Review from International Cat Show in Kaunas – February 2017

On previous Monday we got back home from our trip to Kaunas. We’ve spent entire weekend on International Cat Show organised by Lithuanian club Top Miau. It was our first event abroad. All the previous titles for cats we managed to achieve on International and World Shows in Poland. Now Elmirka was trying to complete such a high title that it required foreign show for evaluation. Along with Elma, also Helen got a chance to complete one of her own titles, that requied either a World Show in Poland or a foreign International Show.

We left for Kaunas on Friday so both our girls and us have a chance to get some rest after a long trip before the show. It took us over 10 hours by car to get to the hotel. Luckily Elmirka and Helen managed very well with the entire travel. For longer rides we always have a litter box prepared in the trunk and it is accessible all the time. Our cats always let us know if they need to use it.  Thanks to all this we didn’t need to stop to clean their carrier on the way and avoided much stress for the girls. In the last part of the voyage Helen got a bit impatient so for a half an hour she was allowed to have a nap on my lap. After we reached the hotel both girls took the trip out by playing with plushy catnip mice and by chasing some feathers. After that they slept for entire night before the show.

Saturday morning we left for the show. The event was organised at a shopping mall, in a separate room on 1st floor – far from the noise and mob typical for this kind of places. Visitors got to come in after getting a ticket. It wasn’t too loud, too crowded or too hot and stifling, thanks to the controlled letting people in. At the shows all these factors play a huge role in wellbeing of people present and also for the cats!

After veterinary check up, collecting our badges and cages we could choose a spot and prepare Elmirka & Helen for the show. Both girls behaved as ladies for all the time. Although after so many hours together in a carrier, they preferred to stay alone on opposite sides of the cages – Elmirka in the booth and Helen in a bedroll.

On Saturday both cats were asigned to be evaluated by judge Elena Fedorovna Butomova from Russia. She spoke very well about Elmirka, who was trying to get her final diploma for European Champion (another one that comes after a Champion, International Champion & Grand International Champion). In Helen (who was completing her International Champion title) Mrs Elena also appreciated her eye color and proportional body.In the end the judge asked three thai queens present at the show – each of them had a different color. She wanted to choose one of them to nominate for Best In Show. Elmirka – seal point, Helen – seal tabby point and Mirabelle – lilac point girls from Lithuanian cattery – all showed up for comparison. From that three cats Mrs Butomova picked up Elmirka for the finals.

That day Elmirka also participated in WCF Ring. For this comparison all the cats of different breeds from same (age) category can be signed in. (There is a separate Ring for adults, kittens and neutered cats).  Judge who is a head of the particular Ring, presents all the cats and present breeds one by one. After that, regardless how many cats participate, the judge can pick up only ten cats and award places at own discretion.
Mrs Elena Butomova was running WCF Ring for adults on Saturday – the same judge who estimated Elma before in the standard evaluation. Cats of different breeds participated in the comparison – there were british shorthair, british longhair, Maine Coons, peterbold, curilian bobtail and only one thai – Elma. From 26 cats in the Ring, Elmirka was awarded with X-th place. We were very happy we got into the first ten! As  reward our girls got original trophy, memorial rosette, plushy mouse toy and dry & wet food.

In the final competition Elma was compared with three other girls from joined categories IIIrd and IVth. So she had to face a british shorthai, curilian bobtail and canadian sphynx cat. Judges voted for our girl as 3:1. After that she stood against an abyssinian male. In the voting we got a tie. When this happens it organisers take the pot luck – usually a child from the audience hes to draw a lots who will decide about which cat goes further. This time it was judge Alicja Biadasz who chose the abyssinian. Elmirka received then title of Best Oppostie Sex. As a reward she got a trophy, huge memorila rosette, practical “bucket” for food, pretty can to keep for ex. sachets in and dry food for choosy cats 😉

Second day of the show Elmirka first participated in WCF Ring, before her standard evaluation. On Sunday judge Albert Kurkowski was the head of WCF Ring. (He already met our Elma in October 2016 on World Cat Show in Pruszków.) There was 25 cats of different breeds signed in for presentation and judge introduced every one of them to the audience. When describing Elmirka he appreciated her nice contrast (which is very clear even as for a cat her age). He also approved her eyes color, good head shape and coat texture (softness, gloss, length, hair adherence etc.). During presentation Elma didn’t stop talking and she had to prove she can be a master of funny faces on a photo 😉

In judge Kurkowskis’ classification Elmirka was admited IXth place from all cats participating. She received trophy and rosette, plushy mouse toy and both dry and wet food supply.

After Ring it was time for regular evaluation for both our girls. On Saturday they’ve completed collecting notes for European Champion (Elmirka) and International Champion (Helen). Therefore on Sunday judge Alicja Biadasz was checking them for higher titles. And so Elma got her first EX1 for Grand European Champion, Helen was admited EX1 for Grand International Champion. Both girls behaved very well and were polite and patient during whole evaluation and our little chat with the judge after that (that day we were the last participants).

After a show weekend we stayed in Kaunas until Monday. We wanted girls to have some time to rest and relax after those two emotional days. We also could use some before another ten hour drive back home.

Travel to Kaunas and back went without any surprises. The girls slept most of the time, letting us know they need to use litterbox just a couple of times. For longer drives we always have a litterbox in the trunk and one of the seats is  folded, so there is an easy acces to it. Cats spend the trip in the carrier with their harness on. If they need to use the litterbox (and they always let us know before 😉 ), we allow them to go out with after attaching a leash. Elmirka and Helenka are smart enough to know how to behave – they go directly to the litterbox, do what they have to do and go back to the carrier. Thanks to all this we really don’t need to stop on the way  because of the cats. When we had to rest and stretch out legs, the girls also got to walk around the car. Most often they just observed  everything around through the window. We once more proven that thai cats can travel easily 🙂