A man walks by in a shirt with a picture of his tabby along with the caption “Dewey’s Human,” while a woman is clad in a leather miniskirt with silver and gold kitten heads. Attendees buy feline figurines and signs that say “Stay Meowgical.” Bulbs pop in the Chanan Cat Photography studio, where a patient photographer coaxes a silver Persian with a hot pink bird teaser. These were the sights and sounds I experienced attending my first official cat show, the 2022 Twin City Cat Fanciers Cat Show. Here are my 5 takeaways from witnessing all the enthusiastic feline-focused festivities.
Photography provided by Brittany Chaffee
Cage curtains set the tone.
Unsurprisingly, every participating feline is pampered like a Kardashian. All this peacocking takes place in the benching area, where owners groom their furry friends, advertise breeding services and hobnob with fellow competitors. Poppy fabrics like rainbows, cheetah print and cat collages cover cages; my favorite was a Persian-inspired beaded silk cover with golden tassels. Vendors from across the country custom make these curtains for around $125 a pop. Judges don’t mark points for decor, but cat clubs often host decorating contests.
Photography provided by Twin City Cat Fanciers
Cats are judged on breed standards, not kindness.
A cat’s personality matters, but it won’t win them a championship. Throughout the competition, felines cycle through a series of cages in each judging arena. The judges select them one by one, plop them on the table with a toy to distract them, and give points based on their breed quality (not for kitty kindness).
Good judging is all about the specifics. The European Burmese, for example, should be a lilac color with a creamy texture. “Everything should be medium,” explains judge Rachel Anger. “Everything should flow. They also have a swoop to the inner eyebrow, and this guy has it.”
Siberians, meanwhile, should have good muscling. “If they ever had to go back into the wild to hunt, she would be just fine,” Anger says as she pulls an agile feline apart like an accordion. “British shorthairs should be a level shade of blue; the paler the better. Maine coons should have a large, expressive head and a perfect ear length between their ears.”
Photography provided by Twin City Cat Fanciers
Owners must abide by all rules — no exceptions.
Throughout the show, ring clerks will make announcements about when certain felines will compete. Once owners hear the announcement, they take their cat to the judging area then take a seat in the audience to watch the judge observe their kitty. And there are rules to watching: Owners are not allowed to draw attention to their cat, wave a toy to get their attention, or make any comments about any of the furry competitors.
Photography provided by Brittany Chaffee
Cats have fancy registered show names.
We wouldn’t expect anything less, would we? Cats have fancy registered show names and nicknames to go along with them. Breeders often put the name of their breeding facility in their registered cat names so bloodlines track their success. For example, breeder Kathie Hunt’s business is called Cats of Tara, and her sire (male) and queen (female) cats are named “Cats of Tara Gary’s Galaxy Star” and “Aristocrats T’Schielke of Cats of Tara.”
Photography provided by Twin City Cat Fanciers
There’s a show kitty “training camp” division.
Cats can show in the “training camp” division, which is dominated by kittens, to see if they’re cut out for the actual show ring. This involves a ground race, a so-called Confidence Building Wall to boost morale, and Charm School, where they learn to develop poise and, as CFA’s website puts it, “show sparkle.”
Sue DeLadi, a competitor and breeder of Bikhata Birmans since 1983, brought a small litter of her fluffy blue-eyed Birmans to the show. “We’ll see which kittens are successful,” she explains. “And the other ones, I will likely breed or sell.” After all, there’s no business like (cat) show business.
