author Terri Cassiday Xpressions RagaMuffins
Often times when people discover that I show my cats, I’m met with that “look”. Their faces are a mixture of “why and how”. At that point, I realize that I have ten minutes or less to explain my passion without sounding defensive. That is where the show etiquette begins.
In the show hall, exhibitors have many opportunities to be good ambassadors for their breed. Spectators come by the hundreds to ask questions about our breed. It is up to us to answer their questions and be courteous in doing so. They don’t realize that you may have answered the same question endless times. Often times pictures of their beloved cats emerge and they deserve our time to look at them. After all, cats are our common bond. I honestly enjoy spending time with most spectators. It is time to promote our breed not just our cattery.
Our cats should be good examples of the breed standard and presented well. Being respectful to the judges and being kind to other exhibitors bodes well for our breed. Learning to accept losing is paramount because the odds are that we will lose more often than we will win. Congratulate the winners. A congratulations from your fellow exhibitors, especially from your own breed’s exhibitors, is customary of proper behavior.
How people perceive our breed often correlates as to our behavior as breeders, exhibitors and owners. Let’s put on our smiles.