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Showing in TICA 101

Secrets to Show Success

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Show My Cat

Secrets to Show Success

Cat Show Calendar

Welcome to the world of TICA cat shows!

You have a beautiful cat and you would like to show her, but you don’t know how. Well, you’ve come to the right place! In this short article you’ll learn:

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How a TICA cat show works

What you need to do to enter a show

How to prepare your cat for the show

What you need to bring to the show

What to do after the show

Attend a Show
How a TICA cat show works

It’s always best to attend a cat show as a spectator before deciding to enter your cat. It will give you a feel for how shows work and will give you a chance to visit with exhibitors who share your passion about cats.

What is described here is what you will see at a show licensed by The International Cat Association or TICA.

The show hall

Show halls are made up of three areas: benching, judging rings, and vendors.

The benching area is where the cats are groomed and wait until their number is called to a judging ring. Each benching space is occupied by a cage/tent provided by the exhibitor or with a wire cage that is covered by the exhibitor with cage curtains on the bottom, top, and three sides. The benching area give the cats a comfy place to rest between judging while shielding the cat from other cats benched around them or from coming in contact with any germs carried by those cats.

The judging rings are where the “action” happens. This is where the judges evaluate each cat in the show. There may be any number of judging rings at a show, however most shows have 6 or 7 judging rings set up in the showhall.

Vendors are businesses who attend the shows to sell their wares. Items for sale can include almost anything from jewelry and clothing to cat food, litter, and toys. The vendors vary from show to show. Some shows have a general vendor who carries cat grooming and care supplies. The general vendor can be very helpful if you have forgotten to bring something for the care or comfort of your cat. 

Judging rings

A judging ring is usually made up of an L- or U-shaped arrangement of cages, one or more tables placed in front of these cages, and rows of chairs in front of the table(s) for exhibitors and spectators to sit and watch the judging

Three people normally work in each judging ring: the judge, clerk, and steward.

The judge is an individual who, after a long and rigorous training process, has been thoroughly trained to evaluate the different cat breeds according to a set of written standards and rank the cats in order of how well they represent their individual breed standards.

The role of the clerk is crucial for maintaining the integrity and smooth operation of the judging process by accurately recording and validating the judge’s evaluations and results, the clerk ensures that all information is consistent.

Note: A smooth running ring is the clerk’s responsibility. Discuss with the clerk any any concerns you have with the ring or if you have a piece of information that needs to be passed to the judge. The clerk handles all communications between the exhibitors and the judge and is responsible to rectify any problems with the ring.

The steward’s role is essential. By disinfecting and cleaning each cage between cats, the steward plays a crucial part in preventing the spread of disease.

Judging procedure

TICA recognizes cats for competition in 8 classes:

Each class is judged separately. For example, alters are not judged against kittens.

Information on TICA’s recognized breeds, including links to standards for those breeds, can be found on our Browse All Breeds page.

Each cat in the show is assigned an entry number. This number can be found in the show catalog which is provided to each exhibitor. TICA assigns ranges of numbers for each of the classes being shown. The ranges of numbers makes it easier to listen for your number when it is called from the rings.

Note: In the rare instance where there are more cats than in the range of numbers, the next class starts with the first available number. For example, If there are 55 longhair kittens, then those kittens are numbers 1-55. The shorthair kittens will start with 56.

If a cat is entered in the show after the catalog is printed, it might have a number ending with a letter so that it will fall in sequence with other cats of its breed and color. For example, if kittens 51 and 52 are brown classic tabby American Shorthairs and 53 is a brown spotted Bengal, a late entry brown classic tabby American Shorthair might be 52A.

The cats are called to each judging ring by their entry number. The only information provided to the judge about the cat is its:

Breed

Color

Sex

Age

Note: In some associations the cat’s title (For example, Grand Champion) is also known by the judge. In TICA, all cats are considered equal in the judging ring. The judge has no way of knowing if the cat he or she is judging is at its first show, or if it has been considered by other judges to be one of the best of its breed.

The judge handles each cat placed in the judging ring. The judge takes the cat from the ring cage, places it on the judging table, evaluates the cat against their knowledge of the written standard, returns the cat to the cage and continues on. You will note that the judge cleans the judging table and his or her hands with a disinfectant before handling the next cat. Just like the steward’s job to disinfect the cages, the disinfection of the judging table and judge’s hands is vital to the health and well-being of the cats being shown.

Judging is a pyramid of eliminations within the class:

First all cats of the same breed and color are judged against the written standard for that breed. Up to 5 cats are selected as the best-5th representation of their breed – looking only at cats of that color. The judge awards these cats ribbons with colors indicating their placement.

Note: Judges judge the cats against the whole written standard, not just the color. For example, if there are two red Persians, the two red Persians are judged against how they fit the full written Persian standard. The “best of color” does not necessarily mean that that cat has the best red color. Instead, the best of color red Persian best fits the entire written Persian standard including head, structure, coat, etc.

Household pets, and household pet kittens are evaluated against a written standard as well. That standard states that the cat should be in good condition, well groomed, be of the right weight for his or her frame, have clean ears, and trimmed nails. The judge then uses his or her opinion as to the household pets he or she feels are the best.

Unlike cats in all other classes, if a household pet meets the basic requirements of the written standard, it will receive a best of color (or HHP merit) award – even if there is more than one HHP of the same color.

Next, the judge looks at all the cats, within the breed, within the same division. For example, all solid Persians would be judged in the solid division. After judging all the white Persians, blue Persians, black Persians and red Persians and selecting the top Persians of their respective colors, the judge will now look at the the solid Persians and select the top-3 of the solid division. These are indicated by the judge with colored ribbons.

Household pet adults are also selected for division awards. For example, all shorthair tabby household pets will compete for best, second, and third of the tabby division.

Cats in preliminary/advanced new breed, new traits, and household pet kittens are not selected for division awards.

Next, the judge will look at his best cats of each division and select the top-3 representatives of the breed. In our example with the Persians, now the best solid Persians would be compared against the best Tabby, Silver, Tortie, and Particolor (any color and white) Persians in the show.

The judge is not required to name his best of breeds but he must write down his top-3 best of breed in his judge’s book. If he does tell the audience how he placed the cats within breed, he may name them, without hanging anything on the cages, he may hang ribbons of the following, or similar, color, or he may have some other indication of best of breed (for example, some judges have decorative hangers with the numbers 1, 2, and 3).

Household pets and household pet kittens are not awarded breed placements.

Cats exhibiting in preliminary/advanced new breed or new trait are awarded breed placements. The judge will also award one merit rosette to the overall best example exhibiting in each of these three classes.

The very end of this process is the finals. During the finals the judge names the cats he feels are the very best representations of their breeds in the class. The number of cats the judge may final depends on the number of cats in competition for the class:

Note: The exception to this rule is Household Pet Kittens, Household Pets, and Alters (Allbreed rings only). A maximum of 10 places are awarded regardless of the number of in competition. So, if only 7 Household Pet Kittens are competing, the judge will award 7 placements. With the exception of the one merit award per class, finals are not awarded in preliminary/advanced new breed or new traits classes.

Finals can be allbreed or specialty. Allbreed finals are the cats the judge feels are the very best of both the longhair and shorthair cats for that class. Specialty finals only take the longhairs or shorthairs of the class into consideration. For example, an allbreed kitten final may have both longhair and shorthair kittens in it. A shorthair specialty kitten final would only have shorthair kittens.

Each judge judges every cat in the show. Judging by a single judge normally takes place on one day. However, a split format show has the judge judging half the cats one day and half the second day. Split format shows are usually done when the show is very large and there are more cats entered than a judge can reasonably expect to judge in a single day.

Best in show

Some shows present a best of the best or best in show presentation at the conclusion of the weekend’s judging. This is not required by TICA, but some shows like to recognize the cats with the highest finals over the course of the weekend. Some clubs may only recognize the best in each class, others recognize top-3 and there are a few that recognize top-5.

In addition, clubs may offer special cumulative awards for the highest scoring of a particular breed, color of cat, or other special awards. Check your catalog for information on special awards that may be presented.

Note: Best of the best and other special awards are not included in international or regional awards scoring, nor are they scored for titles. These awards are only used to honor the best cats within the show.

In the spirit of good sportsmanship, it is a good idea to stay, applaud, and cheer for the cats presented in the best of the best. These cats and their owners have a significant accomplishment to be proud of. Help them celebrate as you would like others to help you celebrate in similar circumstances.

Are you still with me? Does this sound like something you would like to do? Great! We’re looking forward to seeing you at an upcoming show!

A list of all TICA shows can be found on our Calendar.

When you find a show you would like to enter, read through the information about the show.  Not all of the information might be listed in the show calendar, but there should be a link to a show flyer with all the information about the show.  If you need more information than is available, contact the entry clerk listed on the show calendar.  When you contact the entry clerk make sure to mention which show you are interested in.  Most entry clerks are working with multiple shows and it’s hard for us to know which show you are asking about without you telling us!

Try to enter as early as you can.

NOTE:  Most clubs are now using the TICA Online Entry System, also known as TOES, to enter shows. See this video for information on using the TOES system to manage your cats and show entries.  If a show is not using TOES, this information will be indicated on the show calendar.  If the show is not using TOES, reach out to the entry clerk if you have questions on how to enter the show.

In addition to your entry, the club may offer other services at a fee. These services can include:

Notes: Cages, cages, cages … this is where a lot of new exhibitors get confused. In the USA there are three cage sizes … 22″x22″x45″ (regular), 27″x27″x54″ (oversized), and what I’ll call California single.

California single cages are used in some parts of the western USA. Each cat entered gets one of these cages. The cages are not as long as regular cages, but are significantly taller and have one door.

Regular and oversized cages have two doors and swinging wire divider to divide them into two smaller single cages (regular: 22″x22″x22″, oversized: 27″x27″x27″). Each entry is entitled to ONE SINGLE CAGE (i.e. one half of the full cage.) Most clubs offer you the option to purchase a double cage … which is the other half of the cage that comes with your entry. 

Here’s an example of where some folks get confused:

Nancy enters three cats in a show. She want to have 2 full cages for her three cats. Does she buy one double cage, or two?

The answer is one. Each cat entered entitles her to a single cage which is 1/2 of a full double cage. So, three entries gives her one full cage, plus 1/2 of another one. If she wants two full cages all she needs to do is buy one additional double which will give her the three singles for her entries plus the extra 1/2.

NOTE: Many clubs these days are “evening up” space so that exhibitors no longer get a single space for an entry.  For example, you might see in the financial information “One entry benched in a double cage” or “three entries benched in two double cages”.

Now that you know who you are going to enter, and what additional services you need, how do you fill out the forms?

Note: Pretty much all of the clubs these days are accepting online entries and many even allow you to pay online (PayPal). These are great services you might want to use. Plus, it will save you postage!

Most of the financial summary sheets are pretty self explanatory. Make sure you adhere carefully to cutoff dates for any early bird discounts or you may find that you will be owing money!

Most clubs have a line “Benching” or “Benching request” on their financial summary or entry forms. This gives you an opportunity to say who you would like to be next to in the show hall. If you have a friend who shows, you may want to be with them so they can show you the ropes. If you don’t know anyone who shows, you may want to put “New exhibitor – please bench me with someone nice”. Most entry clerks will then try to put you with someone who would be willing to mentor a new exhibitor.

Another line that is often confusing is “Agent”. If you can’t come to the show and someone else is showing your cats for you, list that person as your agent.

Most clubs will honor only your agent or benching request with agent taking precidence. So, if you listed Jane as your benching request and Sue as your agent, you will be benched with Sue and you may or may not be benched with Jane.

All entry systems require the information.  This is the type of information that you might find confusiong when you enter a show.

Note: If you are showing a kitten, championship cat, or alter for the first time, you may want to work with your cat’s breeder to understand how to fill out an entry form. Some of the information you may have been given when buying the cat may have included cat’s nicknames and other shortcut information. Also, the breeder may have different cattery names depending on the association. So cattery Fluffy in one association may be Furry in TICA.

Making travel and hotel arrangements

If you will be staying overnight at a hotel, it’s important that you make your reservations early. Each cat show has one or more designated hotels. These hotels have agreed to allow you to keep your cat in your room. Some hotels may require refundable or non-refundable security deposits. Check the flyer carefully for this information. Also, check for any dates when your reservations must be made. Show management will negotiate blocks of rooms with the hotels. These blocks will usually be released after a specific date. Make sure you make your reservations before that date, or a room may not be available for you!

Obviously, you are also welcome to stay at any hotel you can arrange on your own.

Verifying your cat's health records

The first thing you need to do is make sure that your cat is current with all its shots. All cats must have current feline distemper vaccines and rabies vaccines and be in good health at the time of the show. Please bring your cat’s rabies certificate with you to the show in case there are any questions.

Double checking your confirmation from the entry clerk

No later than a week or two after you enter the show you will receive a confirmation from the entry clerk. This confirmation will include a listing of how your cat will be listed in the catalog. These confirmations will be sent by email. For clubs using TOES, these confirmations will come from tica.org, not the email address of the entry clerk. Double check this information and contact the entry clerk immediately if there are any errors. If the information on the confirmation is wrong, your entry in the catalog and official records of the show will be wrong. It’s much easier to fix the problem before the official show records are printed, rather than fixing them at the show.

Packing your supplies

Now that all your paperwork is done, it’s time to pack. Remember, you’re now packing not only for yourself, but for your cat as well. You know what you need for yourself, but you may not know what you need for your cat. So, let’s go over what you will need for your cat for the hotel room and your cat for the show hall.

For the hotel room you should plan on packing:

  • Cat litter
  • Litter box and scoop
  • Cat food
  • Bowls for cat food and water
  • Trash bags (for used litter and other waste)
  • Dust pan and broom
  • Air freshener

It is very important that you keep your hotel room as though there was never a cat in the room. Hotels have been very kind to let us stay with our cats, and some hotels no longer allow us to do so because exhibitors have been careless and have left their rooms a mess. Make sure you keep litter boxes scooped and all scattered litter and food swept up and disposed of. If you have a cat that sprays, please confine the cat to an area that you can fully clean, such as a bathroom or a cage.

When you check out, make sure that you have securely bagged your litter. Also, a little air freshener also goes a long way to help!

For the show hall you will need:

Cage curtains

You will need to cover the bottom, three sides, and top of your cage. You can do this with towels, sheets, or any other sort of solid material. You will also need something to clip your curtains to the cage. You can use small binder clips (available from any office supply store), clothes pins, or safety pins. If you are only getting a single cage, you should also bring twist ties to secure the center divider of the double cage.  Optionally you can purchase your own show tent for your cat that you can use at any show you plan on attending.  A common show tent is made by Sturdi Products. Make sure any enclosure you plan on bringing fits the dimensions of the allowed space you are given for the show.  For example, for United States shows, the Sturdi CarGo (single or double) and Medium (single or dobule) will fit in a double cage space.  The Large and triple versions, will not fit.  (Disclaimer: There are other companies that make similar type tents that will work equally as well.  You just need to make sure the dimensions fit the available space.)

Small litter box (one that will fit in a 22"x22" space)

Most clubs supply cat litter for the show. Double check the show flyer to make sure. Carrying a small bag with you just in case is always a good idea.

Cat food

Bowls for cat food and water

Grooming tools

Grooming supplies will vary depending on the cat you are showing. At a minimum you should carry Q-Tips (to clean ears), paper towels (also good to clean up messes), and a brush or comb to groom your cat’s coat. As you show more and have a chance to meet other exhibitors you will learn other tips and techniques for grooming your cat.

Carrier

You will also need to make sure you have a carrier for your cat. You won’t need it during the show, but you will need the carrier to transport your cat in your car and to/from the show hall. Your cat will also need a secure place to wait while you set up her cage.

Grooming your cat

Before the show – the show bath! A few days before the show you should give your cat a bath. The bath should include cleaning the cats ears of any wax or dirt and triming the cat’s nails. Make sure you trim your cat’s front and back nails. What shampoo you use depends on your cat. You may want to consult with your vet or your cat’s breeder for recommendations on bathing products.

Note: Any cat with signs of fleas, ear mites, fungus, or poor health may be asked to leave the show hall.

Checking-in.

When you first arrive at the show hall, look for a person sitting at a table with catalogs. This person will be doing check in. Usually all you will need to do is pick up your catalog and go to set up your cage. If you owe money, you will need to pay at check in.

After you check in, find out where your cage is located. Some clubs will mark a row letter on your catalog, or they may have a large benching chart with everyone’s names listed. Most clubs will then write names on plastic lining the bottom of the cages.

Verifying….

Once you find your cage, take a quick moment to verify your entries in the catalog. If there are any errors in your cat’s breed, color, sex, or age, go back to the check in table and notify the person doing check in. They will make sure that your change is announced. If there are other errors, such as a name spelled wrong, wrong title, wrong region, etc., you will need to make the change with the master clerk.

Also check your cat’s number in the catalog. This is the number that will be called from the rings when your cat is ready to be judged.

Next, make sure you check the judging schedule. This will give you an idea of when your cat will be called to the rings for judging. The judging schedule may be printed in the catalog or may be a separate sheet of paper given to you at check in.

Note: Even though there is a published judging schedule, the schedule may be changed during the course of the day. If cats in a class are currently in another ring, a ring may change its judging schedule. Normally a ring will announce that they are making a judging change, but then again they may not. Throughout the day you will need to pay attention to the ring calls or you may miss you cat’s number being called to the ring. Rings will give second, and sometimes third, calls for individual cats to come to the judging ring, but some shows may not do more than two calls. So pay attention or you may be marked absent from a ring!

Setting up your benching cage & grooming your cat

Once you are sure your catalog entry is correct, or you know what corrections need to be made, go ahead and set up your cage and let your cat settle into her home for the day. Take the time before the show to make sure her ears are still clean and that you didn’t miss clipping any claws. Comb or brush her and let her know that today is her special day!

Now you wait for the start of the show. When the show is ready to start, someone, usually from the show committee, will introduce the judges and announce any absentees and transfers. After that the clerks will begin calling cats to the rings.

Going to Judging

When your number is called, quickly check your cat’s grooming and then take her to the ring. Place her in the cage with her number and make sure the cage door is latched. You can then watch and wait as the judge judges your cat.  Do not talk to the judge while the judge is judging your cat or make known in any way that the cat is yours.

Your cat is ready to be taken back from the ring when the clerk turns the card down on top of the cage or turns the block so that the number card no longer faces front. Make sure you take your cat back as soon as you can so the cage can be used for another cat and the ring can keep moving.

Going to finals

Now you wait … When the ring is ready to announce finals the clerk will announce that final numbers are posted in the ring and you need to check the numbers. The numbers of the individual finalists are not announced, so you will need to check the ring. The numbers of the cats selected for the finals will be on the cages. The clerk will announce the type of finals, for example: longhair household pets.

If your cat is one of the finalists, take her to the ring and put her in the cage with her number. Then sit back and enjoy as the judge presents your cat as one of the very best cats he has judged!

After all the finals are presented, you can take your cat back from the ring. It is considered polite to thank the judge for the final when you pick up your cat.

Note: Judging takes precidence over finals. So, if your cat is in a ring being judged when finals are called, she needs to stay there. Go to the clerk of the ring doing the finals and let him know that your cat is in another ring being judged. As soon as she is released from the judging ring, you may bring her to the ring doing the finals.

Edits to your cat’s details in the catalog?

Please check your cat(s) information in the catalog. If there are errors, please notify the master clerk before the close of the show.

The master clerk is responsible for all the records in the show. He or she compiles a single catalog, called the master catalog, that will be used by the TICA Executive Office to score the show. The information contained in this catalog must be correct if your cat’s results are to be scored.

The master clerk can usually be found at a table in a quiet corner of the show hall. If you can’t find the master clerk, ask one of the members of the show committee and they will be able to tell you.

Many master clerks will have catalog correction forms on their table that you can use to request changes to the catalog. Fill these out with any changes you need to make on your entry and leave the form where the master clerk indicates. Other master clerks may have other ways to request changes, just check with the master clerk if it’s not obvious how to request changes.

Tearing down

After judging is done at the end of the day, it’s time to go home. If the show is continuing tomorrow you can leave your cage set up and your litter box, bowls, etc. in the cage. However, you can not leave your cat in the show hall overnight.

At the end of the last day of the show it’s time to totally pack up and go home. Make sure you clean up your benching area. Take all trash and place it in a waste can. Some clubs have specific areas they want dirty cat litter placed, please make sure you follow the club’s instructions. It’s always a good idea to bring extra trash bags to put your dirty litter in before placing it in the trash can.

The end of a cat show doesn’t mean the excitement and opportunities have to end. Applying for titles your cat may have qualified for adds a tangible sense of accomplishment to your experience. Planning for future shows can help to deepen your engagement within the cat fancy. Participating regularly might even set you on a path toward winning regional or international awards, marking both your dedication and your cat’s qualities.

Note: The TICA show season runs from May 1 – April 30 each year. All shows during this period of time are scored for TICA regional and international awards. The 25 cats in each class who have received the most points during the show season are recognized at regional and international events. Information on awards scoring can be found in the TICA By-laws.

If your cat is to receive a regional or international award you will receive notification of the award by email, so make sure the email you have recorded with the TICA Executive Office is correct!

Remember the catalog you received at the show? If you look through the catalog you might find a recognition of wins form that will allow you to apply for your cat’s titles. If not, you can find that form on tica.org.  With the form are instructions on how to fill it out. If your cat has achieve a title at the show – congratulations!!!

If you haven’t registered your cat, and want to continue showing, take a few moments to register your cat. If you are showing a household pet, the show catalog might also have a form to register your cat. If you are showing a pedigree cat, you will need to obtain a registration slip from your breeder. If your breeder does not register in TICA, you can register your cat in the association your breeder registers in and then send that association’s registration along with a 3-generation pedigree to TICA with the appropriate fees.

Want to come to another show? Check out the show listings at and enter your next show.

Good luck, and we’ll see you at an upcoming show!

Authors: Chris Unangst, Vanadis Crawford, and First in Flight Cat Club

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