"Gee" wrote in message
...

"Kristine Kochanski" wrote in message
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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
- and men in white coats pulling them out and poking, stretching and
prodding them. This can't be good for a cat! Every cat was obviously
incredibly loved and pampered, I just find this act of 'showing'
rather uneasy.

Firstly, how can you judge a cat on appearance? Aren't they all
beautiful whether they have a certificate that says so or not?

I sooo agree with your comment. I just can;t see how one cat is more
beautiful than the other. If you love animals you love them all, or you
don't love animals. It's simple really.

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 (

Totally, various purebred animals (cats and dogs) have so many
breed-associatted problems that instead of helping them overcome them,
those
crazy people keep emphasising and enlarging the issues for the sake of
money
and fame of a human! I do wonder sometimes if breeders do LOVE their
animals, or are they in it just for the money.

I left the show feeling quite bewildered and negative and I'm sure I
will never attend such an event again.

Nor me. I am all for equality in all respects for everyone, and this
competition thing (animals , people anything really) is just very
pathetic.
There is a place for everyone in this world.

Any breeders care to comment?

I'm not a breeder, God forbid, all of mine have been done as soon as they
walked into my life.

Dare say they will claim the cats enjoy the experience.

I can;t see how they would. Cats are territorial animals and feel very
uncomfortable to downright scared on any new territory. And if that new
territory contains millions of other strange cats, I can just imagine what
exactly poor cat is thinking and feeling, terrified and stressed!

So I fail to understand breed shows as well, and who exactly benefits from
them. However I do like to watch agility shows.

Gee

Personally I think if your going to get a pure breed cat the cat shows are
the best place to go and talk to breeders and learn about the breed of cat.
I think that the cats enjoy being spoiled. Most of the cat shows I've been
to the cats were fairly calm and most were sleepin. The breeders seem to
love their cats and most are very egar to share cat stories. At least
that's at the show's I've been to. They also have common housecat shows.
Though I've never been to one. It might be fun to go to one of those and
see the different personalities of the regular old house cats with no breed
to em at all. Lastly, I read somewhere that non-pure breed cats are more
likely to live longer than pure breed cats and are less likely to have
behavioural and heath problems. Still some days we wish we had cats who
liked water, or liked to sit on your lap. Personally I'd like a hairless
one hehe.

Tina