Conference misery::feline_v1

    Good luck in your first cat show.  This will also be my first too
    (as a participant only thou).  Hope to see you there.
    
    Sandi (Lightning's Mom)
    

    Hi Holly,
    
    Besides the curtains, you'll want to bring any grooming tools you
    may need.  Also, baby food (or some other yummy treat!), spoons,
    dishes, tissues or paper towels, toys, and a pen.  With two cats,
    you'll get one double cage which you can set up as a double, or
    two singles.  You might want to bring a kitty bed or hammock or
    some other thing that your kitties like to sleep on.
    
    Of course, if your Penelope, you'll need to bring your boots, 20
    lbs of cat food (just in case you get caught in a blizzard!), and
    extra everything!!!   tee hee  :-)  sorry, Pen, couldn't help it!!
    
    purrs
    cin
    

    I don't know much about cat shows since I've never shown mine, but
    my old neighbor used to show hers.  The night before the show, she
    gave her cat(s) a bath and made sure there was no dirty spots on
    them.  Since she knew when she got the cats (regular household variety)
    that she wanted to show them, she started giving them baths right
    away so there wouldn't be much objection on the cat's part.  If
    your cats aren't used to taking a bath, you may not want to do this.
    
    Good luck!
    Mary
     

    Gee Cin, does Penn only bring all that stuff - last time I passed
    her benching area I thought she was packing to move to a new house!
    
    Any way Holly, don't forget something to cover both the top
    and the bottom of the cage, things to eat and drink for yourself
    if the show allows you to bring food in - some shows want to
    buy food there to support a humane society or some other worthy
    cause.  Litter and a litter tray will be provided - you may
    want to bring a small bottle of water from home for your kitties.
    This helps prevent tummy problems when they drink strange water.
    Usually the first few shows are the ones where you sort of figure
    out just what is the RIGHT stuff for YOU to bring - it takes
    time to refine the details - keep in mind, if you discover that
    you need a specific item, you will have no problem purchasing
    what you need from Martha or any other vendor at the show.
    
    Good Luck!!  Looking forward to seeing you there!
    
    E.T.

    RE: .3  
    
    Both tabbatha and silver are bathed regularly. (usually about once
    a month).  So that shouldn't be a problem.
    
    RE: .2
    
    Cindy,
    
    I am not quite sure what kind of grooming tools I'll need.  I know
    I will need a fine toothed comb and I believe Elaine mentioned to me 
    some kind of coat shine product.  Is there anything else I will
    need?  Thanks everyone for the information.
    
    Holly

    Holly,
    
    I'm not sure what kind of grooming you do with a Korat!!???  But,
    like Elaine says, anything you forget will probably be for sale
    at the show.  If not, you can probably borrow whatever from somebody
    else at the show!!!   
    
    If Penelope's going, I'm sure she'll have what you need!!  :-) 
    
    
    BTW, love your Personal_Name!!
    
    purrs
    cin
    

    Re: .last_few
    
    Isn't a Korat one of those breeds that you can use a chamois (shammy)
    on?  That would be a lot of fun.  I always wanted to try that on
    one of my cats at a show, but it would do wierd electrostatic things
    to a persian's coat!!! ;^)
    
    Molly

    Okay!  Insults graciously accepted...if they come from nice
    cat people like Cin and Elaine.  Too bad I can't say "Watch out!
    My cat is bigger than your cat!"  Cindy, are you going to tell them
    about the time I had MY boots (and you didn't have yours!) and
    there WAS a blizzard???  [well...so what if the blizzard only
    lasted about 5 minutes?  ;-) ]  And Elaine, aren't you the one
    with a van big enough for about 50 cats?  Planning ahead?  
    
    As for the real question about showing, you can get by with very
    little, especially if its the first time and you're not sure if
    you'll do it again.  The first time I showed 2 cats, we just used
    a folded up sheet.  Later, I felt the need to purchase umpteen
    sets of "cat show curtains."  Baby food (meat) or some other
    treat would probably be a nice bribe to calm a cat.
    
    I found the real problem at my first show to be figuring out
    just what was going on!  And I'm still learning...

    Right you are, Penn.  My red truck can hold 13 cats!  All I know
    is after every show I swear that I will take less to the next one,
    but I always end up taking more.  Every time I weed out the show
    bags (note the plural form of bag!) I fill them up by shopping 
    at the show!  I'm lucky to be able to fit the cats in the truck
    on the way home!
    
    E.T.

    On the same topic of 'what to bring to a cat show' is my question:
    I would like to bring my household cat to a cat show in the HHP
    category. Does the cat have to have any particular 'things'? Such
    as: not declawed, can they be spayed/neutered, do they have to be
    a particular breed (not necessarily purebred, but say, looks persion).
    There is a cat show in my area (Baltimore) the end of this month
    and I was wondering what it entailed. I don't necessarily want to
    put my cat in THIS particular show -- just attend it. But is there
    anything special I should definitely know?

    From what I understand, in the HHP division the cat must be
    spayed/neutered if they are 6 mo. or older in order to be shown.
    They also will not accept a declawed cat.  It doesn't matter what
    breed it is at all.  My Tabbatha is being entered in the HHP catagory
    at the show in Concord, NH.  She is just a plain old housecat that
    is COMPLETELY black.
    
    Holly

    Used to be that TICA (The International Cat Association) would allow
    HHP's to be declawed....not Championship, Premiership, or Kittens.
    
    I think you may find quite a number of TICA shows in your area.
    I would call the TICA office, or Entry Clerk for the show though,
    just to be sure.
    
    Dave McAllister, Do you know if TICA still allows declawed HHP's??
    
    purrs
    cin
    

    The age for being altered is 8 months or older - some clubs allow
    you to wait until the HHP is one year.  
    
    I think that TICA has stopped allowing declawed cats - not sure.
    
    E.T.

    Now that Lovey, my Birman kitten, has arrived and is settling in
    (I already can't imagine the house without her!) it's time for me
    to start thinking about preparing for shows ...a new experience
    for both of us.  Any suggestions from you Feliners would be most
    welcome!
    
    I've been gathering the various grooming products and tools over
    the past few months. I haven't decided yet what I want to do for
    cage curtains. ...and I could use some advice on grooming stands.
    
    At some of the shows I have noticed small (sort of half-circle)
    stands attached to the front of the cages. Are these owned by the
    show committee and "rented" like the cage space, or are they 
    available? I've also seen some folding grooming tables that look
    like smaller versions of those used for dogs. ..and there were others
    made from boards that fit over the carriers attached by bungie cords.
    Cherrybrook has several listed, but without pictures and experience
    it's kind of hard to choose. Do any of you have any preference ...or
    other ideas?
    
    Thanks
    Linda