I have never met a kitty that doesn’t love a little scratch in front of their tail!

I love this shot of a kitten on the judging table at the cat show on Saturday.  For being so small, this little one was very relaxed and especially loved all of the cuddles and chin scratches!  I can almost hear purring when I look at this photo!

His name is Nelson (MTNest Lord Nelson of HiGrove) and he is 9 months old.  At that young age, this handsome boy is the #2 Maine Coon kitten in the world.  Yes, the WORLD!  Nelson and his owners traveled from Florida to the TICA cat show in Allentown, Pa. over the weekend and I had the pleasure of meeting them all before he went into the ring for judging.  I am in LOVE with this adorable kitten!

I’ve been to cat shows at this location many times and so I’m well aware of how terrible the lighting is for photography.  It’s a dimly lit ballroom in a hotel with windows and blinds that are almost always closed.  Deplorable conditions for trying to photograph moving animals.  Still, it’s next to impossible for me to go and NOT take a camera along.  I know the capability of my Canon 7D and various lenses, but this time I decided to take my Sony ‘point ‘n shoot’ just to see how it would handle this challenging lighting situation.  It has the equivalent of up to a 600 mm lens, and I love having that versatility, but it focuses slower than is necessary for animal photography.

This post shows a few images of TICA (The International Cat Association) judge, Fate Mays, handling a Maine Coon (top image) and a Sphinx (hairless breed) in the show ring.  I’m often asked to describe a cat show and I think the bottom image gives a good idea of what you would see if you attended.  Rings with cages holding cats surround a judging table with seats out in front for owners and spectators.  The judge brings each cat out one by one and examines them – sometimes describing the breed traits and characteristics.  Ribbons are awarded for color, division and breed.  I must say, this hotel does have the most comfortable chairs of any show that I have attended!  This image makes the show room look much brighter than it actually was.  Next time there is a cat show in your area – check it out!  You can view show schedules at www.tica.org or www.cfa.org

I’m not sure who determines these things, but today is apparently “Black Cat Appreciation Day” – a day to celebrate and raise awareness about black cats.  Sadly, black cats are often thought to be bad luck and, therefore, remain in shelters without the chance for a forever home.  In many cultures, however, black cats are considered good luck!  Next time you are looking to add a furry feline to your family, please consider adopting a black kitty like this one!