Posted on December 10, 2011 in Animals, Black and White, Pet Photography
My cats all loved their sisal posts. They didn’t have front claws [not by my choice] but that didn’t stop them from scratching and stretching on the post every chance they got. This image is from last weekend’s cat show. I love how the black and white conversion really brings out the clarity in the eye and whiskers. This little guy is looking up and probably thinking, “How high can I climb?”
Posted on December 9, 2011 in Animals, Pet Photography
Today I thought I would post a couple images of a cat breed that you might not see at your local animal shelter or pet store….the Selkirk Rex. Do you know this breed? I’ve read that the disarray of their dense coats makes them look like they are having a bad hair day! They are even sometimes called “the cat in sheep’s clothing” because of their unique look! The breed originated in 1987 and was developed as a mix of a British Shorthair, Persian, and Exotic Shorthair. They were accepted by TICA into the new breed program in 1990 and recognized for championship competition in February 1994. They come in a variety of colors as well as long and short hair versions. Below is another image of a Selkirk Rex. Just look at those wild whiskers!
Posted on December 8, 2011 in Animals, People, Pet Photography
Connie Webb is an allbreed international judge and instructor for TICA – The International Cat Assocation. In September she was selected by TICA members as the judge who best respresented the organization’s goals during the year and named 2011 Judge of the Year. Congratulations Connie! What a wonderful and well-deserved honor! When I was at the cat show over the weekend, a number of people mentioned to me that Connie was this year’s recipient and how well-respected and loved she is as a person as well as a judge. Not only do the TICA members love her, but the cats love her, too! Connie has a very sweet and gentle nature about her and transfers her love to each cat that she handles. She told me that she likes to think that each cat is her own for the moments that they are on her judging table and that is exactly what you feel as you watch her judge. In the image above, Connie gets a hug from the cat that she named her “Best Household Pet” at the show I attended. She gave each of the finalists’ owners in this category an opportunity to tell their cat’s name and a little about them. What wonderful stories we heard about cat’s that were rescued from shelters and now have gone on to the cat show ring! If you ever attend a TICA cat show, be sure and look for Connie – her ring will be the one with the largest crowd of people! 🙂
Posted on December 6, 2011 in Animals, Pet Photography
While at the Cat Show over the weekend, I thought I would take a few ‘behind the scenes’ images to give you an idea of what you might see at a show. The Christmas City Cat Club show had 8 rings with 8 different judges. All of the cats entered into the show visit each of the 8 rings and are evaluated separately by each judge. The cats are “benched” [just like at dog shows] in an area outside of the rings where they are groomed and stay until their ring time. The lower right image above shows some of the decorative cages set up by owners in the benching area. Cages are also set up at each ring to house the cats while they wait for their turn to be evaluated by the judge. Blue or pink cards [see upper left image] with the cat’s catalogue number are placed above each cage to identify the cat. Blue cards are for males and pink cards for females. The judges evaluate each cat against the standard for the breed. The exception would be for the Household Pet category, where they are instead judged by condition, beauty and show presence. Each ring has a sisal post to allow the cats to climb and toys that the judge will use to get their attention. [see top right image above] After each cat has been evaluated on the judging table, the judge cleans the table with cat-safe disinfectant. Cages in the rings are also cleaned with disinfectant after each use. The bottom left image above shows the 5th best kitten playing with her ribbon! Of course there are also PLENTY of cats to see at the show and visitors have an opportunity to meet the owners and learn about the breeds. Below is a British Shorthair who traveled all the way from Florida for this show. This kitty has an inground swimming pool that is completely enclosed in netting and he and his brothers and sisters get to relax by the pool when not in the show ring! They even swim! How cool is that!
Posted on December 5, 2011 in Animals, Pet Photography
This past weekend I went to the Christmas City Cat Club Show in Easton, Pa. not only to see and photograph the beautiful cats, but also to buy my little guy Sebastian some new toys! If you are in the market for really good catnip toys, check out The Catnip Cafe at www.thecatnipcafe.com. They have some of the best catnip toys I’ve ever seen and Sebastian loves them! Way better than anything I’ve found in a pet store! They also have awesome cat and dog beds. This will be cat week on the blog as I have a nice variety of images from the show to share with you. I’ll be introducing you to an excellent judge, showing you some behind the scenes photos, and of course sharing images of some gorgeous cats! Stay tuned cat lovers…….!!