Could your cat be a star? Pet cats can compete in the household pet class at cat shows.

Ziggy, a blue mackerel tabby-and-white cat, is at the San Diego Cat Show to rack up points toward year-end awards and regional and national placements. But he’s not who you might normally think of when show cats come to mind. Ziggy isn’t a plush Persian, sleek Siamese or massive Maine coon. He competes in the household pet class, a category for cats who don’t have a pedigree or who have cosmetic faults that disqualify them from competing with other members of their breed; for instance, a Persian with a missing eye, a Manx with a normal-length tail or a Russian blue with a pointed coat.

The concept of everyday cats participating in cat shows goes back to the very first cat show at London’s Crystal Palace in 1871. Organized by British artist and cat lover Harrison Weir, author of “Our Cats and All About Them,” it was meant not only to introduce exotic and unusual cats to the public, but also to honor what Weir called the “fireside cat” — today’s companion cat. (Perhaps not surprisingly, Weir’s own cat, a lovely blue tabby female, was named best cat at that first show.)

Cats competing in the household pet class must be at least 4 months old, spayed or neutered, up to date on vaccinations and not declawed. They’re judged on overall good health, temperament and grooming. Everything else is judge’s choice, says Ziggy’s owner, Becky Gates of Villa Park, California, who has been showing in the HHP class since 1991. At the San Diego Cat Show, 38 cats were entered in the category. The cats most likely to succeed are friendly, enjoy attention and aren’t easily frightened.

“Ziggy loves to show,” Gates says. “He loves people. Once he’s on the table, he just shines.”

Unlike pedigreed cats, no breed standard describes how household pets should look.

“They don’t have to have a long body or a short body or a round head or a long head,” says retired Cat Fanciers Association all-breed judge Carolyn Osier of San Juan Capistrano, California, who has bred Abyssinians for 54 years. “Every judge has some color or pattern that strikes them a little bit more than others. I would say that the most important features of a household pet need to be health, presentation and temperament.”

In short, it’s a beauty contest, and giving a cat a leg up in the judging means bathing, cleaning the ears, trimming the nails on all paws and making sure the coat is groomed to the nines.

“You want to give every advantage they can possibly have,” Osier says.

Of course, a winning personality is important. Some cats “ask” for the win from the time they’re brought out of their display cage and placed on the judging table.

“They just exude something that tells you they think they’re special, and those are the cats that are going to get noticed,” Osier says. “So if you’re thinking about showing your cat as a household pet, the first thing you have to do is find out whether the cat likes it or not, because cats have their own opinions.”

Points are earned based on the number of cats competed against and the number of shows. It’s not unusual for cat lovers to “campaign” their household pets around the country, just as people with pedigreed cats do. Ziggy was competing against some cats from the East Coast, Gates says.

Beyond the competition, Gates enjoys the camaraderie of the household pet class. She gets to hang out with other cat lovers and meets old and new friends at each show.

For Osier, the HHP class is important for another reason. “The message we want to get across to people is that your cat has value. It’s not a monetary value, but it’s because these are the cats that supply us with the companionship we want and need.”

— Kim Campbell Thornton

Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker. Pet Connection is produced by veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker, journalist Kim Campbell Thornton, and dog trainer/behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. ©2024 Andrews McMeel Syndication

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Pet Connection: Household pets are popular participants at cat shows