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In the few years we've been showing our cats, this is a question we've heard a couple of times. Some people seem to think that showing cats is bordering on animal abuse, because the cats are in cages during the day. Needless to say, we disagree with this point of view. Only very few exhibitors will continue to show a cat that dislikes showing, and believe it or not, there are also cats who greatly enjoy being showed. Our Caesar was shown only once - he certainly didn't like it at all. But our next show alter, Frede, very quickly seemed to discover that the whole idea of the show was for people to admire him - and Frede truly enjoys being admired.
 We feel that all serious breeders should show their cats on a regular basis. Showing your cat will teach you a lot about your breed's standard, and you will learn about your cat's strong and weak points, which is essential when deciding on a future mate. Showing is also invaluable when it comes to meeting other breeders and making contacts - and if you want to breed cats, you will need these contacts. Most of the people who try starting out on their own quickly vanish, if they have nobody to help them. There is so much to learn when you start breeding, and a lot of it will not be in the books.Many breeders will be reluctant to sell animals with breeding rights to a "newbie", and going to shows is one way for the aspiring breeder to show his or her commitment to the cat fancy. Showing is an expensive hobby, and most newbies will quickly realize that there are also unpleasant surprises waiting. Your cat will probably not win each and every time, and competition can be very rough. Chances are that if you find that you can't handle the expenses of showing, both financially and emotionally, you probably should not start breeding, either, since breeding is very expensive and can at times be heart-breaking. Not all breeding cats are great show cats, and vice versa. But the only way to gain enough experience to decide which cats are great and which are not so great, is to show them, and learn from what you hear, both from the judge and from your fellow exhibitors. |
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