In This Issue:
From the President’s Desk | TICA Spring 2023 Board Meeting Recap | Vickie Fisher Named Judge Emeritus | TICA President/VP/Breed Committee Elections This Fall | Claim Titles By June 30 | Last Call to Renew TICA Membership | Three New TICA Clubs | Five Insurance Questions to Ask By Trupanion | EveryCat Health June Update |TICA GL Regional Update | TICA MA Regional Update | TICA NW Regional Update | TICA SA 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,
As you read this letter I will be in Tasmania, Australia representing TICA at the 2023 World Cat Congress Annual Meeting. It’s a great honor to be attending this international meeting of the biggest international federations and national associations in the cat fancy. I can’t wait to report back to you about the event next month.
Last month we held our spring TICA Board meeting where the TICA Board of Directors named Vickie Fisher Judge Emeritus. Read all about her long overdue honor in this issue.
This fall, TICA will hold elections for President, Vice President, and Breed Committee members. If you are considering running for office, the filing period and time to declare your candidacy is June 1 – July 31, 2023. Read all about what is required to apply for these positions and how to file for candidacy.
Finally, please remember to claim your titles and renew your membership by June 30. You can read about how to do these if you have not in this issue.
As always, I wish each of you good health. Please stay safe and hug your kitties tight!
Vicki Jo Harrison TICA President
TICA Spring 2023 Board Meeting Recap
The TICA spring 2023 Board meeting took place May 18-20, 2023, online. The following is a summary of the meeting. Full meeting minutes can be downloaded online.
Board Governance Policy: Add article 10 to Board Governance Policy (Investment Policy Statement) – Accepted.
Amend Articles 4, 5 and 6 Board Governance Policy (Agenda Mgt, Governance Cycles and Expenses) – Accepted.
By-laws: Amend By-Laws Articles 6, 7, 8, 11, 19 (Chief Operating Officer and Business Manager / Executive Secretary) – Accepted, will go for a membership vote in the fall.
Judging Program: Amend JP Article Fourteen (Schools, Seminars and Workshops) – Accepted.
Amend JP Article 44.2 and Article 15 (Judging License Renewals) – Accepted.
Show Rules: Delete Show Rule 29.3.4 (Alternative Format Judges) – Accepted, will go for a membership vote in the fall.
Standing Rules: Add Standing Rule 106.4.1.7 (Mentorship Committee) – Accepted.
Amend Standing Rules 1026 (Bad Debt processes) – Accepted.
Amend Standing Rule 2014 and add Judging Program 44.8 (Judging Fees and Expenses) – Amended for “for all contracts agreed upon” to “effective from May 1st, 2024.”
Junior Exhibitor Program: Amend JE Program Article 1 (Definitions and Responsibilities) and Article 12 (Scoring JE Rings) – Accepted.
TICA Annual 2023 Update: The Seattle team reported that Annual 2023 was going according to plan. They announced that Regional Basket Donations will be included again this year. Prizes will be transported in a suitcase to the winner. It is encouraged for each TICA region to participate. Unfortunately, due to ordinances, alcohol is not allowed to be part of the raffle.
Financial Report and Budget 2024: A $30K budget has been added for the development of the function “Power Users” for clubs to perform TFMS activities for their members.
Marketing Report: : It is important to note that the Dr. Elsey show sponsor form and requirements will be changing, with a “soft launch” planned for late July. The new form is streamlined and will include requirements for different social media activities. Stay tuned for more details.
TICA will join the International Kennel Club of Chicago (IKC) this August to bring the largest cat and dog extravaganza to Chicago. The TICA ShowCats Chicago Great American Cat Show and the IKC Great American Dog Show will take place August 25-27 at the McCormick Place Lakeside Center. Exhibitors to the show will have an opportunity to win a 2023 and/or 2024 TICA Annual package that includes a three-night hotel stay, $500 to be used toward airfare, complimentary first entry, grooming space, and a ticket to the Annual Awards Banquet. At the close of both shows the highest scoring feline will receive the same prize award for next year’s Annual. Read more details here.
TFMS/TOES Integration Update: The integration of TFMS and TOES is almost complete. This will give TICA members and clients new opportunities such as making it easier to add cat data from TFMS to TOES and information in TOES, like the show results, will automatically transfer to TFMS, making scoring automatic.
Members will get extra functionality in TFMS on how their cat is doing in the official standings and information on what the cat needs for the next title (points, finals), etc.
The Tennessee Rex breed (TR) advanced to Championship Status. Changes to TR/TRS standard – Approved, effectively immediately.
Advancement to Championship – Approved, starting May 1st, 2024.
Burmilla (BM / BML) Breed Standard – Approved starting May 1, 2024.
TICA Board of Directors Names Vickie Fisher Judge Emeritus
In honor of her outstanding service as a retired judge to TICA and the cat fancy in general, TICA Board of Directors has named Vickie Fisher Judge Emeritus during the Spring 2023 Board meeting.
Vickie began her judging career three decades ago. She has traveled extensively as an All-Breed Judge and Ring Instructor and proudly supported and encouraged TICA’s worldwide development. She was honored previously for her years of service as a TICA Judge with the designation of Distinguished Judge.
In 2021 Vickie joined an esteemed group of 13 honorees to be named TICA Treasure for her contributions beyond measure to the Association.
Vickie served as Southwest Regional Director from 2004-2009 before being elected as TICA President and CEO, a position she held 2009 – 2014 and again from 2018-2020. While in office she advocated for the concept of TICA as a “business” and guided the development of TICA’s first business plan and marketing strategy, including TICA’s first ventures into social media, and successfully integrated TICA into the multi-billion-dollar pet industry. Vickie refined budgeting, financial and operating processes, moving the Association from a paper-based business to online business services and membership voting.
TICA President, Vice President, and Breed Committee Elections To Be Held This Fall:
Declaire Your Candidicy Now!
This fall, TICA will hold elections for President, Vice President, and Breed Committee members.
The power is in your hands to effect change. If you are considering running for office, the filing period and time to declare your candidacy is June 1 – July 31, 2023.
Serving as President, Vice President, or holding a position on a TICA Breed Committee is an important and meaningful way to advance the issues you care about and best achieve the results you want to see within TICA.
To be considered as a candidate for TICA President or Vice President, members must be in good standing for two consecutive years preceding the election. Read more about the duties and responsibilities required for each role and how you can help advance the issues within TICA you care about the most.
Additional information, including qualifications and procedures for filing can be found on the TICA Elections page. Voting will begin at the end of October and results will be announced in December.
Reminder: TICA Deadline to Claim Titles is June 30
As of May 1, 2023, TICA has returned to our standard rules regarding regular and isolated areas. The exception is those areas that were under the isolated status rules pre-covid (as noted in TICA Standing Rules paragraph 1012.3.1). Those areas continue to remain under isolated status.
Under the standard rules, exhibitors are required to claim their titles at the “isolated area – reduced points” by June 30, 2023.
Exhibitors can see the titles your cats have earned from your TFMS account and then submit and pay. Please keep in mind that you may have to wait for a show to be scored to see the titles. You will also receive emails as your cat achieves titles to remind you to claim them. Title requirements will return to regular scoring for those who have not claimed their titles by June 30, 2023. It is possible some titles earned under previous isolated status may be lost. So be sure to claim your titles by June 30, 2023.
Last Call: TICA Deadline to Renew Membership is June 30
The strength of TICA lies in its members. Breeders, exhibitors, and cat lovers are invited to join TICA and participate in the most progressive registry in the world. Don’t miss out on the fun, make sure you renew your membership before June 30, 2023.
To vote in the October election, members must be in good standing as of April 1, 2023. Current memberships expiring on May 1, 2023, have until June 30, 2023, to renew their membership before they lapse and will not be able to vote in October.
TICA Welcomes Three New Clubs
Wherever you are, you are in TICA’s world!™ TICA continues to grow in 2023 with the addition of three new clubs — North East Regional Feline Fanciers (Greene, NY) in the TICA Northeast Region, Mid Atlantic Regional Club Inc. (Arlington, VA) in the TICA Mid Atlantic Region, and Royal Cat Society (Żebbuġ, Malta) in the TICA Europe South Region. Welcome!
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.
Shopping for Pet Insurance: Five Questions to Ask
Your cat is the greatest, and they deserve the best care! With the right pet insurance plan in place, you’ll never have to choose between your budget and what’s best for your cat’s health.
However, the world of pet insurance is often confusing, and not all policies are equal.
Wondering where to start? Our friends at Trupanion recommend asking the following questions while exploring your options.
1. What conditions are covered? You may think you know what will be covered when you select your plan. However, insurance providers have their own rules on what conditions are and are not covered. It’s worth noting that most pet insurance providers do not cover pre-existing conditions (anything diagnosed prior to your enrollment).
2. How do I file a claim? The whole point of having pet insurance coverage is to have financial support for your pet’s veterinary care. That said, the process for filing an insurance claim can sometimes be complicated and it is common for claim processing to take days or even weeks.
Trupanion offers multiple options for convenience, including filing a claim online, via email, or by our mobile app. In most cases, claims are processed within 24 hours.
3. Can the pet insurance provider pay my vet directly? Most pet health insurance providers operate on a standard reimbursement model — you pay your veterinarian while checking out from your pet’s appointment, file a claim with your insurer, then wait to get a check for covered costs.
Trupanion is unique in being able to pay participating veterinary clinics right as you’re checking out from your cat’s appointment. You can find out which hospitals accept payment from Trupanion directly here.
4. Are there payout limits? Pet insurance companies often impose limits on the number of payouts, or the total amount of reimbursement allowed on each policy. These limits are typically annual, though in some cases they may be for the lifetime of a pet. If you don’t want any payout limits, Trupanion members get unlimited payouts on all eligible veterinary costs.
5. What are the customer service hours? For many companies, live customer service is only available during designated business hours. The Trupanion customer service team is always available 24/7, every day of the year.
Buying pet insurance: knowledge is key. Shopping for the best pet insurance can feel overwhelming, but getting as much information as possible about your options will help you feel confident in your decision. When you enroll your cat in coverage that fits their health needs and your budget, you can rest easy knowing that you just took a big step in protecting your pet’s future.
If you’re a breeder, you can send your kitten buyers home with an offer for immediate insurance coverage through Trupanion’s Breeder Support Program? Join this free program today by clicking here.
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 or ZPIC Insurance Company, 6100-4th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108. Sold and administered in Canada by Canada Pet Health Insurance Services, Inc. dba Trupanion and in the United States by Trupanion Managers USA, Inc. (CA license No. 0G22803, NPN 9588590).
EveryCat Health Foundation June 2023 Update
June 14 Webinar: Do I Hurt or Not? Cats and Pain: Revealing What You Need to Know: Diagnosing and recognizing pain in cats is challenging. Recognizing feline pain means understanding behavior changes that are clues to discomfort. In this webinar, Steve Dale, CABC, will present subtle signs of pain are revealed, including how to use Grimace Scale. Other topics include supporting virtual care as a follow up, encouraging exercise/enrichment and various products which can help with a multimodal approach. Read more information or register to attend.
Miller Trust Grant Request for Proposals: The 2023 Miller Trust Gran Cycle is now open for proposals. The deadline for submission is August 29th, 2023. Proposals must be submitted through the EveryCat Grant portal. Information about the Miller Trust Grant and the Grant Portal can be found on the EveryCat website.
The Return of the Cat Health Research Library: Thanks to the amazing volunteers from our Education Committee, the Cat Health Research Library on our website will be seeing more frequent updates! Besides summaries and updates on our own funded research, the Committee will also be writing about other current cat health research from around the world. If you like to keep up to date on new cat research, but don’t have time to dig through a published research paper, then our Cat Health Research Library is perfect for you. These summaries are written by volunteer veterinary professionals and researchers who read all the veterinary journals and write about the current, important research studies that affect our cats.
Do you want to be notified when a new research study summary is posted? Sign up for the Cat Health Research Library Update email list.
Previous Webinars: Did you miss the EveryCat/National Kitten Coalition 3- part “New Kitten” webinar Series, sponsored by TICA, Dr. Elsey and Purina? You can find all three sessions on the National Kitten Coalition Learning platform.
You will need to create an account (it’s free) to access the content. Also, if you missed “Bringing Up Baby: A Practical Guide to Feline Pediatric Nutrition and MORE!” with Ellen Carozza, LVT, VTS (Clincial Practice-Feline) on Thursday, May 25th, 2023, you can find the complete webinar on our YouTube channel.
TICA Regional Updates:
TICA Great Lakes Regional Update
TICA Mid Atlantic Regional Update
TICA Northwest Regional Update
TICA South America Regional Update
TICA Southeast Regional Update
TICA Southwest Regional Update
TICA Great Lakes Regional Director, Liz Brown:
GL Bank Balance: $6020.18 ($495 recent payment to TICA for yearbook and $100 domain).
2022/2023 Great Lakes Regional Deadlines: June 30, 2023, for sponsorships and pictures for the awards booklet, July 15, 2023, for pictures for the Powerpoint presentation. Contact Chris Unangst with pictures.
GL Special Awards: Remember to cast your vote in our 2022/2023 GL Special Awards. Deadline is July 1.
$1/entry from clubs: With clubs struggling and the regional treasury being so solvent, this will be optional for the 23/24 season. Contact Liz for a PayPal invoice If your club would like to donate.
Make your plans now to attend upcoming shows in the next show season!
- June 17-18, 2023, PracTICAl Cats is hosting their annual summer show in Gray Summit, MO. Larry Johnson will be there!
- July 15-16, 2023, Buckeye Ohio Rollers in Wooster, OH.
- July 28-30, 2023, PracTICAl Cats hosts the GL Regional Show & Banquet. This is a very busy weekend for the area (Six Flags) so make your hotel reservations early!
- August 25-27, 2023, Showcats Chicago’s Great American Cat & Dog Show, McCormick Place, Chicago, IL.
- Sept 2-3, 2023, TICA Annual in Tacoma, WA. Regional Basket items needed. Contact Angela.
- Sept 16-17, 2023, Cats Rule Cat Club is again hosting their FELINE GROOVY themed show in Racine, WI.
- Oct 7-8, 2023, Buckeye Ohio Rollers in Wooster, OH.
- Nov 18-19, 2023, Wisconsin-Illinois Cat Fanciers is hosting their NFL themed show in Racine, WI.
- Jan 14-15 (2024), PracTICAl Cats is hosting their annual winter show in Gray Summit, MO.
TICA Mid Atlantic Regional Director, Brenda Russo:
It’s that time of year again!
CONGRATULATIONS to all our Mid Atlantic winners for the 2022-2023 year!
Regional Awards Sponsorship Opportunities: While the official list will not be out until mid-June and your official letters sent out a bit later, I took the opportunity to use the “updated “official standings to compose the region’s sponsorship form so that we can start sponsoring our awards!
I did include the option to not accept a physical award and donate back to the region. Please let me know if you have any questions. Let’s strive to get all our awards sponsored this year!
NOTE: If you will be receiving an LA Award, please remember to send me your official confirmation from the EO to be added to our sponsorship form.
Regional Special Awards: It’s that time of year when we vote on our regional MA Special Awards. Mid Atlantic members only, please.
Regional Show: Vicki White will be updating everyone on the Regional Show and Banquet later this week. This event is already on the calendar and Lisa Dickie is ready for your entries.
Make your plans now to attend upcoming shows in the next show season!
- August 5-6, 2023, Tabby Tales Cat Club in West Friendship, Maryland.
- September 2-3, 2023, TICA Annual in Seattle, Washington.
- September 9-10, 2023, Mid Atlantic Regional Club MA REGIONAL Show & Awards Program in Exton, PA.
- September 30 – October 1, 2023, Northern Lights Cat Club in Morgantown, PA.
- October 20-22, 2023, United Cat Club in Fredericksburg, VA.
- December 9-10, 2023, Carnivorous Winos in Lebanon, PA.
Annual Raffle: The MA Region has pledged to contribute to the annual raffle again this year. Romaine Halupa has graciously offered to organize the raffle. Please contact her regarding assorted Gift Cards to donate.
Regional Photographs Reminder: This is a friendly reminder to start organizing your photos (professional or candid) for Lisa and Cheryl to collect for the regional awards booklet and power point presentations. More information will be provided when the official letters are sent out later in June!
TICA Northwest Regional Director, Elaine Hawksworth-Weitz
TICA 2023 Annual: A reminder that the TICA International Awards Show & Banquet, commonly known as the “Annual” will take place this year in Tacoma, Washington on September 2-3, 2023. Visit https://www.tica2023.com/ to do the following:
- Enter the show
- Reserve your hotel room
- Make banquet reservations
- Sponsor the show
- Make your travel plans (the sooner the better)!
Come a few days early and do some sightseeing. There is so much to do in the Greater Puget Sound area – Point Defiance Zoo, a day trip to Mt. St. Helens, Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle, to name a few. And after sightseeing, sign up for one or all four of our planned seminars on Friday, including:
- Persian Breed Group seminar – by Jane Allen
- Genetics seminar – by Tatyana Kalani
- American Bobtail breed seminar – by Shelby Friemoth
- Maine Coon/Maine Coon Polydactyl – by Cari Tucker
Make your plans now to attend upcoming shows in the TICA NW Region:
- July 1-2, 2023, The Maine Event in Monroe, WA.
- July 15-16, 2023, It’s Reigning Cats in Portland, OR.
- 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 South America Regional Director, Luiz Paulo Faccioli:
SA Regional Show: We are so excited to announce the South America Regional Show this year to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina on September 23-24, 2023. This year’s judges will include: Connie Webb, Steven Corneille, Ana Ferreyra, and Johary Gomez.
The banquet will be on Friday, Sept. 22. Exhibitors from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Costa Rica have already entered their cats.
TICA Rio de Janeiro is Back: On August 19-20, 2023, CLUBE NACIONAL DE FELINOS will hold the first TICA show in Rio de Janeiro after a long time that TICA didn’t have an active club there. It will be a back-to-back show, alternative format, judges Luiz Paulo Faccioli, Virginia Araujo e Aline Broda. Stay tuned for more details.
The pandemic is over, and we already have many shows scheduled for this season. Please join us!
TICA Southeast Regional Director, Rene Knapp:
SE Member Increase/New Cat Club News: The TICA SE Region has had an increase in members which is great. We also have a new member in our region who is looking to start a Midsouth area TICA cat club for promoting shows in the MS/West TN area. Please email me at regional.director.se@tica.org and I’ll pass your information on if you are interested in getting involved and reopening a SE area for shows!
New SE Show Season: We are excited to start our new season’s shows with the Huntsville, Alabama show June 24 – 25, 2023. NAFF always puts on a welcoming and fun show. We have a 125 maximum and at this writing we are half full. Please join us by entering or supporting the club with a sponsorship.
SE Regional Barbecue: We’ve added something to the regional agenda. It’s a barbecue! You can come to the hotel a little early on Friday, August 18th – check in and set up your benching area. Go to your room and relax, there’s no need to go out again for food or drink. Put on your bathing suit and mosey down to the pool to join your judges and fellow exhibitors for food and drink at a good old-fashioned barbecue. The cost is $37 for adults, which includes tax and gratuity $20 for children. And, of course we will have a cash bar to start the celebration.
Regional Photo/Sponsorship Reminder: Please get your photos into Vanadis for our power point. Keep your eye out for our regional sponsorship list. We already have several requests, but we’ve got a ways to go to get everyone sponsored.
TICA Southwest Regional Director, Laurie Schiff:
Make your plans now to attend these other upcoming shows in the TICA SW Region:
- July 29-30, 2023, Regional Show and Awards hosted by Socal ExoTICA Cat Club in Arcadia, CA. Enter on TOES. Also the Banquet Reservation and Information is on the Show Entry page.
- November 18-19, 2023, America’s Finest Felines, in Arcadia, CA.
- January 27 & 28, 2024, Socal Exotica Cat Club, in Arcadia, CA
SW Regional Awards: It’s time to Sponsor the Southwest Regional Awards and vote on Judge and Member of the Year for the SW Region – please see the available sponsorships and information here: https://ticasw.com/reg_win23.php
