I bet you are all wondering how things went at the cat show! It was lots of fun. There were five “rings” each day, for a total of 10 rings. A ring is a bunch of cages surrounding a judging table. The cages are where the cats wait to be judged, once they are called up. When I wasn’t being called up, I mostly hung out in my Sturdi shelter.
I stayed zipped up a lot so my human didn’t have to keep an eye on me all the time. I napped, and I was so relaxed that I flopped over on my back to snooze a couple of times. But when I wasn’t sleepy, I wanted out. And since I’m so good (in other words, I don’t go bolting off the table or get mad at the other cats nearby), I got to be out a lot. I got a quick touch-up groom before being shown in each ring, and I also practiced my facial expressions! It’s important to have a pleasing look for the judges.
My human said this was not a good expression to have!
She also said the judges would not like to be given a raspberry! I think it would be fun. Everyone takes this judging thing so seriously sometimes.
Often cat shows will also feature rescue cats for adoption. There was a whole row of them on Saturday from Hope to Home for Cats (they were also at the LA Feline Film Festival). My human loved these two kitties. The gray one wanted to come home with her.
I thought you might like to get a quick look at my neighbors and fellow competitors. These two blue Somali boys (blue is a dilute version of ruddy, my color) had the cage next to mine. They were not quite five months old, but they were already bigger than me! They are also very handsome.
Here we all are, waiting to be judged in a ring. We were all being judged as Longhair Kittens. (That’s the way it is in TICA. In the other association I’m registered in, CFA, I’m considered a Shorthair because my base breed, Abyssinian, is shorthaired. Weird, I know!) I’m 21. The #20 kitty is a Siberian. The #24 kitten is a baby Turkish Van. He was just barely 4 months old and very cute! My human is hoping he gets shown more so she can watch him grow up.
Being in the ring and waiting to be judged is the boring part because you don’t get to have toys and you aren’t allowed to play with the other kitties in the cages next to you… although some kitties try to break that rule. My human didn’t get photos of me being judged because it annoys the judges sometimes and she wants to stay on their good side. Maybe next week, when I go to Las Vegas for a show there, my human will find someone to take photos of me on the judging table!
So here is how the whole judging thing works. You compete against other cats or kittens of your breed, and the ones who place highest for each breed might get considered for a final, either an Allbreed final (short and long haired) or Specialty (just shorthaired or just longhaired). 10 kittens finaled in each ring for Allbreed, and the couple of specialty rings this weekend had 6 kittens finaling. In this show, there were a total of 47 kittens entered — 24 longhaired and 23 shorthaired (although a couple dropped out along the way).
And here is how I did! Out of the 10 rings, I got first place Somali kitten four times, and was a finalist three times! The same judge gave me 8th Best Kitten two days in a row, and one specialty judge gave me 4th Best Kitten! So I did pretty good!
2022 Somali Cat Calendar Starring Summer Samba
See all of Summer’s merch at her her Zazzle Designercat Shop
wow! How wonderful!!!!
thanks so much for linking up to our pet parade!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
Concatulations!!!
A wonderful post and cool photos!
MY fave was the raspberry!
Like Nikita I would have thrown caution to the wind, judges be damned!
I’m just sassy that way, hee, hee! ;-D
Summer, you look like you have beautiful form! Congrats. And the Siberian next to you looks beautiful too! I don’t think being a judge of cats would be an easy job. Happy Caturday!
Much different from a dog show. I think running around the ring with a cat on a leash would be difficult! Seriously, I’d love to hear more about the nuts and bolts of cat showing.
Sounds like a successful show , Summer !
Glad to see that you don´t mind being on catshows 🙂
XOXO
Pretty good? You did fantastic! I think your expressions are just perfect. Glad you didn’t take the whole affair too seriously.
This is my first time visiting and I can see why she won. She is gorgeous! (And “gorgeous” is not a word I use lightly when it comes to cats.)
You did wonderful Summer! Congratulations! Meow and Namaste! ~ Pippy the Feline Yogini
You must be so proud Summer. I know I would vote fur you in a heartbeat
Timmy
Of course you did well Summer! You are beautiful inside and out! Our human misses cat shows.. we don’t have them anymore in Vancouver now , they are on the Island now and it is a long way to go to see one. DId your human buy any cat beds? Our human got all our cat beds at cat shows! 🙂
the critters in the cottage xo
No cat beds this time… maybe in Vegas (paws crossed!).
First place? FOUR TIMES? That must be EXCELLENT, for sure! CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Purrs,
Nissy
PS. Regardin’ the pictures… Tell your human to give me a call. I’ll hook her up with a pen camera. No one will ever know she’s takin’ pictures. What’s that Peepers? I don’t have a pen camera to give her, you say? Hmmph! Little do YOU know, Peepers. Little do you know… purrs
That’s pawsome, Summer! We are glad you did so well! 🙂
Concatulations Summer! You did so well! My furiend Scurvy (who also lives on a boat) is a Turkish Van. He’s very handsome. I hope you see your furiend grow up. My mum is going to have a look at the sturdi shelters like you’ve got and see if we can get one in Europe… I’ve been in trouble for escaping again while being supervised outside. She thinks maybe I might like a cool tent like yours to enjoy the fresh air but not be tempted to go exploring!
Congratulations Summer! I just love your cute smiley face!
If I were there I’d probably come home with BOTH rescue cats 😉
Well done you, sounds like a brilliant experience!!
Congrats, Summer! Not surprised you did so well. You are very beautiful and cute in every way 🙂
Purrs xx
Athena and Marie
Congratulations Summer, must have been quite tiring ! If I would walk through the “ring” I would think I walk through a prison !
Aw, you look so cute while competing! Congratulations on doing so well!
Well congratulations you did well
Congratulations on your good showing. I’m glad you had fun during your down time and didn’t get in any trouble.
Maybe someone with a telephoto lens can get photos of you showing and not being so close that the judge gets annoyed.
Hooray! Wow! That was a good showing for your first cat show!
I think I like your silly faces and the kitties for adoption the best. Like your mom, I like the gray kitty. I have a soft spot for gray kitties. And orange stripeys. And black cats. And…..
Oh, Summer, that is wonderful. Concats, you little doll!
Paws up, Summer! Sounds like a successful show.
What a glamour girl you are, and the judges noticed! We loved reading about your weekend and Teri kinda wishes she would run into you at a cat show sometime…you and your cat mom would be loads of fun to pal around with!
I can understand you doing well. Just looking at you is a joy.
Wow! Great job Summer! Mom and Dad went to a cat show once and they were amazed by all of it! It sure looked like a ton of work, but a ton of fun too. We thinks there are a lot more ribbons in your future!
Congrats Summer!
I know Crockett would like da raspberry picture.