A couple of weekends ago, I went to my first ever cat show, run by Coastal Paws Cat Club. It was held at the Raleigh fairgrounds, inside a smaller building that really could have used better ventilation, though the initial wham of litter box smell did fade pretty quickly. That was really the only unpleasant part of going, though, as any cat lover has to like watching tons of pretty kitties strut their stuff.
I've never been to a dog or cat show, so this was all new to me. We only hung out for an hour or so, but we were able to learn a few things:
1. Fluffy, puffy cats are awesome to look at when they get properly groomed.
2. There were around ten different judges and each one seemed to look at every cat. The cats are brought up in groups of ten or so, and the judges compile their notes on which ones they thought were the best representatives of their breed, age, etc. We saw one judge hand out ribbons for her top 10 cats, so I can only assume all of the judges do that and then there is a round of judging between those top cats.
3. Cats are kept in large, tent-like encasements. They are very relaxed-these animals must be used to constant handling from the time they are born. I'm lucky if I get a brush through my animals' fur in one sitting.
4. Cats are gorgeous. But we knew that already.
Here was my friend Laura’s, favorite, a cat that was terrifying to behold. 
And here was mine, a beautiful red kitty with a mix of short and long hair. I couldn't tell you the breed. I don't keep track of things like that. The extent of my cat knowledge is "Ooh, pretty," and "Scary cat!"
I could easily be convinced to spend another few hours at a cat show in the future. It's definitely a mystifying experience, though, and the cat owners and their animals seem to exist in a world all of their own making, full of spraying cat perfume, brushing, rushing animals to showing cages, then brushing some more. And ribbons, lots and lots of ribbons. The love the owners and judges have for the animals was apparent, though.
