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Show Anecdotes
ll these curious anecdotes occasionally told by exhibitors are proof that cat shows aren't as boring and grave as often claimed. This page was set up to collect such funny, touching or in some other way remarkable stories and pictures from experiences in the show hall, show hotel, from the way to the show or back home, or from show preparations like bathing, sewing show curtains, etc. The show anecdotes are not restricted to Ragdolls but these pages are open to all exhibitors, regardless which breed they show.
f you wish to contribute a story or picture, please send the material to raggy@ciara.de. The author's name, his/her cattery name and breed will be added to any published show anecdote (or they will appear without names and breed, if so desired). All not specifically marked text or pictures are experienced, written and photographed by myself.
Surprise
Tidbits
few years back, I attended a cat show in Switzerland. A friend of mine lives there and we went together to this show. Her daughter, 12 years old or so at the time, was to entertain the cats in their pens. She sat there and played with the cats and, I assumed, was eating candies at the same time from a beautiful little dish. Until her Mother told her not to eat all the cat food in the thickest Swiss dialect. Only then I noticed that Guiliana was eating "Iams" the whole time.
Lilo Durand, Purrific Ragdolls, Ettenheim, Germany
Pocket Money
cat show in Austria - Two about 10 year old boys were standing in front of my Chayene's pen for quite a time. They looked at her pen number 210 several times, whispered to each other, and rummaged in their trouser pockets. Then they seemed to count something. Finally one of the boys took heart and asked me if they could take this cat home right away. They would pay the 210 ATS (about 15 US Dollars) in cash. Well, the boys were quite dissappointed when they learned that Chayene was not for sale, unfortunately, and that the pen plate was no quotation of price but simply her pen number.
XYZ, the City of Experiences
t the time this cat show abroad in Winter 1991 seemed not in the least amusing to my friend Marion and me. But after a while we were able to heartily laugh about all the smaller and larger disasters. One thing is for sure - this cat show (the country, city, and the organizing cat club shall not be mentioned here) is unforgettable for us forever!
or a better understanding, some explanations beforehand: Ragdolls were not recognized yet, and there were no mobiles yet ;-). The show was divided in two parts - the shorthair and the semi-longhair breeds were judged on Saturday, while it was the turn of the longhairs (Persians) and oriental breeds on Sunday.
hough the Ragdoll cats still were officially registered as "other longhairs", it had become a custom (almost...) everywhere to judge the Ragdolls in the semi-longhair category. For this reason I was very surprised that Marion got a confirmation for her British Shorthair for Saturday while mine was for Sunday. This was bad, very bad actually. I had no car at the moment and Marion and I had planned to make the trip to the show together.
espite several expensive phone calls abroad I wasn't able to take out a change. Eventually the organizing cat club suggested that I could bring my cats on Saturday. They could be shown but wouldn't be judged on this day. I happily agreed, as the main reason for showing my cats in the first place was to introduce the still rather unknown Ragdoll breed to as many spectators and exhibitors of other breeds as possible.
he big day finally arrived - Marion picked me and my two cats up. However, we had to make a brief side trip back to her home because she had forgotten to bring her show entry confirmation. While I was waiting in the car for her return, I tried to open my brand new handbag I had purchased just the day before. I wanted to check if I had all my papers with me, especially those which were important for crossing the border. But no matter how hard I tried, the zipper jammed! One jerk, and another jerk - finally the bag was open, but the zipper was broken too...
e had a wonderful and comfortable journey on the highway and there were no problems at the checkpoint. Finally we passed the place-name sign of the city where the show was to be held. It read: "XYZ - the City of Experiences". I wisecracked that I did not expect very many "experiences" actually. But I had hardly finished when the car engine started to stutter. We managed to reach a safe spot alongside the roadway, then the engine went out completely.
arion got out of the car in search for an emergency telephone. The car became cold and colder. I was just relieved that at least our cats in their carriers on the back seats were packed up warm and cozy. When my Kirsty started to purr I felt enormously comforted.
fter 15 minutes or so, a patrol car stopped by chance. A searching look under the hold, but the police officer couldn't find out what was wrong. After another 20 minutes Marion was back with somebody from the garage in tow. After a short repair we were relieved of several hundreds of Deutsch Marks and were able to continue our trip.
e were late. Around the show hall there were no parking spaces left, so Marion let me out with the cats. I hastened with 3 cat carriers through the entrance. Thank heaven, the vets were still present. So all cats in a hurry through the health check, then to the entry where I got the show catalog. Here I was told that my cats were NOT allowed into the show hall because according to the catalog they were entered for tomorrow and not for today...
y cats were assigned to a double pen in a small anteroom to the show hall. It looked similar to a store window, with a large windowpane from floor to ceiling. In front of the hall there was a flea market. A couple of the retailers and some of their kids pressed their noses from outside against the glass to take a peek at what I was unpacking. The very first "spectator" who lost his way into my window pane couldn't deny his carouse the night before. His face was green, he stammered and staggered. I was relieved when somebody guided him outside.
he sun climbed higher. It became awkwardly warm in my room while the temperatures in the show hall kept comfortably cool. And there were still several empty cages in the hall... But the show manager was inexorable, my cats had to stay where they were. With some assistance I tried to move the pens nearer to the back wall where it was a bit shadier and cooler. Unfortunately we forgot the frames with ragdoll pictures I had put on the cage as information for any interested spectators. The frames fell down, the glass broke into thousands of tiny pieces. For the next half hour I was busy sweeping the floor.
ventually, it became a lovely day after all. Marion often kept me company, and more and more spectators found their way to my place of "exile".
o'clock pm - the official end of the show! Marion had parked the car in a public underground car park in the morning. While she went to get the car, I stayed behind and waited with the cats in the lobby. The building became empty, it got quiet. 10 minutes passed, 15, then 20. Soon I had waited for half an hour, but Marion did not emerge.
n my minds eye I visualized various horrors. Another breakdown of the car was among the more harmless visions. But what if Marion lay assassinated in a dark alley already???
did not even have any money because Marion had taken along my (damaged) handbag with her, so I couldn't call anyone. I could bear no more and started to search for someone who could help me. After a while I saw a light burning in a small room. A couple of men from the hall security sat before their supper, a TV was running in the background. They advised me to wait another while, after that we could call the police anytime. They cared for me in a touching way, offered me a piece of pizza and sat me in front of the TV to avert my worries. But I was so agitated that I wasn't able to swallow a single bite. And the news from the latest world occurrences didn't exactly help to calm my nerves.
inally, finally - after almost 2 hours I saw Marion standing in front of the hall entrance. She looked as finished and nervewrecked as I. All cats, the rest of our baggage and finally us, were in the car, and in no time we were on the way home! Now I learned that the public garage had closed at 2 pm! Marion had to search a police department, and after that it still took ages until someone could be found who was able and willing (for a considerable sum, of course) to unlock the garage.
e had hardly reached the highway when we saw a flash of lightening - a radar trap!! But this couldn't shake us anymore, we were only glad that we had left the "City of Experiences" behind.
Show Anecdotes, page 2
