 Purred: Sun May 1, '11 8:01am PST |
 | |  | | (Couldn't figure out where to put this.) Ta da! Lowell and Harvard's proud Human wishes to announce (although it's not officially "official" yet) that Lowell and Harvard have made Regional Winner in the CFA's Region 8 (Japan Region) for the 2010-2011 show year. Both were competing in the Premiership (altered cats) Class. Lowell came in at #10 and Harvard at #18 in the all breed category (they were the #24 and #30 Maine Coons in the Premiership Class internationally).
Considering that the two competed in far fewer shows than Harvey did when he made Regional Winner, this is quite a coup, and saved all parties concerned a lot of effort, money, and angst. Harvard would have scored more points, but the earthquake caused the cancelation of a number of shows. Not that it matters; any cat in the top 25 in each class (Championship, Kitten, and Premiership--I'm not sure about Household Pet or Veteran) makes Regional Winner. True, the economy is affecting everyone, meaning that fewer cats are being shown, so the competition wasn't tremendously fierce this season. But among the winners were some very fine cats. Lowell squeaked by because of his gorgeous head, face, and sheer bulk; Harvard, who isn't shaggy at all, squeaked by because of his sweet face and amiable disposition on the judging table. They were not originally intended to be show cats, and thus did not receive the proper training regarding behavior in the ring; Lowell had a strange habit of insisting upon exiting the judging cage headfirst like a torpedo, and Harvard liked to roll around on the judging table asking for belly rubs. On the other hand, both were were highly interactive with the judges, were wild about playing with the judges' toys, and neither seemed to dislike being shown. This relieved everyone who remembered how hostile Harvey became halfway through the show season in 2008-2009, and, one hopes, will give my cattery a reputation for producing good-natured cats.
Lowell and Harvard are brothers, and the sons of Chibi and Umesaburo. They are the first cats bred in my cattery to make Regional Winner. As I'm cutting down on my number of cats, I'm now looking for a special home for Lowell (I'm sure someone will fall in love with him), and Harvard will stay with me and continue to pursue his hobby of destroying everything that he can get his paws and claws on. To keep him from getting bored (he actually seemed to enjoy the stimulation provided by cat shows), I am now considering leash-training Harvard and taking him for walks. Harvey is jealous that he's no longer the only winner in the cattery. But all my cats are winners in my heart.
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