The Show Hall

The Show Hall

It was a relatively big show and the pens were ready to be filled with expectant cats. Cato had ordered a double room for himself.

Saturday

Time passed ueventful. We had some nice neighbours and there were two other ocicats from Anita Bryce. She had brought a classic (OCI xn 22) and a tawny female but she was only attending Saturday. The classic ocicat took best in show so it turned out to be a good day for the ocicat.

The house hold pets featured a debutant, Bella Rosa, which took BIS and a whole lot of other prices and titles. Pina Meakin, the proud owner, was very luckily and a bit surprised. I did like the cat very much.

Mrs. Meakin with Bella Rosa

Eric Reijers was our judge, so no one could object to the judgement. Cato had put on his best coat and the spots were shining. The result was a prize of honour (HP, PoH) and a nomination.

Mr. Reijers judging Cato

Mr. Reijers judging Cato

Angelika Kneifel had arrived to the UK. Many of you know her without as a judge but here she was an exhibitor just like the rest of us. She assisted as a steward during Best in Show and did the judging of the side classes. Her cat, Avalon Pendragon of Noah’s Ark (BAL c 21), became Grand International Champion. With that name it was only fitting that it took place here in the UK. It was celebrated in style. Angelika had brough a whole meal from Germany.

Cato in front of his pen

Cato having a treat in front of his pen

It all tasted wonderful. In particular I enjoyed a German sausage served on rye bread (Schwartz brot), but there were many other good courses with a German flavour. It was topped with a delicious pudding. What more can you wish for ? I think that when your cat takes a title, it is a good opportunity to party and share your happiness with everyone else. Just as Angelika did.

The evening was spent playing with Cato. That was something hed enjoyed – it is always nice with some attention and having your owners to your self.

Sunday

We were already checked-in the day before and the cat had been seen by the vet which meant that we could show up late: 9:25 AM. Cato spent the extra time relaxing on the sofa in the hotel room. The rest of the day was quite uneventful.

Mr. Mantovani judging Cato

Mr. Mantovani judging Cato

Cato got his HP from Gianfranco Mantovani … and on the way back home he slept on Karin’s arm in his sturdy.

Cato outside

Please vote for him as the best cat at the Gourmet competition (All you need to do is press the vote button). If we win food we will donate some of it to our next cat show as prizes.

The Aristocats Club has a show during the weekend. We took the proud father Supreme Champion Cato along and thus giving him a chance to escape the nursery at home. Cato is sometimes a bit annoyed as the busy mother and her three kittens are somewhat demanding. The kittens attack him without fear – or any respect. He then gently tells them off and rolls them over and licks their tummy!

Bourne is not in the vicinity of our home. It is a 2½-3 hour drive up north. We set off at 4:30 am. Cato is usually awake at that time and wants us to get up and play with him. This weekend he got his way but only to discover that we were to put him in a transport box. We had selected the biggest one (70x50x50cm) so that he had lots of space and there were plenty of ways to play and entertain him during the trip. Cato loves the transport box. It means that something exciting is going to happen and he is going to experience something new, so he happily went into the box. What he didn’t know was that he had a long journey ahead of him.

The Saturday

We arrived at the show at the beginning of the check-in – just as we (and the cats) prefer. The venue

The almost empty show hall in Bourne

Cato being presented to the judge Janet Green

was fairly empty from cats but otherwise everything was ready for the show.

Results

Janet Green judging Cato

Cato is helping the judge writing Cato's report

This was certainly a good day for the Ocicats. Our judge Janet Green was from the UK. She really liked Cato and her report was very positive. Cato also did his best to charm the judge.

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Cato is relaxing at the judging table

Cato got his PoH (Prize of honour) and Mrs. Green ended up nominating him.

Cato is up for nomination

Nomination of Cato

Later he was against a very beautiful black Burmese cat in the Best In Show competition and he won by a whisker. That meant he was going forward to the best in category competition, which he also won against four other cats. He lost in the best overall cat competition but we all thought that he had done well.

Cato in Best in Show

Cato in Best in Show

During the Best in show I got a typical English cake with candles – It has just been my birthday. Thank you all for the attention and your good wishes.

The Birthday cake I got

The Sunday

After the show Cato got home on to his hotel room. He started looking at the whole room and then he steered towards the door as if he was saying “Show me the rest of the house”.

Cato relaxing in his bed at the hotel

Cato likes the pillow

After a long night’s sleep with us in the bed he spent some time looking out of the window and at the other cats in the hotel doing exactly the same. After a quick breakfast he was brought to the show venue and around midday he met the judge Heinz Gunter Scholer and his Steward Josie Hughes.

Cato being Judge by Heinz Gunter Scholer

Time to take a closer look at Cato

Mr. Scholer gave him a thorough look and decided that he should be considered for nomination. Unfortunately a cream Burmese ran away with the nomination. Cato was not really in the mood to charm the judge today.

The day ended with a wonderful cat, Nandinakatts Stud Muffin (a Norwegian Forest Cat), wining the Best Overall Cat.

Nandinakatts Stud Muffin

The open day was arranged by The Ocicat Club UK and held in Kings Sutton and commenced with a vetting in to ensure that all cats were in good health.  Of cause that went without problems for anyone and we started to decorate the pens and inviting the cats into their new pod for the day.

It was a good opportunity to look at the different colours of the ocicat and ocicat classic as well as meeting their breeders. We spent a couple of hours exchanging stories and admiring the ocicats. Around noon we had lunch. There was a lot of food followed by cakes etc. This put us all in a more relaxed mood and we sat down to the more serious part of the day: An explanation and discussion of the ocicat and ocicat classic standard in GCCF.

The Ocicat

Rosemary Caunter started showing a non recognised colour – but still an ocicat. The purpose was not to be distracted from the spots.

Focus was on the type of the ocicat and how this was described in the standard.

Both cat and Mrs. Caunter enjoyed the lecture

Following the type description was a look at spotting and colours.

A beautiful spotted ocicat

Just look at the spots and the good contrast

The presentation was followed by a lively discussion among breeders, judges and Mrs. Caunter.

The Ocicat Classic

Next was the classic ocicat where the spots are replaced by a marbled pattern. The stage was taken over by Mrs. Shorten.

Look at the coat of a classic ocicat

The type of the Classic Ocicat

The focus was very much on the pattern, symmetry and the like as the is not different between the two.

An ocicat likes to play

Look at the symmetrical pattern

The presentation was concluded with a discussion of the classic ocicat, its similarity and differences to its cousin, and an exchange of experience.

The Rest of the Day

After the presentations the judges had an opportunity to look at each ocicat and comment. This was very useful for the breeders as you get the comments that rarely is part of the official judging at shows but also for the judges that had a good opportunity to compare ocicats of a high quality. Personally it was a confirmation that our ocicat had show quality for GCCF shows as well.

Cato outside

The day ended with the draw of the raffle. We were so lucky to win more than one time.

Karin "selecting" then next Winner in the Raffle

Despite the 3 hour drive home I found that it had been a very good day. I had learned something about the ocicat (and ocicat classic), meet a lot of ocicat breeders and exchanged experiences about the ocicat.

Supreme Champion Cato - see more pictures on www.ocicat.dk

On the way back home Cato only blessed us with his serenades a third of the trip. He was eager to get back to Ylva Lorena and his babies. I hope that The Ocicat Club UK will repeat their open day at some time in the future.

Look at all the pictures from the open day in the slide show below.

Three Ocicat Kittens for Sale

IC S*Vargagaarden’s Ylva Lorena and SC DK*Jakobscat’s Cato, our two chocolate spotted Ocicats have had three young kittens. They are ready to leave their mother early August.
Please read more about the litter on our main website. Find the information under the Ocicat Kittens menu.

The flowers

She invited her best friends: IC Betonica’s Kira and Kira’s son SC Jakobscat’s Cato, who is soon to be father to her kittens. We were invited to prepare and serve the dinner. The menu was:

Starter

Royal Canin Exigent Aromatic Attraction spread on a plate

Main Course

Feline Porta 21 with tuna served with 3 candles

The starter

Ylva decided that the starter was only for the guests and saved the appetite for the main course; a long time favourite.

The main course is served

The ocicats are enjoying the food

They all happy ate the Feline Porta 21 with much appetite as if they had been starved. This dish is really the favourite among our ocicats. The dinner was completed with a sip of rainwater from outside. This is water for the birds but the aroma is so good that the birds are chased away.

It is difficult to follow up on the success from the last show where our ocicat Cato won BIS (Best in Show) as well as BOB (Overall best cat) but we will try.

Cato - BIS and BOB in Ware 2011

Market Deeping is not far from where we live though I am sure that Cato will disagree.

If you have not seen Cato then do come and visit us on the show. If you are a cat breeder yourself then you can still enter. You’ll find all the details here. If you have not shown with FIFe before then there will be ample help at the show – or you can just ask me! The show is arranged by The Aristocats Club. We hope that Cato is soon to be a father, please see more on our homepage www.ocicat.dk.

I look forward to the show and to meet you.

Cato - BIS and BOB in Ware 2011

Tidworth is not far from where we live though I am sure that Cato will disagree.

If you have not seen Cato then do come and visit us on the show. If you are a cat breeder yourself then you can still enter. You’ll find all the details here. If you have not shown with FIFe before then there will be ample help at the show – or you can just ask me! The show is arranged by The Aristocats Club. We hope that Cato is soon to be a father, please see more on our homepage www.ocicat.dk.

I look forward to the show and to meet you.

The Hall in Ware

The Venue is an ordinary sports hall

We had everything packed the day before and set off at 6 AM heading for Ware that is north of London and about 34 miles (55 km.) from where we live. When you have to cross London is it always difficult to estimate the travel time – even during early morning. We arrived early to the show, as we like it, and were only delayed by two diversions due to road accidents.

The pen was quickly put up and there was lots of space for chairs and everything.

Let's see what there is on the other side

Let's see what there is on the other side

Let's see what there is on the other side

Cato was in an excellent mood and wanted to examine everything and the top of the pen was particular exiting.

It is definitely better outside than inside the pen

Cato doing tricks

We had the penultimate cat to be judged so we spend the morning chatting with the other breeders and enjoy a cream tea with scones. Cato managed to be selected as the “Best Stud” in the show before the “real” judgment commenced at Jannick Renault.

IP Bhanacoyne Archimedes Aloysius – Maine Coon

Ayudamist Bindi Sue – Australian Mist

There were lots of beautiful cats but our ocicat Cato was nominated.

Cato having fun at the judging table

Cato and some prizes

I was asked to steward during best in show as they were short of a couple of stewards. It is always nice to be allowed to show the best cats.

Cato competes with a beautiful Abyssinian about Gold

First Cato was awarded BIS and then he was selected as best of best (BOB).

Cato becomes Best of the Best (BOB)

The show was finishing early and we could drive home with our beloved ocicat all his prizes. The trip home was via Heathrow as we had promised to drop someone off there but we managed to reach our home before midnight. Cato was thrilled to come home and was greeted by the other ocicats.

The show in Ware was a good show with a nice catalogue and everything worked well.