Cat show to display pedigreed, household felines
Charles County cat fanciers will have a special treat this weekend, as more than 100 purebred pedigreed and household cats will show off for attendees at the Capital Cat Club pedigreed and household pet cat show.
The cat show, sanctioned by The International Cat Association (TICA), will be held at the Charles County Fairgrounds, 8440 Fairground Road in La Plata, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Admission is $6 for adults, $2 for children, with $1 off with a nonperishable food donation to the Southern Maryland Food Bank.
Show Manager Anthony Hutcherson said 112 cats have been registered for the event from all over the country, as far away as Caifornia.
“We’re really excited about the show; it’s going to be a fun weekend,” Hutcherson said.
Seven TICA judges from all over the country will be judging the event. Pedigreed cats and kittens, including Maine coon cats, Abyssinians, Bengals, Persians, Himalayans, the hairless sphinxes and even a relatively new breed, toyger — a breed developed to resemble a miniature tiger — will be judged based on how well they conform to breed characteristics.
In addition, there is also a household pet class, Hutcherson said.
“These are cats that don’t have a pedigree. Sometimes they’ve come off the streets or from feral cat colonies. Unlike in dog shows, these cats can compete for the same sort of titles as pedigreed cats.”
Cats in the household pet category are judged based on personality and friendliness, Hutcherson said.
Winners receive points that are applied towards titles in TICA’s purebred, purebred altered (spayed or neutered) and household pet categories, up to Supreme Grand Champion, Supreme Grand Champion Alter and Supreme Grand Master, respectively.
In addition, there will be a number of vendors on hand, and there will be kittens available for adoption from Rescue Angels of Southern Maryland, a local animal rescue organization.
“This will be a great opportunity to see a wide variety of cats and kittens from throughout the United States, and also see models for different relationships for cats, both for household pets and for working relationships,” Hutcherson said, adding that there will be a wide variety of cats at the show. “There seems to be a way to find beauty in all different kinds of cats.”