author Sara Thornton DVM iCandy RagaMuffins
So you want to enter a cat show? But, you have no idea what class your cat belongs in. It’s really pretty simple. If your cat is not a pedigreed cat, you may enter Household Pet ( HHP) classes. Don’t get lulled into thinking it is not competitive. The HHP class is getting bigger every year. Kittens class includes kitties that are 4 months to 8 months of age, for adults, altered cats compete as Premiers. Intact adult kitties compete as Champions. A cat firsts enter a show in either Premiership or Championship as an “open” in either class. To be awarded the title Champion or Premier, a cat must be judged under 6 different judges and not be disqualified. It’s pretty simple and can be done in one weekend or even one day depending on the number of classes. After your kitty has completed the six rings, you must confirm the title of Champion or Premier from CFA. There is a small fee.
The next step is the challenging one: taking your Champion or Premier to Grand status. A Grand Premier requires a cat to earn 75 points in competition. A Grand Champion requires a cat to earn 200 points. Once a cat has granded, it enters future shows as a grand.
One other class that is rarely offered is the Veterans class for cats 7 years of age or older. It seems that the west coast area offers this option more frequently than other areas. Some of the bigger shows like Garden state and the International routinely offer Veterans. I love to see the mature cats strut their stuff.
Now that you know what class to enter, what are you waiting for? Go to www.catshows.us and look for a show near you.