Showing cats GCCF style Trivia Quiz

Answer: No, the exhibitors must leave the hall for judging to take place

When judging is about to start at 10 am, the hall is cleared of exhibitors and only judges, their stewards and other officials are allowed in the hall until all Ope classes have been finished a roughly 1 pm. The judges will move from pen to pen and judge the cats on a trolley on wheels.

At some venues, such as some sports centres, you may be able to watch the judging from a distance, such as from a balcony, but not close up. The exception is the Supreme show where judging takes place in rings and everyone can watch and listen.

Answer: Adult and neutered pedigree cats

According to GCCF rules, a cat becomes adult on the day it turns 9 months old, and only adult cats and neuters can be awarded certificates that count towards titles -such as Challenge Certificates and Premier Certificates for the titles of Champion and Premier. Kittens (14 weeks to 9 months) and non pedigree cats can not gain titles.

Answer: Challenge Certificate

CCs are the certificates adult cats can collect to gain the title of Champion. 3 CCs must be gained and all must have been awarded by different judges. It's often thought that CC stands for Champion Certificate, but if you take a look at a CC when next at a show you will see the wording Challenge Certificate printed on the Gold cards.

Answer: Blanket, litter tray and water bowl, all in white

All show pens must be furnished in white only to keep the cats' and owners' identity anonymous to the judges. Food bowls must not be present during judging but can be given to the cat after judging has been completed in the afternoon.

Answer: Yes, at most shows, if it is from at least one unregistered and/or unknown parent

Almost all GCCF shows have a Household Pet section where any cat can take part provided that it has at least one unknown or unregistered parent. You cannot for instance show a crossbred cat as an HP that has two parents of different breeds if both are registered. Rescued cats of obvious pedigree breeds can be shown as HPs if their ancestry is unknown, but the great majority of HPs are your average moggy. Adult HPs must be neutered.

Answer: Present your cat and its vaccination certificate to the vet for a check

The process of "vetting in" can be one of the most nerve wrecking moments of the day, as each cat is checked carefully by a vet upon arrival at a show. There must be no fleas or flea dirt in the coat, no excessive ear wax, no scratches on the skin no matter how small, and no sign of any disease/illness. Your cat will also have its vaccination certificate checked to see that it is up to date. All of this is to stop the spreading of disease at shows. Any cat not in perfect condition will be rejected and may not enter the show hall.

Answer: Imperial Grand (Champion or Premier)

The first title a cat can gain at normal GCCF Championship shows is that of Champion (for adult, entire cats) or Premier (for neutered cats), the second title is the Grand (Champion or Premier), the third title the Imperial Grand (Champion or Premier). The Supreme and UK Grand titles are only awarded at the Supreme show.

Answer: Only pedigree cats can be entered

The Supreme is often described as the Crufts of the cat fancy; the one show of the year which the GCCF are the organisers of rather than affiliated cat clubs. Each cat, including Household Pets, must qualify for entry -HPs and kittens by winning a first in an Open class at a Championship show, adults and neuters by winning a certificate.

The main winners will be given the titles of Supreme Grand Champion and Supreme Grand Premier, and it is the only show where UK Grand certificates can be won -two of which gives the cat the title of UK Grand.

Answer: Exemption, Sanction and Championship

Exemption shows are exempt from certain GCCF rules. These are small affairs with fewer classes than other shows, and there will not necessarily be a class for each breed/colour and sexes are often not split. Sanction shows are "dress rehearsals" for Championship shows with all the same classes etc, but no certificates on offer. Championship shows are the most common show, and these have breed classes for each fully recognised breed as well as other classes for breeds not yet of Champonship status, split into sexes and often colour, with certificates (such as CCs and PCs etc) available.

Answer: Every 13 days

The "13 day rule" states that nobody may show any cat they own more frequently than every 13 days, regardless of whether it is the same cat or not. This is to minimise the spreading of disease and also ensures that cats do not get shown too frequently but gets a good rest in between each show. Because of this, the GCCF never have 2 day shows which are common in other organisations and abroad.