Showing your cat can be a most rewarding pastime, by the same token it can be rather stressful for both you and your pet, with travelling to and from the venue, and the hours of waiting for the completion of judging. To pass the time, once you become familiar with procedures, there are always jobs to do on the day, and clubs are always appreciative of assistance of volunteers to help out. Ticket writing challenge certificates, collating judges slips and stewarding are some of the jobs that need to be done, and volunteers are always being sought. Volunteers make it a successful day! You can usually indicate on the entry form that you are available for a “job”. Unfortunately there are no time passing jobs available for kitty, he or she just has to sit it out!
Now days, most people are connected to the Internet or have access to it, hence my references are all web pages. If you don’t have access, the various club or QFA Secretaries would assist you by providing copies of the required documents I’m sure. These references point you in the right direction for queries and questions you may have – some of course are required reading.
These links will open a new window, close it to return here.
The following references are all obtainable from this page, however I have used the Non Frames page addresses, the Frames version (below) is easier to navigate however.
a. QFA Inc website - http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~qfeline/
b. QFA affiliated clubs have their shows advertised here :
http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~qfeline/shows.html
c. QFA Show Rules are here : (Show rules are necessary reading for all exhibitors) http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~qfeline/showrules.html
d. QFA Guidelines are here: http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~qfeline/guide.html
It is suggested that you read the Guidelines as a matter of reference to how you, house, raise, breed, register and sell your cats and kittens, along with your responsibilities as a pet owner. The following items can be found in the Guidelines:
(1) General -
Selection of Breeding Stock
General care of breeding stock
Minimum dietary requirements
Minimum housing requirements
Care of the pregnant queen, and kittening
Kitten care & weaning
Sale of kittens
Stud quarters and care
Disposal of breeding stock
Breeders' registration(2) Responsible Cat Ownership -
Help save our wildlife, our environment and our cats
Ways to become a responsible cat owner
Benefits of owning a cat
Forms to obtain a prefix (your cattery name), or to register your kittens etc, are available on the QFA website. Show entry forms etc, are available from the Clubs page.
Entering your cats and or kittens in shows:
Once you obtain a Schedule of events for the show and the necessary forms to enter your cat, complete them and return them to the address indicated on the Schedule with your payment. You may also order a catalogue showing where your cat cage is located in your Group/s, who is judging and what groups they are judging.
Entry forms may be a little confusing the first couple of times you complete them, if you have difficulty understanding anything, contact the Show Manager or a club contact for advice. If necessary explain you are a “newbie” and need a little assistance, I’m sure you will receive the answers to any questions you may have.
Showtime
Do not feed your cat or kitten/s the morning of the show. This may sound harsh but a few hours without food won’t hurt them, and it will stave off any “accidents”.
You will want a white towel or thin cushion for your cat to relax on rather than the bare, or almost bare, uncomfortable boards provided.
Take along a litter tray and litter, and a water and food bowl for after judging use.
Take your cats pedigree and vaccination certificate to cover any eventualities.
Cage curtains dress up the cage and if you’ve chosen the right material and colour, can set your cat or kitten off delightfully. These are available ready made from stalls at some shows, or you can order something for low cost if you wish, or if you are handy with a machine, make them yourself. A small drawing with measurements is shown below.
Exhibitors often take along hot water bottles or cooling blocks to keep their pet at a comfortable temperature during the cooler or hotter months of the year. Some halls are pretty basic and can be a miserable place to spend hours in a confined space, so give consideration to your pets comfort.
Watch the judging and listen to the judges comments about yours and other cats it’s in competition with. Most judges are approachable and will be happy to point out both good and not so good points about your cat. But please do not be abusive because your cat didn’t win or get a place!
Curtain measurements are in inches
At the end of the day you can leave feeling quite proud of yourself for learning more about your cat and the feline world in general, and hopefully, for your cat having gained a prize winning place in the competition.
If you are computer literate, Breedmate is a programme that can be a very useful tool for producing pedigrees and keeping track of your breeding programme. Purchase price from their website is AU$105.00 - http://www.breedmate.com/
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