Household Pet

Free Web Hosting Provider - Web Hosting - E-commerce - High Speed Internet - Free Web Page

Household/Domestic Pet

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
For the Household Cat the most important consideration is its overall condition, well being and temperament. No specific type, colour and pattern, or coat length is applicable. Friendliness, physical condition and balance are the main essentials. The cat should be of pleasing appearance, in proportion, well balanced, clean and well groomed.

PERSONALITY/TEMPERAMENT:
The cat should be alert,friendly, preferably affectionate and easy to handle. Allowance may be made for nervousness due to unfamiliarity with Shows.

APPEARANCE:
The Household Pet comes in all colours and combinations of colours and patterns imaginable. The colour is irrelevant but the coat patterns and markings should be clearly defined. The eyes size, shape and placement should suit the head type of the cat. Eye colour should compliment coat colour, but need not follow that laid down for purebred cats.
Coat length may be short and sleek, full and fluffy, any combination of those, or somewhere in between. The tail may be long, short, kinky or non-exsistent. The coat must be clean and free from mats and parasites.The cat must be well groomed and in good physical condition. Eyes, ears and nose must be clean and free of any matter. The cat should display an overall proportion, thus a small head on a large cat or vice-versa would be somewhat disproportionate.
The cat should also be of proper weight for its size. Overweight and underweight shall both be considered undesirable. Muscle tone should be sound. Some allowance may be made for older cats.

WHAT IS A HOUSEHOLD PET?
Most Household Pets (HHPs) are your "basic alley cats." They come from just about anywhere: cats/kittens adopted from the local animal shelter, the kitten from your neighbor's litter, rescued strays, and purebreds or "apparent purebreds" who don't meet the breed standard and can't be shown in the championship classes.

HOW ARE HOUSEHOLD PETS SHOWN?
Household Pets must meet the same basic show standards as every other cat in the show. They must be healthy, up to date on all of their vaccinations (including rabies) and free of parasites, such as fleas or ear mites. They must be bathed and groomed before the show. Grooming includes having clean ears, eyes and teeth, and having front and back claws clipped. Declawed and/or devocalized cats cannot be shown.

A Household Pet must be at least 4 months old to be shown and it must be spayed or neutered if it's over 8 months old. Pet overpopulation in the US is largely caused by unaltered mixed-breed cats and it's our responsibility to see to it that our cats do not contribute to that problem. For information on low cost spay/neuter programs call SPAY/USA at 1-800-248-SPAY or FRIENDS OF ANIMALS at 1-800-321-PETS. There is no maximum age for showing.

In the judge's ring Household Pets are judged according to the above specifications, as well as beauty and personality. The cat will receive a "Merit" ribbon showing that it meets all the show requirements. The judge will then pick ten cats for finals.

HOW ARE HOUSEHOLD PETS JUDGED?
Household Pets are judged separately from the purebreds and they are always judged as "All Breed." This means that both long- and short-haired cats are judged together in all rings. This is a little different from the purebred cats who compete in some rings as "All Breed" and in others as "Specialty" where long-haired cats compete only with other "longhairs" and short-haired cats compete only with other "short-hairs." Depending on the number of Household Pet entries, some clubs separate them into different classes, such as HHP Kittens and HHP Adults or Apparent Purebred HHPs and Mixed Breed HHPs. Since each Household Pet is unique, there are no standards for them. A cat of any color, hair-length or size can be judged as a Household Pet. Since there are no set standards, judges are free to award finals on the basis of their own preference.

HOW DO I GET MY HOUSEHOLD PET READY FOR THE SHOW?
You don't want any accidents while bathing your cat so, first, you'll want to trim its claws (front and back). Next, gently clean its ears and eyes with a damp wash cloth or Q-tip. Be sure to get rid of any waxy buildup in the ears. Then comes the bath! It's a good idea to get your cat accustomed to the bath a few times before you go to your first show, especially if it's a long-haired cat.

Begin by combing the cat gently to get rid of any dead or matted hair. Then wash it in lukewarm water with a good quality cat shampoo. Be careful what you use as some household shampoos and detergents are toxic to the cat. When you rinse the shampoo out it is very important that you rinse well. A good rule to follow is, if you think you've rinsed all the shampoo out, rinse one more time! If you don't get all the shampoo out, your cat's fur could look dull when you want it to glisten. When you rub your fingers on it the fur should "squeak" before you stop rinsing. Then towel the cat dry and either let it "air" dry, if it's a short-haired cat, or blow it dry, if it's a long-haired cat. If you blow dry, you may need another person to help you. Remember, your blow dryer can be hot so watch the temperature setting while you're drying the cat.

Some people bring their cat to a professional groomer before a show. If you choose to do that, make sure the groomer has experience with show cats. Usually, much of their business is dog grooming and grooming a show cat, especially a long-haired show cat, requires a special skill. It can be very disappointing to spend a lot of money having your cat groomed by a professional and then not pass the "squeaky clean" test.

HOME BACK
This page was designed
by Kisser