{ My Life As Meowmy } : Getting Ready For a Show

So I woke up early this morning to an excruciating pain in my neck and shoulder. No sign of this devilry the night before but, lo! In the midst of peaceful slumber I was gripped by a sudden wrenching pain which tore me from sleep and catapulted me from the couch, where I've been sleeping whilst Cowboy is away on a hunting/cattle moving excursion for the past week. Hooray for pinched nerves.

You know the funny thing is, just like being a mom to actual little humans... When you are a rancher's wife and the Meowmy to show cats, you don't get a day off. Especially when today is the day that all the packing of the car, grooming of the cats, organizing of the show supplies has to be done. Oh, you're in pain? Sorry, Charlie! Up and at 'em. You have horses to feed and ducks to water and the car to clean out. Supplies to sort through and carriers to find and Sturdi shelters to pull out of storage to set up in the newly cleaned and sorted car full of various cat show paraphernalia.

This weekend's show is a particularly "big deal" in our small world, as it's Konah's first "big girl" show and Remi's last time showing as a kitten. The Rocky Mountain Cat Club's "Spooktacular" show is being held in Denver, CO. It's a 3-day show with a Sphynx Congress (meaning there will be a LOT of sphynx there) and campaigners flying in from all over the country. The count is somewhere around 150 cats each day, which is also exciting for us since it's our biggest show so far. I love, love, love that it's a "hotel show" meaning the show itself is in a hotel ballroom, and lodging discounts are also provided at the hotel, so most exhibitors will stay there with their cats. This means once we check in, we don't have to travel with our kitties! I love this because riding in the car for a 30 minute or longer drive across Denver after a long day at a show is really stressful on the cats (and me). I much prefer the five minute walk down the hallway and a ride up the elevator to our room. And since the Friday show goes from 3-9pm, I just love not having to be out on the roads that late at night.

So...getting ready for a show. There is a lot that goes into getting ready! I can only say, I am so glad I didn't decide to go with Persians when I was choosing a breed! Grooming a ten-pound kitten who has an aversion to water is always an interesting undertaking. Try doing it with a pinched nerve preventing you from turning your neck, and with no help! It went okay though, Remi is so meek and mild-tempered that he didn't throw a fit about the bath. Konah will be a different story in the morning. That girl has a set o' pipes on her, let me tell ya! She hates baths and particularly hates the blow dryer and will not hold back from letting the whole world know exactly how she feels. Don't worry, I get to practice a whole bunch of those scruffing-alternative "holds" I keep promising to make a video of for your edification. One of these days there will actually be another person around to film me performing these holds so I can finally share them with you!

I won't go into extensive detail about my grooming procedures here (that's for another day) but since I know someone will ask, I will share the products I use below:

GOOP (hand cleaner) - for greasy tails and bottoms of paws, back of hocks.

Whitening Shampoo (human kind) - for the white parts of the cat, obviously.

Jerob Degreasing Shampoo - for the whole cat.

Jerob Mahogany Gold OR Parisian Purple - depending on the color of the cat.

Jerob Texturizing Shampoo - for the whole cat.

This is the combination of products that I use for show baths - if you were to ask for a general, all-purpose product just for a one-rinse bath for a household pet, I would probably recommend just the degreasing shampoo, or Jerob's Herbal Shampoo. Though their prices seem a bit high, nearly every product Jerob makes is highly concentrated and therefore lasts forever. I literally am still working on the 8oz bottle of degreasing shampoo I bought two years ago when I first got Dusty. I highly recommend their products! (Plus most of them smell amazing.)

So if you live within driving distance of Denver, come on out to the Rocky Mountain Cat Club's awesome show this weekend and meet Konah, Remi, and about 150 other kitties! The show is being held at the Holiday Inn Denver East - Stapleton. Look for Rawhide Ragdolls, and come say hello!

Show Hours Are:

Friday 3pm-9pm

Sat & Sun 9am-5pm

~Meowmy