Conference misery::feline_v1

Better change that Keefe tech one on sept 29 to Framingham!!!  Thats on 
Fountain St. which is off rt 135 west from 126 at the next traffic light turn 
right then after crossing the bridge over the railroad tracks (about 500 feet 
from 135) go straight ahead. Not to the right!! This is usually a good one.

	/s/	Bob

Well I never.  

Someone else in Digital who has Colourpoints (or Himalayans in the US) and 
actually breeds from them.

I'm new to Colourpoints - only in the last week in fact - my kitten's name
is TOSCA (Pedigree name: BIRALO ANGELINA).  

She's entered for the National Cat Club Show at London's Olympia on Saturday
8 December and she's bound to win.  

Have you had any show successes yourself?  How are shows run in the States?

Why not mail me on GOSSIP::FOX or RDCUK1::JFOX?

Regards
John Fox
RDC Basingstoke
UK

    Cat shows are alot different here in the US than they are in the
    UK.  At our show, each cat is benched with it's owner and the owner
    is responsible for bringing their cat to the judging ring to be
    judged.  I understand that in the UK the steward brings the cat
    to the ring so the judge doesn't know who's cat is who's.  We are
    also allowed to decorate our cats cages any way our hearts desire.
    I realize that the last entry before mine was in '84, so do you
    still show in the UK and if so, how in Tosca doing?
    
    Jo Ann
    
    

    We are about as far from the UK as it is possible to be (in New
    Zealand, to be exact), but NZ follows the UK style of show. (We
    also follow the UK-and-rest-of-the-world breed standards, with minor
    variations, as opposed to the North American ones, but that's another
    story.)
    
    Basically, the cats are put in their cages by the owners, with a
    numbered ticket round their necks, a white towel to sit on and no
    distinguishing items. The owners and spectators are cleared from
    the hall, and the judges and stewards visit each cage in turn to
    judge the cats. After judging is complete, and ribbons etc have
    been given out, owners are free to decorate the cages as they please.
    
    Awards are also decided quite differently, i.e. a Champion/Premiership
    is earned by quite a different system. This is a bit involved, but
    if anyone expresses interest I'll explain further.
    
    Owned by two premiers,
    
    SLP

    I would love to know how "points" are scored and titles earned in
    UK/NZ shows.  
    
    I have been heavily involved in showing in the US, and would like
    to hear more about the scoring system for UK/NZ.
    
    Purrs
    cin
    

    SLP,
     
    What breed are your premiers?  Recently at a San Francisco show
    a judge from Norway disqualified a Birman champion for a missing
    lace.  In this country a missing lace is not cause for
    disqualification.  I am a new Birman breeder and am curious to know
    how the standards differ in different parts of the world.
    
    Jo Ann
    

    Re .6
    
    Our premiers are Abyssinian and Burmese. I believe that the Abyssinian
    standard differs only very slightly between the US and the rest
    of the world, and cats from either area would probably be
    inter-showable (I know there's no such word, but you know what I
    mean). However, Burmese from the two areas look almost like completely
    different breeds, mainly due to very different body types. Birmans
    are outside my area of expertise, but I was told recently by a judge
    I know slightly that Birmans in NZ MUST have four white SOCKS (no
    laces allowed). I feel it's rather risky to have judges from areas
    with different breed standards judging out of their areas.
    
    On a vaguely allied subject, it is disappointing when a judge who
    doesn't really know the breed judges one's cats. You in the US may
    not have this problem, but we have a rather small pool of judges,
    and with a rare (in NZ) breed like the Abyssinian it is a problem.
    This is not bad loser speaking, as Kimi has done very well in shows,
    but it means you can't get useful advice from the judge on a cat's
    potential etc. I had a judge at one show all but tell me that Sura
    (our Burmese) was hopeless, when at the next show he was judged
    best of breed - by a Burmese expert!
    
    Re .5
    
    Okay, here goes.
    
    We have one governing body, the New Zealand Cat Fancy; cats are
    registered with them, and all shows must be authorised by them.
    
    Longhairs and shorthairs are never judged against each other (these
    divisions are on body type rather than hair length, btw - i.e. Exotics
    are counted as longhairs). Also, kittens, entire cats and neuter/spays
    are three separate groups and are never judged against each other
    - I don't see the logic in separating them, but that's the way it
    goes.
    
    The "open" breed class consists of all cats (subject to above rules)
    of the same breed, colour and sex, e.g. all Seal Burmese neuters,
    or all Ruddy Abyssinians. Remember this, it's important.
    
    There are other minor classes, such as junior cats (nine months
    to two years), novice cats (no first prizes ever won), etc. These
    win ribbons/cards.
    
    Still with me? Sorry this is so involved, but it took me a while
    to follow it too!
    
    Next, all cats (again, subject to divisions as above) of the same
    breed compete for best of breed - e.g. all Abyssinian neuter/spays 
    of any colour. Then ALL cats compete for the best in show awards
    - e.g. all neuter/spay shorthairs.
    
    These various awards are usually ribbons/trophies. They are awarded
    by the particular local cat club (registered with the NZCF). But
    there are two classes of awards that are VERY important:
    
    1. If a cat (not kitten) wins its open breed class AND the judge
    thinks it is good enough it will be awarded a Challenge Certificate.
    Challenge certs. are issued in the name of the NZCF.
    Judges are perfectly entitled to withhold Challenges, and often
    do, if the best representative of a breed is not all that hot.
    
    2. The top ten entire cats, neuter/spays and kittens get NZCF Top
    Ten awards - again, certificates.
    
    If a cat gets three Challenge Certificates, from three different
    judges at three separate shows, it is a Champion if an entire cat,
    and a Premier if neuter/spay.
    
    All Premiers in a show then compete against each other (as do Champs),
    and the winner, if sufficiently outstanding, will be awarded a Grand
    Challenge cert. Three Grands, again in three separate shows and
    from three different judges, make a Grand Premier/Champion.
    
    What about the Top Ten awards, you ask? Aha! At the end of the year,
    points are added up from all Top Tens in all shows for the year,
    and certificates are sent to the top ten cats - no title, just a
    certificate. I didn't even know these certs existed till Kimi got
    one in the mail last year! A very pleasant surprise, and considering
    he had only been in six of the 41 shows not bad!
    
    Kimi went Premier in his first three shows - the fastest way possible!
    Sura took longer, but got his third challenge cert in the first
    show of this year - great excitement. Kimi has one Grand Challenge
    cert - still a long way to go!
    
    This is much longer than I expected, sorry to ramble, and I hope
    it all makes sense. If anything is unclear, ask and I'll try to
    explain more clearly. I love this conference!

    Great to hear from your again!
    
    I'm afraid I will have to go over your answer once more to be sure
    I fully understand.  It sounds as though things are pretty much
    the same between our two countries.
    
    I wanted to clarify the lace deal with the Birmans.  The standard
    does call for four white paws.  The markings on the front paws are
    called gloves and they must be white up to a point between the second
    and third joint of the toes (not literally to a point).  The back
    paws must have the white gloves but also the standard calls for
    a lace.  The lace is also white, it goes up the bottom of the paw
    towards the hock.  It should form a literal point ending between
    one-half and two-thirds of the way up to the hock.
    
    The front gloves are a disqualifying matter if they extend past
    the dew claw.  The laces are disqualifying if they extend past the
    hock.
    
    Hard to explain without pictures.  I look forward to conversing
    with you again.  Abyssinians are very popular here in the states.
    
    Good Luck in your next shows.
    
    Jo Ann
    

    RE NOTE .7
    
    ARE YOU STILL READING THIS CONFERENCE?  IT HAS BEEN A COUPLE OF
    WEEKS AND I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM YOU YET.  HERE IN CALIFORNIA THEY
    ARE PLANNING A SHOW TO BE HELD ACCORDING TO UK RULES.  I HAVEN'T
    GOTTEN TOO MUCH INFO ON IT BUT A FEW BREEDERS WERE DISCUSSING THE
    BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF IT AT A SHOW LAST WEEKEND.  IT WILL BE
    HELD IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
    
    DOES YOUR COUNTRY REQUIRE ANIMALS TO BE QUARANTINED PRIOR TO ENTERING
    THE COUNTRY?  THE REASON I ASK IS I WAS WONDERING IF IT WOULD BE
    FEASIBLE TO SHOW IN OTHER COUNTRIES.  SEE THE WORLD AND SHOW YOUR
    CATS AT THE SAME TIME KIND OF THING.  OF COURSE IT WOULDN'T WORK
    OUT IF THE CATS HAD TO BE QUARANTINED FOR SIX MONTHS FIRST.  WHAT
    DO YOU THINK?
    
    JO ANN

    Re .9
    
    Yes, I'm a fairly regular Feline reader! An intriguing idea, travelling
    the world and showing one's cat(s). But you're right, quarantine
    rather rules it out in much of the world.
    
    New Zealand has VERY strict quarantine for all animals. In the case
    of cats, it's aimed at keeing rabies out of the country. Therefore
    cats can be brought in with little or no quarantine from other
    rabies-free countries (e.g. Australia or Britain), but from Continental
    Europe or North America the quarantine is very long - I'm not sure
    if it's six months or even a year. In fact, cats cannot be imported
    here direct from the Continent; they have to live in Britain for
    a year first, and can then be imported. I'm not sure of the rules
    from the USA, as it hasn't directly affected me. Our boys both have
    "Continental" ancestry, though a few generations back.
    
    Speaking of the Continent, I believe cat owners there do show their
    cats in multiple countries, as crossing borders is not a big problem,
    and travel is much simpler. Do you know how far away New Zealand
    is? In case you don't - it's a twelve-hour (minimum) Jumbo flight
    from Los Angeles. A little far for a show, I think!

    Germany has an interesting approach.  Any cat entering for a show
    that meets the CFA health requirements does not have to undergo
    quarentine
    
    

    Dave 
    
    Have you ever shown in Germany?  I wonder how they decided to break
    the quarantine for show cats.  If their shows are held under CFA
    rules and standards, that might make a great vacation idea.  
    
    JoAnn

    Anyone planning to attend the Dorchester show on Sat/Sun?  
    
    Let's try to ORGANIZE a meeting place and time.  For a two
    day show, if one only attends one day, which day would you
    recommend, first or second?  (more cats first day?  final 
    awards on the second??)
    
    Hope to see some of you this time!
    
    Penelope

    Actually, it's a CFF show, so there will probably be equal cats
    on both days.  And since CFF 2 day shows are actually scored as
    2 separate shows there are the finals done both days just as if
    it was a one day show.  You've got to look at it actually being
    two 1 day shows.
    
    Occasionally there will be a few more cats on one day or the other
    but the difference is really minimal.  Most of your "campaigning"
    cats will be there both days!!
    
    Unfortunately, I won't be able to make this one, but I will be entering
    the Fun Fur Cat Show on January 10th in RI.  Anyone going to this
    one??  Anyone entering??  It would be nice to ask to be benched
    together.
    
    Purrs
    cin
    

    Anyone going to the January 2 show in Dallas?  Considering it myself
    as it is one of the semi finals for the National Morris Award and
    I have to get Winston in one of the semi finals before March.
    
    JoAnn

    How about the huge cat sshow in  San Jose CA on the 24th and 25th
    of January?  Molly will be there and so will I.  I sounds like it
    will be a great show.  450 cat!  If you need more info let me know.
    
    JoAnn

From the show flyer:
____________________________________________________________________________

MARK & LINDA Annual Cat Show, January 24-25, 1987, Washington, DC. (CFA)

Judges:	Kim Everett (Allbreed)		Russ Haussman (Allbreed)
	Don Williams (Allbreed)		Larry Adkison (Specialty)
	Leta Williams (Allbreed)	Margot Mellies (Specialty)

Entry Clerk:  Mark Hannon, 5851 Quantrell AV. #308, Alexandria, VA  22312
	      Telephone: 703-256-6014.  Closing date for entries is 
	      12-Jan-1987.  Entry limited to 450 cats.

Location:     Sheraton Washington Hotel, Washington, DC.  Call 202-328-2000 
	      for reservations, special show rate of $69/night (single or 
	      double) is available.  Limo service from National Airport is 
	      available for a nominal fee.

Household pets will be judged in all six rings.  The highest-scoring cat 
will be awarded the Morris Award.

"MORRIS AWARD" SEMI-FINALS will be held at this show.  It is open to any 
cat that has won a Morris Award and been notified of their eligibility.  
CFA Vice-President Kim Everett will be judging this special competition and
her Top 3 cats will be eligible to compete at the Grand Finale in New York
City. 
____________________________________________________________________________

My wife Eileen is flying down to this show with our Platinum Mink Tonkinese
female CH Connacht's Caitlin of Fewsee, while I get to stay home and
babysit our anticipated 2-week-old kittens.  If you're there, please stop
by and say hello to Eileen and Katy. 

Ray

    Ray, I will be attending the Jan. 24-25 show in Washington, DC and
    would love to meet any relative of another "noter".  I'm flying
    to DC on Thursday night 1/22 and returning Tuesday 1/27.  I live
    in San Jose, California but have some friends in DC to stay with
    so I don't think I'll be staying at the show hotel.  Where will
    your wife be coming from and where will she be staying?
    
    I still haven't decided if I'll attend the entire show or just the
    day with the Morris Award semi-finals (probably the whole show)
    but I'll at least be there on Sunday.
    
    

    Does anybody have any information on the Cincinatti cat show on
    March 1st or the Seattle show on March 22nd?  These are both part
    of the Morris Comp. and I haven't received flyers yet.  I need to
    make some decisions about where to go.  The info I'm seeking...
    Who is judging the Morris ring, who are the other judges, what is
    the phone number for the show hotel, and prices for lodging, show,
    etc.
    
    Jo Ann

    Anyone have info on the Boston-Copley Plaza show in February?

    The Boston-Copley show is going to be on February 7-8 at the Copley
    Plaza Hotel in Boston.  It's a CFA show and is sponsored by Cats
    Plain & Fancy.  
    
    The usual format of the show is Kittens and HHP's one day and
    Championship and Premiership (altered cats) the other.  I'm not
    sure if the format is the same this year.  
    
    Judges will be:  Allbreed: DJ Thompson, Kachel, Kapilian, Cruz 
                     LH/SH:    Lindstrand, Mellies
    
    The Entry Clerk is: Beth Kelsey, 16 Twilight Drive, Foxboro MA 02035
                               Phone # 617-545-4125
    
    There is no closing date listed for this show.  In past years this
    show has filled early, but last year the entries were rather small.
    I think because of the outdated format.  
    
    Beth could probably answer any further questions and verify the
    show format.  I tried to reach her before writing this, but got
    no answer.
    
    purrs
    cin
    

    Well, this week I received the show schedule for the first show
    of the season! So I feel part of the showing group again. I don't
    imagine I'll be able to meet any of my fellow noters there though...
    a shame. I'm really looking forward to getting back into it, and
    will tell you how the boys get on if there's anything to boast about...
    otherwise I'll probably keep quiet!

    What sort of venues are your (US) shows usually held in? I get the
    impression that they tend to be in nice hotels, and if so that explains
    two things that have puzzled me:
    
    - why they are more expensive to enter than ours
    - how you can STAND to hang around all day at your ring-style shows
    
    Our shows are almost invariably in scruffy little (or sometimes
    scruffy big) community halls, that are stuffy, have very limited
    facilities, hard chairs (and not enough of them), etc, etc. However,
    our style of show (the British style) means that people are barred
    from being inside the hall during the judging, so we don't have
    to stay in the place all day - a definite advantage, considering
    these venues!
    
    Only six weeks till the first show (and far too hot to be sensibly
    contemplating it - no airconditioning in these halls either; perhaps
    that's how you can manage to show all year round).

    Yes, they are usually fairly nice, but I've been to shows that were
    not much more than barns (The lights in one place had a hornet's
    nest on it. Got real interesting).
    
    In my location, Houston, TX. we could only show 3-4 months a year
    if we didn't have air conditioning.  It's not always the heat, it's
    usually the humidity.
    
    Dave

    Well, Up north we are not that lucky!!  Most of our shows are held
    in High School Gyms, Armory's, Veterans Halls, and similar type
    of places.  Not luxurious, often cold and drafty and usually boring!
    
    purrs
    cin
    

    Some show halls are wonderful and others are terrible.  I once attended
    a show at a county fairgrounds building where it was so hot in the
    hall that the cats were starting to pant!  They had to turn off
    the overhead lights in order to cool the place off.  
    
    I have also been to a show were it was too cold in the hall.  The
    show was in San Francisco in the winter and there was no heat. 
    Most of the California shows are held in either exhibition halls
    or convention centers.  I haven't been to a show in a hotel.  I
    was attended a show in a barn!  I am not kidding!  The cats were
    a little freaked out by the hoot owls but basically it worked out
    pretty well.
    Jo

    I've also been in school, fairgrounds, etc.  But due to the need
    for air conditioning, many usuable places just aren't good choices,
    because the cats loose their coats and turning the lights off doesn't
    help.  Most hotels are boring, don't let you bring in people food
    (the only time I ever took anything from a hotel were goblets they
    served ice tea in, at $2.00 a glass I figured the glass was included.)
    The most tramatic was when a friends cat got out (at a fairgound,
    ran outside under a parked van.  The owner, breeder, and I managed
    to retrieve the cat, (a harliquin maine coon), but the cat had changed
    her appearance to a deep oily black before then.
    
    Dave

    Can anyone give me information on where and when is the N.J. show?
    I know someone mentioned Morristown, N.J. in July, but my in-laws
    live next door to Morristown and they haven't heard anything about
    it.  
    
    Thanks for the help.
    

    Hmm. I happen to have a copy of CATS magazine here... This is the
    May issue. My wife obsconds with the latest issue each month..
    
    I see the following listing for Morristown, NJ:
    
    July 18-19 Morristown, NJ: Mennen Arena. Garden State CC(CFA). EC:
    Lee Immes, P.O. Box 17361, Rochester, NY 14617 (716)436-8141.
    Yes, I did a doubletake on the EC too.
    
    Hope this helps.
    
    Bryan

    August 1-2  Morristown, NJ: Headquarters Plaza Hotel. TLC&Kitty
    Kat Power(CFF) EC: Ann Minihane, 121 Holly Lane, Boonton Twp, NJ
    07005. 201-335-6670 EF: $25-1 day; $45-2 days.
    
    

    Ref. .29 & .30
    
    Many thanks for the information!
    
    J.
    

    
    Just as a piece of info, here in Edmonton is the annual T.I.C.A.
    show (now it can actually earn the name international as this
    is the first time the show has been held outside U.S).  I know most
    of you who show are probably CFA so I didn't bother to put this
    in earlier (anyway it is a long way from home).  If you don't know
    where Edmonton is, it is in Alberta Canada about 350 miles north
    of Montana.  The show is 5 days long and is over Labour Day weekend.
    
    I think there are 330 cats entered and will be a big deal.  I was
    unable to become deeply involved as I have a horse show that same
    weekend, but I will be there (doing who knows what) on Sunday.
    
    I am one of the few club members (Edmonton cat fanciers) who does
    not show (I have 3 cats who are not what you would call sociable
    towards stangers).  So if you are in the area (ha ha), do drop in
    and say hi.
    
    Linda 

    re:32 Just a word Linda - we are not all CFA exhibitors - there
    are quite a few CFF exhibitors here in the file and some that
    do show TICA.  The show you mention sounds like quite a time.
    There is a TICA show October 1/2 ? here in Boston and some
    of us are going to Drummondville for a CFF show October 22/23.
    Maybe you can go to that one if it's not toooo far??  My
    geography is not very good and I have never been to Canada so
    I don't know the distances between cities.
    
    Elaine - New Hampshire

    I apologize for my assumptions.  
    I would love to come but the nearest I'll be is 500 miles in Toronto
    the w/e 1-2 Oct.   As a crow flies NH. is about 2000 miles SSE
    of Edmonton, so I guess I won't get to meet any of the noters.
    Still I hope it all goes well.
    
    Linda
    

    That's too bad, Linda - it's nice to meet folk from other places.
    Maybe someday!!!  I'm not sure, how far are you from Drummondville??
    
    Elaine