SPECIAL EVENTS

 The Houston Cat Club is putting on its 58th Annual Charity Cat Show,Saturday and Sunday, January 9-10, 2010 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Hall A.

Will YOUR Cat Jump Thru Hoops?!! Come Watch Ours! **FOR THE 5th YEAR! CFA FELINE AGILITY COMPETITION** You've all heard about dog agility competitions, and have thoroughly enjoyed watching the dogs whip through the obstacle courses with determination and speed. Amazing how they can climb up and down those high steps and race through those weave pole areas. Now, can you actually imagine a cat lowering its dignity enough to do that? But, of course! Cats are definitely trainable and most are willing to follow a feather or dangling toy anywhere! It can also be pretty funny to watch, too!

Some cats take to the course like a duck to water, and have it down pat when it comes to running through tunnels and jumping through hoops. Others, though, seem to be more curious about the course, and will thoroughly inspect each obstacle before even thinking about tackling it. And then there are those competing cats who think the idea is to put their owners through the course paces, and give the humans a really good work-out while trying to coax them out of a tunnel or over a jump. Come Watch the Feline Agility Competition at the Houston Charity Cat Show!

PEDIGREED CAT COMPETITION: As many as 450 pedigreed cats and kittens will compete for awards given by 10 judges from the Cat Fanciers’ Association, Inc. Top ten finalists in the pedigreed division, consisting of 39 recognized pedigreed breeds (such as Abyssinians, American Shorthairs, Balinese, Birmans, Burmese, Chartreux, Maine Coon Cats, Cornish and Devon Rex, Norwegian Forest Cats, Persians, Scottish Folds, Siamese, Selkirk Rex, Sphynx Cats [hairless cat], and Tonkinese) will earn points towards titles of Grand Champion, Grand Premier and Regional and National Awards for the 2009-2010 Show Season. Siberians (native cat of Russia) and American Bobtails are the newest accepted championship breeds. The La Perms (curly coated cats), may also be evaluated by the judges in the Provisional Class.

HOUSEHOLD PET SHOW: Everybody’s favorites, the Household Pets, have the opportunity to be judged by 6 CFA judges and are eligible for ribbons and rosettes in each ring! Special competitions will be held for Best Costume and Tricks Performed by Cats. HHPs will also compete for the Best Decorated Cage.

OF SPECIAL NOTE: Dr. John R. August, Professor of Feline Internal Medicine at Texas A&M University, will be our special guest. He was the Deputy Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at TAMU from 1995 through 1997 and is currently the Editor in Chief of Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine.

BOOK SIGNINGS: Book Signings by award-winning feline authors Amy D. Shojai, known for her pet health care books, Carole Nelson Douglas, noted creator of the Midnight Louie Cat Mystery Series, and Dusty Rainbolt, known for cat care and behavior books, her monthly product reviews, and her quirky science fiction and fantasy novels, will be held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Waldenbooks will have copies of their books for sale, and the authors will happily autograph them for the purchasers.

These books include:
Amy D. Shojai: Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul; Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul; PETIQuette: Solving Behavior Problems in your Multipet Household; Complete Care for your Aging Cat; The First-Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats.

Carole Nelson Douglas: the latest in the Midnight Louie Mystery Series, Cat in a Sapphire Slipper and Cat in a Topaz Tango, as well as earlier books featuring Midnight Louie, Cat in a Red Hot Rage; Cat in a Quicksilver Caper; and Cat on a Blue Monday. From other series, Good Night, Mr. Holmes; Vampire Sunrise; and Dancing with Werewolves.

Dusty Rainbolt: the author of Cat Wrangling Made Easy: Maintaining Peace and Sanity in Your Multicat Home, Ghost Cats: Human Encounters with Feline Spirits, and Kittens For Dummies (yes, one of the famous Dummies series.) She’s also the author of a humorous science fiction novel, All the Marbles, and co-author of The Four Redheads of the Apocalypse (written with three other redheads).

ASK THE VET KIOSK: The Ask-The-Vet-Kiosk will be manned from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Spectators have the opportunity to discuss their pet cats' health with highly qualified veterinarians from the Houston Area.

CHILDREN’S EDUCATION: Children of all ages will enjoy learning about different breeds of cats and what all those ribbons hanging on the cages mean. Stop by the Children's Area for some fun and take part in the Coloring Contest and games. Prizes awarded!!
SHOPPING: A Shopping Mall – for the humans, and felines in their lives. Lots of vendors to stroll to and from in search for a variety of toys, treats, beds, climbing posts, premium cat foods, combs, brushes, shampoos, the latest in human and kitty attire, jewelry, home decor, candles, and other intriguing merchandise to purchase for yourself or to give as gifts.
Everything a Cat Lover Could Want!

BENEFICIARIES: HOUSTON AREA Animal Welfare Groups: The Houston SPCA, Citizens for Animal Protection, the Homeless Pet Placement League, The Houston Humane Society and The Winn Feline Foundation. Over the last 57 shows, the Houston Cat Club has donated $875,000 to these and other local charities as well as to the Winn Feline Foundation. In addition, the shelters receive free space at the show to show off their beautiful cats available for adoption. Donations come from spectators’ admission fees.

Visit our web site: www.houstoncatclub.org.