Thread: Considering showing Freyja

Hi,
All the clubs are different & everyone enjoys showing with whichever ones for their own personal reasons.We did show a good while with GCCF but Merlyn got so he didn't like being penned & as you have to leave the venue while the main judging was being done we eventually came away from them,Tica is great fun but a very busy day with having to go round lots of different rings & again didn't suit Merl very well because of having to go in & out of the pens so often but we found our niche with FB where he was a very happy chappie.Both the later two you are with your cats all the while & you take them up to the pens for judging or as with FB you present your own cat to the judge.If you can, see if there are any shows in your area where you could pop along & have a look around & see what goes on.
Go & enjoy yourself,you will make a lot of new friends & be proud of showing your cat off to other people.

We show our coonies at GCCF which I found was a good a place as any to start. I have been very lucky in the fact that the cats I have shown have not minded being penned and judged. It is worth trying to see if the cat doesn't mind travelling in the car first!!! I know some breeders that have had a lot of mess to clean up as the cat is too stressed to travel! Then if you get over this hurdle it is to see if the cat isn't stressed actually at the show in its pen!!!! As long as the cat is fine being handled by other people ie judge and steward it should be fine. My cats always seem to put on an extra cute and friendly act- how very decieving !!! LOL !

I believe Tica is much more hands on and you have to listen to be called to different rings with your cat rather than have to leave the cat in a pen for judging. But if you feel your cat would be happier being handled by you rather than a steward then Tica and FB are good.

If your Breeder has said your cat is "typey" this is good as this is what the judges will look for in regard to the standard of points. Also a big part of showing is the presentation of the cat ie; bathed and shampooed and brushed to perfection!!!!!! This bit took me a while to get my head round!!! But at the end of the day it is a beauty contest

We go to a lot of GCCF shows and I absolutely love it!!! Sometimes it is daunting for people if it is their first show and they don't know anyone there and they are wondering what they are doing. I like to give as much help as I can to anyone as it is nice to share different knowledge. I am on a run this coming week to various houses to help with bathing cats!!!

I don't know where you are based, but by all means if you want any advice just send me an email or message. It might be that I am at a show near you and could show you the ropes.

Hope this is helpful in some way.

Thanks
Jo

I went along to the Maine Coon Club Cat Show in Lichfield today just to see what it was like - a five hour round trip from Surrey! It's the first time I've seen fully grown neutered MC's and I couldn't get over how big they get!! Beautiful cats though. I didn't understand a thing about what was going on, but I did come to the conclusion that Freyja would not like being penned all day - she's fine travelling in the car as long as someone can stroke her through her carrier, but if she's just left 'penned in' - even if it's to sit in the garden and get some fresh air - she hates it and goes bananas trying to find a way out. Until I read your posts I thought I'd have to scrap the whole idea but TICA or FB sounds like a good route to check out next (is FB Felis Britannica??).
Jo, thanks for the offer of advice - I'll no doubt take you up on that at a later date!

Yes FB is Felis Britannica although I don't know that there are too many shows in your area {we normally spend between 2.5 to 3 hrs at least travelling} but we like them because you all just sit round the pens having a chat & it really is a nice social atmosphere.Our boy Merlyn who is now retired used to lay on a chair outside his pen all day & love the attention he got from visitors,the number of people he convinced that was the breed for them. We all end up helping each other get our cats spruced up for judging,can always remember grooming a cat for someone that was in the nomination line up for Best in Show along with my boy & four others & eventually it was given to this ladies cat because of the grooming & presentation being of slightly higher standard that day,the poor judge wondered why everyone had a fit of the giggles but she also saw the funny side when told that I had prepared the cat that had beaten my own.....
I would love to try Tica again one day though,it is different to FB,still friendly & everyone helping each other but you really have to be on your toes listening for your ring to be called.Try & do what you have already done today & get round to see the other two,there will be somebody here on this forum who I am sure will be around to help you with which ever one you decide to try & I am sure there are threads on this forum with plenty of bathing tips & we will all throw in our "help" as best we can,might meet up with you one day !