Kristine Kochanski wrote:

Just wondering what the general consensus was on cat shows? I ask
because I attended one the other day and was quite upset at seeing
distressed, miserable cats kept in 2ft cages for hours, with hundreds
of strangers (me included!) milling around staring and cooing at them
I think you are rather over reacting here. Most of them are quite used
to shows and simply go to sleep in their cages.Perhaps you only saw what
you wanted to see.
- and men in white coats pulling them out and poking, stretching and
prodding them.
Judges do not pull,poke and prod ect. How could you have seen this when
judging is done behind closed doors normally?
This can't be good for a cat!
Whay do you say this? And why do you use an exclamatian mark to
emphasise it?
Every cat was obviously
incredibly loved and pampered, I just find this act of 'showing'
rather uneasy.

Well because you have no knowledge of it all I expext you wanted to
believe it was upsetting.
Firstly, how can you judge a cat on appearance?
Easy, you read and learn the breed standard and see if the cat you are
judging follows this in most respects.
Aren't they all
beautiful whether they have a certificate that says so or not?
A certificate doesn't say the cat is beautiful, it says that the cat
closely follows the breed standard with respect to physical appearance.
Secondly, should people, in this so-called civilised day and age, be
*rewarded* for inbreeding? For example, the flatness of a Persian
cat's face really upsets me (
So don't buy a persian. What is inbreeding?

I left the show feeling quite bewildered and negative and I'm sure I
will never attend such an event again.
Probably a good thing as you are too delicate to be allowed outside in
modern society .

Any breeders care to comment? Dare say they will claim the cats enjoy
the experience. But looking at them and listening to their distressed
mewing - and having a fair understanding of cat behaviour and
psychology - I fail to understand this.
You obviously have *no* understanding of cat behaviour. You probably
have one overweight pampered moggy at home and assume that the world is
a nice place full of nice people where nice things happen every day.
And no, I neither breed nor show cats, but have been to several cat
shows because I like cats and have several of them. I didn't see any of
the unhappiness or distress you saw, but then I wasn't trying to read
things into things.Most of the cats I saw were wither asleep in their
cages or purring like crazy and rubbibg their head against any hand put
near the bars quite calmly and happily.
Perhaps it was your po faced presence upsetting the cats? That look of
supercilious disapproval on your face would have scared and unsettled
them no doubt.