~ A more complete Spectator Guide is in the works ~
This basic info will help you know what to expect.
If you have any questions while at the show, just ask!
TICA cat shows are full of friendly people,
and almost everyone is willing to explain anything that you might have a question about!
Admission
Don't forget your canned food! Admission for On Safari 2009 show is only $3 plus 2 cans of food per adult (12 and up).
There is no limit on this coupon; everyone that brings 2 cans of (people) food will have their admission discounted.
Kids 12 and under are free with paid adult, and adult admission without a canned food donation is $5 per person.
Cat Show Etiquette
~ Ask questions if you have any!
~ If you want to pet a cat, ASK FIRST! Every owner is a little different with their rules, please respect their wishes!
~ If you are looking at a kitty in its cage (benching area) - PLEASE DO NOT STICK YOUR FINGERS THROUGH THE CAGES!
~ If you would like to play with a kitty in its benching area, and see a toy, please do not jab the toy through the cage at the cat - you might accidentally hurt them!
~ Never touch a cat that you do not have permission to touch, no matter how sweet they look! ;)
While watching the Judging, please be respectful of the Judge.
This means:
Do not walk past the seating area; the area around and behind the Judge is reserved ONLY for the judge and the people bringing/removing their cats!
If you have a question, please quietly ask one of the exhibitors who will surely be seated, watching the Judging.
Please do not interrupt the Judge. If you have a question for them, wait until they are between cats.
The Show Hall at a Glance
When you enter the show hall, you will see all the exhibitors individual cages lined up on tables. Exhibitors (the people there with their cats) usually will not arranged by breed, so you will get to walk around the show hall to see where everyone is.
When you pay your admission, you should receive a spectator's guide, with some basic information about the show, and about the breeds that will be in the show hall.
You will also receive a Spectator's Choice ballot; please vote for your favorite Owner/Kitty duo - cash prizes are paid daily to the winners, so your vote really counts!
Judging
Each Judge will handle each cat that is in the Show Hall to be judged.
The kitties are broken into classes ~ Kittens, Cats (unaltered, adult = 8 months and up), Alters, and Household Pets.
Usually a judge will work through one class at a time, beginning with the Long Hair breeds.
Each class is moved through alphabetically, so, as an example, the Long Haired kittens will be moved through, beginning with the Birman (if there are any entered in the show) and moving through to end with the Turkish Van.
Then we move to the Short Hair Kittens, beginning with the Abyssinian, and moving on in a similar fashion.
By paying attention to the breeds being judged at any point in time, you can have an idea whether a breed you were interested in seeing will be up soon, or whether you might have missed them with that judge and might want to look for them in the show hall, or by watching another judge.
What about all those ribbons? And who won?
Judging happens in phases:
First, all the cats in one class are handled by the judge.
Again, the classes are kitten, cats, alters, and household pets.
Each judge looks at each cat, and ranks them by breed.
The cats will get points for color
(which is to say that, in breeds that can be more than one color, the black cats are judged against the black cats, and the brown against the brown...and so on)
then they are judged by division (basically this means pattern: solid, tabby, etc),
and then the judge will give them an overall rank, typically from 3rd, then 2nd, and Best of Breed.
After this, the owners come and take their cats away.
Is that it?
No! After the Judge has seen all the cats in that class, they will call a Final.
A Final consists of the 10 Kittens, Cats, Alters, or Household Pets that the Judge feels are the best representations of their respective breeds in the show hall.
They will then rank those 10 "Best of the Best" from 10th on up to Best.
You have as many opportunities to win "Best in Show" as there are Judges in a TICA Cat show.
Please Remember
Some exhibitors will be in a hurry at times, as they may need to move quickly from one Judge, or "Ring", to another.
As you watch the Judging, walk around the show hall, or visit with Exhibitors, please remember to leave some space for people to get around you!
Thanks for coming to TNCC's Paws'n Smell The Roses TICA cat show!
This Spectator's Guide will be updated before our next show, so please check back.
This is very basic information intended to give you a general idea of what will be going on.
If you have any questions or comments while we are working on the improved page, please send an Email to the Webmaster!
Thanks!