REPORTS FROM EARLY CAT SHOWS IN TEXAS

LONGVIEW, TEXAS

ETEX CAT CLUB TO EXHBIT AT GREGG FAIR. The Marshall Messenger, 29th September 1959.
CAT CLUB TO HAVE SPECIAL EXHIBIT AT GREGG EXPOSITION. Longview News Journal, 4th October 1959
Members of the East Texas Cat Club are to have an exhibit at the Gregg Exposition and Live Stock Show from October 4 through October 10, through the courtesy of the John Baxter Co., of Greggton. Plans of the club which met Monday night at the Mid Valley Pipe Line Co. office in Longview, include an exhibit of fancy Persian cats in Blue, Cream, Blue-Cream and White varieties, several of which are imported, on Monday and Tuesday of fair week. On Wednesday the experimental Texas Blues and some domestic shorthairs will be shown. Thursday and Friday will be given over to a display of Blue Point and Seal Point Siamese. On Saturday cat judging demonstrations by Carl Darnell of Dallas, a noted cat judge, will be presented at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m. Saturday will be a high point for many cat lovers as Mr Darnell is to bring an Abyssinian, a Burmese and the relatively rare Himalayan.

The East Texas Cat Club will have a member on duty in the booth each day who will be glad to answer questions about cats. Exhibitors, other than Mr. Darnell, will be Mrs. John Finch, Longview, Persian; Mrs. G.R. Myers, Longview, Persian; Miss Rebecca Cameron and Donald P. Cameron, Marshall, Texas Blues and domestic shorthairs [American Shorthair]; Mrs. Eugene Bullock, Siamese; Mrs. Lee Rice, Siamese, and Mrs. Nellie Sears, Siamese, all of Longview.

Mrs. John Finch of Longview was elected vice president of the club at Monday night’s session. Other officers are Mrs. Eugene Bullock, Longview president; Miss Rebecca Cameron, Marshall, secretary-treasurer; Mrs. Lee Rice, Longview, assistant secretary-treasurer; and Mrs. H.W. Ehrhardt, Shreveport, counsellor. The East Texas Cat Club was charted in August as an affiliate of the American Cat Fanciers Association.

EAST TEXAS CAT SHOW SLATED HERE NOV. 5-6. 30th October 1960
The East Texas Cat Show, scheduled for Nov. 5 and 6 at the Gregg County Fairgrounds in Longview, will bring to East Texas about 250 of the finest cats of all breeds from 11 states. The show sponsored by the East Texas Cat Club and the American National Cat Club, will be the first show of its type in East Texas and the largest in this region in several years. It will bring five outstanding judges to the area and will give East Texans and Louisianans the opportunity of seeing seven breeds of cats, many of them grand champions, and will also give them the opportunity to see how cats are judged.

Mrs. Eugene Bullock of Longview, president of the East Texas Cat Club, which has members in Longview, Marshall, Shreveport, Dallas and other towns of the area, said the club was formed in August 1959 for the purpose of creating interest in East Texas in purebred cats and for the welfare of all cats.

Entries in the show are to be judged beginning at 9:45 a.m. Saturday and again at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Seven breed winners are to be selected including Abyssinians, Burmese, Domestic Shorthairs, Manx (tail-less), Persians, Siamese, Russian Blues, and the new breed, Texas Blues. Various colorings and markings will be judged in most breeds.

Cats eight months old, said Mrs. Bullock, are considered adults and enter for the first time in the novice section. After winning a first-place ribbon (blue), they then are entered in the open section. In these two sections the first-place winners complete against each other for the winner’s ribbon (red, white and blue), which gives them points toward a championship. After receiving 10 points under three different judges, the cat is awarded the title champion. A double champion is classified as a senior champion as are the triple and quadruple champions. The double champion must win 20 points under six judges, a triple champion must secure 30 points under nine judges and a quadruple champion must secure 40 points under 12 judges. When a cat has qualified for 50 points under 15 judges and shall have defeated not less than 20 champions in licensed show competition it shall be entitled to the title of grand champion.

Also there is the merit award system, said Mrs Bullock. Each cat in the American Cat Fanciers Association is scored and given a rating. A cat that has received a score of not less than 85 points under not less than five different judges shall be entitled to receive a certificate of merit and can use the prefix of merit in front of its name. Any cat that has received a score of not less tan 90 points under not less than seven different judges shall be entitled to receive a certificate of royal merit (RM).

Judges for the licensed show at Longview, all registered judges, are to be Mrs. Helen Mueller, San Antonio, president of the ACFA; Walter Carl Darnell, Dallas; Mrs. Miriam Sims, Miami, Fla.; Mrs. Ann Manley, Garden Grove, Calif.; and special judge Mrs. Whitney Abt. Burton, Texas. There will be 144 rosette and ribbon awards for championship cats and 16 awards for non-championship and pet class cats. In addition there will be cash awards, trophies and silver premiums awarded to winners. There will be three prizes for the best decorated cages in the show.

The first show of the East Texas Cat Club, is sponsored by the American Cat Fanciers Association and will have two all-breed, two specialty and one pet cat judge. Cats from breeders and owners in eleven states, California, Michigan, Indiana, Texas, Nevada, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Florida and one cat born and bred in Hawaii will be in competition. Most popular cat will be chosen by popular ballot of persons attending the show on Saturday and Sunday and will be announced late Sunday.

Motorboat, a black and white Domestic Shorthair of unknown antecedents, but who has won numerous championship ribbons at Oklahoma and Houston will be competing in the East Texas Cat Show. He is owned by Mrs, Ramona Fizzell, and is said to be a haughty commoner. He served as the Poster Cat for the Houston show, where he was voted Most Popular Cat, and was Best Neuter in the Oklahoma City show in 1958.

ETEX TO HAVE FIRST CAT SHOW. The Marshall News Messenger, 10th July 1960
Long Months of Preparation Go Into Exhibit of Champ Felines. By Rebecca Cameron.
There's a lot of behind the scenes work going on in Northeast Texas arid Bossier Parish, La., in preparation for the first cat show ever in East Texas slated for November. Members of the East Texas Cat Club are being joined by members of the North Texas Cat Club of Dallas and the Shreve Cat Fanciers to put on a Quadruple Championship Show which will bring ¢at fanciers and breeders to the area from nearly every state in the union.

A minimum of 200 registered and purebred cats of some seven or eight breeds will be entered in championship competitions, in addition to an expected 100 to 150 household pet cats who will compete in a “cat popularity” contest for a handsome prize. As with any exhibition of blooded animals, whether they are cats ranging in weight from two or three to 15 pounds or cattle and horses weighing up to 1,500 pounds, certain essentials have to be cared for long in advance of the show.

Pre-show work includes the publication of a show catalog which not only lists every exhibitor and each animal in the show, but also carries the advertising of breeders and business firms interested in the show. Posters for the show have to be made, tickets ordered, judges selected and secured for the show dates, an adequate exhibition building secured in a location with good transportation and motel facilities,-caging for individual cats must be arranged for, veterinarians secure, ribbons and trophies ordered and prize merchandise secured for the household pet section of the show. Trained ring managers and judges clerks have to be secured and breeders listings for the catalog obtained, all well in advance of the show. Entry clerks have to be trained and handlers secured for owners who cannot come to the show. Arrangements have to be made to number all cages and to provide grooming tables for the show animals. Extra sanitation measures are always taken where valuable show stock is on exhibit.

At show time all cats entering the showrooms must be examined by a veterinarian and then placed in their assigned cages. Judges check the cats individually by breeds on a point system and at the East Texas Cat Show in November, cat owners will have the opportunity of having four nationally known judges examine their cats. Thus a cat entering a show for the first time will be judged first as a novice. then it may be judged for its first, second and third time and may become eligible for championship awards in the one show.

Entry-applications are now in the mail to principal breeders of the nation and there will be cats entered in the following classes: Persian, Siamese, Manx (the cat born without a tail), Domestic Shorthairs (these are registered and some of the handsomest cats in the show will be in this class). Russian Blue, Abyssinian, Texas Blue (a hybrid newcomer), Burmese, and the household pet class. Individual owners and breeders from the northeast Texas area will be well represented at the show.

Cats are judged on a point system which includes: body shape, head shape, ears, nose, eyes (shape and color); coat (color, markings, thickness, and condition); leg shape; tail shape, color of nose leather, skin and footpads; alertness. Basically, a cat show, has much the same atmosphere as a cattle show or horse show. Breeders are there with the finest animals in their stock and they're looking for a chance to buy other fine animals to add to their breeding lines.

The East Texas Cat Show is to be held in the new building at the Gregg County Fairgrounds in Longview on Nov. 5 and 6, The show is sponsored jointly by the American Cat Fanciers Association and the East Texas Cat Club and will feature two judges from the ACFA ranks and two from the National Cat Club. A major feature of the show will be the cat popularity contest open only to pet cats in which a handsome prize will be awarded by vote of visitors to the show. Entries will be accepted from any cat owner for a low fee.

Young members of the cat club are pulling their weight in preparation for the cat show and are currently making the section markers and posters to be used before and at the show. One group of members is soliciting advertising and printing the catalog, another group is setting up entry schedules, a third group is working on the show floor layout and caging arrangements, and a fourth group is at work making arrangements for judges and ring set-up.

Values in the cat world sometimes run pretty high – as in the case of imported cats from England and Europe. Russian Blues, an imported pair will cost approximately $500 delivered in the United States. Other registered cats and purebred cats range in price from $10 to $200, deending upon the breeding and the number of championship ribbons the cat may have earned. In any case, the cat royalty of America will converge on East Texas in early November and will include some of the handsomest of their breeds and some of the strangest breeds such as the Manx (tailless) and the Coon cats.

Judges for the show are to be Mrs. Helen Mueller, San Antonio, All Breed; Don Clapp, Excelsior, Minnesota, Specialties;: Carl Darnell, Dallas, All Breed, and Mrs. Ann Manley, Garden Grove, Calif., Specialties.

CHAMPIONSHIP CAT SHOW TO BE HELD IN LONGVIEW, NOVEMBER 5 – 6. Longview News Journal, 11th October 1960.
Advance ticket sales for the East Texas Quadruple Championship Cat Show to be held in Longview on November 5 and 6, have started. Tickets are 75 cents for adults and 35 cents for children, and may be obtained by check or money order from Mrs. Eugene Bullock, 10 Rowland Drive, Longview, or Miss Rebecca Cameron, P.O. Box 24, Marshall. Mrs. H.W. Ehrhardt will be in charge of ticket sales in Shreveport.

More than 135 cats have been entered already and it is anticipated that not less than 250 cats of every known breed will be in competition for ribbons, rosettes and trophies. Four judges, Carl Darnell, Mrs. Helen Mueller, Mrs. Ann Manley and Mrs. Miriam Sims will judge for the East Texas Cat Club and the American National Cat Club. Breeds already entered include Siamese, Burmese, Abyssinian, Persian, Russian Blue, Texas Blue, Domestic Shorthair, Manx and Himalayan.

Among the Burmese entries will be Gambol’s Faro Bank od Ruboe, a Grand Champion Burmese male, owned by Major Kathryn Bastian of the 85yh Evacuation Hospital at Fort Hood, Texas. The cat is from Hawaii where Major Bastian was stationed at Tripler Army Hospital. The Burmese are very distinctive. The breed is small, dainty, with a body build between that of the Domestic Shorthair [American Shorthair] and the Siamese. The coat is very short and a rich, sable brown and the eyes are round and a golden yellow.

Entered also this year will be several of the Texas Blues, originated in Marshall, which are a shorthaired blue cat of similar body build to the Siamese, but with sold blue gray coats with a silver cast to the legs and about the face. The hair is short and sleek and eyes of the males are green and of the females yellow. They have slant eyes like the Siamese and long, slim bodies.

There will be a wide range of fine Persians in all the standard colors and Seal Point, Blue Point, Chocolate Point, Frost Point and Red Point Siamese in the show.

A unique feature of this first East Texas Cat Show will be the popularity contest for the selection of the most popular pet cat, with a nice prize to be awarded. Selections will be by vote of persons attending the show and each ticket holder will be entitled to one vote. There is also to be a prize for the best decorated cage in the pet cat division.

East Texas will have the opportunity of seeing the royalty of catdom at he East Texas Cat Show. There will be many Championship cats in the show. The show is to be held in the merchants building at the Gregg County Fair rounds in Longview.

ETEX CAT CLUB WINNERS NAMED AT LONGVIEW. The Shreveport Journal, 16th November 1960
LONGVIEW, Tex.–Mrs. Eugene Bullock, president of the East Texas Cat Club, Inc., has announced the winners in the first annual quadruple All-Breed Specialty Cat Show which was held here recently.
In the “Best Cat’’ Division, the East Texas longhair specialty went to an orange eyes, white Persian male grand champion “Shawnee Moonlight,” owned by Mrs. Nikki Horner of Newbourgh, Ind.
Best cat in the East Texas shorthair specialty went to a blue point Siamese female grand champion ‘‘Fan-T-Cee Kabar Katrina of Dao,’ owned by Don R. Yoder of Independence, Mo.
Best cat in the American National Longhair Specialty went to a blue Persian grand champion ‘“Charcoal’s Blue Boy of Alta,” owned by Mrs. A. M. Abrams of Shreveport, La.
Best cat in the American National Shorthair specialty went to a blue point male Siamese open class “Fan-T-Cee,”’ trade mark of “TY-RU,” owned by Mrs. A. P. Tyler of Houston.

Local breeders who came in for their share of wins and trophies included:
Mrs. John Pinch, blue Persian, best Kitten
Mrs. Bugene Bullock’s chocolate point Siamese female, second best kitten and best kitten opposite sex
Miss Rebecca Cameron, whose new breed Texas Blues received their share of attention and first place wins [this breed existed 1960 – 1965 and the description is similar to Blue Oriental Shorthairs]
Mrs. G. R. Myers’ Persian male double champion made winners for a triple champion and her blue Persian double champion made winners for a quadruple champion.
Mrs. Palmer Lawrence's little chocolate point Siamese male kitten captured first and best color opposite sex in all four shows.
Mrs. Pat Ferchill’s black longhair male kitten household pet captured "Best Household Pet Kitten" and “Most Popular Cat Opposite Sex."

DALLAS, TEXAS

RARE CAT TO BE SOLD DURING DALLAS SHOW– The Irving Daily News Texan, 26th November, 1964
An odd-eyed, long-haired white cat will be shown during the two day championship cat show, Nov. 28-29 at Market Hall in Dallas. The cat comes from the western United States, and has a price tag of $2,000 attached. In fact, cats of nearly every breed will be offered for sale during the show. Four judges will pick the bests of breed, then Sunday afternoon, the highlight of the two-day meet, the best cat, in the show will be announced.
Practically every known breed of cat will be shown, including Abyssinian, Burmese, Cameo Persians, Domestic Shorthairs with long impressive pedigrees, Himalayan, the exotic color pointed long hair, Havana Brown, the green-eyed brown cat seldom seen in this section, several colors in tailless Manx, Persians in many colors, the curly coated, and curly whiskered Rex, and the plush coated Russian Blue, one of them recently imported from Sweden.

This is the 13th annual championship, quadruple show of North Texas Cat Club and American National Cat Club. Frank Keefe is show manager and Mrs. E. E. Spencer is assistant. One of the most popular events of the two-day show is the Household Pet Cat judging, which takes place Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. Household Pet Cats will not be benched the two days of the show, but will be brought to Market Hall between 2:30 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29th, a small entry fee paid, whereupon the cat will be eligible to compete for prizes trophies and rosettes. Mrs. Dorothy Walker will judge the Household pet cats.

EL PASO, TEXAS

200 ENTRIES WILL REPRESENT 17 BREEDS. EL PASO SHOW TO ANSWER: ‘WHAT’S NEW, PUSSYCAT?’ El Paso Times, 29th November 1970
Exotic, seldom-heard names such as “Korat,” “Mi-Ke,” and ‘ Torti” will be on the lips of El Paso cat fanciers Saturday and next Sunday. The definitive answer to the question, “What’s new. Pussycat?” will be provided by the first annual Fiesta de los Gatos Championship Cat Show to be held in the Hilton Inn. The show, sponsored by El Paso Cat Club, Is a charity affair to raise funds for a Pet Pride Animal Shelter for West Texas to be located in El Paso area. More than 200 entries representing 17 breeds will be on hand at the show, which will be the largest ever in El Paso and the first opportunity for El Pasoans to see championship cats from other parts of the country. The show is included in the Gulf Shore region of the National Cat Fanciers Association for scoring purposes, with points won in the show going towards regional and national championships.

Some breeds being entered are now ones that most people are not even aware exist. Mrs. Iris Boklage of Las Cruces, N.M., for instance, will have a “Torti-point” Siamese in the show, as well as a “lynx-point” and a “red-point” Siamese. The torti-point Siamese and the red-point are both new breeds, having been developed in only the past four or five years, and the lynx-point is even newer, having been developed about three years ago. The tori-point, Mrs. Boklage said, was a sort of “by-product” during development of the red-point cats. Another interesting breed is the “Korat,” a type with a history stretching back some 400 years in Thailand, where the cats are regarded as omens of good luck and are rarely sold, though often given to friends whom the Thais hold in especially high esteem. The breed is comparatively rare in the United States, but Mrs. Billijo Porter of El Paso has one. Mrs. Porter also has a Balinese cat, a new breed developed about 10 years ago. The Balinese, named “Royal Merit Double Champion Holland’s Farm Bali Mohan,” like many of the others to be entered in the show, Is a championship cat of imposing credentials, having won a variety of awards in 1970. The Balinese Is still another variety of Siamese cat.

Those who think cats should be fluffy will not be disappointed either, since at least four beautiful Persians from El Paso will be entered in the show, along with others from across the nation. Mrs. Laura Hopkins will exhibit her large black Persian, officially known as “Champion James Catinet Amy” but called “Amy” by friends, and a Blue Persian known affectionately as “Tom.” Tom has won the “best overall award” in local household pet shows and is now sometimes referred to as “Big Tom” by competitors. Needless to say, Big Tom has impeccable bloodlines. Anita Harris of El Paso will be entering a Red Persian and a Black Smoke Persian in the show as well – perfectly illustrating a few of the more than a dozen varieties of Persians and perhaps also helping to demonstrate the almost infinite variety of the creature called “cat.”

Still another type of cat is the Burmese, which looks rather like a Siamese to the untrained eye but has an imposing history all its own. Mrs. Cynthia Valencia’s Burmese, “Shawnee’s LIT Raisin of Tamu," also will be on exhibit at the show. The Burmese breed, Mrs. Valencia said, was first imported into the U.S. from Burma in 1930. The breed has an ancient history in the country of its origin, and, though it resembles the Siamese, it is distinguished by its stocky frame and its quiet personality – far removed from the talkative nature of the Siamese.

Other cats entered will come from California, Arizona, Ohio, New Mexico, Florida, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Pennsylvania and Texas and will include such exotic breeds as the “Mi-Ke.” The Mi-Ke is imported from Japan and is one of the rarest breeds in this country. In fact, there are less than 10 such animals in the United States, and the one which will be exhibited in El Paso, “Amulet’s Tanuko of Jo-Don,” Is the only Ml-Ke in the Southwest. Born in May of this year, Amulet’s Tanuko of Jo-Don was only recently imported from Tokyo. The cat is owned by Don Thompson of Dallas, Tex. Thompson is a National Cat Fanciers Association judge, but he will not be judging the El Paso event. Advance information on other individual cats In the show cannot be announced yet, but El Paso Cat Club members report that other breeds to be entered include Abyssinian, Rex, Manx, American Short Hair, Himalayan, Burman, Himbur, Russian Blue, Havana Brown, Exotic Short Hair and long-and short-haired household pets. The show also will have a large kitten class for cats from four to eight months old.

Entries will be judged on and awarded points for shape of head and ears; shape and color of eyes; structure of body, tail, feet and legs; texture and color of coat; and general condition. Professional judges for the show will be Mrs. Willa Rogers of Oklahoma City, Okla., specialty judge; Mrs. Betty O’Brien of San Diego, Calif., all breed judge; David Mare of San Francisco, Calif^ all breed judge; and Mrs. Jeanie McPhee of Houston, Tex., specialty judge. Trophies and ribbons will be awarded for best In each division and for overall winners.

Mrs. Valencia said El Paso Cat Club, is hoping the show will provide a start toward better events in this part of the country for cat fanciers and also help to build the second Pet Pride Animal Shelter in the United States. Mrs. Valencia said that Pet Pride Is a national, non-profit charitable organization founded 10 years ago in support of and on behalf of cats. At present, she said, there is one Pet Pride Shelter in California. The shelter’s function is to collect and distribute “unwanted cats” and also to help with spaying of cats to keep the unwanted cat population down. There are, she said, 10,000 cats born in the United States every hour, and the shelter would help to take care of some of these cats and also help distribute the cats to people who want them. There will be a nominal admission charge for the show, and members of the Cat Club invite the people of El Paso to come out and see for themselves the international variety in cats.

200 ENTRIES FROM SEVEN STATES. SUN CARNIVAL CAT SHOW TO BE LARGEST IN EL PASO HISTORY El Paso Times, 30th November 1975
The Conquistadores Cat Club of El Paso, an affiliated club of Cat Fanciers of America (CFA) will hold its first Sun Carnival Cat Show at Radford School, 2001 Radford, on Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is open to the public. Two hundred cats from more than seven states will compete in the largest cat show ever held in El Paso. It is an all championship show with only purebred cats represented. Only three of the approved CFA breeds will not be represented. CFA is the largest registering body in the United States. Barbara St Georges, widely known CFA judge from Albuquerque, N.M. will start by giving a clerking school on Friday at the Holiday Inn Midtown from 7 to 9 p.m. It is a CFA requirement that clerks assisting each judge must be licensed. The requirements for these clerks is extensive and the tests they must take quite difficult. These schools held at various shows are to assist those interested in becoming clerks to pass the numerous requirements.

What will you see at the show? Judging starts promptly at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. A show catalog with a schedule tells each exhibitor which cats go to the judging area. When the cats’ numbers go up in the judging area an exhibitor takes his cat from the cage on the floor to the judging area where each judge will, in turn, examine each of the 200 cats and evaluate that cat according to the standard for that particular breed. Each judge will study color and type (head size, ear set, tail, color, eye color, coat, condition, weight, size, feel and overall look). After comparing this with other cats in the same class, each judge will place a ribbon showing how this cat compared (in his estimation) with others in the same class. First place is a blue ribbon, second is red, third yellow. Classes are complicated in that only a cat of the same breed, sex, color and eye color compete against another for the winner’s ribbon which is red. white and blue.

A kitten is any cat from four to eight months. A novice is any cat more than eight months of age which has never competed in a CFA show before. An open is a cat who has not received the required six red, white or blue ribbons it needs to become a champion. A champion might defeat 150 cats after achieving championship status to become a grand champion. Grand champion status is the ultimate CFA status.

There are two specialty judges and two all-breed judges. In the specialty rings, Longhairs compete only with other longhairs and shorthairs with only shorthairs. In the all- breed. the longhairs compete with all cats, and vice versa. In other words, a cat wins more points when it does well in all all-breed ring than when doing well in a specialty ring because it is competing against more cats. This is how the cat earns points for grand champion. After evaluating each cat as to class, each judge selects his best cats or kittens for his finals which will be held at approximately 3:30 p.m. Dec. 7 except for kittens, and these finals occur throughout both days.

The judges will be Kim Everett from Portland, Ore., a judge since 1968 who breeds Abyssinians and Black Persians; David Bandy, San Jose, Calif., judging since 1971, breeds Persians and Siamese; Paul Raine, Whittier, Calif., judging since 1961 and breeds Persians; Don Yoder. Houston, Tex., judge since 1966, breeds Exotics and Persians, regional director for the Gulf Shore area states, with national headquarters in Red Bank, N.J.

Trophies to be given in each ring; Yoder (All Breed), Pyrite; Raine (Longhair), Phantom; Calcite (Shorthair), Hydro Zincite; Bandy (Longhair), Lace Agate, (Shorthair), Ray Turquoise; Kim Everett, (All-Breed) Geode.

Breeds represented at the show are as follows; Angora, a cat originated in Turkey. These cats can be found in all colors but pure white, with blue eyes being thought perfection. The Ankara Zoo now protects its famous breed of cats by maintaining a strict breeding program. Only the white are kept and records kept on the offspring. This breed seems to be extremely intelligent and affectionate. The judge will look for small to medium sized head, wide at top with a taper towards the chin; nose should have a gentle slope with no break, ears should be medium length, wide at base, pointed and tufted; long tapered tail and eyes should be almond to round with slight slant. The Angora is fine boned (any similarity to Persian bone structure is disqualified).

Persians, Cats with a long coat originated in Persia. It is said that Crusaders brought back some of these known longhair domestic cats to Europe. Through careful breeding, these animals have developed into the Persian cats of today. They are gentle and affectionate. These cats are found in all colors, but the popular colors are chineilla, shaded silvers, blue, white, black, blue cream, smokes, cameos and reds. The judges will look for large, round, brilliant eyes set wide apart with a snub nose creating a picture of innocence; ears small, round tipped, open at base forward as though listening; body short, level back and well-rounded midsection; neck short and powerful to support big head; legs short and heavy-boned; tail short, full and carried in a curve; coat should reflect good physical condition of cat, appearing glossy and full, even at shoulders and ruff should be immense.

Himalayans, a relatively new breed of Siamese-Persian cross. This breed is not a longhaired Siamese or a Persian with Siamese color. The Himalayan is neither Siamese or Persian, but an entirely new breed of longhair. Many years and lots of disappointments went into establishing the breed. The name came from the Himalayan rabbit which has the same body color and dark contrasting points. The judges will look for the same as with the Persian except the Himalayans, regardless of coat color, must have the intense blue eye color.

American Shorthair, arrived on the Mayflower and has been a household pet ever since. These cats were brought to earn their keep. Since early breeding was done by natural selection, tough and hardy qualities still exist. Breeders saw the possibilities of this affectionate, hearty animal and selective breeding has developed a standard of high quality. These cats appear in all colors; however, the silver tabby with its green eyes are probably the favorite. The judges will look for: a large head, full-cheeked and medium length neck, gently curbed, and the same length for the entire body; a firm chin to form a perpendicular line with the upper lip; Wide-set ears, slightly curved at the tips and not unduly open at base, eyes set well apart, round with slight slant to outer aperture; body should be medium to large with well developed chest and shoulders. Legs medium in length, firm-boned and heavily muscled; tail medium length and heavy at base; coat thick, short and even, and hard in texture, and showing good health.

Siamese, as would be expected, these exotic cats originated in Siam. It is suggested that the origin of this cat is the Korat. The first cats of this breed appeared in the Siamese Cat Registry in 1894. As people became aware of the affectionate and gentle nature of these cats, their popularity grew. There are four recognized colors for the Siamese, lilac point, seal point, chocolate point and blue. These are the four genetic linked colors. Judges will look for a long, well proportioned head with width between the ears, in shape the head is a wedge tapering in perfectly straight lines to a fine muzzle; ears wide at the base, rather large and pricked; eyes oriental in shape, slanting toward the nose; coat fine in texture, glossy and as always healthy looking. All Siamese must have the brilliant blue eye color which is characteristic of the Siamese and Himalayan breeds.

Color Point: Breeders of some Siamese started experimenting with colors in their Siamese and started coming up with some unusual color points. These color points have the same set of standards as the Siamese except that the color points must meet the requirements set forth for that particular color. The recognized colors for the color points are lynx point (this is a tabby marked Siamese), red point (self-explanatory), tortie point (points are mottled with red and cream), cream point (self-explanatory).

Abyssinian, the origin of this breed is uncertain. However, it is the breed most resembling the cats worshipped by the Egyptians. It is a certainty that the Abyssinian of today is the result of careful cross-breeding with selective British cats. The first American Abys were imported from England in 1909, but it was many years before it became popular. It is now third in registrations following Siamese and Burmese – far greater than Great Britain. The lithe, svelte outline and large ears of the Aby give it a “jungle” appearance. It is an active friendly cat, highly intelligent, with a personality of its own. Recognized colors ruddy and red. The fine ticked coat of the Abby is unique among cats. Each hair has two or three distinct bands of color, the whole blending into an effect often compared to a Belgian hare.

The judges will look for a ruddy brown or red ticked with black or dark brown (double or treble ticking is preferable to single ticking), no bars or other markings except that a dark spine line won't militate against an otherwise fine specimen.
Distinct bars and rings on legs and tails and a white chin are undesirable; no other white markings are permissible; head should be long and pointed and ears comparatively large and broad at the base; eyes large, bright and expressive and green gold in color, and tail long and tapering.

Burmese: Started in 1930 with a cat brought from Burma, thought to be a dark Siamese. However, through scientific breeding, it was discovered this cat was a hybrid of Siamese and was given the name Burmese. Judges look for rich, dark seal brown body color, shading to slightly lighter color on chest and belly without any white or tabby markings; ears, mask and points only slightly darker than back coat; well muscled with no fat; body should be medium, elegant and long, but not as long as Siamese; neck long and slender; tail long and tapering; face should be wedge-shaped but shorter, blunter and wider than Siamese; top head should be slightly rounded; ears large and wide at base and eyes clear deep gold.

Havana Brown, one of the rarest of recognized breeds. It is genetically a self-colored (solid colored) chocolate Siamese. He is a charming cat full of character and with an exceptionally sweet and considerate nature. He is easy to care for and his ability to assimilate milk makes for a most lustrous coat. Others are Korat, Manx, Rex, Russian Blue, Exotic Short Hair and Main Coon Cat.