I have just been looking at the GCCF list of shows, which was posted in another thread (thanks Chris).

There are 2 near me in March (1 in Addlestone and 1 in Woking).

I think I would like to try out a show - but looking at the PDF's on the classes etc my head is whirling!

Do I need to register Willow as a pet with GCCF to enter her?
Are the pens they are judged in supplied at the show, or do I need my own?
How many, and which classes would you recommend for a first show?
She will be 5 days shy of 9 months for the Woking show, so I assume she just qualifies as a kitten still, but then they have neuter classes too - are neuter classes just for adults?

My idea is to attend the Addlestone show (3rd march) to get an idea of what happens, and maybe enter the Woking show (17th March).

I decided on Willow because she is so docile she doesnt mind in the least people picking her up and examining her (even at the vets she is an angel) - she hates the car but as soon as the engine is turned off she stops crying and settles down.

Is anyone else going to either of these shows, that wouldnt mind meeting up with me and giving me a bit of guidance?

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Pens are part of the entry fee for GCCF shows so don't worry about that. You will need to provide a white blanket, white water/food bowl and white litter tray however.

Did you get a pink slip when you bought Willow from the breeder?

Depending on whether she is a GCCF registered pedigree cat would depend on the class you enter her for. If she is fully registered, you can enter her for kitten if she is under 9 months on show day or adult/neuter if she is 9months or more on show day depending on whether she is spayed or not.

Edit: is she a registered silver tabby Maine Coon? If she is then there should be a breed class for the 'silver series' in the SLH kitten section.

I didnt get any papers for her. Mum & dad are both full MC (apparently - I got her before I joined here) but she has no papers and isnt registered, so she will be pet classes only

She will be 9 months on 22nd March, and show is 17th March. She is neutered.

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Ahh I see. Then you will need to look in the household pet section of the schedule. I'm unsure if a cat needs to be registered first but there are others on here that show HP cats who can help on that front. She would have to be spayed by show day if she was over 9 months, though.

Thanks for your help

All three were neutered on 16th Dec. My lovely vet did the girls midline, and used a tiny incision (2 stitches each) in case I wanted to show them
They do have bald bellies at the moment though!

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she'd fit into the pedigree pet section, under 9 calender months she'd be in the kitten classes.
You don't have to register a ped pet with GCCF to enter shows, just look up the appropriate colour class for her.

Are the shows you're interested in all breed shows or 1 breed only ones?

Emma

The 2 I mentioned are all breed shows, I just looked them up because they are close to me, and I want to see how she likes it locally rather than driving her miles, as she really does hate the car!

I did ask about her colour, I think she is a silver mackeral tabby, but will have to find the post I made to make sure - at the vets I registered her as silver tabby

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Hi.

She will come under the pedigree pet section of the Household Pets :-) As she will not be quite 9 months old as of show day she should go into the kitten class - 922 in the case of the show you are going to And HPs - whether non pedigree or pet pedigree - don't need to be registered so no need to worry about that. Also you must not use her prefix in her name nor must you use her breed in her description, merely tick LH/SLH or SH and describe her colour.

She can then enter any 3 side classes which are for female cat or kitten, any cat or kiten, LH cat or kitten, any kitten etc, plus things like never shown before, Your best bet is to print out a schedule then mark either all the classes she is eligible for or cross out those she is not, leaving you with quite a few to choose from! If you want you can enter up to another 2 classes but these will cost extra and it is entirely up to you whether you want to go for the basic or the maximum.

I note there are quite a lot of judges, you may wish to try to spread the classes you choose across all the judges, or you may wish to restrict her to just 2 or 3. Advantages of the first is that, if she is not the favourite of one judge at least you get the others, though sometimes, if you find one judge adores your cat you end up wishing you had entered all of theirs, hindsight is a wonderful thing LOL. Disadvantage of the first is that your kitten will be handled a LOT and you may wish to keep that to a minimum at first, though I would always say spread your classes over at least 2 judges. It is often the case that you will come across the same judge at another show later on so it is worth trying under different ones and noting who does and who does not place her well for future refernce

I am too far north to be at those shows but if I can be of any help please ask!

Carol

PS I reckon you must have at least 9 or 10 side classes to choose from for your remaining 3, 4 or 5!

Thanks for all your help guys! I didnt know, for instance, that you couldnt mention the breed in the pedigree pet section!

I might get the entry forms then bombard one or two of you with questions in PM

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