Showing After Litter

[WillOTheWisp]

Hello!

We got our Scottish Straight queen Scarlett about 3 weeks ago and she had been bred. She will be 2 this August. In May of 2016 she was shown TICA and earned 100 points and a 2nd and 3rd BOB.

I would like to show her after she weans her litter, how long will it take to get her back in condition (so to speak)? Also, is there a point where I can take the kittens to a show ?

Thanks!

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

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Good morning, and welcome to the TCS Breeders' Forum. I'm clearly misunderstanding your initial post, so to be clear, how much experience do you have in exhibiting? Thanks in advance for your response.
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[GoldyCat]

I'm not a breeder and I've never shown an entire cat, so can't really answer your question about how long it will take to get her back into show condition. I would recommend waiting at least until the kittens are weaned. That's partly for the sake of the kittens. Kittens must be at least 4 months old before they can be shown. You should check out the show rules for details. I only show in CFA, not TICA, but I know in CFA kittens cannot be brought into the show hall even for exhibit only or for sale until they're 4 months old.

 

[WillOTheWisp]

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Good morning, and welcome to the TCS Breeders' Forum. I'm clearly misunderstanding your initial post, so to be clear, how much experience do you have in exhibiting? Thanks in advance for your response.
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Hi, I have no experience showing cats but I have shown rabbits and dogs. My daughter will be showing her in 4-H next season after the kittens are delivered to the breeder.

I would like to finish her for a title since she is already a third of the way there and would like some tips on what to expect showing her after she's had a litter. This is her first litter.

Thanks!

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

I'm not a breeder and I've never shown an entire cat, so can't really answer your question about how long it will take to get her back into show condition. I would recommend waiting at least until the kittens are weaned. That's partly for the sake of the kittens. Kittens must be at least 4 months old before they can be shown. You should check out the show rules for details. I only show in CFA, not TICA, but I know in CFA kittens cannot be brought into the show hall even for exhibit only or for sale until they're 4 months old.

TICA is a little different, in that - at the Show Committee's discretion - kittens 3 months of age or older can, in certain circumstances, be entered for exhibition or sale, although technically, kittens must have achieved four months of age (and no more than eight months) before their first show. A well-known breeder, showing an exceptional kitten from a lauded Dam in her or his own region will seldom meet much resistance regarding Rule Four.
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[1CatOverTheLine]

Hi, I have no experience showing cats but I have shown rabbits and dogs. My daughter will be showing her in 4-H next season after the kittens are delivered to the breeder.

I would like to finish her for a title since she is already a third of the way there and would like some tips on what to expect showing her after she's had a litter. This is her first litter.

Thanks!

Having a bit of experience in showing rabbits certainly can't hurt. A lot will depend upon her physical condition and "recovery" after the kittens have been weaned.

If you've never exhibited with TICA, I'd strongly recommend getting in touch with Canie Brooks

[email protected]

who currently oversees the TICA Mentor's Program (Canie's email adress may also be found on the TICA Mentors' page):

Mentor Program - cat breeder learn, teach cat breeding, mentor cat breeders, mentor cat exhibitors, learn how to show cats, learn how to breed cats, learn about cat breeds, mentor cat exhibitors, mentor cat shows, mentor about cats

I have no doubt that you're already heard all of this from the various breeders you've met at cat shows, but without good guidance, breeding and showing can be a challenging endeavour (both in terms of the time required for shows and the cost to the breeder, since after the kittens have left the nest, costs run around $10,000.00 per-litter, unless you're a long-time breeder whose lines are so well-known and so incredibly superiour that you can charge accordingly). May I suggest a quick read through Dr. Liz Hansen's excellent article here:

http://www.mcbfa.org/breedcats.html

Are the rewards of ethical breeding and exhibiting worth the costs in time and money? Absolutely, and you'll meet some of the most delightful people on God's earth in the process.

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[abyeb]

Her kittens can be shown in CFA once they're four months old, but I don't know about TICA. I know one breeder (but this was with Cornish Rex, a little different- mainly because the pregnancy had supposedly ruined the "tuck up") who waited a few months before showing the queen again, so that she could get back into condition. But, seeing as Scottish Straights don't have as extreme of a body type as the Cornish Rex, I think she should be fine after the kittens are weaned.

 

[Willowy]

Showing in 4H is very different than showing in a cat registry show . Are you thinking to someday enter a TICA show or just stick with 4H?

She won't get any TICA titles from showing in 4H.

4H judges cats based on health, cleanliness, grooming, personality, and “star quality”. Registry shows judge the cats based on breed standards. I don't think a 4H judge will be too critical of the cat's figure . I can't find anything that says what age kittens can start showing in 4H but it does say they need to be fully vaccinated, so around 3 1/2 to 4 months.

 

[StefanZ]

You got good advices!

Judges have some understanding for ex moms, so a fresh ex mom doesnt needs to be in the same top notch condition as a maid is expected to have. But she must of course be well kept, and healthy.

You perhaps have a class for litters? Ie momma + her kittens - these may be younger. Its a class essentially for breeders, so I suspect its the official breeder whom should patronize this class.

Im not sure if the marks in this class will give her marks too for her individually - I doubt. But still - being there in the hall, you can participate in several classes.

These additional remarks are based on my experienced from the european Fife. I know the american associations of TICA and CFA has partly different rules.

 

[WillOTheWisp]

Having a bit of experience in showing rabbits certainly can't hurt. A lot will depend upon her physical condition and "recovery" after the kittens have been weaned.

If you've never exhibited with TICA, I'd strongly recommend getting in touch with Canie Brooks

[email protected]

who currently oversees the TICA Mentor's Program (Canie's email adress may also be found on the TICA Mentors' page):

Mentor Program - cat breeder learn, teach cat breeding, mentor cat breeders, mentor cat exhibitors, learn how to show cats, learn how to breed cats, learn about cat breeds, mentor cat exhibitors, mentor cat shows, mentor about cats

I have no doubt that you're already heard all of this from the various breeders you've met at cat shows, but without good guidance, breeding and showing can be a challenging endeavour (both in terms of the time required for shows and the cost to the breeder, since after the kittens have left the nest, costs run around $10,000.00 per-litter, unless you're a long-time breeder whose lines are so well-known and so incredibly superiour that you can charge accordingly). May I suggest a quick read through Dr. Liz Hansen's excellent article here:

Why Does it Cost so Much to Breed Pedigreed Cats

Are the rewards of ethical breeding and exhibiting worth the costs in time and money? Absolutely, and you'll meet some of the most delightful people on God's earth in the process.

.

Hi, thanks for the info! It is not my plan to be a breeder, our queen happened to be pregnant when we purchased her! Perhaps that might change in the future, but really, we are getting into showing as a hobby for my cat loving daughter, she intends to show in 4-H next season. We will be keeping one kitten whom will be used to my daughter as my queen was not raised around children and doesn't go to my daughter for affection even though she is very cat experienced.

I want to finish our queen simply because she's almost there, why not finish her! hahaha, a good hobby for me as well. If we decide we like it we may pursue breeding the kitten in the future but it depends on how she turns out and if we can tolerate her heats until she's mature enough AND if we can locate a breeder with a suitable male who will breed with us. It is important to breed for quality as I am ADAMANT against breeding for money. The breeder we got our queen from neutered her fold male because he was marking horribly and living in a pen in the garage and she wanted him to have a better life.

Thanks!