As a mother of three FIV+ shelter cats, I have mixed feelings about the spirit of the Oregon Classic Cat Show. I went last year and had a ton of fun with my cat lady friend, Katrina. Though at the time Katrina and I both agreed that it would be better if all the cats were rescues and were up for adoption. Part of me feels that "showing" pure bred cats misses the whole spirit of being a cat owner.
At the same time, the cat show is fucking awesome. Rows and rows of lazy, pampered cats. These cats are all funky looking, to boot. It's rare for me to see pure breds and since I'm a huge fan of felines it's quite a treat.
These are not typical house cats. They have super distinctive features. Persians, Maine-Coons, British Short-Hairs, Scottish Folds, it goes on and on. The most fun was looking at these awesome (highly inbred) breeds and trying to figure out what my cats are made of. I think Bilton is a Turkish Van, The Bot is a Chinchilla and Bits is a Chocolate Lynx Point. Of course, they're "mutts" but that's my best guess for my three adopted baby boys.
This year I went to the Oregon Cat Classic with Shauna and Mikey. One of the most exciting moments for us was seeing this Colleen Donaghy lookalike. Mikey and Shauna posed in front of her so that we could document her fabulousness.
The set up was exactly the same as last year: rows and rows of cats in "cages" with the judging stages off to the sides. There are places to buy cat accessories in the corners of the expo center. (Also just like last year, next door the Gun Show was going on, which made for a funny mix of people in the parking lot.)
Judging:
My favorite cats:
The saddest magnet in the world:
You can bet your sweet bippy that I'll be going to the Oregon Classic Cat Show in 2012. Though, I'm thinking I'm going to wear a t-shirt that says "FIV+" and tally how many dirty looks I get from fancy cat snobs.
Boom like you mean it.
ok first off -- after seeing that magnet Eric said "the funny thing is there is no animal on earth that can make you feel more alone and worse about yourself than an aloof cat... Al gives me low self esteem on a daily basis when he ignores me"
ReplyDeletesecond -- that first cat looks exactly like Amy! it made me smile and feel sad all at the same time.
third -- awesome job on the Colleen!
Do they seriously dangle a cat toy as part of the judging process? Also, did you buy that magnet? Because that is the greatest thing I have ever seen.
ReplyDeleteThey are trying to see how playful the cat is. Yes, they are judged on playfulness. Weird. I didn't buy the magnet because it was overpriced. Which made me sad.
ReplyDelete