New Cats On The Blog

First of all, allow me to take the liberty to explain what is DM title or better known as Distinguished Merit title.

A DM title was given when the following criteria had met:

1. A male cat (known as the Sire) which able to produce 15 Grand Champions (GC) or Grand Premiers (GP) cats or

2. A female cat (known as the Dam) which able to produce 5 GCs or GPs

For the benefit of some of my readers who are very raw about all this titles, allow me to take the liberty again to explain how to achieve GC or GP title.

For a cat to achieve Grand Champion, the cat must first obtain 4 Winner Ribbons to be a Champion (CH) and then as a Champion cat, it must compete with other Champion cats and by defeating them to score a minimum of 75 points. After obtaining 75 points or above, the Champion cat will be crowned as Grand Champion.

This would be the same for achieving the Grand Premier title where the cat also needs 4 Winner Ribbons first to be a Premier (PR) and as a Premier, the cat will have to defeat other Premier cats to score a minimum of only 25 points.

In other words, it is easier to achieve Grand Premier than Grand Champion and it is also easier for a female cat to achieve Distinguished Merit instead of a male.

Let me give you a very good example, a title freak maniac had actively sell off his cats (as neutered of course) and persuaded the owners to show his cats all the way to achieve Grand Premier. Of course, this title freak maniac would never reveal his hidden agenda which is to have the DM title for his own cat. When he successfully manipulate his buyers (being some of these innocent cat lovers buying a cat one after another and sometimes buy 1 get another 1 for special discount or even free!!) and persuaded them to show his cats in every show, his sneaky smile is getting broader and broader.

Now, when he finally achieved his agenda, he would put up a long list of all his cats’ achievements to the whole world and brag about it as being the first person in his country to have the first DM.

So what???

First of all, if he doesn’t have anyone buying and showing his cats, do you think he can achieve the DM title all by himself? And please stop telling people that you don’t need anyone to Grand your cats!!

Second of all, what is so great about having the first DM in the country when he had secretly collaborating with a Chinese national in overseas smuggling cats in and out of her country just for the sake of chasing some points in be in the Divisional Winner (bettern known as DW) list for a season?

Again, allow me to take the liberty (for the 3rd time) again to explain how to achieve the Divisional Winner title.

Every show season, cats from 3 main categories will be running for DW; DW for Kitten class, DW for Championship class and DW for Premiership class.

Basically, the rule or goal is very simple,

a) The cat (whether it is in Kitten, Championship or Premiership class) must be in the Finals

b) Depending on the placing of the cat it achieved in the Finals, the higher the cat’s placing is, the higher the cat’s score in DW list.

Now, how do you calculate the score if you may ask. Let me give you an example, say there were 20 kittens in a Kitten Class.

If Kitten A got Best Kitten (1st Place), it will have 19 points (20 kittens – 1 itself = 19 points).

If Kitten B got 2nd place, it will have 95% of Kitten A’s points, therefore Kitten B will have 18.05 points

If Kitten C got 3rd place, it will have 90% of Kitten A’s points and that will be 17.1 points.

This will continue up to 10th place Kitten and the percentage will reduce in 5% for each placing going down.

This method is applicable the same for Championship and Premiership class.

In other words, if someone shows a cat occasionally and get Top 10 all the time, the points for DW will also be increased gradually. That is why some owners had resorted travel abroad and actively show their cats just to secure a placing in the DW list. And yes, I know it may be a rich man’s game!

So, back to where we left….

If you achieve DW for your cat but by resorting of the action of smuggling your cat in and out from a country by collaborating with someone on the other side, putting your cat’s live in danger (in some country, if the cat was caught without travel documentation, the cat will be put to sleep!!!) and at the same time committing federal crime, do you think your cat deserve the DW title? And you think you can brag about it?? (Spit to the ground!!).

Furthermore, when other cat owners discovered your smuggling tactics and they had done the same, you had over-reacted and condemning their actions and reporting them to local authorities and file a protest to the international board! (Spit to the ground again!!)

When someone show his cat as actively as you are but smarter than you by traveling further in order to have better counts and beat your cat by gaining higher placing than your cat in the DW list, you accused the owner of influencing the judges!

Please look back at what you had been doing!! (Try and spit but no spit able to come out….. dry liow!!)

Now, what is so great of having the first DM in the country when you collaborating with another breeder by providing false information in the registration of kittens?

What is so great of having the first DM in the country when you collaborating with another breeder by manipulating him to breed his cat that was already been registered as NOT FOR BREEDING.

Let me give you an example…

Female cat A was registered as NOT FOR BREEDING, in other words the cat is supposedly spayed but instead the owner / breeder did not spay female cat A and uses female cat A to mate with another male cat. When female cat A is pregnant and gave birth to some kittens, these kittens were registered in a way whereby;

1. The Sire of the kittens was the male cat itself

2. The Dam of the kittens, was registered to female cat B. Obviously female cat A and B belongs to the same colour class.

(Saving my super spit for this…) The irony about this whole thing is that the male cat was not in the home country but at a foreign country and this title freak maniac had again collaborating with the same Chinese national in overseas to meet somewhere in the middle and passed female cat A in order to be smuggled into her destination country and mate with her male cat.

Please again look back at what you had been doing!! (Super spit to the ground!!!)

So, my faithful readers, do you think such person should be proud of the DM title or DW title his cats got? Do you think he deserved for us to be respect when he openly said that he is a responsible breeder? In his home country, he condemned heavily on BYBs but at the back of most of us, he is assisting BYBs outside of his home country? Need I say more?

Please fellow cat owners; the message here is very clear…

Be responsible to your cats. They are not just an animal. They have feelings too just like us. Respect them the same as you wanted to be respected.

Ever wonder what is the purpose of a cat club? Have you ask yourself about this question?

Are you a member of a cat club? What does your cat club do and what do you benefit from it to be their privileged members?

Is a cat club’s main function is to organize competitions or shows for their members? Well, that is entire depends on the Objective(s) of the cat club. When a club was formed, they must have an objective(s) that act as a guideline and it is entirely depends on the club committee to uphold these objectives. Some clubs I personally knew exist in just doing competitions for members although they have other objectives.

So, what else do a cat club do besides holding competition? A lot!! To name a few; activities such as education to the public which in my opinion it’s very important. Educating the public about cat care, hygiene, their medical requirements, food, vaccinations etc so that the public would know how to take care a cat. Besides that, it would be great to have a cat club that actually approach schools to educate the younger generations. As they say, educate the youngs to benefit the future…

Is that all, if you may ask?

1. Working hand in hand with Non-Government Organization (NGO)s such as SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) , PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society), MNAWF (Malaysia National Animal Welfare Foundation) etc in their effort to protect the welfare of our feline friends.

2. Educating those who intend to breed their cats in a responsible and ethical manner

3. Spread the words on the benefits of neutering cats

So, what are the criterias when looking for a cat club? Well, that depends. If there is only 1 cat club in your area or country, then you don’t have any choice of comparison. But if there is more than 1 cat club, you can ask members of each club. What are the objectives of their cat club, what are the benefits being a member of their cat club and most of all, how can a member able to contribute their services to the club.

Is it alright to ask a fellow club A member what he/she think about club B? Hmmm….. Some clubs do have some sort of rivaly with other club(s) and you may ended up hear all negative remarks instead of positives. A cat club (or any other club) should cultivate a positive environment instead of spreading hatred. I do not see any benefit at all by showing hatred towards another club. There were times, we cannot run away from low-level thinking people. What you need to do is to look at the committee members themselves. If the root of hatred coming from there, then do you think you want to join such club? I had seen and dealt with such people and it is best to stay away.

Next, some committee members may have personal agendas and they’d run activities for their own or certain individual benefits. In the end, members work hard just to benefit some individuals instead to the club.

When you join a cat club (or any other club), what you want is what you would benefit from being their member and most of all, you are enjoying yourself being their member. You may or may not choose the right club at first but the most important is that you learn something along the way. Get as much knowledge as possible and perhaps you’ll need to ignore the politics involve.

Question now is what it takes to be a committee member of a cat club?

Well, there would be an election of committee members during their club’s Annual General Meeting and you would need to gain support from members in order to be part of the committee. The members would know best your ability whether you can lead or represent their club.

(I personally do not think that a walk over election would benefit the club. Members should give a chance to elect their representative. Don’t be surprised that chances that a walk over committee may had been planned in the first place.)

Elect someone who is trustworthy and able to lead the club. Never elect someone out of desperation just because there is no suitable candidate. The future of the club lies at the hands of the committee. The last thing that you want is a President who are incapable to lead, a Secretary who only follows instructions blindly without thinking and a manipulative Treasurer. Plus, on a personal note, try and refrain to elect someone who involves in politics. The last thing you want is a storm in a tea cup!!.

SILENT CRIES
PROMOTING ANIMAL RIGHTS AWARENESS AND RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP – Message from the Author (Angeline S. Chin)

Silent Cries started out as the SAVE ANIMALS book project, and its objective is to promote animals’ rights awareness and responsible pet ownership in Malaysia through education.

It now comes in a form of a handy book that not only contains true stories from the animals’ perspective, but also contains valuable information about caring for a pet, fun quizzes, interesting facts and recipes, and also interviews with real people and celebrities who have pets. There are also real case pictures of abused animals and many more. For the first publication, I am concentrating on issues that are faced by two most popular household pets in Malaysia, cats and dogs.

Animals’ rights awareness in Malaysia is still very much at its infancy level, Malaysians tend to have pets these days out of fashion or short term interest to have them around while they are still cute, but what they lack is knowledge on how to become a responsible pet owner. The growing trend to be seen with pedigree animal only is also worrisome, as this would also contribute to the lack of interest to adopt a mongrel.
Some people have pets just to protect their house but hardly ever wonder that animals have feelings too and they do feel lonely. This will only lead the animal into depression and mood disorder. When an animal attacks to defend themselves, society always blamed them and in the end, the animal has to pay the price. Little do they realize that most of the time it was human who provoked them which causes them to retaliate, or due to lack of social skills as a result of being chained 24/7 (lack of interaction with humans).

As an effort to materialize this objective, this book has been conceived to get the message across especially targeted to the young generation.
In order to educate, we need the society to understand the meaning of animal rights and how animals can bring joy into our lives if we let them. Most of us are not willing to open up our hearts and minds to accept that animals have feelings too. Some people abuse animals for fun because they think it is ok to do so, could be due to upbringing or simply out of selfishness and ignorance. In order to correct this, we need to educate the society.

We also need the government and the relevant authorities’ full support to revise the existing penalty law in Animal Act Ordinance 1953, to deter people from abusing animals and to implement the necessary educational programs in schools. If we can have stiffer laws on open burning, not paying our taxes on time, abusing children and women, why can’t we have stiffer laws on animal abuse?
My hope is that this book will benefit the society, whether they are an existing pet owner, potential pet owner or just for general knowledge. Share it with your friends and families. Buy it as a valuable gift on birthdays!

Those interested can purchase the book at a special price of RM25 only (Please include RM5 for delivery within Klang Valley, RM7 for outside Klang Valley – Sabah/Sarawak, International delivery will be quoted in USD – please email to saveanimalsproject@gmail.com for further information).

I would like to take this oppurtunity to relate my own personal experience with a breeder which I hope it will bring awareness to all when selecting your pet cat.

I always love Maine Coon due to it’s size and it’s nicknamed as the Gentle Giant. I went and met this breeder, A who bred Maine Coons and some other breeds as well and it happened that A had some Maine Coon kittens available. I took the kitten one by one, checking them front and back checking on their features. A asked me what do I think about his kittens which I gave A a general statement. Next, A asked me whether any of his Maine Coon kittens are show quality cats and I was caught by surprise because that sort of question supposely asked by a customer to the breeder and not the other way around!! I told him that he should know better since he is a breeder which he chuckled. After spending about 30 minutes or so with the kitten, my heart fell for this 1 particular kitten. Next, I asked A’s permission to see the place where these kittens were raised which A did. It was actually a store room converted to an air-conditioned cat room, tiled all the way to the ceiling. Not that big but adequate.

Then, I asked A whether I could see the parents of the kittens. A said the parents were kept upstairs and he can only show the sire (father) because the dam (mother) is not in condition for public viewing which I said fine. After satisfied seeing the sire, I ask A about the price of the kitten in which A showed him a leaflet for the pricing of Pet, Show and even Breed Quality cats. The prices quoted were eventually high (all above RM2000) and so I eventually asked A how much he is willing to let go this kitten in which he replied since this is his very first litter and first time breeding Maine Coon, he will give him a special price of RM700 which comes together with a pedigree certification. My jaw dropped with the price offered that A willingly to undercut his own advertised price to me. Since the kitten is still very young and weaning, I told A that I would like to see this kitten again in a couple of weeks time.

2 days later, A called me and he apologized to me that he could not sell his Maine Coon kitten for RM700 simply because 2 other Maine Coon breeders got to know that he (A) had selling his Maine Coons for ridiculous price and had called him up and they were really upset and accused him for ’spoiling’ the Maine Coon market. Therefore, A said he needed to revise the price to RM1000 and asked me not to tell anyone about it. I told A that I would reconsider the offer.

So, feeling something amiss, I made my own investigation on A’s background as a breeder and what I had is some shocking news. Firstly, A had sold a Maine Coon (acting as a third party) to someone for a ridiculous price of over RM3000 but did not provide a pedigree certificate to the new owner. Hell went loose when the owner came back to him and asked him for her cat’s pedigree certificate since she is interested in showing her cat in a cat show for the first time. A gave excuse after excuse and when her Maine Coon had ‘mysteriously’ passed away one day, the pursue of the pedigree certificate had stopped. This story was confirmed by the owner herself when I confronted her.

I tried and push my luck by contacting a friend who worked in a large pet store whether he would know A. Eureka!! Apparently, A had been massively produced Persian kittens and sold them off in the pet store (not neutered) but A only lasted a few months before he had been asked to leave the premise by the management after a series of animal deaths in the store.

Couple of weeks passed and one of my friend, Kenneth contacted me and he told me that he is looking for a Maine Coon and whether I would know any breeders. I recommended 2 breeders which include A. Kenneth’s knowledge in Maine Coon’s profile and feature is better than mine and so, I asked him whether I could tagged along when he is visiting any Maine Coon breeder. Kenneth is very much interested to meet A and so, I had set up an appointment.

So, both of us went to A’s place again and were showed with the very same kittens except 1 of them is extremely thin and look sick. I asked A what happened to the kitten which A replied that the kitten is not well. I queried A on why he still wanted to show the kitten to them if the kitten is sick and supposedly resting until full recovery. A quickly called up his maid and asked her to prepare some food for the sick kitten (which the kitten did not touch at all, obviously).

The rest of the kittens were let loose and they were running away from us and hide. I was a bit surprised by this behaviour because this sort of behaviour usually associated with not much of human contacts during the kittens’ upbringing and definitely did not potray a good image to the breeder. After spending an hour and Kenneth had all the information he needed, I suggested to him to see A’s cat room.

Spontaneously, A said, which cat that we wanted to see so that he could bring the cat out. I told A that we would like to see his cat room which again A stressed on which cat they wanted to see. Feeling puzzled, I told A any of his Ragdolls will do and so A went and came back with his male Ragdoll. The Ragdoll was a little bit shaky but what caught my eyes were a round red patch as big as my thumb at the back of the Ragdoll’s neck. I brushed the fur to get a closer look which it caught A’s attention. A asked him is there anything wrong in which I looked at him and told him that there is a red patch on his Ragdoll’s neck.

Without even looking at the patch, A said it was a bite mark from his female Ragdoll which refused to mate with him. I took another good look this time and it was definitely didn’t look like a bite wound but more like inflammation due to an infection. I had kept cats for many 6 years then and I certainly knew the difference between a bite wound and infection. Kenneth and I left with me shaking my head seeing the conditions of the cats.

One week passed, A called me and said that his wife’s friend had decided to take 2 kittens from him in which one of them being the one I liked. I told A it is ok since I did not give any confirmation about taking the kitten in the first place. Next A told me that he will be showing his cats in a cat competition organized by a local cat club which again I was surprised to hear that since that cat club does not practise allowing non-members to show their cats in their cat shows. A said he got an invitation letter from the cat club’s president himself. So, I rang up the President and the President said he had not send out any invitation letters to anyone which include A since the show is strictly for members only.

Knowing A’s background and his continuation of difficulty to telling the truth, I took this as an experience for me and advised potential buyers to be careful when dealing with such breeders. When I went to my regular pet shop one fine day to get my regular cat supplies, I saw some Maine Coon kittens in the shop. I knew the shop owner well and he had not put Maine Coons for sale before in which I asked him where did he got his stock and the shop owner replied that the kittens came from A. I am not surprise but I do felt disappointed for someone like A who self-proclaimed as a reputable breeder and putting his cats for sale as retail. I always believed that a proper screening needed to be done and only putting cats to good homes only. This clearly state that there are such breeders that had always go for the money rather than the welfare of the cats.

There were some irresponsible breeders whom had left their cats unattended for 1 whole week while he went overseas for festive holiday, offered to sell pregnant female cats to non-breeders, declawing their cats etc. It is indeed surprise to see such unethical breeders in our cat fancy here. My personal advises to all dear readers that:-

1. Choose only responsible breeders whom into the quality of the cats and not the money. Always check the breeder’s background!!

2. When looking for a pedigree cat, always NEVER look at the price and always go for the quality pedigrees. By supporting breeders like A, will only encouraging them to continue mass breeding their cats ignoring their general welfare and needs.

3. Never get a kitten or cat in impulse. Studythe breed first and understand their basic needs and temperament whether they can suit your lifestyle and not the other way around.

4. Do not get tempted by the words from a breeder. They should prove with facts (such as achievements of his/her cats under his prefix in cat shows) and not asking new owners to show their cats and let the judge to decide whether the cat is a Show Quality cats. A responsible breeder could tell which kittens have Show, Pet or Breeding qualities.

5. A breeder should encourage new owner to show their cats and not force them to do so. Remember that you paid for the kitten or cat every single cent.

6. Cats are not comodities and they should be bring in to this world with love and care and not for money! You are bringing a life into your home and the last thing you want that having an agressive, non-socialble and sick cat.

7. Ask a lot of questions to breeders, see here.

Lastly, to recognize a Backyard Breeder much closely, read here

Should you have queries about identifying a breeder, please leave a comment here and I will try my best to answer them

Most definitely not!!

But agility in cats?

Why not? Since dog can do agility contests or shows why not cats? Cats may not be as easily trained like dogs but with patience and regular exercises, they can perform as outstanding as a regular agility dog (if not better). Agility ring in Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) is differ from the regular cat judging ring in several ways:

1. The cat can be a household pet (HHP) which must be spayed or neutered if he/she is 8 months and above in age.
2. The cat can be a registered cat breed but must not be of wild ancestry
3. Cats with kinks in tail, crossed eyes or other kind of faults are welcome to join CFA Agility Contest

Therefore, a cat with the ability to run the course and eagerness to try all that counts in CFA Agility. One thing so special about CFA Agility is that it accepts cats from all walks of life: being the favourite pet, the kitty living in a shelter (temporarily, I hope) or the top confirmation show call; all are equal in CFA Agility Contest.

The agility course is set up with a combination of stairs, jumps, tunnels, hoops and weave poles. Each cat enters through the gate and is given a little time to get comfortable with the surroundings. Some may enter ready to run the course, but they will be the veterans, most likely. When he is comfortable (note the tail coming up), the cat is led through the course of obstacles by the Handler (the cat owner) using a toy as a lure. The Handler should not touch the cat with hands, but may encourage him with the toy.

From the first paw touching the stairs until the last obstacle is completed, the time is kept on a stopwatch by the Ringmaster. The score is based on the number of obstacles completed. If the cat completes all obstacles bonus points are given for seconds under the maximum time of 4 minutes 30 seconds.

I am happy to announce that for the CFA International Division (Asia/Latin-America), I am one of the 2 certified Ringmaster to conduct CFA Agility Show. CFA clubs in the International Division (Asia/Latin-America) that would love to learn more about CFA Agility or having CFA Agility Show, please do not hesitate to contact me at horatio168@gmail.com

And finally, a video presentation on how does CFA Cat Agility Show looks like…

Dearest Friends of SPCA,

We hope this e-mail finds you well and happy !

Just a little note to inform you that BSC has generously given us the opportunity to set up our Adoption Fest booth at their new weekend community market, Marketplace ! We will be there every other weekend (starting from the 7th & 8th April) this year, from 10am-6pm each day. Our main aim is to find permanent, loving homes for more of our shelter animals, who wait patiently with the hope that one day they will get a second chance at life. We also want to create more awareness about SPCA and its services, while raising funds through merchandise sales.

April Dates :
7th & 8th April
21st & 22nd April

Time :
10am - 6pm
(Shifts : 9.30am-2pm / 2pm-6pm)

Duties :
Adoption Counselling
Cleaning & Feeding Animals
Merchandise Sales
Handing out leaflets
Answering Enquiries (on SPCA, pet care, etc)

If you think you can help out at the booth, please do send me a mail at jacinta.spca@gmail.com so I can put your name down on our volunteer schedule for Apil. Our Volunteer Coordinator Louise will be back soon, and you can contact her to sign up as a volunteer for the following weekends in May !

Thanks & have a pleasant day !

Regards,
Jacinta Johnson
PR & Marketing Officer
SPCA Selangor
42565312/ 42535179
spca@streamyx.com
www.spca.org.my

As you may well know, SPCA receives mostly local cats and mongrels/mixed-breed dogs. At the moment, many people who are interested in adopting or purchasing a pet from a pet shop are already set on getting a pure-breed animal when there are so many more local animals in need of a roof over their heads! With the Love Knows No Pedigree campaign, SPCA would like to focus on finding loving homes for our lovely, Made-In-Malaysia cats and dogs. We strongly feel that our local buddies are as attractive, loving and interesting as their pure-breed counterparts and together with Radioactive, SPCA hope to boost adoption rates for these beautiful souls while also spreading positive messages of kindness and compassion towards all animals !

How Does The Project Work ?
Radioactive in collaboration with 5 local and international character artists have produced 650 limited edition t-shirts to help raise funds for SPCA, while increasing public awareness on their cause. 20% from each t-shirt sold will be donated to the SPCA, so pick up your animal-friendly t-shirt as soon as they hit the market in March !

When to Get Them ?
The campaign will be launched in on the 17th March 2007 at the One Utama Rainforest Area, attended by Channel [V] VJ’s and local celebrities. Several cats, puppies and dogs will be brought for adoption, and the organizer are planning some fun activities for all who attend the event! The T-shirts will be available in all Radioactive outlets nationwide from March onwards, so be on the look-out for them ! To get a sneak-peek at the designs, visit Radioactive

Get a SPCA Goodie Bag with every adoption, containing sample packs of cat/ dog food, discount vouchers for dog obedience training (courtesy of puppy.com.my) and pet grooming (courtesy of House of Groomers) as well as a supercool SPCA “Be Kind To Animals” wrist/ ankle band !

Volunteers needed : Please contact Louise @ louise.vansteveninck@gmail.com to register !

What is a cat competition (or show)? Many had asked me this question. Since we have 2 cat clubs in Malaysia, Feline Society of Malaysia (FSM for short) which affliate with The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) International and Malaysian Cat Club (MCC) or better to be known as Kelab Kucing Malaysia (KKM) which ties afflliation with the Federation Internationale Feline (better known as FIFe).

I am fortunate to have contacted a reputable cat judge, Ms Lesley Morgan Blythe to explain to us what is a FIFe show since she was a FIFe judge.

“FIFe shows differ from those of other organisations in various ways, perhaps the primary difference being that each day of a FIFe show (whether it be a 1, 2 or 3 days show) is what in other organisations would be termed “one ring”. (In FIFe-speak, “one certificate“.) This is in part because of the FIFe show rules which require that apart from the ‘open style’ judging (exhibitors either present their cats to the judge or a steward does, but in any event, each cat is discussed at length with the audience and/or exhibitor), there will also be a written report on each cat, which obviously takes a fair amount of time. “On floor” judging must be completed by around 2pm and this includes each judge deciding on his/her nominations for Best in Show Panel (the likely cats usually being called back for a final decision) which is normally conducted at around 3 or 4pm. (More on that later.)

Above: Judges waiting for panel to begin - Czech Republic

Thus, the show rules limit the number of cats a judge handles on one day - 40 being the maximum. A suitably qualified judge might typically be allocated (for example) fawn Abyssinian, Group 4 MCO (Maine Coon), Group 7 NFO (Norwegian Forest), seal tabby point Siamese and pointed Persians. The adults are judged in their title (or non-title) class against others of the same colour/pattern and variety which are at the same title level. Thus, all cream Persian males in Class 9 (untitled adult) compete for the certificate at the first level - the CAC. Cream Persian males who are already champions compete togwether in Class 7, and so on, up to Grand International Champion (GIC). There is a specific point allocation required at each level - for example, to be awarded the CACE (Class 3 - Grand International Champion certificate) a cat must be deemed worthy of 97 points, according to its standard. 97 is also the benchmark for a cat to be nominated to the Best In Show (BIS) panel.

Each judge is able to nominate an adult male, female, neutered adult male and female and kittens in 3 - 6 or 6 - 10 month classes from each category they have judged.

Category 1 - Persian/Exotic
Category 2 - All Semi Longhair pedigree cats
Category 3 - All Shorthairs pedigree cats
Category 4 - Siamese/Oriental (Short and Longhair)/Balinese

(Click here for FIFe breeds standard)

These numbers are sent to the secretariat, and a running sheet for the use of the panel is printed off, showing the cage number, breed and colour/pattern of each nominee, as well as the judge nominating each exhibit.

Above: ‘on floor’ judging - the exhibit is brought to the table for assessment

Each judge who handled cats of a particular category during the day will be on that BIS panel. The nominated cats (say, the male entire section) will be handled by all judges on panel who will then cast their vote either by writing the appropriate cage number on a card or chalk board and displaying it, or by handing in their vote which the show manager then announces. Female entire cats are then paraded for the panel, the same process followed and finally, there is a vote between the male and female winners - Best and Best Opposite Sex of category is determined this way. The same process is followed for neuter males and females. Kittens of both sexes compete together in their age group, thus arriving at a Best ‘Baby Kitten’ (3 - 6 mths) and Best ‘Junior’ (6 - 10 months). This process is repeated for all categories.

Exhibitors really value a thorough report on the cats and kittens and a copy of each report is displayed on the ‘home’ cage during the show. While it may take up a lot of the judge’s time writing these, it is helpful for exhibitors who are involved with running the show in whatever capacity - they don’t miss out on hearing the judge’s opinion. As in Australia and New Zealand, judges are expected to (tactfully!) point out strengths and weaknesses of each cat, not just praise the winners. Thus, an educational process is involved.

Above: Semi Longhair panel at a Dutch show

To gain international titles, cats must be awarded certificates in other countries, so travelling long disances to gain these is commonplace. I have met Danish exhibitors in Italy, Austrians in France and English in Holland and Germany, for example.

The FIFe Worldshow is the ultimate show in the calendar. This is hosted in different countries on an annual basis and averages around 1200 exhibits most years (sometimes more). While the same format is followed, it is an incredibly glamorous event and the kudos of being a World Winner is huge. Cats and kittens must qualify in order to be permitted to enter so these cats really are the creme de la creme of all the FIFe countries. It would be entirely possible, say, to have a line-up on panel of Cats of the Year from more than 12 countries all vying for the BIS award. Stiff competition indeed!”

Above: Category winner of BIS Adult (Stockholm)

Extracted from CFA Show website and this is how CFA shows is.

“A cat show is composed of a number of separate, concurrently running, individual shows held in the various judging rings throughout a show hall. Each show is presided over by a different judge, who presents his or her own awards independent of the decisions of other judges. Hence, a cat which is chosen Best in Show by the judge in Ring 1, may not always be given the same award by the judge in Ring 2.

Every cat entered in the show is evaluated by each judge, and judged according to a written standard for its breed (with the exception of the Household Pet Class, for which there is no written standard). The standard is part blueprint because it describes the ideal specimen for the breed, and part constitution because it can be revised by the members of the breed council. A breed standard is precise enough to allow judges to evaluate cats accurately, and flexible enough to leave room for differences in interpretation between judges of keen eye and good intention.
Individual shows can be classified as either allbreed or specialty. In an allbreed show all cats, regardless of coat length or type, compete for various awards. In a specialty show only those cats of similar coat length (or type) compete for awards.

After a judge has examined all the cats in the allbreed competition - or all the cats of similar coat length (or type) if he or she is doing a specialty show - it is time for finals: the curtain call wherein the judge presents the top ten cats in show. The moment every cat breeder lives for is that moment of exhilaration when your cat is held aloft and proclaimed “Best Cat in Show”!

The judge is assisted in the ring by the Ring Clerk, whose responsibilities include calling the cats to the ring, recording the awards as given by the judge, and supervising the ring stewards.

Competition at CFA shows is held in the following categories:
· KITTEN competition is for unaltered or altered, pedigreed kittens between the ages of four and eight months.
Kittens compete with other kittens of the same breed, sex and color for first, second and third place ribbons. Each color group is also awarded Best of Color and Second Best of Color, and each breed is awarded and Second Best of Breed. When all kittens have been judged, the judge will call back kittens for his/her Top 10 Kitten Final. In an All Breed ring, all kittens entered in the show compete for the finals, while in a specialty ring only the Longhair or the Shorthair kittens compete.

· CHAMPIONSHIP competition is for unaltered, pedigreed cats over the age of eight months.
The majority of cats start their show careers in the Kitten class, and once they reach the age of eight months advance from there to Championship Class (described here) or Premiership Class. All cats entered in the show compete against other cats of the same breed and sex and color for awards. Every registered cat over the age of eight months starts its show career in the Championship and Premiership in the OPEN class. A First Place award (blue) in the OPEN class is accompanied by a Red/White/Blue Winners Ribbon. Once a cat has collected six of these winners ribbons, it becomes a Champion. At its next show it will be eligible to compete against other champions for points toward the Grand Champion title.

(For full description of the ribbons, refer HERE)

After a judge has handled all of the open cats in a breed, division or color grouping, he judges the champions in that group. He then awards first, second and third place ribbons to the three best males, and to the three best females. Next, the judge moves on to the Grand Champions and repeats that process.

When all cats in a color group have been appraised, the judge awards the Best of Color Class (Black) and Second Best of Color Class (White) ribbons, which go to the cats in that group that best meet the standard in the opinion of the judge.

Once all color classes of one breed have been judged, the judge will then award Best of Breed (brown), Second Best of Breed (orange) and Best Champion of Breed (purple). The Best Champion will receive one point toward its Grand Championship for each champion it defeated in that breed. Once a cat accumulates 200 points, it becomes a Grand Champion.

· PREMIERSHIP competition is for altered, pedigreed cats over the age of eight months.
Altered cats (neutered males and spayed females) are judged by the same standards as the Championship Class. Awards given, e.g. first, second and third, are the same. Altered cats need 6 winners ribbons to attain the title of Premier, but since there are fewer cats entered for Premiership Competition than in the Championship Competition, only 75 points are required to become a Grand Premier. Cats in Premiership are also presented in a Top 10 Final in the all of the rings.

· PROVISIONAL competition is for those breeds which have not yet achieved championship status. This class is the next-to-last step before a breed is accepted for Championship competition. Cats in this class compete as far as the awarding of Best of Breed, but are not eligible for finals until the breed is advanced to Championship status.

· MISCELLANEOUS competition is for those breeds not yet accepted for Provisional status, but accepted for registration and showing in the Miscellaneous Class. This class puts the breed on exhibition at shows, and allows the judges to examine the cats and discuss their proposed standard. This class receives no awards.

· VETERAN CLASS is for any male or female, altered or unaltered, not younger then 7 years on the opening day of the show that if the owner chose to, could otherwise be shown in the championship or premiership classes.

· HOUSEHOLD PET competition is for all randombred or non-pedigreed cats. Pedigreed cats with a disqualifying trait(s) as listed in the standard for that particular breed are eligible for entry in the Household Pet Class. Entries must have all their physical properties, and must not be declawed. Kittens must be older than 4 months on the opening day of the show and those entries older than eight months must be neutered or spayed.

Household pets are judged in one group without regard to sex, coat length, age, or color. There is no written standard for Household Pets, although the CFA Show Rules state that they many NOT be declawed, and if they are over eight(8) months of age they must be neutered or spayed. They are judged instead for their uniqueness, pleasing appearance, unusual markings, and sweet dispositions. Each household pet reflecting good health and vitality receives at Merit ward (red/white), and at the end of the judging, the best Household Pets are introduced in a final.

For full details on CFA Breed Standards, please refer HERE

Buying pedigree breeds is one thing, but maintaining them requires long-term commitment, money and time. For 2 cat owners, the monthly expenses are no big deals. Owning a pedigree pet is rewarding in itself – almost like the joy of raising a child.

Dr Moonyza Akmal, who owns Persian cats, knows how much it costs to own a pedigree. She has four imported Persians and they cost her RM40,000. The maintenance of her long-haired cats does not come cheap either. Dr Moonyza uses seven types of shampoos to bathe her cats. The first is to de-grease oil from the cats’ fur, followed by anti-septic for the skin before she uses tearless baby shampoo and cleanser to ensure the cats are really clean.

Added to these is a pure white lightening that is used on her cream-coloured Persians. Lastly, Dr Moonyza uses a conditioner for easy grooming and brushing. A special type of hair-dryer blows their coats because air emitted from normal ones are too hot. Though she spends about RM100 on each of her cats a month on premium health supplements, Dr Moonyza is not complaining. “Time spent fussing over my cats is rewarding,” she said. “I may take about two hours bathing and drying each Persian, or spend more time wiping away their tears (Persians tend to tear always), but they hold special places in my heart.”

Adilah Roose, who keeps Abyssinians, could not agree more. The ancient, rare pedigree cat (said to number less than 20 in Malaysia) may have short hair, but its expenses can be quite a sum nevertheless. Besides dry food, which Adilah buys in several large packs for the cats’ different coats, she also whips up her own wet food recipte. Besides these, there are also the B-complex supplements to make the cats radiant with wonderful coats.

Adilah doesn’t mind forking out hundreds of ringgit a month for the pets she adores.

“I don’t look at keeping cats as an investment; it is a love affair,” said Adilah. “When you love your cat, you don’t mind the amount.”

“Abyssinians are active and smart cats. They need new toys each time to keep them occupied.”

In this photo released by China’s Xinhua news agency, Xu Jirong holds his fat cat at home in Qingdao, a coastal city in eastern China’s Shangdong Province, on Thursday. Xu said his nine year old pet weighs 15kg and its waist measures about 77cm

Taken from The Star: 18 February 2006

Pic taken fr The Sun: 18 February 2006