Thank you!

The Chickadee Cat Club would like to take a moment to thank everyone who helped to make the 2nd ACFA Championship & Household Pet Cat show a resounding success. We truly appreciate all the volunteers, exhibitors, sponsors, advertisers, judges, spectators, and so many others who made the day one to remember. Your hard work and dedication were just fantastic. We hope to see you all next year!

CAT SHOW!

It's almost here, everyone! Less than 12 hours to go until the 2nd ACFA Championship & Household Pet Cat Show. We hope everyone will join us tomorrow at the Capital Exhibit Centre, 339 Smythe Street, Fredericton, from 9 - 5. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and students (with ID), $3 for children 5-12, and children under 5 free. The best value for your money is the family pass, going for $10. For a dollar-off coupon, visit www.catshows.us/chickadeecatclub, or scroll down through the blog and print one off for you and a friend.

Remember that the exhibitors should arrive by 8, and gates open to the public at 9. A portion of the gate proceeds will go to the Kindness Club, which is celebratingits 50th anniversary this year. Donations of unopened pet food will be gratefully accepted at the door on behalf of the local food bank and animal shelters.

This year we have even more fabulous felines than in 2008, so pick up the phone, round up some friends, and come on over to the FREX for a day of cats, judging, auctions, raffles, vendors, face painting, art and SO MUCH MORE! >'.'<

The countdown is on!

Well, this is it, everyone. Less than a week to go until the 2nd ACFA Championship & Household Pet Cat Show! We are looking forward to seeing a lot of fancy felines and their people this Saturday. If you aren't exhibiting your cat, but would like a chance to attend the show for free, listen to Information Morning on CBC Radio (99.5 fm in Fredericton) for a chance to win a family pass, valued at $10. The Information Morning crew will be giving away the passes as part of their listener of the week draw, which takes place on Friday morning. So tune in and listen for how you can enter the draw.

Thanks again to Myfanwy Davies and the crew at CBC for helping to spread the word!

CAT SHOW EXHIBITOR CHECKLIST

The entry deadline for the show is fast approaching (MONDAY, MAY 25), so we wanted to give you a checklist to help with your planning before, during, and after the show.

Before Entry Deadline (MAY 25):

* Get Show Flyer & Entry Forms online (ACFA web site, the blog, www.catshows.us or from the Entry Clerk (Bev Amos).
* Complete any registrations for your cats with ACFA (NOT always required, but it allows your cat to earn Titles, such as Champion or Royal).
* Fill out one Entry Summary Form and an ACFA Entry Form for each cat you are entering.
* Send all Entry Forms (with entry fee) to the Entry Clerk, either by email, mail, or in person

Preparing for the Cat Show:

* If this is your first ACFA cat show, or it’s been a while, there are several helpful articles written by the ACFA Cat Show:
"How Do Cat Shows Work"
"The Cat Show"
"Helpful Hints for the New Exhibitor"
"Preparing Your Cat for Show"
* Prepare your Show Curtains for your cat’s benching cage at the show.
* Pack for the show. At a minimum you need curtains, food/water and dishes, litter pan, padding for kitty to rest on, and any grooming tools you need.
* Clip your cat’s claws and bathe them prior to the show (how many days before depends on the breed and type of coat).

Show Day:

* Check-in with Entry Clerk (get your Exhibitor Catalogue and find out where you’re benched).
* Find and set up your benching area.
* Check the catalogue for correctness of your entries.
* Groom your cat for the first Judging Ring.
* Take a deep breath and relax, enjoy the day - it will help your cat be calm too.

After The Show:

* Sanitize your cat as soon as you return home or wherever you’re staying (e.g. mix tamed Iodine with warm water, dip their feet in it and wipe all over them with a wash cloth).
* Give any feedback you’d like to about the show to the Show Manager or other Committee Members.
* Register your cat with ACFA, if it isn’t already, before the next show.
* Fill out and send in Title Confirmation Form to ACFA if your cat earned a title such as Champion or Royal.

Coming soon...the handy-dandy checklist

We realize that it can seem like there is a lot you need to do and know when exibiting your cat, especially the first time out. We want you to know that it isn't actually that bad, and will soon be posting a checklist of things you need to do before show day. To get you started though, check out the documents listed on the right, which you will need to take care of before the entry deadline of May 25 (or May 4 if you're an early bird).

1) Read the Show Flyer. It has a lot of helpful information about the show itself, including a few rules and regulations.
2) ACFA Entry Form. You need to fill out one of these forms for EACH cat that you enter.
3) Chickadee Cat Club Entry Summary Form - You need to fill out just ONE copy of this form, no matter how many cats you enter. Submit this form and the ACFA Entry Form(s) to Bev Amos, with the entry fee, by the entry deadline.

Updated Show Poster and Coupons

Time is ticking away and we have just under two months left before the show! Right now we hope everyone is thinking about getting their kitty registered for the show. The early bird deadline to register is less than 1 month away (May 4).

Closer to the show, we hope that anyone who can will take a moment and put up a few posters in their local area. Since many people will only have access to 8.5 x 11 paper, Sherry has made up a slightly smaller version of the spectator poster for people to use.

CCC_2009_Show_Spectator_Poster_-_8.5x11_2009-03-19

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As an added incentive to get spectators out to the show, please also feel free to print off the following dollar-off coupons, and distribute them to friends and family (and total strangers, for that matter!). If you are talking to people about the show, the coupons are a great way to provide them with a little "written record" of the show information.

Coupon

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Pre-Show Fundraising Raffle Items

As promised, here are some pictures of the great prizes we have for this year's Pre-Show Fundraising Raffle, which is now underway. The raffle draw will take place at the Show on June 6, 2009 at the Capital Exhibit Centre.

We have three fabulous prizes to be drawn for:

1st - A cat themed, throw-size, “Cabin Cats” Rag Quilt (made by Louise Washburn and Sherry Pellerin)

2nd - Oak Cat Bed with Royal Canin Cat Food and Tunnel Toy (donated by Thompson Tigers and Royal Canin)

3rd - Feline Funky Lunch Bag with matching napkins, cutlery, and ice pack (made by Joan Gamble)

Please call Bev Amos, 459-2780, to get some tickets to sell and a poster to have with you so you can show people what the prizes are (and don’t forget to ask for lots of tickets because you’ll want to buy a bunch for yourself when you see these prizes!). If you have a place at work or elsewhere you can put up the poster, you can write your name on it with a note asking people to see you for tickets.

Ticket prices are:

1 for $1

3 for $2

9 for $5

Cat Show Workshop THIS WEEKEND!

It isn't too late to sign up for this weekend's cat show workshop! Please spread the word to all those "newbies" who might like to show a cat in this year's show. If you come to the workshop, it doesn't mean you are committing to attend the show. It's more of a dry run. If things go well for you and your kitty, then we hope you'll sign up for June 6. If you or your kitty are too stressed by the process, then that's okay, too! This is just meant to gently ease you in to the world of exhibiting. So please, come out to the Barking Lot this Saturday between 2 and 4, at 880 Hanwell Road, and don't forget to let Bev know that you're coming.

P.S. Listen for our announcement tomorrow morning on CBC's Information Morning, with Terry Seguin. Then, take a moment to drop Terry an email (infoam@fredericton.cbc.ca) thanking him for helping us out, and letting him know that there are lots of cat lovers in his "vast listening audience".

Raffle underway, and less than 2 weeks until the FREE Cat Show Workshop

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Everyone!

It's a sure sign that spring is approaching, and that means that the show is quickly approaching as well. One of our important fundraising activities is the Show Raffle, which was kicked off by Sherry Pellerin and Diane Patterson at Champlain Mall in Moncton on March 14. We're taking a break from the cat trees this time around (not that they aren't lovely!), and have some new prizes to entice you and your friends.

We have first, second and third prizes (with photos to follow soon):

First prize is a “Log Cabin Cat” Quilt. This quilt was made by Louise Washburn and Sherry Pellerin.

Second prize is an Oak Cat bed donated by the Thompson Tigers and a medium size bag of Indoor Royal Canin Cat food donated by Royal Canin pet food company.

Third Prize is a reusable lunch bag in Laurel Burch cat motif donated by Joan Gamble.

Tickets for these wonderful prizes will be available at the Club meeting on Sunday, and we are encouraging members to try to sell tickets for this raffle. We will also be selling them at the club table during the next 2 months at the various malls.

Tickets prices are:

1 ticket for $1.00
3 tickets for $2.00
9 tickets for $5.00.

The draw will take place on Saturday, June 6 at the Show.

Also, just a reminder that the FREE Cat Show Workshop is coming up on Saturday, March 28 from 2-4 pm at the Barking Lot (see previous post). There is still room available, so please consider signing up. Even if you aren't 100% sure you want to exhibit, you can still come to the Workshop.

Cat Show Workshop

Now that registration for the show is officially open, we know there are a lot of you out there who are thinking about signing up. We also know that if you're a "first-timer", you might be a bit nervous, and not quite sure what to expect from a cat show. In order to put your mind at ease the Club is holding a Cat Show Workshop, which will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about exhibiting your cat in an ACFA show. The workshop will take place on Saturday, March 28, from 2-4 pm at the Barking Lot, 880 Hanwell Road. There is NO CHARGE for the show, but we're asking that you register with Bev, at 506-459-2780, as seating is very limited.

Below is the poster for the event. We would be eternally grateful if you are able to print some off and put them up around town! :)
Cat Show Workshop Poster

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Pet Memorials

This is just a very brief post to let you know that again this year, a portion of the show Spectator Program is being dedicated to remembering the little souls we have loved and lost. If you would like to honour the memory of your pet by placing a memorial in the program there are several formats available, ranging from a one-line tribute (45 characters), up to a full 6"x7" page (even including a photo, if you wish). If you would like to publicly remember your companion in this way, please contact Sherry at spellerin@hotmail.com for pricing and formatting information.

Entry Forms

As promised, here are the last two forms you will need to register for the cat show. The first link will take you to the Chickadee Cat Club's Entry Summary form. This lists all of the entry fees for exhibiting cats and other associated costs. The second link will take you to the ACFA Show Entry Form. If you are entering a single cat, you need to fill out one of each form. For multiple entries, just fill out the Chickadee Cat Club's form once, but EACH CAT will need to have an ACFA form filled out. As always, if you need a hand there are lots of experienced people waiting to help you.
CCC 2009 Entry Summary Form 2009-01-28

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ACFA Entry Form 2009-01-28

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Hot off the Presses! Download show flyers & posters here.

Good morning, everyone! Now that we have our final ring sponsor (thanks to Victor's Grooming Place!) we can get our show posters and entry forms out. Click on the links below to see the documents. The first and second links take you to the Spectator Poster (in 2 sizes - 8.5 x 14, and 11 x 17). The third and fourth links take you to versions of the Show Flyer for "local" and "distant" people. Show entry forms will follow in another posting soon.

All the links will take you to www.scribd.com, where you can download the pdf files.

CCC_2009_Show_Spectator_Poster_-_8.5x14_2009-02-21

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Brochures & Catalogs cat show

CCC_2009_Show_Spectator_Poster_-_11x17_2009-02-21

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Published Research design photo

CCC_2009_Show_Flyer_-_Local_2009-02-21[1]

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CCC_2009_Show_Poster_-_Distant_2009-02-21

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Brochures & Catalogs cat show

Please let us know if you have any problems downloading the documents. If you have questions about how to fill in the forms, or which poster you should be putting up in your area, just let us know.

A tiny update...

Preparations continue for the Show, which is creeping up on us, slowly but surely! Perhaps the most exciting news is that we have secured our final ring sponsor - stay tuned for the big announcement of who it is. This is great news, since not only are all six rings now sponsored, but this allows us to kick our promotion into high gear. We've been waiting for the last generous folks to join us so we can finalize our posters and really start getting the word out. Part of the benefit of being a ring sponsor is that you get your logo on our poster, which goes from one end of the province to the other (and beyond!). As soon as the poster is ready to roll it will be posted here (I'll remove the other one, so I don't confuse people). It would be tremendously helpful if you could print some off and start leaving a trail of publicity behind you. For all of our friends who are not from the Fredericton area, we would really like your help getting the word out as well. Last year we had visitors from as far away as Quebec, Maine, and all over the Atlantic region. Just because the show isn't in your town doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile to promote it.



Also, just a brief reminder that the Club will be meeting this Sunday afternoon at the New Maryland Centre. It's our AGM, so there isn't a guest speaker, but we do need your votes and we want to fill you with snacks. If the food and Club business won't get you out, please consider coming to meet "Emily" (pictured above, but you really should see her "in action"). Formerly known as "Domino", she was adopted from the Fredericton S.P.C.A. through the Douglas Animal Hospital in December. Emily has a condition know as "Tumblers" or cerebellar hypoplasia. She's mostly fine, but she looks permanently "tipsy". At our March meeting Dr. Krista Foreman from South Paw Animal Hospital will be speaking to us about Special Needs Cats. Emily might not be able to make that meeting, so she's going to come out a month early to meet the Club. If you'd like to check out a video of some kitties with this condition, please follow this link to one of many youtube videos people have posted of their special kitties.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJQG6V1MOVY

Only 115 Days to Go...

It sounds like a lot, but when you're putting on an event of this size, those 115 days are going to slip right by!

We are almost ready to start accepting entries for this year's show. The entry forms should be available very, very soon, and when they are, they will be posted here. For someone who has never exhibited before, it can seem a bit scary to sign up for a show. To help ease the worry, one of the activities planned for the near future is a Cat Show Information Workshop. This is designed for all you first-timers out there who aren't sure what to expect from a cat show. We want you (and your kitty) to have some paws-on experience with what the set-up is like, what the show cages are like, and to have a chance to talk to experienced exhibitors BEFORE the big day.

The Workshop is going to be held at the Barking Lot at 880 Hanwell Road, in Fredericton, NB, on Saturday, March 28, from 2-4 pm. Because space is limited, we are asking people to register in advance, although there is no charge. Please contact Bev Amos for more information, or to register.

One of the other early things you can do is help us get the word out. If anyone is traveling within the Atlantic region (or even as far as Ontario, Quebec and Maine) and would be willing to put up some posters in appropriate places (vets, pet stores, wherever!) along the way, please let us know. You can print off show posters from the blog, or contact Bev or Jen for some pre-printed ones. For example, Jen is going to Bangor, ME and PEI in the next couple of months, and will be taking a stack of posters with her to distribute. If you want to go easier on the trees and have a favorite online site that you think should list our event, just let Jen know. All we ask is that you keep us posted on your postering activities so 1) we aren't duplicating efforts, and 2) we can do our best to take them down after the event. Don't worry if the timing of your trip seems early - it's better early than never! Last year we had exhibitors from Ontario, Maine, and all over the Maritimes, so we're hoping to get them back, plus a bunch more!

What is a cat show and what do I do there?

It's finally here - show day! You walk into a huge show hall at 7:30 a.m., and are greeted by row upon row of empty cages and vacant judging rings. There is excitement in the air as kitties and their people start to roll in... Speaking from experience, I know that exhibiting at your first cat show can be a bit nerve-wracking. However, if you are mentally and physically prepared for this very busy day, both you and your cat will have a fantastic experience.

The ACFA has some very useful resources describing what to expect at a show, and how to prepare. Follow these links to view their articles "How Do Cat Shows Work" and "The Cat Show".

These articles will tell you what to expect from the day, what to bring with you, and how judging and awards work. Consider bringing a friend to help you on show day. This will be especially important for the novice exhibitor with multiple cats (Thanks, Mom!). Cat show people are friendly and helpful. Don't hesitate to ask more experienced exhibitors or show staff for help.

Useful documents and show information

Good afternoon, Everyone,

As they become available, I will upload things like entry forms, show rules, advertising forms and the like. As my first attempt, here is the most recent version of the show poster. If any of the documents are changed or updated, I will do my very best to note it.

If you would like to have your cat (purebred or household pet) accumulate points from participating in shows, he or she needs to be registered with the ACFA (this can be done AFTER the show). Save half off the price of registering your cat by becoming a member. Follow this link to find the necessary forms: http://www.acfacat.com/forms.htm

Welcome!

The Chickadee Cat Club is proud to present the 2nd ACFA Championship and Household Pet Cat Show - “Birds of a Feather Flock Together Again”, to be held Saturday, June 6, 2009. The show is open to both purebred cats and household pets, including alters, and is a professionally judged, six ring event. This year’s judges will be coming from Kentucky, Iowa, Florida, Missouri, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia. In keeping with its theme of “Cats Helping Cats”, each year the Chickadee Cat Club chooses a cat or animal welfare organization as a “Benefit Organization”, which will receive a portion of the gate proceeds. This year’s organization is the Kindness Club (last year it was the Fredericton and Oromocto S.P.C.A.’s spay/neuter assistance programs, S.N.I.P

Last year’s event - the only one of its kind in New Brunswick - drew approximately 2500 spectators and nearly 100 cats. Exhibitors brought cats from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I., and as far away as Ontario and Maine. There were over 30 booths set up at the show, which included cat/animal welfare organizations (e.g. S.P.C.A.’s, Kindness Club, Ca-R-Ma), as well as many cat-themed vendors, and a very successful raffle and silent auction. Family entertainment, such as The Cat in the Hat, face painting, and a display of artwork by local children were also highlights. We are anticipating an even bigger and better show this year.

Besides being an opportunity for cat-lovers to gather together and show off their pets, this event is a chance to educate the public about cats, responsible pet ownership/breeding, and cat-related products. In particular, breeders in the region are working hard to raise public awareness of acceptable breeding practices, in hopes of reducing both “kitten mills” and the number of unwanted pets. This presents the public with the opportunity to meet with a number of registered, responsible breeders, who can help them choose their perfect pet. It also showcases the wonderful pets available from local animal shelters, as a great number of cats exhibited in the household pet division were originally rescued from shelters. With love and care they have become prized (and prize-winning!) family members.