Lesson 3. Show cats will be examined by many judges during the day. The cats are very cooperative and most actually seemed to have fun. Judge Douglas Myers teases this Cornish Rex with a feather and encourages the cat to play with the shiny, little danglies on the show ring stand. A kitty is judged on playfulness and personality as well as breed standards of confirmation.
Lesson 1. It takes hours of grooming to get a long-haired cat ready for the show ring. Cat show veteran and event organizer Diane Boettcher and her husband Harold graciously allowed me and photographer Jeanna Duerscherl to watch Diane prepare Candy, a sweet little flame point Himalayan Persian kitten for the competition. Candy was one of four cats Donna brought to the show.
Lesson 2. All Himalayans are Persians. Not all Persians are Himlayans. The difference is the points, the little frosting of color on tips of the kitty's face, ears, tail, and legs.
I made a major blunder on previous posts about today's Star City Cat Fanciers' WInter Show. They are indeed showing at the Holiday Inn, but it's the one near Valley View on Ordway Drive, NOT the one at Tanglewood on Starkey Drive.
My mistake completely, and I apologize profusely for any confusion this blog may have caused.
We correct errors here at The Happy Wag. If you ever see any information that looks a little goofy, post a comment and I will happily investigate.
Here's a link to an entertaining video on the importance of pet population control.
Tomorrow is the biggest local event of the cat-lover's season when hundreds of kitties take to the rings for the Star City Cat Fancier's show.
For those of you who are with me on Team Newcomer, I did a little Internet research and found these answers to some frequently asked question about attending your first cat show:
Can I touch the cats at the show?
No. While you may be tempted to give Fluffy a little love, remember that hours of grooming may have gone into acheiveing Fluffy's look for the judges.
Can I take photos of the cats at the show?
Yes, but it is polite to ask permission of Fluffy's staff before snapping your picture.
Why won't a breeder talk to me?
Because attending to a diva is in itself a full-time gig, most breeders are very busy at the show. They are responsible to make sure Fluffy gets to where Fluffy needs to be on time, not to mention making sure Fluffy is in top condition. But try back later; most breeders are passionate about their kitties and may indeed want to chat about their cat.
Can I ask a judge a question?
If the judge is not otherwise occupied in judging kitties, they will more than likely be happy to answer questions. These folks do this because they love it, so they will likely want to help you understand the process.
How do I know when a particular breed is being judged?
Listen for the call to the ring. Set schedules are hard to follow, so be patient.
Source: The Cat Fancier's Association
Here are a couple of WikiHow articles on leash training your cat and making a jungle gym for your favorite feline.
And apparently just like Robert DeNiro's character did for Mr. Jinx in the movie "Meet the Fockers," you too can toliet train your tabby.
The warnings on these cat lessons are most amusing:
Warning: Never leave the cat on the leash in the backyard alone. The cat may try and hop over the fence and get stuck, resulting in an imminent cat funeral.
Warning: Do not teach your cat to flush. Although it is possible, once they learn they seem to enjoy it and will do it all the time.
Disclaimer: I would never dream of putting my cat on a leash (I bought a stroller, remember) nor would I ever entertain the idea of teaching him to use the bathroom.
Do these things at your own risk. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
I got a book in the mail last week about schutzhund, a sport for dogs. According to the book's preface, schutzhund means "protection dog," and was originally designed as a breed test for German shepherd dogs.
Participants in this sport earn titles by demonstrating skills in police service work that include tracking, obedience and protection. It's like a martial arts for dogs, and earning a "schutzhund" title is similar to earning a black belt.
While most of the dogs featured in this book are German shepherds, the original schutzhunds, there are a few other breeds of dogs like rottweilers, giant schnauzers and pit bulls who participate in these trials.
Anyone have any experience with this sport? If so post a comment and maybe this beautifully photographed book will find its way to you.
The American Kennel Club released their annual list of the most popular dogs in the U.S. this week, and bold and beautiful bulldog climbed back into the Top Ten for the first time since 1935.
The Labrador retriever remains the most popular dog in the U.S. for the 17th consecutive year.
Pooches are ranked based on the club's annual registration figures of its 157 breeds.
"This breed appeals to a very wide range of dog lovers," AKC spokeswoman Lisa Peterson said of the bulldog, which she described as "docile and adaptive" and "an all-around excellent pet."
It's interesting to note that wrinkly-faced bulldogs are the second most popular dog in L.A., the nip-tuck capital of the world. However, they did not even crack the Top Ten list in Atlanta, despite the popularity of Uga, the University of Georgia mascot.
I'd tell you where dogs in Roanoke ranked, but the AKC only listed the top 50 cities in the U.S., and unfortunately Big Lick didn't make the cut.
I am a complete sucker for a bulldog; I just love those faces! I know some of you out there share your home with these wonderful dogs. Tell us what makes your bulldog so special.
The animal control shelter in Roanoke, the one that serves Roanoke city and county, Vinton and Botetourt County, is in the process of replacing stalls due to normal wear-and-tear. That means for the next few days, there will only be about half as many spaces to hold homeless adult dogs.
That does not mean there are half as many homeless adult dogs at animal control right now.
This beautiful golden lab mix and five other good, adoptable dogs need a place to stay.
The Roanoke Valley SPCA is looking for foster homes that can care for them until they can be moved back to animal control or over to the RVSPCA and wait for their forever homes. The e-mail I got said the dogs will need to be fostered for about five days.
If you have the space in your home to care for one or more of these poor pooches, please contact Ann Marie at the RVSPCA, 344-4840, ext. 208 or email, asweeney@rvspca.org.
Here's a link to a rather unusual Web site that celebrates kitties who bear an uncanny resemblance to, of all people, Adolph Hitler.
And one of these "Kitlers" lives right here in Roanoke.
Now, you have to have a dark sense of humor to really appreciate this Web site, and I guess I fall into that catagory (pun only slightly intended.)
The site allows people to post protests at comparing perfectly innocent kitties to one of the worst mass-murderers in modern history, and I can sympathize that to many people, any attempt at humor in this area will not be appreciated. Hitler was pure evil, and according to Webmaster Paul Neve, "I think it's entirely appropriate to reduce him to an object of ridicule by comparing his physical appearance and styling to a bunch of fluffy, cute moggies."
Besides, if you look at the photos purely from the facial expressions and the trademark moustache on each feline fuhrer, the resemblance is indeed hard to deny. I do, however, think most look more like Charlie Chaplin than Hitler.
