Cat showing is important for the reputable breeders to make sure we are on the right track. The breed changes, and the standard changes in attempts to bring the best in the breed, and we try hard to show our cats to the highest ranking possible.
Not all cats like to show. Actually in order to show adults, you need to start as a kitten at around 4 months old to see if the kitten is able to show. Also, whole cats, (i.e. cats that were not neutered) have a very short show career. Often after their hormones kick in, they blow off their coat or become too hormonal to enjoy showing.
Once one of the kitten owners asked us how much we get paid to show our cats... Actually, it is other way around. The show entry fees are around 70-100$ per show of 2-3 days, and we also need to pay for grooming space or extra cage. In addition to those expenses comes out hotel and gas or even airline ticket. All in all, showing can be expensive, and campaigning a cat can cost anywhere from 500$ to 10000$ per season.
The TICA show season starts in May and ends in April. Kittens are considered to be between 4 and 8 month old. They do not get any titles generally, as they are "training" for their showing career. You might ask: why show them? The answer is: if you do not show your kitten, you may end up with an adult which is scared of showing. So yes, show your kitten if you want it to become good show cat.
Show cats must be 8 month of age or older. They accumulate points as well as finals to get to their titles. To get a champion title the cat has to have 300 points as well as one final, i.e. one judge has to place this cat in the top 10 of all breed or top 5 in speciality ring. If you imagine how many cats are shown in one day, getting into the top 10 is a challenge.
Grand champion title means that the cat has 1000 points and at least 6 finals. Then comes double grand, triple grand and quadruple grand where cats have to have even more points and even more finals. The top ranking title is a 'Supreme Grand Champion'. This means that cat has the Quadruple Grand Champion title and got the best cat of the whole show at least once. Often there are over 50 championship cats in the show hall, and being the best cat is quite an achievement.
There are also region winners (i.e. each cat that showed well in the season) can become best in colour or division or breed in the region (ex. North West Region). Having a regional winner is a great honour to the breeder, especially when the cat is produced by the breeder in her own cattery.
Show in Puallyp where Anastasia got her Quadrupple Grand Championship and Tuckleberry got her Grand Champion titles.
Alex is showing Ana to the photographer Tamila Aspen (Picture is kindly provided by Tamila Aspen)
Dasha is showing Tuckleberry in the Junior Achievers Ring in Puyallup show
(Picture is kindly provided by Tamila Aspen)
Rio is enjoying the short rest in his cage at the Langleys show in August 2008
Longview show in May 2008 - first show for our kitten Anastasia when she got two finals in her hers show
Judge Jean Marc Legarde awarded Anastasia her first final as a kitten.
Ragdoll congress is happening every 2 years in different places when we have a chance ot show our Ragdolls competing with other Ragdolls only.
Chicago show in March 2008 attracted over 130 Ragdolls.
Judge Hisako Hamada judging Zara at the Ragdoll Congress
Zara is getting her final in Monica Dany ring in Portland,
Jan. 27 2008
Judge Elaine Weitz judging Zara in Portland, January 2008. Zara got her championship title at that show.