I would love to enter a cat show but I am scared…not ready…not good enough…don’t know what I am doing….don’t have time…………………………………………..to infinity!

 

The thing about new things is that they are always scary at first. We only learn by trying which requires doing. Let’s talk about cat shows. Did you know that you can show household pets? That gorgeous sweet cat that you picked up from the pound or found in a dumpster. Yep, he/she can be shown in the cat shows. They can compete in the agility ring or the cat costume contest. You can get titles and ribbons and best of all, you can make some really cool friends.

To find a CFA cat show near you, just go to the CFA show calendar. Here is a link

https://cfa.org/shows-events/

Once you are on the page you can click on the COUNTRY to change it to United States (or whatever country you are in.) If you would like a more refined search, click on STATE and change it to your state. Go ahead and try it! I’ll wait…..

For this next part we will assume that you have a CFA registered cat. You can register an unpedigreed household pet through CFA to enter the cat shows. Here is a link https://cfa.org/companion-cat-world/ It will prompt you to sign in or create an account.

 

Let’s break down exactly what you are looking at while looking at the upcoming shows.  In the pictures you will find a picture of the upcoming show in Houston Texas, which you can find when you go to the show calendar. When you look at the judges you will notice letters after the names. AB (All Breed), LH (Long Hair), SH (Short Hair), OCP (Open, Champion, Premier ring) and SSP (Super Specialty Ring).  I think it is best to not worry about this just yet. In short, these judges will judge every class but also have a specialty. This will be good to understand after you get the basics down. We can dive into that later.

There are two ways to enter a show. You can use the link above, find a show and then click on “Online Entry Form” or you can log in to your CFA eCat account, go to the My Shows tab, click it and then hit Enter a Show. 

The online entry form can be a bit confusing the first time. So let’s look at it.

First question is “Entry Type”?

Kitten Class: A cat under 8 months of age (by actual birth day) but at least 4 months of age. Age is calculated by actual birthday and not weeks. A 16-week-old kitten may not qualify as 4 months old. A kitten born January 3rd will be 4 months old on May 3rd and no sooner.

Open Champion Class: A cat that is 8 months of age and older, unaltered (not spayed or neutered) that has not completed the requirements for a Champion title. To simplify, if your cat has not competed in a show at the age of 8 months or older and is a CFA pedigreed cat, this is your class.

Open Premiership Class: Same as the Open Champion class except for these cats are altered (spayed/neutered).

Champion Class: This class is for pedigreed cats that are 8 months or older and are unaltered that have completed and received the Champion title. Champion titles must be submitted  and paid for in order to be applied to your cat. This can be done on the CFA eCat site. Log in and find CH/PR title confirmation and click on it. Follow the prompt.

Premier Class: Same as Champion Class. This class is for altered pedigreed pets only.

Grand Champion Class: This class is for pedigreed unaltered cats that have completed the Grand Championship requirements through CFA. Which we will discuss on a later post.

Grand Premier Class: Same as Grand Champion Class. These cats are pedigreed altered pets.

Household Pet Class: Is for any domestic kitten (altered/unaltered) or altered cat entry. Household pets, or Companion Cats, are eligible only for awards in the Household Pet Class. This is a brief description. There are other rules to classify a household pet. If you need further let me know or reach out to CFA.

 

There are other classes that I am not very familiar with including the Novice Classes.  I will include a picture of the description for those interested.

 

Next question is SHOW?

This is just whichever show you are planning to attend. When you click on the box you will just scroll until you find your show.

 

CAT?

Which cat do you plan to show. If your cat is CFA registered then when you click on the box, your cats will come up and you just need to select him/her. Once you select your cat, most of the following fields will be auto filled. These will include;

Registration #

Name (cat)

Date of birth

Breed

Sex

Color Class

Color Description

Eye Color (only for white cats or cats with white)

Name of Sire

Name of Dam

Breeder

Owners’ information

 

***Double check the above information for accuracy and completeness. Sometimes not all the boxes autofill and it is your responsibility ensure that it is correct.

 

SEND CONFIRMATION TO?

If you are the one showing your cat then select Owner/Exhibitor. If someone else is showing your cat you will need to select Agent.

Exhibitor Region?

The show regions are broken up into groups. You will need to find out what region you LIVE in. The region you live in is always the region you select. I am part of the #3-Gulf Shore region. Even if I am going to another region to show, I will always select MY region on this tab. This is important for things like regional points and awards.

 

OTHER?

Your entry will come with a single or ½ cage space. If you have a sturdy (see pictures) then one pop up will fit in the cage space that comes with your entry. If you would like to put up a double cage you can pay for extra cage space by clicking double. You can also pay for even more table space for grooming if you click grooming space. These extras are fairly self-explanatory. You can find the price of these spaces on the show flyer for the show you are entering.  I like to have the double space and the grooming space. If it is your first show, click NEW EXHIBITOR. The show manager will contact you and set you up with a buddy! This person will generally reach out before the show to offer advice and will help you during the show.

 

Click the, I will provide my own show cage spot (most shows do not provide cages).

 

BENCHING REQUEST?

If you know someone else that is showing, you can request to be benched next to them in the show hall. Just enter their name in the box.

 

Fill out your name and email. Double check, then triple check everything on the form and submit! You will get a confirmation email shortly. You will also be emailed an invoice.  It is important to note that once you enter the show you are responsible for payment regardless of if you are able to make it to the show or not. Payment due by dates will be included in the invoice. Payments must be made prior to the show date. 

 

Now you have entered your first show (actually or hypothetically)!   Maybe you are not ready to show yet. That’s ok! Check the calendar and visit a show near you. There is an entry fee for spectators but did you know that most cat shows donate a large portion of money to charities such as animal rescues. You may also find shelter cats for adoption at the cat shows. Cat shows are non-profit!

 

Supporting the cat shows goes a lot further then most people realize.  It’s not just a cat show. It’s a community of like-minded individuals who LOVE cats. The more support the cat shows receive will directly correlate to how many cat shows will be available. Did you know many of the cat clubs have junior showmanship programs? Showing a pet can teach responsibility, patience, and sportsmanship.  Many members of the cat clubs love helping the young juniors and let’s face it…kids need something positive to do.

 

Next time we will address titles and what it takes to get them! I hope you have enjoyed this post. Please like & comment if you found this post helpful. Also reach out if you need help. I’m no expert but I will do what I can or find someone that can help!