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Judge Mary Auth takes cats out of their cages one by one and inspects each feline in front of a crowd of 50 people. As she examines each cat, she tells the crowd what she is looking for.
"Look at his short nose and smooth dome. Beautiful cat. This will be my premiere second place...," Auth says.
As she reveals the rankings, the crowd erupts in applause. Each cat seems to have its own fan club. Proud owners and amused spectators admire the finely groomed specimens.
The judging continued all day Saturday and Sunday at the Carbondale Civic Center as the Southern Illinois Feline Fanciers put on their seventh annual Cat Fancy Association show.
Cats and their owners travel from around the region to take part in the two-day event.
Rows and rows of cages line the Civic Center show room. Each cage displays perfectly groomed cats of various breeds, and each has its own homey touches. Some are decked out with fancy satin pillows, lacy fabric, mini-fans and picture frames.
When the cats aren't lounging in their cages, they are being prepared for competition.
Robert Rosas prepares his white, fluffy Persian cat, Bubba. As he brushes and styles Bubba's fur, he gives the cat words of encouragement. Rosas, a Persian cat breeder from Kansas, said that it takes about three hours to get his cat ready to be shown. Preparation includes washing, drying, styling and touch-ups. Rosas even has a special blow dryer to give Bubba's fur more fullness.
It's not easy being beautiful, not even for cats.
These beautiful cats do not come cheap.
"Cats cost between $1,000 to $4,000," Rosas says. "It depends on the quality of cat and where you get it from."
Cats are judged by their breed's standards in three categories - longhair, shorthair and all-breeds. Kittens have separate categories and are defined as cats between the ages of 4 and 8 months. Adult cats are those that are older than the age of 8 months.
At one of the six rings, Judge Boris Teron of Melrose Park catches up on paperwork between rounds.
When Teron began his involvement with cat shows he was a Siamese breeder and founded two cat clubs in the Chicagoland area. After many years of training and apprenticeship, he was approved to become a cat show judge. Teron said the process took about five years.
Teron has been judging cats for 33 years. He said he works 30 shows a year and has had the opportunity to travel to many countries including Italy, Singapore, Australia and Germany.
"Travel is one of the perks of judging since the money isn't much," Teron says. "I don't judge cats for the money. I do it for the cats."
Teron said that while most cats are in top physical condition, some cats do not get enough attention when their owners have too many cats. Also, the traveling and crowds can be stressful on the cats.
To relieve some of that stress, Betty Rednour feeds her show cats baby food. Rednour traveled from Missouri with her husband and three cats to be in Carbondale this weekend. The couple has been breeding cats for more than 13 years. As she spoon-feeds her cat, she explains that the baby food relaxes the animals as well as keeping them from looking bloated and is a rewarding treat for her furry friends.
Most cats at the show are quiet and relaxed. An occasional "meow" can be heard, but for the most part, the cats seemed content being at the Civic Center.
Carole Glandon spins thread to pass time as her two British Shorthair cats take a nap. Besides Wellington and Miss Muffit, the two cats she has brought with her, Glandon totes along with her a photo album of the cats that are waiting for her back home in Iowa.
Glandon is clearly enthusiastic as she talks about her cats. Win or lose, she already has the greatest prize of the show.
"You don't make money breeding or showing cats," Glandon says. "But you do it because you love them."
