San Francisco Public Library - Project Read Newsletter, July 2001

I went to my first cat show in 1988 and I have been going ever since. My friend called me and asked me if I would like to go to a cat show. She had seen an advertisement in the newspaper.
     We decided to take two cats and enter them in the household pet category. My cat won a Best Cat ribbon! This means he was one of ten cats out of over 30 cats judged to be the best. I was very excited that he won.
     For four years I showed my household pets. Household pets are regular house cats.
     In 1992, I got my first American Curl. American Curls are cats with a curled ear. They come in long and short hair and they have a sweet disposition. I prepare my American Curls for a cat show by cutting their nail. Then I clean their ears and bathe them. Yes, I bathe them! If you start them young, cats learn to tolerate the bath.
     I like to go to cat shows because I like to talk to people about cats. I also like to look at the cats and enjoy it when my cats win ribbons.
     The thing I like the least about cat shows is the politics. Sometimes the judges appear to be influenced by the breeders and not by the cats.
     I take care of my cats by feeding them a special diet and I put special vitamins in their water. I keep all my cats indoors because it is too dangerous outside. I give them their vaccinations once a year. Even though my cats don’t go out, I still treat them with Advantage or Frontline to control fleas.
     I also take care of feral cats. I feed them and catch them for spaying and neutering at the San Francisco SPCA.
     I love all animals, not just cats. I have focused on cats because I think their personalities are interesting.