad of my kittens were there ( still only a thought not yet a conception)!