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When Did Cat Shows Begin? :: Showing Cats
by
Karen Leigh Davis
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When Did Cat Shows Begin?As far back as the seventeenth century, cat owners have been flaunting their felines at organized events. Hundreds of years ago, a “show” was not much more than a side exhibit at a local fair, with prizes awarded in categories such as “biggest cat,” “most beautiful cat,” “best ratter,” and so forth.
It was not until the latter part of the nineteenth century that organized cat shows began to skyrocket in popularity. Harrison Weir is credited with staging the first official cat show in 1871 at London’s Crystal Palace and with writing the first breed standards by which cats were judged in those days.
He also was president of Great Britain’s first national cat club, which issued the first feline stud book for registering cats in the late 1800s.
The popularity sparked in England eventually spread to the United States, and the first official all-breed show took place here in 1895 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Nearly two hundred cats were entered in that show, and it sparked a national interest that continues to grow to this day. Local cat clubs began to spring up everywhere, leading to the founding of large national organizations.
Today, hundreds of clubs nationwide serve as the binding force in the nation’s growing cat craze. The CFA (Cat Fancier’s Association) and other large organizations continue to add new members each year. Together all of these clubs and organizations sponsor cat shows from coast to coast.
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