Cats mind manners during fair judging
Linda Sappington
Linda Sappington/Valley Journal Macy, a 13-year-old longhaired cat, center, keeps an eye on the other rookies competing against her. Although it appears she is hissing, Macy is actually yawning.
Linda Sappington
Judge Dan Lucas looks into the eyes of Halli Tyler’s stray, who nearly died of leukemia, but recovered and won a Grand Champion ribbon Thursday.
Linda Sappington
Ashley Shenyer shows her cat Macy, who was a gift on Ashley’s first birthday.
Linda Sappington
Judge Dan Lucas looks into the eyes of Halli Tyler’s stray, who nearly died of leukemia, but recovered and won a Grand Champion ribbon Thursday.
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
When dogs meet, tails wag, noses sniff and friendships are formed.
Cats? Not so much. Separation is key.
In Wednesday’s cat show, a few glares were exchanged, and possibly a hiss, but overall the well-mannered felines kept their claws to themselves.
Exactly how do you train a headstrong cat?
“You don’t really train them,” explained Jordan Croft. “You just try to get them comfortable with the halter and comfortable with the positions. After a while they get the hang of it and don’t freak out so much.”
Her cat Monte, a domestic longhair, does well in new surroundings because he’s curious, Jordan said. Curiosity, according to cliché, doesn’t usually bode well for a cat.
“He looks around and that calms him,” she explained.
However, Monte may not be Jordan’s favorite pet.
“I think I might like my dog better,” she said.
Jordan won a grand champion ribbon in round two, where Granite County Extension office judge Dan Lucas examines how well the cat is prepared to show. For example, the cat’s nails should be evenly trimmed an eighth of an inch beyond the quick.
But in the showmanship round, Lucas looks for a bond between cat and owner, and how the cat interacts with its owner.
Ashley Shenyer and her 13-year-old cat Macy earned Grand Champion for showmanship. The two have grown up together; the cat was Ashley’s present on Ashley’s very first birthday.
This was the Macy’s fourth year in 4-H competition.
“She’s used to it,” Ashley said. “Her personality is calm, sweet and loving.”
Macy is also self-sufficient when it comes to grooming, so Ashley simply brushes her a lot and uses a Furminator. She’s tried to bathe the cat, but “she doesn’t really like it at all. She looks at me with her big eyes and I feel guilty,” Ashley explained.
Halli Tyler showed her stray, who had feline leukemia when they found her.
“She almost died a couple of times, but she lived through it,” Halli said, explaining that her father is a veterinarian, so they were able to help the kitty survive by giving it medication intravenously.
Halli competed in three categories with two cats.
All three young ladies competed in the junior category. Participants were ultimately judged on what they learned from the 4-H manual regarding handling, grooming and care.
After three bouts of judging, all three 4-H gals went home with purple ribbons, and each had won grand champion bragging rights in one of the rounds.
