Showing a Kitten

Question
QUESTION: I had a couple questions on showing my kitten. It says you should bathe your cat 3 days before to let the natural oils come back into the coat. Should I do this or do it the day before with conditioner? Should I clip the nails the day of the show or a few days before? Should I do the back paws? He has white patches, also white paws. He is a part time outside cat, so his paws are a little dirty. I do plan to keep him inside at least a week before the show. What should I use to whiten the coat? Also what will they judge you on? I want to do the best I can. Thanks so much!

ANSWER: HI Elizabeth

You don't say if your cat is a Household Pet or a Pedigree.  Either way you need to make sure he is clean so yes if he goes out then I would bath him perhaps a couple of days before. Just before bathing I would recommend you clip all of his claws, back and front.  You can use either a baby shampoo or a cat shampoo from your pet store and a pet conditioner would also be a good idea.  If you have any specific stains afterwards then I tend to damp the area and rub in talcumn powder, let it dry and brush it out.  Don't forget to make sure that his ears are clean and you can wipe them out with a damp cotton bud.

As to what they are judging on, if he is a pedigree they will have a standard to refer to for the breed, if he is a household pet then health, temperament, and cleanliness will be the standard there.

Good luck at the show.

Marcia

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: He is a household. I have about a month before the show, but he gets nervous. The last one I took him to he was shaking. What should I do to get him ready?

Answer
I'm not sure there is a lot you can do if he is that nervous. If he is that bad he won't show himself off very well and then won't do well.  You could try something like Rescue Remedy though I'm not sure if you can get that in the States - it is homeopathic.

In the end we have to remember that it is not their choice to go to a show and if they don't enjoy it then you need to ask yourself if it is fair to him.

See how he goes at this show but if he is the same then you may just have to let him enjoy life without shows.

Marcia