The 48th Annual Pedigree and Companion Cat Show will be held in Tamworth on Saturday the 29th of July and once again promises to be the purr-fect weekend activity for all cat lovers.
Held at the Carinya Christian School, this year’s theme is “5 Ring Spectacular” and will offer awards for best kittens, entire and desexed cats, companion cats, best in group and supreme all rings.
The event is hosted by the Tamworth and District Cat Club and the club’s publicity officer Fiona Tresize encourages all interested visitors to attend, with general entry open from 9 am.
“The show is open to the public to come and see a good variety of different cat breeds. We just ask visitors to respect the area that a judge is working in and try not to enter that area while judging is happening and that they do not touch the cats in their crates” says Ms Tresize.
For those showing their cats, entries for the day close on Friday the 21st of July and there are some excellent prizes on offer.
If you haven’t attended a cat show before, Ms Tresize offers some pointers on what to expect on the day.
“A judge and steward work together and each cat for that particular group is taken from their crates where they are placed on the table for the judge to look them over. The judge is looking for clean coats, good confirmation and nature. There are specific attributes that each breed has and the judge has to find the best one in that breed.”
“The Judge picks his or her best 5 cats to award 1st to 5th. Prizes are awarded to the best 5 cats in that group.”
When asked what advice she could offer anyone who may be interested in getting into showing their cats in the new future, Ms Tresize says, “Come to the show, have a look and ask questions. For Groups 1 to 3 cats need to be pedigree and purchased from a breeder of one of the Australian-affiliated cat clubs. Group 4 is for cats who are not pedigree and are people’s pets.”
She also says that planning is paramount, so this is an excellent opportunity to get your cat organised for next year.
“Cats must be entered; you can’t just show up on the day to enter. Cats must be very good-natured, vaccinated, and very clean which includes being bathed, healthy, flea and disease-free. All cats are checked and passed by a vet before coming into the show on the day. “
Ms Tresize highly recommends joining a cat club if you want to get serious about showing your cats in the future, or just want to participate with some like-minded people.
“We welcome new members and have a few meetings each year. The best way to learn about cat breeds and shows is to join the club. Membership forms will be available at the show.”
For more information about the Tamworth and District Cat Club, and their upcoming events, you can follow the group on Facebook.
Like what you’re reading? Support The New England Times by making a small donation today and help us keep delivering local news paywall-free. Donate now