Conference misery::feline_v1

    I'll be there on Sunday, is there anyone besides TOPDOC::TRACHMAN
    showing?  Once again I will write down everybody's name and try
    to visit your booths, maybe I'll have more luck this time!
    
    Sharon
    

    I'm planning on going on Saturday, but not showing as Trouble is
    declawed.  I've just never been to a show, and decided it was time.
    Also want to meet some of these friends in person, that I've met
    through notes.  
    
    Bernice

    Two things have been running through my mind (only have room for
    two ;-) since I went to the cat show on Sunday.
    
    1> One of the pure bred cats (I can't remember the breed) shown
    had 2 crooks in its tail.  When the judge picked it up and did his
    usual 'hold the cat's tail out to see what kind of line it makes'
    he was rather surprised by the tail.  I didn't see the end of the
    judging, so I don't know how the cat did, but wouldn't that more
    or less knock the cat out of the contest?  And if so, why would
    anyone show a cat like that?
    
    2> Some woman was selling cats.  In one of that cages was a young
    cat that had one eye closed, it looked exactly like Mielliki's eye
    when she was younger and the vet said she had herpes (it can't be
    spread to humans, much to my relief).  It was kind of oozing stuff.
    Also the cat's ears had spots where the fur was gone, like some
    skin desease or maybe bugs.  With all the fuss the show people make
    about the health of their cats, why would this woman be allowed
    to bring this cat to the show and try to sell it?

    Just curious.
    

    Re: .3 (2)
    
    Some people are inconsiderate of others and will do anything for
    a buck.  We had one person remove his cat from the show hall due
    to flea infestation and at least one other who should have been
    tossed out.  Her neighbors didn't want to make a scene and suffered
    in silence.  Our Show managers couldn't inspect each cat.
    
    The cat with the tail kinks probably did not win anything.  There
    were some excellent cats which usually make the final 10 which weren't
    able to final this weekend because the overall quality was very
    high.  In the New England region there are not very many CFA shows
    and some breeders haul out anything they've got to try to get a
    championship. (Someday I'll give you my opinion of "champions" in
    the cat fancy).
    
    Met Bernice on Staurday but did not see you.  I didn't stay in one
    spot too long on either day.
    
    Frank

    I know of no fancy which allows championship cats with tail kinks,
    except, of course, japanese bobtails. In the championship rings,
    such cats are usually disqualified.
    
    Some judges will allow the premier (altered cats) to have minor
    disqualifying features, but that sounded extreme.  In fact, depending
    on the location of the kinks, the problem may have been trauma (a
    physical accident) rather than genetic.  When such is obvious, a
    judge can choose whether to disqualify or not.
    
    Sick cats should NEVER be tolerated in a showhall.  Such competitors
    can be banned from the cat fancy for life.
    
    Dave

    There are also some breeds of cats that may appear to have kinked
    tails because of the weird ways they move them.  I know of a beautiful
    Cornish Rex that if you saw it you'ld swear it had a kinked tail,
    but when you actually felt the tail it was perfect...just the way
    the silly cat liked to hold his tail.
    
    cin
    

    No, this didn't seem typical of the breed.  I wish I could remember
    what it was, it had short hair and was tan colored.  There were
    about 5 other ones that were the same breed and they all had normal
    tails.  When the judge ran his hand over it, it was obvious that
    the tail was permanently that way.  Oh well, guess I'll have to
    wait for the next cat show to find out what breed it was.