Showing your new Ruddicat kitten can be lots of fun. Ruddicat Abyssinians are registered with The International Cat Association (TICA) which is the largest registering body for purebred cats. The association sanctions several shows a year in major metropolitan areas. You can access more information on these shows and their locations through the TICA website.

TICA recognizes nearly 50 breeds of purebred cats. At a cat show, these cats are divided into 3 groups for judging. Championship kittens (4-8 months of age), Championship Cats (over 8 months of age) and Championship Alters (over 8 months of age and spayed or neutered

Each breed of pedigreed cat has a written standard which describes the perfect cat of that breed. Cat show judges undergo extensive training and testing before they are licensed to judge your cat at a cat show. They are knowledgeable about all the breeds and the standards for each one. When judges handle your Abyssinian they are evaluating how closely your cat resembles the written standard for the Abyssinian breed and comparing it to the other Abyssinians it is in competition with.

The entries are first divided into the separate classifications as listed above. Within each classification (i.e. the kitten class) all the cats (kittens) of the same breed are judged against each other to establish the Best of Breed in that classification. Once the judge has chosen the Best of Breed from all of the cats (kittens) in that particular classification, he will then go on to choose his finalists. Depending on the number of entries, the judge will choose a “Top 5 cats in Show” or a “Top 10 Cats in Show”. These awards are called “Finals” and they are not only prestigious, but they also accumulate points for the cat to garner regional, national or international awards at year end. If the judge is a Specialty judge (SP) he will choose his top cats from the shorthair cats and longhair cats separately. If he is an All Breed judge (AB) he will choose his top cats from all the breeds (longhair and shorthair) together. In the finals there can be more than one specimen of a particular breed. For example, if a judge had 13 different breeds of cats to judge and therefore has 13 cats which he has awarded a Best of Breed and now he need to choose his “Top 5 cats in Show” he may actually pick out two of those “Top 5 Cats” from one particular breed that he considered to have two very good examples of the breed. He would choose the Cat he picked as Best of Breed and the Cat he felt was the Second Best of Breed because he may have felt this Second Cat was actually a better representation of its’ breed than the other 12 Cats of other breeds which were awarded Best of Breed placements.

If you have bought a show kitten from us, we will be available to help you fill out the entry forms for the show, plus we can assist you with grooming and presentation advice.

When you arrive at the show hall you are expected to check in with the entry desk where you will be given a show number for your cat, and the location of your assigned cage (benching area)You will need to bring some form of cage cover to the show hall. This is to help prevent the spread of airborne viruses. You will need to cover three sides and the top of your assigned cage. You can use towels or bed sheets but often these covers are very decorative or even themed to reflect the history of the breed. Also, to prevent the spread of transmissible diseases do not try to touch any of the other cat show entries.

You will also want to bring bottled water, cat food, toys, litter and a small litter box for your Abyssinian. You may also want to bring some food and a good book for yourself!