The Preston and Blackpool Cat Club Show, 28th March 2015.

On Saturday we went to the Preston and Blackpool Cat Club show in Preston. It was Monty and Deeks' second show and they were really well behaved and slept most of the day or just sat very chilled out watching the people go past.

We met some new people and saw some people we had met at the last show, its a nice little group of people we are getting to know. The kittens were both entered in 6 classes all together and here's how they did:

Monty:

Kitten Breed Class - 1st and Best of Breed (BOB).

Misc: 1st, 1st, 3rd.

Deeks:

Kitten Breed Class - 3rd

Misc: 2nd, 2nd, 3rd.

It seems at the moment, Monty is our little champ, but different judges mean different results so I'm sure Deeks will sneak up on him soon enough. Im so proud of my babies, they are 4 and a half months old now and growing so much, they are almost the same size as Phoebe cat now!

We were meant to have a break now until June as there are no shows close by, but today we entered the Cambridge / Bedford cat show which is on 25th April! I really enjoy the shows, and Im sure the boys do too. Here's to getting more rosettes for our display!

MCTP Photo Challenge April 2015

The first MCTP photo challenge is starting on the 1st April. Photo challenges are all the rage these days, mainly on Instagram but also Facebook and Twitter. The basics of it are, you take a photo of something, usually in a theme, using the prompt for that day and post it on social media using specific hashtags. They are just for fun, and using a hashtag means everyone doing that specific challenge can find each other and share their photos along the way.

The More Cats Than People photo challenge is all about cats, obviously! I have made the following graphic showing all the prompts for the month of April. I would love it if you would share this on Instagram or other social media and then on Wednesday when April arrives, share your photos and use the hashtag #mctpphotochallenge.

I hope you will join in with this challenge and use the hashtag so I can share some of my favourite photos over the course of the month! Do you think you'll be joining in? Let me know in the comments!

Cat Breeds I would Love To Own

I was reading the schedule for an upcoming cat show and discovered a cat breed I had not heard of before. The class was "A.C. Norwegian, Siberian or Nebelung Kitten". I had to google the Nebelung cat and they are beautiful! I have definately added this cat to the cat breeds I would love to own list.

There has been a 'nominate' thing going round facebook, probably just around the 'cat people' of facebook, which is. 'List 5 cat breeds you'd like to own and havent' and then nominate however many people to do the same. I actually havent done it yet, but I have been thinking about it and now I have this new breed to add! So... my top 5 breeds I'd love to own....

1. Maine Coon

They are very similar to my beloved NFC's, they get a bit bigger than NFC's and they havent slight differences in their face profile and head shape. I love big cats, so these have to be first on my list! Image from wamiz.com

2. Nebelung

Here's the Nebelung that I mentioned, I have to research more about them, they don't get very big, but they are bigger than a standard cat. They have green or yellow eyes and have long fur, long legs and a long body.
Image from boredbug.com

3. Bengal

This is one of the first breeds I fell in love with. What's not to love? They have such beautiful markings and huge personality. 

Image from playconquest.com

4. Siberian

This is another fluffy large cat, more rounded than a NFC or MC. They originated from Russia and have loving, active personalities.

Image from siberiankitten.webs.com

5. Ragdoll

Yes, another big fluffy cat, I just love them! Ragdoll's are known for going 'floppy' like a doll when held. They have big heads and are solid but have a gentle nature.

Image from bib.ge

I know they are all very similar cats, apart from the Bengal, but I would love one day to own one of each, I can dream! My true love though is Norwegian Forest Cats, and I can see me owning more of those too in the future.

What are your dream cat breeds that you'd love to own? Let me know in the comments or on the facebook page.

Easter Gifts for Cats and their Owners

Easter is on its way, and for many people who only love it for selfish chocolate related reasons, there is now another reason, and that is cat related easter cards, prints, gift and much more. I've been on Etsy and found my favourite Easter gifts for cats and people who love/own them.

The above cat bag, for carrying your Easter eggs, cat food and other things too. 

An easter egg fascinator for your cat. Yes- it's glittery Easter eggs for your cat to wear, on its head. I think probably brave owners or patient kitties for this one!

This cat with Easter egg print is painted by AmyLyn Bihrle. Visit her website or buy this print from her Etsy shop.

If you are an avid knitter, or even a beginner then try this egg warmer knitting pattern.

Which cat wouldnt want to eat a catnip carrot on Easter Sunday?

Or wear an Easter tie or Easter bowtie to look the part?

And finally, no home would be complete without these vintage-style Easter cat decorations.

I'd love any of these in my home this Easter, which one would you buy? Or is there something else, let me know in the comments!

Lancashire Cat Club Show, 14th March 2015.

I was meant to get this post done for Sunday but its been my birthday so I have had a busy few days, but finally here it is!

Saturday was Monty and Deeks' first ever cat show. We attended the Lancashire Cat club Show in Wigan which we entered in February with the help of the kittens breeder Linda Grant of Noynarock.

We got things ready to go the night before and set the alarm for 5am! I kept waking up all night every 2 hours or so because I was worried I would sleep through the alarm! We got up, put the kittens into their carrier and put them in the back seat of the car. Deeks was meowing his head off for the first 10 minutes but then settled down and they both curled up and went to sleep. It's an hour from our house to Wigan  so we set off at 6.30 and arrived at 7.30.

There was already a few other people and cats at the venue when we arrived so we got the cats out of the car and went to queue up for vetting in. The vet we saw was lovely and gave both kittens a kiss and cuddle after she had checked them. They have to be checked for any signs of illness, ear mites or fleas or anything that could be passed to other cats at the show. Once we had the vets 'ok' to enter the show we went to our pens, numbers 99 and 100. Got the kitties all settled in their pens, gave them breakfast and went for a coffee. We met some other people with Noynarock kittens and adult cats, there are quite a few Norwegian forest Cats from the Noynarock breeding.  We went back to the kittens, took out their food and toys and left them for the judging to take place. You can't be in the hall for the judging of the breed classes so it is closed to 'exhibitors' from 10-12.

We went for an early lunch and returned at 12 to see the kittens and check the result:

Monty: Breed Class 1st place!
Deeks: Breed Class 2nd place!

 

The other classes are called 'miscellaneous' classes and the judging for those takes place after 12 when the hall is open to exhibitors and visitors, so the results for the other classes trickle in over the afternoon. The kittens were both so happy sat in their pens and Deeks especially loved the attention from the visitors, he was definately the 'people's choice' as they walked past him and coo-ed and aww-ed at him. Monty was just taking it all in and had a snooze for most of the afternoon. The results for the other classes were:

A.V.  S. L. H. Non Breeders Kitten - Deeks 4th.

A.V.  S. L. H. Debutante Kitten - Deeks 2nd.

A.V.  S. L. H. Novice Kitten - Monty 2nd.

A.V.  S. L. H. Maiden Kitten - Deeks 3rd

A.C. Maine Coon or Norwegian Forest Kitten - Monty 3rd.

A.V.  S. L. H. Kitten (Club Class) - Monty 3rd,

So all in all, it was a very amazing and proud first show for both me and the kittens. The show closed at 5pm and we were all very tired and couldnt wait to get our feet up. When the kittens were home and had their tea then they were so giddy and running around like a pair of wildebeasts! Being cooped up all day meant they had alot of extra energy, whereas I fell asleep really early whilst watching TV!

What makes a Norwegian Forest Cat different?

If you've read any more of my blog posts you will know that our two newest recruits are Norwegian Forest Cat kittens. They are 16 weeks old now and are getting the trademark ruff and fluffy tail that Norwegians are famous for. So what else sets them apart from other cats? Here is Grand Premier Noynarock Milliemop (aka Millie) showing off some of her features. You can find out more about her on her facebook page. Thanks to her Mum (Charlotte) for taking the photo and letting me use it!

They are really beautiful cats, and their temperament makes them even more appealing. Our boys love nothing more than curling up on your knee, or chest, and going to sleep. They will purr away for half an hour after you have stopped stroking them, they really are lovers of people.

Thanks for reading, please share this post if you can to spread the word on how amazing these beautiful cats are!

How To Prepare For a Cat Show.

It is not long till Monty and Deeks go to their first ever cat show! We will be attending the 'Lancashire Cat Club Show' which is in Wigan on 14th March, this coming Saturday. I decided I would do a post sharing what I have learnt so far about the process of cat showing, starting with preparing your cat for the show.

If your cat has never been to a show before, you will need to make sure they are comfortable with strangers picking them up and handling them for a period of time. This is probably the most important thing to think about, you may have the most stunning cat, but if they cant be picked up without a fuss they wont be able to be judged. Try and get different people you know to come and pet your cat, pick them up and cuddle them. If your cat is lead trained, you can take them to places like 'Pets at Home' and they will meet other people there who will no doubt want to make a fuss of them.

You will need to prepare the cat for the vetting in process, which takes place before you get into the show hall. The vets will be checking the cat for things like clean ears, healthy coats without any fleas and making sure they are in good health. If your cat has fleas/mites or anything like that, you will not be able to take part in the show. Your cat must also be in good health, not too thin, and no signs of illness.

To prepare your cats, make sure you give their ears a good clean, I just use a baby wipe, these are fine to use on cats ears and to get the 'sleep' out of the corner of their eyes. The next step is to clip their claws. Just use human nail clippers and snip off the very end, this is just to make sure the judges dont get scratched by accident. Check your cats paws and give them a wipe with a baby wipe if they look a bit grubby, if necessary you can use warm water to clean them but don't use any soap as they will lick it off and might become ill.

Clipping claws

Next, make an effort to give your cat a brush/comb. I use a moulting comb, it has metal teeth of 2 different lengths. If your cat is long or semi-long haired, you should really comb or brush them weekly anyway, and this is what I do with Monty and Deeks. For the day before the show I will give them a more thorough brushing, and make sure their mane/knickerbockers and tail are extra poofy!

Monty investigating the cat comb

For the actual show day, you will need 'show whites' which are a white litter tray, white food and water bowl, and white blanket. You can use any colour litter you like in the litter tray but everything else should be white. You can put a favourite toy in with them too if you want to. You can feed them when you arrive, but the food has to be taken out of the pen prior to judging.

Show whites

When your cat has been vetted in and you get your pen number, go to your pen with the cat and use antibacterial wipes to give it a wipe round before you put your cats in the pen with their show whites. Then you can give them a final brush and let them be calm before you have to leave them for judging.

I hope you found this useful and I will do more about showing cats in later posts on my blog, so please come back to find out more.

Have you ever shown your cat? Leave me a comment about how it went!

Shiny New Layout and another kitten update...

Ive finally found a blog layout that I'm enjoying looking at and working on, its based on a layout from bloggercandy.com so thanks so much! I especially love the little kitten Ive made for my header on here. Not sure about the yellow but hopefully I will get used to that. I really like my font I found on 'dafont', its called 'Always in My Heart' which is quite apt for me at the moment.

In kitten news, they are growing so fast! It wont be long till Monty is bigger than Phoebe, and she knows it, so she is hissing and growling at them whenever she gets the chance. Victor is slowly getting more used to sharing me and the home with the two babies, he has taken a swing at Deeks a couple of times, but I know he is calming down and maybe even starting to -like... no- cope with them being around.

I couldnt sleep last night and ended up lying down on the sofa, well, the kittens loved that and were purring away, cuddling into me and being so loving. These kittens are definately going to grow to be gentle giants, they are so sweet and they really love to cuddle. Monty especially loves to cuddle into your face and love you. Deeks gets hot quite quickly so he prefers to give you a quick lick and then settle down and lie down next to you and curl up into your leg.

Thanks for reading this little update, its only a quick one as its teatime here. Thanks for following me on instagram (morecatsthanpeople) and liking the facebook page (facebook.com/morecatsthanpeople).

10 Places Cats Love to Nap!

Cats love to nap, they spend alot of time doing it hense the term 'cat-nap'. Heres a list of 10 places you might find your cuddly feline taking a nap...

1. Radiator

2. Cat Tree

3. Human's Lap/Chest/Head/Arm etc etc!

4. Human's Bed

5. Cardboard Box

6. Washing - clean!

7. In the dryer

8. Laptop/ Computer

9. Windowsill

10. Sofa including the arms and back.

Really anywhere they want to nap is fine by them!