In This Issue:
From the President’s Desk | TICA COO Update| TICA Financial Report | TICA Winter Board Proposal Results | TICA Winter Marketing Update | NewTICA Clubs | Watch Going Fur Gold | Wisdom Health Member Discount | Trupanion February Giveaway | Is Your Cat a Social Media Star? | TICA GL Regional Update | TICA NE Regional Update | TICA NW Regional Update| TICA SE Regional Update | TICA SW Regional Update
From the President’s Desk: A Message from TICA President Vicki Jo Harrison
Dear TICA Friends,
For those who missed TICA’s Winter 2023 Board Meeting, this issue takes a detailed look at all that transpired during the meeting, including TICA’s financial report, COO Update, proposal results, and marketing update.
The integration of TOES into TFMS is going extremely well. Very soon, your cat data in TFMS will be used to enter TICA shows. There will be no need to enter your cat’s information in two different places. Look for the update coming out later in the spring for the completion of the integration.
I am happy to announce that starting with the 2023/2024 show season, we will no longer be in isolated status. Information about all the changes is listed in the winter 2023 Board meeting minutes on the TICA website. We will share this information through all our modes of communication for the next several weeks. It is very important that you read the information so you can see how these changes may affect you. Please contact your regional director with any questions you may have.
As always, I wish each of you good health. Please stay safe and hug your kitties tight!
Vicki Jo Harrison TICA President
TICA Winter 2023 Board Meeting: COO Update
TICA Chief Operating Officer Danny Nevarez presented information related to TICA membership, visitors to tica.org, as well as an update on the TOES/TFMS integration. Highlights include:
Membership Survey/Update: TICA continues to grow in its activities (registered cats, new litters, breeder slips etc.) however, memberships are going down.
Last fall, TICA conducted a membership survey to find out why activities/purchases are increasing while memberships are declining. Key findings include:
- Fifty percent of TICA clients are not members because they see no benefits and/or no need (they can attend shows, register their cats, and do everything without becoming a member).
- Clients who are not interested in becoming members, even though TICA membership could add more value, are primarily pet owners.
- As a result of the survey findings, TICA adjusted the budget on TFMS enhancements to include self-managed breeder listings and detailed show results to benefit members. Both enhancements are expected to go live within 90 days (April/May)
TICA Website Update: Fifty percent of visitors to tica.org are young. The top 10 visited pages of the website relate to breeder listings. Please be advised that on July 1, 2023, tica.org will move to a new platform. Stay tuned for more details.
TOES/TFMS Update: The integration of TOES/TFMS is going very well. This combination will provide TICA members/clients:
- Automated cat information from TMFS to TOES (eliminating manual errors),
- Show catalogs and show records will be automated from TOES to TFMS (rings etc.),
- Show results can be automatically registered in TFMS with the show app.
TICA Winter 2023 Board Meeting: Financial Report
The TICA Audit Report for Fiscal Year, June 30, 2022, was presented and included the Auditors’ opinion that the report fairly presented the financial position of TICA at that time. TICA finished the year with an operating profit of $68,898. However, as TICA’s financial reporting complies with generally-accepted United States accounting and reporting principles, the report included an adjustment for the drop in market value of TICA’s investment portfolio as of June 30, 2022. That resulted in a reported financial loss of $95,000. Since that time, the stock market has rallied and the monthly adjustments have resulted in a trend of recovery.
Forecast Revenue & Expense 2022/2023: Vickie Fisher presented an amended budget based on the first 6 months of financial activity. With the amended revenue forecast, which predicted revenue in excess of the original projections, the Board added two additional adjustments: a small budget to allow funding for a TICA delegate and alternate to attend the World Cat Congress (WCC) in Tasmania ($6,000) and funds for TFMS enhancements ($12,000).
While the original budget had forecast an operating loss, the adjusted budget, reflecting revenue strength, predicts an operating profit. The TOES implementation project was reported as apparently “on track” so no adjustment was made to the original authorized budget. The adjusted budget was accepted by the Board.
TICA Winter 2023 Board Meeting: Proposal Results
Judging Program:
- Amend Judging Program 41.5.7 (Meetings) –
- Amend Judging Program Article Nine (Acceptance of Judges from Other Cat Associations) –
- Amend Judging Program Article Ten (Guest Judges) – friendly amendment article 410.1.5 to allow up to 9 shows instead of 6. This still means a reduction from 5 show weekends to 3 show weekends with an AM / PM / AM Alternative Format 9 shows) –
- Amend Judging Program Article Eleven (Reinstatement) –
- Amend Judging Program Article Twelve (Leave of Absence and Resignation) – Accepted.
Standing Rules:
- Amend Standing Rule 106.4.1 (Advisory Standing Committees) –
- Add Standing Rule 4.1.6
- (Standards Committee) –
- Amend Standing Rule 1012.2 (Additional Regions) –
- Add Standing Rule 1024.4 (Voting rights) – But there will be a separate group of board members assigned to investigate TICA’s governance structure.
Junior Exhibitor Program:
- Amend Junior Exhibitor Program – In the May meeting the Program will return to decide on several tweaks requested by the Board, like definitions and a provision that local regulations might prevent certain requirements (such as the requirement to own a cat).
- TICA Region Reorganization: Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and United Arab Emirates have been removed from Europe South Region and are now a part of the International Region.
- Burmilla Standard Update: The TICA Board had an active discussion about the Burmilla Standard Change. This discussion was postponed to the May 2023 Board Meeting to give the Burmilla Breed Group the opportunity to present additional information, including figures on health, Fife statement on allowed outcrosses, among other topics.
- Maine Coon Standard Update: The committee will work on the comments of Rules and Genetics.
HICA Winter 2023 Board Meeting: Marketing Update
Sponsorships/Marketing Partner Update: TICA is proud to announce that we have retained all our corporate sponsors/partners for 2023. Companies include: Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Products, Sleepypod International, Trupanion Pet Insurance, Nestle Purina, Wisdom Panel-Optimal Selection/MyCatsDNA, PetKing Brands-Zymox, Sturdi Products/International, Wyndham Hotels, ViaGen Pet Services, TenSecond Litterbox, Aunt Bea’s Freeze Dried, AKC ReUnite, as well as a few other smaller companies.
In addition, TICA has signed on new affiliate INSTACHEW and is participating in ongoing business promotions with CHEWY.com, ELITE Science, as well as a few other companies that are under negotiations to work with TICA in 2023.
Club Funds Sponsorship Update: To date, there has been almost $23,000 funded to TICA Clubs for 2023 shows. There are almost as many International Club sponsorships funded as there are North America shows.
Please note: The Club Sponsorship Program qualifications and funding are under review and being updated, which will soon reflect a more simplified Application Form and updated requirements for funding. Stay tuned for details.
Events TICA will Participate in 2023: TICA continues to grow our audience and educate the public about pedigree cats through the following events:
Pet Expos: In 2023, TICA will co-host and fill the feline presence at eight Pet Expos on the east coast, two Pet Expos Colorado, one in Denver, Colorado Springs, and the enormous Columbus, Ohio Pet Expo, All About Cats. Each event now shares Social Media posts and promotions which include TICA information.
Grooming Events/Training Classes: TICA will continue to partner with the International Professional Groomers, Inc. (IPG) to host several training classes for groomers at several pet grooming shows and competitions throughout 2023. Sponsored by TICA and Dr. Elsey Cat Products, TICA will share a booth with IPG President/Founder Linda Easton Warner and present three training classes for groomers titled “Cat Safe Salon”, “Understanding Feline Behavior”, and “Body Language of Cats”. Events include:
Groom Expo West (LA Convention Center), Atlanta Pet Fair & Conference, Northwest Groom Show (Tacoma, WA), The Teton Groom Expo (Idaho Falls, ID), All American Grooming Show (Schaumburg, IL), Super Zoo (Las Vegas), and Groom Expo (Hershey, PA).
Veterinarian Conferences:
AVMA, TX Unites, PAC Veterinary, ICAGG (Lisbon, Portugal International Conference on Animal Genetics and Genomics),
VHMA, AAFP, and the National Kitten Coalition.
Pet Industry Trade Shows:
Global Pet Expo and Super Zoo
In addition, TICA will continue participating in the following events this year: American Assn Feline Practitioners, International Professional Groomers, worldwide-NAIA National Animal Interest Alliance, EveryCat Health Foundation, TX Unites Animals, World Pet Association, Cat Writers Assn.
TICA Welcomes Two New Clubs
Wherever you are, you are in TICA’s world! TICA continues to grow in 2023 with the addition of two new clubs — Northern Lights (Fallentimber, PA) in the Mid Atlantic Region, and the Northern Star Cat Club (Grillby Uppsala Sweden) in the Europe North Region.
TICA has clubs around the world and are a great way to mix and mingle with people who love cats as much as you do. There are more than 160 clubs in TICA’s world with a diverse array of backgrounds, interests, and professions. By joining a TICA club you can make new friends with amazing people while attending TICA cat shows, participating in club activities, and volunteering.
If you’re not already a member, then find a club near you and start the fun! Find a list of TICA clubs here: https://tica.org/clubs/find-a-club
Watch New NatGeo Wild Documentary Featuring TICA Exhibitors & Shows
Last year production company Painless TV Productions followed many TICA exhibitors as their cats competed at TICA shows around the U.S. The documentary “Going Fur Gold” appeared last month on NatGeo WILD and soon will air on Disney+.
Going Fur Gold is a six-part series that follows the most charming champions across the country to compete for TICA Titles and Best in Show. From cats to chickens, rabbits to alpacas, the series takes an insider look at animal competitions and the humans who have devoted their lives to their beloved show animals. The series shows the close human animal bond so important to our hobby.
As an extra treat, you’ll be excited to see TICA exhibitors and their cats compete at select shows. The series includes many interviews with exhibitors and captured TICA judging in action.
Take a peek at the series in this promotional clip and mark your calendar to tune in NatGeo WILD Saturday nights 10pm/9c. Find a list of services that carry NatGeo WILD. The series is also available for purchase, all six episodes for a nominal fee, via YouTube.
WisdomHealth Extends TICA Member Discount with New Code
TICA & Optimal Selection by Wisdom Health share in a partnership designed to improve awareness and advance the understanding of feline genetics. The TICA-Wisdom Health partnership demonstrates the crucial value of genetic testing purposefully bred cats has in better understanding diseases with a genetic basis.
Through this partnership, Wisdom Health has extended the special 15% discount on their WisdomHealth/Optimal Selection and MyCatDNA genetic testing kits to all TICA members and clients using the new discount code TICAmember2023.
TICA members wishing to take advantage of the special 15% discount on WisdomHealth/Optimal Selection and MyCatDNA can do so when they log into their TICA TFMS account and use the code TICAmember2023. Please note, this is a new code. This offer is only valid when using the new discount code.
US & Canada: www.Optimal-Selection.com; Europe/outside U.S.: www.MyCatDNA.com.
Have you Entered TICA & Trupanion’s Newest Giveaway:
Hurry February 28 Deadline Quickly Approaching
Don’t forget to enter February’s TICA and Trupanion giveaway! As part of our partnership with Trupanion, medical insurance for pets, TICA breeders who sign up for Trupanion’s free Breeder Support Program will receive a gift of 10 cat toys to send home with your next litter. Plus, fill out the survey in the link below for a chance to win a $100 gift card! *
By joining Trupanion’s Breeder Support Program, you’ll gain access to an exclusive offer that gives your buyers the option to enroll in a Trupanion policy with no waiting periods. You’ll also receive materials for your kitten packs, your own dedicated account manager, and access to a private breeder support Facebook group – all at no cost to you!
Terms and conditions apply.** For full giveaway rules: click here
Don’t wait! This offer and giveaway are only valid for breeders who sign up by February 28, 2023!
*$100 USD Chewy gift card for US, $100 CAD Amazon.ca gift card for CAN. Valid only for breeders in the US and Canada. Maximum reward of up to $600 a year for individuals and households in Canada and the US (excluding Washington State). W Maximum reward of up to $100 a year for individuals and households in Washington State.
** NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Must be legal resident of Canada (excluding Quebec) or 50 US states and DC (excluding ND and WV), 18+ and at least age of majority. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Enter by: February 28, 2023. Entry can be made by completing the survey in the link or by mailing in a postcard in accordance with the full rules. Odds of winning depend on the # of entries. Details and rules can be found here. Sponsor: Trupanion Managers USA, Inc.
Trupanion is a registered trademark owned by Trupanion, Inc. Underwritten in Canada by Omega General Insurance Company and in the United States by American Pet Insurance Company, 6100-4th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108. Please visit AmericanPetInsurance.com to review all available pet health insurance products.
Is Your Cat a Social Media Star? Social Media Followers Compete for TICA’s Social Media Fan of the Week
Does your cat have what it takes to be TICA’s Social Media Fan of the Week? Each Sunday TICA Facebook and Instagram followers compete in a newly themed photo challenge for bragging rights to be named TICA Social Media Fan of the Week. TICA executives narrow the entries down to 10 every Thursday and TICA Facebook and Instagram followers vote by liking the entry and a new TICA Social Media Fan of the Week is crowned every Saturday.
Not a TICA Facebook or TICA Instagram follower? What are you waiting for? Sign up now so you don’t miss out on all the fun of sharing your cat. Also, check out TICA’ s special Valentine’s Day tribute designed especially for you and your cat(s).
TICA Regional Updates:
TICA Great Lakes Regional Update
TICA Northeast Regional Update
TICA Northwest Regional Update
TICA Southeast Regional Update
TICA Southwest Regional Update
TICA Great Lakes Regional Director, Liz Brown:
Treasury Balance: The Current TICA GL Treasury Balance is $6457.39.
Make your plans now to attend upcoming show in the TICA GL Region:
- March 10-12, 2023, Showcats Columbus in Columbus, OH. Please note: this event will be back in our own building. If you can’t attend a show, please donate to the club to help. We want to keep our club’s solvent, and everything matters.
TICA Great Lakes Regional Show & Banquet: This event will be hosted by PracTICAl Cats, July 28-30, in Gray Summit, MO (GL REGIONAL). Note: With an early date for this event, your winning cats’ pictures will be due earlier than usual. Take the opportunity now to get those pictures taken as soon as possible.
GL Webmaster (Word Press) Volunteer Needed: Contact Liz if you are interested in volunteering to do maintenance for the regional website and have experience in Word Press.
2022/2023 Yearbook Orders & Ads: To place a 2022/2023 TICA Yearbook or place an advertisement, contact Chris Unangst.
TICA Northeast Regional Director, Christian Cherau:
Stay Connected on Facebook and Instagram to the Northeast Region!
The TICA Northeast Region has a newly launched Instagram page – be sure to give it a like to keep up with us there! And don’t forget to follow us on our official Northeast Region Facebook page.
Make Plans to Join us for our 4 Spring Northeast Shows! We have four shows to end the 2022-2023 show season in the Northeast, and in all corners of the region! If you can attend just one or four, or any combination, we will be very grateful and happy to see you join us! We’re also going to recognize anyone with perfect attendance at regional shows!
Three of the four shows are Pet Expo shows, with great potential to help give TICA exposure to a whole new generation. We know they are a lot of work for exhibitors, but we appreciate your willingness to support these shows. Upcoming events include:
- March 4-5, 2023, hosted by Crazy Pants Cat Club in conjunction with Family Pet Show’s Long Island Pet Expo in Brentwood, NY. Eighteen rings spear across 2 days, a great value for your dollar alternative format show, presented by the Northeast Region’s newest club! The show is over half full already, don’t miss out on entering!
- April 7-9, 2023, hosted by CPE Cat Club in conjunction with the Canadian Pet Expo in Mississauga, ON. This is one of the largest expos in North America. This 18-ring, 3-day show will feature a parade of breeds, Junior Exhibitor Ring, and best of the best! The fun spring edition of the CPE Pet Expo never disappoints!
- April 15-16, 2023, hosted by Nauticats Cat Club in conjunction with SNAC Pet Expo, returning to their traditional Spring date in Sherbrooke, QC. A quick hop across the border from Vermont, this show always fills! The Nauticats team assures that the “Moose will be on the Loose” at this 15-ring show!
- April 28-30, 2023, hosted by Catsachusetts in Topsfield, MA. The Northeast’s traditional end of season bash returns with 18-rings over 3 days, best in show, and a Junior Exhibitor Ring! This event will be coming to you from a new (warmer) location, the Topsfield Fairgrounds north of Boston in Topsfield, MA!
Help Wanted: We are looking for people who may be interested in helping with some region-wide activities. Please contact
regional.director.ne@tica.org if you are interested in any of the following positions:
- Regional Scorer – responsible for posting show reports after each show;
- Regional Rescue Coordination – responsible for helping network with rescues and jumping in when members may need assistance;
- Regional Legislative Representative (U.S.) – We have two great members who have stepped up from Canada to assist us in staying aware of and advocating for TICA’s mission in synchrony with legislative efforts in Canada and would welcome equally interested folks from the U.S. side of the border to keep ears to the ground.
Looking ahead… The 2023-2024 season will hold the usual fall slate of shows… and a regional at some point over the summer, to be determined! If you are interested in holding a show, or helping with the regional show, please reach out to regional.director.ne@tica.org. Also keep an eye out for a potential show in the new TICA area this coming summer!
Stay warm and safe the rest of this winter, and we will see everyone at the Crazy Pantaloons show on Long Island in March!
TICA Northwest Regional Director, Elaine Hawksworth-Weitz
TICA 2023 Annual: The TICA International Awards Show & Banquet, commonly known as the “Annual” will take place this year in Tacoma, Washington on September 2-3, 2023. The event is coming along nicely. Did you know you can:
- Enter the show,
- Reserve your hotel room,
- Make your travel plans (the sooner the better),
- Sponsor the show,
Go to: https://www.tica2023.com/ for more information.
Make your plans now to attend upcoming shows in the TICA NW Region:
- February 11-12, 2023, The Evergreen Cat Fanciers in Ferndale, WA.
- April 15-16, 2023, Calgary Cat Association in Calgary, AB.
- April 28-30, 2023, SeaCats Location TBA.
- May 13-14, 2023, Cat Fanciers of BC in Sooke, BC.
- June 10-11, 2023, Commencement Cat Club in Chehalis, WA.
- July 1-2, 2023, The Maine Event in Monroe, WA. Note: date/location change
- August 12-13, 2023, Cat Fanciers of BC in Langley, BC. (Regional Awards Show/Banquet)
- September 2-3, 2023, TICA 2023 Annual International Awards Banquet hosted by SeaCats in Tacoma, WA.
- October 14-15, 2023, The Evergreen Cat Fanciers in Ferndale, WA.
- November 25-26, 2023, The Maine Event in Ferndale, WA.
- December 16-17, 2023, And A Mouse in Centralia, WA.
- January 20-21, 2024, It’s Reigning Cats Location TBA.
TICA Southeast Regional Director, Rene Knapp:
TICA Southeast Regional Awards Show & Banquet: Join us for our Southeast Regional awards show and banquet on August 18-19, 2023, at the Wyndham Orlando Resort & Conference Center in Kissimmee, FL. The show is open for entries/placeholder on TOES with a lot of information about the event. and there is a lot of information up on TOES about the show as well.
Reserve your hotel room now so you don’t miss out on early bird offers and remember, your stay can always be cancelled if you can’t make the show. Super Early Bird rates must be received and paid by April 30, 2023, and Early Bird rates must be received and paid by June 30, 2023. Please see TOES for the most up-to-date hotel rates.
Junior Exhibitor Presentation: TICA Junior Exhibitor Skylar Denley presented herself to those who attended the Cattyshack January show as part of her Junior program. She knocked it out of the show hall! With these young ladies in our program, TICA is in great hands!
Make your plans now to attend upcoming shows in the TICA SE Region:
- February 18-19 in Raleigh, NC.
- February 25-26 in St. Augustine, FL.
- March 4-5 in Augusta, SC.
- March 25-26 in Largo, FL.
- April 15-16 in Crystal River, FL.
TICA Southwest Regional Director, Laurie Schiff:
Time to start getting ready for this year’s annual in Seattle! Our region is donating a raffle basket full of neat stuff from our region, so please let me know if you have anything to include or any ideas. I’d love someone (other than me) to be in charge of this project, so if anyone would like to coordinate our basket, please let me know.
Make your plans now to attend these other upcoming shows in the TICA SW Region:
- February 18-19, 2023, Cattitude Cat Club, in Arcadia, CA. New Club!
- March 11-12, 2023, Surf-N-Turf Cat Club & America’s Finest Felines, in Arcadia, CA.
- April 15 -16, 2023, America’s Finest Felines, in Arcadia, CA.
- July 29-30, 2023, Regional Show and Awards hosted by Socal ExoTICA Cat Club in Arcadia, CA.
- November 18-19, 2023, America’s Finest Felines, in Arcadia, CA.
Thanks to all our great regional members for being helpful, nice, and generally wonderful!
