# calming at shows



## rcmadd (Feb 6, 2011)

we have taken our birman to 2 shows now, and each time he has tried to attack the judges, first time at the notts and derby he went for the open judge, so she put CNH, so we pulled him out of the other classes except 1..which he got 1st..
now at the shropshire show in stoke he did the same, tried to attack all the judges but this time we kept him in all 6 classes...he got 1st open but bob withheld.. and 3 3rd places..

is there anything we can do or give him to help stop thei behaviour?
at hiome he is such a loving cat..to see him like this at shows hes like a devil cat.


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## messyhearts (Feb 6, 2009)

It sounds like he doesn't like it which may mean you have to retire him. 

Have you thought about putting him in an exhibition pen & asking a couple of judges to handle him with you to witness to see why he is so angry?


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## raggs (Aug 3, 2008)

Sorry to hear of this, its quite possible he just doesnt like the shows,, sometimes this does happen and there really isnt a lot you can do, perhaps you could try some Feliway spray in his pet carrier on the way to a show, but sadly if he doesnt like shows then you wont change him, We stopped showing one of our boys for the same reason, and to keep on trying will only upset him even more, good luck with him...........CHRIS.


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## rcmadd (Feb 6, 2011)

feliway...might as well just spray water..
might just have to retire him...we have been there when a judge has handled him..he seems to get really hissy and lashes out..even at me.
for an 8mth old he would have had a really good collection of awards as judges have said to us..hes a really good looking cat..its his temprament that lets him down.


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## raggs (Aug 3, 2008)

Sadly it happens, as for Feliway , well i swear by it.


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## raggs (Aug 3, 2008)

Did you breed him ??


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## rcmadd (Feb 6, 2011)

not bred by us..he was bought from the yorkshire county show where he was being shown the first time by the breeders/owners(joan hobson).. a well know birman breeder.
but when we got him(the next day).. he hadnt been around other cats..only his brother.


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## raggs (Aug 3, 2008)

It seems that there lays the problem, he prob sees the other cats at the shows as a threat and this is his way of reacting, some just never do take to showing sadly, best wishes.....chris


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## rcmadd (Feb 6, 2011)

many thanks.
we are going to give him one last try.. at the north birman show sheffield in april... after that if he still the same..then we will just stick to our 2 pedigree pet raggys.
one of which won 4 first..inc best of veriety and a 3rd..at the notts & derby show.


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## raggs (Aug 3, 2008)

Hve you tried him in a double pen, another thing worth trying is, when you get to your pen, ask for a couple of boards that they supply that fit down each side of your pen to prevent him from seeing the cats next to him. good luck with him.........Chris.


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## rcmadd (Feb 6, 2011)

we have had the boards up at shows we have been in..
we will try a double pen at the birman show in april... tbh im not holding my breath.:frown:


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## Donskie (Feb 2, 2011)

Anything is worth a try, he was only a couple of pens away from my tortie tabby girl at the Notts and Derby show and I remember talking to you about him at the time. I wish I had some more advise for you, will put my thinking cap on and ask a couple of friends what they would recommend. He is such a lovely birman boy and it would be so nice to see him through this current situation.


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## rcmadd (Feb 6, 2011)

thanks for that donskie.. it will be a shame..we bought him as show but not expecting him to be a madcat during a show..lol

hes such a darling at home,,the only one that comes for a stroke and a cuddle.


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## Donskie (Feb 2, 2011)

Have you tried to reproduce a similar environment at home for him by placing him in a cage (pen type setup) etc. I had a nightmare with Willow at her first kitten show (Birman Show 2009) and she absolutely trashed her pen and got very distressed. She was good for the judges but it was her distress that worried me. We spent ages with her at home in a pen and she did start to calm in that environment. At her next show (3 months later) you'd have thought I'd taken a different cat. I am now showing her daughter (Babooshka) and she is totally different and taken it all in her stride. Looking forward to the Coventry and Leicester show now later this month.


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## rcmadd (Feb 6, 2011)

we have taken him to the grooming salon..put him in a cage,, with white blanket litter tray ect.. and got 2 people hes never met to get him out and handle him.. he was good for them.. unfortunatle none of them have white lab coats.


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## Donskie (Feb 2, 2011)

Its probably a white coat thing, so glad my vet doesn't wear a white coat else they'll be trouble, lol. Maybe with a bit more time, he'll come round. Maybe even change the routine of preperation on the lead up to a show, I dunno what else to suggest at the moment. I start preparing 2 weeks before a show so the cats don't have such a traumatic week beforehand. The less stress that they have the week before and me, the better.


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## raggs (Aug 3, 2008)

How does he react to the other cats ?
chris


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## rcmadd (Feb 6, 2011)

hes good with our other cats..he plays and eats and mixes with them no problem...a bit iffy with the dogs..though.. but hes never seen a dog till we got him.
hes a bit iffy with us at the shows.. when we put hands in he'll have a growl


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## messyhearts (Feb 6, 2009)

Such a shame. We have a Birman boy who has decided he isn't too keen at the moment. We're giving him a break for a while but a friend said to me "that's the Birman attitude for you" about his spitting. Not when he's at home it's not!


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## raggs (Aug 3, 2008)

Hi sorry thats what i meant at the shows...our boy charlie is brill at home with our other cats and dogs but take him to a show and he changes completely..
We managed to get him to priemier with alot of worrying on the show days as he was so unpredictable.He would get worse as the day went on. He got his opens judged but by the time we were allowed back in he had just about had enough so we would ask for him not to be juged in the side classes.
It came to ahead at the progressive cat show.we got him a double pen hoping this would help it didnt ,when we were allowed back in his open judge spoke to us and said that they could not go near him as he was very aggresive. he even went for me which was not like him.
We were able to take him out of the show and bring him home as it was not fair on him or the other cats either side of him as it was distressing them and him.
We were so upset about not being able to show him but he is our pet first and we love him so much that it was so unfair to keep trying to show him any further..
best wishes chris


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## poshmog (Mar 2, 2009)

Sorry hun,its not a white coat thing,I was stewarding for the judge he lashed out at ,and I didnt have a white coat on.

Lovely boy ,but he is sooo cross about being at a show,if he does this again I would take him off the show bench ,as there is a distinct possibilty that he could end up with a biting certificate.

You could leave him a six month period and then pick a small show to see if growing up a bit helps.
But unfortunately because they are sold as show quality it doesnt follow they are going to enjoy it.
I had a chocolate persian who at home was loving and cuddled you ,but at a show ,he sulked big style and wouldnt show himself off,so I made the decision to leave him at home.


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## rcmadd (Feb 6, 2011)

we are going to leave him now until april..then try again at the birman show.
if hes still not good then retirement it is. we have 2 raggys to show in pedigree pets to fall back on..untill we can get another birman for showing.

many thanks for all the help..


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