This story was originally published on my vet school blog, “Wet Cleanup on Aisle 5.”
I went to my first cat show yesterday. A smallish, regional affair, with maybe 100 or so contestants. And… wow.
I had no idea that there are people out there who would pay upwards of $20,000 for a purebred cat. Worse yet, I had no idea there are breeders out there who would try to sell a purebred cat WITH AN UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTION, for crying out loud, for $2,000.
The whole thing made me a little sad… there are so many thousands of kitties out there who need homes, and here people are spending thousands upon thousands of dollars breeding and trading them. I just don’t get it. Well, I get the part about maintaining certain breeds. But appreciating the finer characteristics of a breed is one thing, while purchasing a cat-shaped purse accessory is altogether different. *sigh* It seemed this particular show had a mix of both breeds of people.
There was row upon row of tables, topped with cats in carriers. The brand of choice seemed to be Sturdi Products, which allowed passersby to see the cats inside in all their glory:
Interspersed among the carriers were elaborate grooming stations, full of an array of brushes, combs, and whatnots, the likes of which I have never seen.
Four small show rings housed the action, each of which featured a small platform atop a folding table where the judges would examine each contestant. Behind the judge was a row of steel cages, where contestants in a given round would await their turn.
The judge would remove the contestant from the cage, bring it to the platform, and wave a feather toy at it while examining the cat from head to toe. They then disinfected the platform and moved on to the next cat. After all the cats for that round, they would announce the results.
Because I am a horrible person with a sick sense of humor, my favorite part was when one of the toms sprayed a judge. Other than that, watching a cat show, when you have no idea what it is that the judges are looking for, gets old pretty quickly.
I took to wandering the aisles, and did find it valuable to see live specimens of breeds I’d only seen in books. I don’t think I’ve seen that many un-neutered male cats in one place, though. They had me wondering whether I had a scalpel blade and a pair of hemostats in the car…
So would I recommend going to see one? Sure. It was definitely interesting. People watching always is.
And you thought it was a cat show.
It’s so true! I volunteer at an animal shelter and there are so many cats in need of homes!
I used to go to cat shows. The judging is interesting but the best judging is in the household cats category. The judges who do this clearly love ALL cats, not just purebreds. On several occasions I have seen a judge ask the cat’s owner the story of the cat’s origin, ie, how the human and the cat found each other.
I have the large version of a Sturdi carrier (or something like it). It’s great when I bring one of my three cats home from the vet and the other two act like they have never seen this cat before. I can secure the returning cat until the vet office smell wears off.