Our banner cat for September is CFA's Fifth Best Kitten GC, NW
Cottontop Love Poppet!
, a dilute calico Persian female.
(photo by Chanan)
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October 31
Entries for the CFA International Show close on this date. The show flyer is available here.
November 1
Registration for BAOS closes
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What to give your upcoming show a little boost? The CFA Newsletter is offering clubs the ability to place banner ads to help promote their shows.
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September is bringing us the first blush of fall. Here in central North Carolina that means bright blue skies and a noticeable drop in humidity, and resurgence of energy as the thick, hot blanket of summer peels away.
That's still not the case for many of our fanciers in the southernmost and Gulf of Mexico areas. Many are still without power with the normalcy of life swept away by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. I am always impressed with fanciers' caring responses to their fellow fanciers impacted by these sort of event. Like most families we have our disagreements, but still - we are family.
On to this month's news. Travel safe and best wishes to you and your kitties.
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Our thoughts are with those of you who have experienced either of the recent hurricanes in the southern areas of the USA. We hope you came through it safe, that property damage, if any, was minimal, and that if you lost electricity that it was quickly restored.
September brings us a show calendar with an increased number of cat shows which continues to increase in the coming months. I hope you have attended some shows and that you have plans to attend more. While I am sure each of you has set some goals for your cats, perhaps a grand title or perhaps an end-of-season award, please keep in mind that we each got into this hobby to enjoy ourselves.
Last weekend I served as a show manager and it brought to mind the many people who volunteer their services to make our shows possible. My personal thanks. Without those wonderful workers, we would not have any shows. Next time you complain about the judging schedule or wonder how you wound up with that benching, try to remember that someone volunteered to tackle that task and they tried to do it right.
I spent some time today checking out flight schedules for the CFA International Cat Show which is being held November 18-19 in Portland, Oregon. I hope many of you are planning to join us. This year there is no Red Show nor Purple Show. It's all one big show with half the judges handling Kittens and half the judges handing Adults. Committee Chair Rich Mastin, CFA's Special Events Coordinator Allene Tartaglia, Show Manager Pam Moser and her committee are all working hard to make this a terrific event. There is lots of information about the show on
CFA's website
.
Enjoy the rest of this month's newsletter.
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Terri Barry
CFA Executive Director
It's hard to believe its September already. Here in northeast Ohio we are already experiencing it - schools are in full swing, we are seeing reds and golds in our trees and even experiencing some cooler days. September is a time of transition as we say goodbye to summer and hello to autumn. Here at C.O. we have transitioned from the 2017 Annual to the 2017 International Show to be held in Portland, OR, as well as preparations for hosting CFA's October Board meeting.
Meanwhile, have you been noticing the CFA name in the news? We recently partnered with Royal Canin and other associations to develop a
press release
about "Take Your Cat to the Vet Day". We've also worked with the Winn Feline Foundation and other associations on a release about
Cures4Cats Day
, highlighting the benefits of feline health research.
CFA now has a Lands' End storefront.
Cat fanciers can order any item available on the Business Outfitters section of Lands' End and have the CFA logo or the Ambassador Cat logo applied. The shirts worn at recent CFA events by show management (2016 International and World Cat Congress) were from Lands' End. The business section has many of the same items which are available from the regular Lands' End store but if you want the CFA logo applied you'll need to order through the business section. Promotions change on a regular, almost weekly basis and could include free logo application, free shipping, percentage off order, etc. CFA is not involved in the ordering and fulfillment process in any way. This is a service provided by Lands' End to businesses at no cost. All items including those embroidered with a logo can be returned to Lands' End for a full refund.
Before I have Allene bring you up to date with the Portland show, some housekeeping first: If you haven't claimed your awards from the 2017 Annual please contact Allene and she will be happy to assist getting these to you. You may reach her at
atartaglia@cfa.org
. Over the past month, many of you have been using Facebook messenger regarding questions about registration. While I assure you we receive all of your questions and comments, the quickest way to receive a response about your registration questions is to contact C.O. directly. Please keep in mind that we cannot answer your questions via social media.
Now an update from Allene on the 2017 C.I.S.
As you are aware the 2017 C.I.S. will be held at the Portland Expo Center in Portland, OR November 18th - 19th. Entries for the CFA International presented by Royal Canin opened on September 7th and are being received on a steady basis. Don't forget about Early Bird entries. A discount applies for entries paid by 12:00 noon, Eastern Standard Time, on October 20th. The regular and final closing date is October 31st.
There will be plenty of shopping opportunities - vendor spots are almost sold out.
Three of your favorite cat show photographers will be present - Chanan, Larry Johnson and Tetsu.
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by Mary Auth
Entries for the CFA International Cat Show - presented by Royal Canin are coming in at a fast pace. Only open five days and already there are more than 160 entrieKeep them coming and don't wait until the last minute. Save $10 per entry - early bird entries close on October 20 at noon.
The CFA International Cat Show - presented by Royal Canin is November 18-19, 2017 in Portland Oregon. The show features a total of 16 rings of competition, plus Agility. Be sure and check out
Moshow, the YouTube sensation along with his Devon Rex and Sphynx.
Six hotels close to the Portland Expo Center (show venue) offer attractive rates - check the CFA web site for properties and rates. Some provide shuttle service to the show hall. For those exhibitors arriving from outside the U.S., please check the pet traveling requirements for your country of origin. CFA is working with USDA officials to make your trip to the U.S. welcoming.
Pam Moser and her team are still actively selling commemorative pins with two designs to choose from. Each is $10. Watch for them at a show near you.
The show flyer is available here
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| CFA BAOS at International Show |
 Pat Jacobberger,
Education Chair CFA Judging Program
There will once again be CFA Breed Awareness and Orientation School held in conjunction with the CFA International Show! The school be held November 16-18, 2017, with classes held at the Courtyard by Marriott Thursday and Friday, and the practical (handling) portion of the school held on Saturday in the show hall.
A flyer with complete information is available
here . Deadline for registration is Wednesday, November 1. CFA Judges may attend this school for continuing education credit.
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by Tim Schreck
CFA IT Chair
A major enhancement has be made on the CFA entry clerk program.
Color classes in the judges books are now being grouped together on a single page, unless there are more than one page of color class entries. Next, we will be adding back the two rows of space between CH and GC.
Work is continuing on special items within the entry clerk program for the upcoming International show and it should be completed by the end of this month.
Programming has been completed which tracks corrections to Central Office records. This should help aid in identifying areas of concern.
Some of you may have noticed that PayPal is now available in Ecats.
We are nearing completion of the programing to create the show schedule from the new system. Work continues on the other aspects of show licensing and judges' information in order to remove these from the HP soon. Work is also continuing on moving defining other applications to move from the HP.
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Teresa Keiger
Editor
The October issue of Cat Talk is in its final stages of preparation. Expect it in your mailboxes around the first weekend of October. This month, we take a look at charitable giving within the CFA realm of organizations as many people participate in "Giving Tuesday."
In the fall of the year, we like to take a look at cats in the fall of their lives. We have a profile of a cat who is prominent in CFA's Veteran class, and a few tips to pass on to pet buyers with senior cats.
Have you been enjoying our "What You Don't Know About..." series on various CFA breeds? This month, we take a look at the European Burmese.
As always, we welcome your suggestions for article topics and feedback about Cat Talk. Please feel free to contact me at tkeiger@cfa.org
Don't miss this or any other issue of Cat Talk!
Check
here for subscription details!
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WINN FELINE FOUNDATION
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A list of our donors contributing $100 or more in August is available
Support FIP Research: Can you imagine a world where all cats with FIP are Cured? Winn Can! Continued funding of the Bria Fund and FIP research is more important than ever. This year, in lieu of the traditional annual physical raffle, the Bria Fund is holding the Cures for Every FIP Cat Virtual Raffle. It will run until September 30, 2017. If you have ever donated a prize for a Bria Fund raffle or were planning on donating a prize this year, please make a donation instead. If you have ever donated and received raffle tickets to win prizes, please donate again this year. If you haven't done either but have lost a kitty yourself, or know someone who lost a fur angel to FIP, please donate as well.
With cures in sight, it is now the time for you to reach out to friends, family, vets, and other cat and animal lovers to ask them to donate to help cure all types of FIP! Unlike most raffles, making a donation of any amount makes you and all the cats who will benefit, winners! Details can be found
here
See you at the International! Winn Feline Foundation will have a booth at the International Cat Show on November 18 in Portland, OR. Come by and visit with Executive Director Dr. Vicki Thayer.
Cures4Cats Design Contest: The Winn Feline Foundation is calling all creative cat lovers everywhere to submit an original creative design for our new initiative, Cures4Cats. The winner will receive an award of $250.00, plus wide recognition as the designer and winner. There will also be two honorable mention designs chosen. The winning design will be used on promotional items such as tee shirts. Designs must be submitted to
info@winnfelinefoundation.org from October 1, 2017, through December 15, 2017. The winners will be announced in early 2018. When e-mailing your design, use Cures4Cats Contest as the Subject Line and provide your full name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. Designs should contain the following words: Cures4Cats and Winn Feline Foundation, and also feature a photo or image of one or more cats. Winn will require a signed release to use any photos or images. A maximum of 3 designs may be submitted per entrant and must be submitted via separate e-mails.
Cures4Cats Day will be celebrated at the AAFP conference on October 21. Dr. Margie Scherk will present highlights in feline medicine over the past 50 years.
To help celebrate, Winn's highly anticipated 50th Anniversary book, sponsored by Merck Animal Health, will be available for the first time. This beautiful book highlights the important feline health advances made possible through Winn-funded research. With unique cover art by well-known artist Jamie Perry and detailed articles, this book makes a wonderful addition to any cat lover's home.
2018 Winn Call for Proposals: Feline researchers around the world were recently notified that grant applications are now being accepted for consideration for next year's funding cycle. A New Investigator Grant Award has been sponsored to fund a feline genomics project in order to encourage new researchers in this field.
Planned Giving (tax) tip for August:
The Internal Revenue Service is warning taxpayers about fake charities soliciting contributions for hurricane relief. The IRS suggests ways to avoid scam artists posing as charitable organizations by following these tips (edited for brevity): "Be sure to donate to recognized charities. Be wary of charities with names that are similar to familiar or nationally known organizations. ... Don't give out personal financial information - such as Social Security numbers or credit card and bank account numbers and passwords - to anyone who solicits a contribution. ... Never give or send cash... contribute by check or credit card or another way that provides documentation of the donation." Before making a donation you can determine if the organization is a qualified charity at: https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/
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By Kelly Crouch, CFA Legislative Information Liaison
APHIS Seeks Input About Possible New Rules While Massachusetts' Legislature Considers Bills About Noneconomic Damages for Negligent Acts Against Pets Pet Shops and Pet Shops
On August 24, the Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) published an "Advanced notice of proposed rulemaking and request for comments." APHIS plans to revise licensing requirements and is soliciting comments responding to four specific questions with recommendations and supporting data. The notice includes discussion of nine areas of potential changes that provide context and issues for drafting responsive comments. Those familiar with the licensing and compliance process will be the most knowledgeable, but activist policy organizations will comment to advance their own concerns. Specific questions are whether licenses should have an expiration date rather than simple renewal, whether fee changes are warranted, whether individuals and businesses with suspensions or revocations should be prohibited from other covered AWA activities and other specific recommendations for "reducing regulatory burdens involving the licensing process or otherwise improving the licensing requirements under the AWA." Although few cat fanciers need USDA licenses, we have an interest in reasonable but enforceable, credible regulations that protect both animals as well as conscientious, reputable operators.
The regulations.gov site provides all information, docket details, submitted comments (currently 2378) and online comment submission form. Comments are due by October 23, 2017.
Massachusetts
Senate Bill 882
If enacted, SB 882 would authorize courts to award non-economic damages in cases when a person willfully, wantonly, recklessly or
negligently kills or injures (or causes another to do the same) an animal-companion. An animal-companion means "a dog, cat, or any warm-blooded, domesticated non-human animal dependent on one or more human person for food, shelter, veterinary care, or companionship. The non-economic, or emotion-based, damages are capped at $25,000. Senate Bill 882 would overturn hundreds of years of legal precedence allowing emotion-based damages for pets where they would not be allowed for grandma. Although some animal rights activists advocate expanding this liability to negligence cases involving animals, generally courts and legislatures have refused to embrace the arguments they present. Most legislators quickly learn that changing the law for cases involving negligence would increase the cost of pet ownership and ultimately harm animals. It would also increase the liability of veterinarians, groomers, drivers, and pet-less home owners. This topic is explored further in "Harming Pets Through the Expansion of Emotion-Based Damages," an article in the upcoming October 2017 issue of Cat Talk. Senate Bill 882 would allow courts to award emotion-based damages
Senate Bill 470
Twenty-three Massachusetts state representatives and senators placed SB 470, a pet shop ban bill, into the legislative process using a petition. The bill provides a pet shop may not sell, deliver, offer for sale, barter, auction or otherwise dispose of a cat or dog. There are three exceptions. One is for public or private charitable nonprofit animal organizations. A related exception is for cats or dogs being adopted out on behalf of the organizations identified in the first exception. The last exception is for pet shops selling "a cat or dog that was born and raised by the owner of the pet shop in a separate facility." Unlike some of the localities targeted by followers of this ban movement, Massachusetts licenses, inspects and regulates pet shops. Per state law, a pet shop is "every place or premise where birds, mammals or reptiles are kept for the purpose of sale at either wholesale or retail, import, export, barter, exchange or gift." Among those exempt from the licensing requirement are persons "selling, exchanging or otherwise transferring only the offspring of their personally owned animals."
Please report legislation happening in your area to the Legislative Group -
legislation@cfa.org
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by Candilee Jackson
CFA Ambassador Program Chair
Fall is just days away, and everyone is already back into the swing of things: kids in school, vacations are now memory, and plans are in the air for homecomings and fall festivals, and CFA's ambassadors are chomping at the bit to get into libraries, schools and senior centers with their cats.
The top most excitement among ambassadors has been the new CFA coloring books: these gems are exceedingly popular, and our ambassadors have none left by noon on Saturday! Congratulations to the A-Cats on their tremendous success of their outreach tool!
Region 3: Janis Walkingstick 
CFA is front and center in the Sept/Oct "Oklahoma Today" magazine which is published by the State of Oklahoma. In its Animal Issue, Gulf Shore Region Ambassador director, Janis Walkingstick, was one of the people interviewed, and her cat, GC Walkingstick's Stompdancer, an odd-eyed white Exotic, made the front page of the article. Another of her cats, GC Walkingstick's Salute to Crown E, was also featured. The article describes the mechanics of showing a cat, is well written and includes many beautiful TICA cats as well. CFA is referenced as the largest cat registry in the world. Walkingstick is quoted as saying, "The first objective of the CFA Constitution is to promote the welfare of all cats." Among other things, the article includes CFA's interest in household pets and mentions that many CFA clubs help promote adoption organizations.
In other Gulf Shore Region news, the CFA coloring books were a big hit at the recent show in Alexandria, LA.
Region 5: Shari Millar and Sydney Bronson
The Glendale show hosted by the Opposites Attract Club, had 194 entries. All classes were well represented, and came from various regions. A nice variety of vendors and good food was available along with Grand parties. The show hall was colorful and the show ran smoothly, and ended on time. This show enjoys a large of gate, as it is a popular location, and has lots of kitten sales, providing ambassadors with many opportunities for outreach.
The Hemet Feline Fanciers Show was fun and high calories as always. They had their usual nice gate consisting of many families, a fantastic raffle and a nice selection of vendors. SCAR (Southern California Abby Rescue) had their great traditional fundraiser with home-made sandwiches and homemade cookies. The club's ice cream sundaes are always anticipated with glee. The show ran smoothly and exhibitors were out by 5:00. Good time was had by all.
Region 6: Cheryl Boyer and Candilee Jackson
Held at the Exposition Gardens in Peoria, Illinois, the American Gothic Cat Club put on a terrific show on September 9-10. One thing that was pretty awesome was that ALL of the Sangamon County Animal Control kitties were adopted. There were lots of vendors and their much anticipated gigantor raffle. The gate was phenomenal: the spectators asked tons of questions, and were attentive during the judging. The show was blessed with very good group of judges who interacted with the spectators, giving their wealth of knowledge. Everything went smoothly . . . the club put on an awesome show!
Region 8: Takako and Masanari Kojima
The end of the summer was marked by the Singapula Cat Club's 4th Cat Show on September 9-10 at the Osaka ACT III Hall in Osaka, Japan. The show had a great number of both new and young exhibitors so Takako was very busy distributing ASK ME pamphlets.
"One of my friends from Tokyo came to this show to support her friend in Osaka who was showing an HHP and a kitten for the very first time. I helped her register the HHP which came from a rescue shelter. 
Two spectators who has one of my kittens, also came to see CFA show for the first time. They were so interested with CFA cat show and Raptor. I recommended them to show my two kittens in the near future, and they said they would love to do so. We are very welcoming with new exhibitors!
On Saturday and Sunday, the new exhibitor's HHP, a spay, made all finals including Best HHP! And her kitten made one final! The owner, a brand-new exhibitor, was so surprised to have so many beautiful rosettes. Of course, the owner asked me to help her with the entry procedure for next show. This was unforgettable show for my friends.
One little girl came to Raptor, and wanted to touch and play with him. Raptor loves little girls so much!
Several veteran exhibitors came to pick up Grand and Award Point Charts at the ambassador booth since I had prepared it for them. There were several new Grand Champions on Saturday and Sunday!
Masanari was busy to show my male and he became new grand champion, too
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by Carmen Johnson-Lawrence, Chair
Spotlight on National Divisional Winners - Cubs Division National Winner
This month, the Youth Feline Education Program shines a spotlight on Abigail Vaughan from the Southern Region! Abby has been a member since 2014. Mostly showing in the Southern Region, she can also be found in the North Atlantic Region and sometimes the Great Lakes Region. This past season she attended about 25 different shows. Abby traveled as far north as Massachusetts and as far south to North Carolina, in addition to hitting New York, Ohio, Michigan and Tennessee; as well as her local shows in Maryland and Virginia!
Abby started showing long before entering YFEP. She began with her HHP when she was 5 years old and he was just 4 months old. Since then she's also shown Cornish Rex in Premiership, Championship and Agility! Two of her Cornish Rex have been national agility winners, and a third was a Southern Regional Winner and 3rd Best of Breed Regions 1-9 this past season!
You'll see Abby showing a kitten this season, and she is expecting a litter of kittens soon! She will also continue to show her HHP. You might just see her walking around the show hall with one of her Cornish Rex dressed up engaging spectators. She is frequently hanging out with fellow YFEP exhibitors in the show hall.
Abby, who just started 5th grade also plays softball and trumpet. And she has this new found fascination of roller coasters!
Congratulations Abby on all you have accomplished here in CFA YFEP and beyond!
Be on the lookout for YFEP members at shows you attend! We've added new members in the North Atlantic and Great Lakes Region! You'll find members in every region!
If you know a youth that is interested in the Youth Feline Education Program, please contact Carmen at carmenlawrence.yfep@gmail.com for more information.
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| Our friends at Motel 6 would like CFA to continue to receive the 10% discount at participating locations by using the new updated reservation code of OAPHHT. There is a dedicated reservation site for CFA at https://www.motel6.com/en/cp/cat-fanciers-association.html or you may call 800-466-8356. |
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Discounts Available to You!
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by John Adelhoch, Regional Director
As expected the club held one of the NAR region's premier shows, N.E.M.O.'s show held in Sturbridge, MA. This club focuses on fun and excitement not only for the exhibitors but for all the guests who passed through its gates. As it is a hotel show, we all enjoy the ease of showing and having it all under one roof. Not many hotel shows are left in our region. Iris Zinck was a wonderful hostess for their annual Saturday night buffet barbeque, offered at a very reasonable price.
On Sunday the club held its exhibitor and cat costume contest. The show had several Pet Me Cats for spectators to see and pet. As always, the HHP exhibitors turned out to support the club showing a large entry. As I have said many times it's not just a weekend of showing our beautiful cats, it should be a time for all of us to get together and have fun and promote CFA. The club proved all this by giving us some fun throughout the weekend. Kudos to all its members I applaud all the hard work you do every year to make it one of the region's finest shows!
That's it for now, and remember: "These are the Best of Times"
So get out there and show!
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Terri Zittel, Regional Secretary
First of all, Region 2 sends their prayers and best wishes for the cat fanciers in the paths of Irma and Harvey. Hopefully you and your cats are all safe from the storms.
On September 2nd and 3rd the High Sierra and Poppy State Cat Clubs held a two day back-to-back show in Auburn, CA at the Gold County Fairgrounds. This was a new location for the clubs and the weather was unseasonably warm. The swamp coolers, extra fans and ice kept the exhibitors, cats and judges reasonably cool. 
The gate was fantastic! Lots and lots of spectators and they were very interested in what was going on at a cat show. The rosettes were adorable! They reflected the show's gambling theme on its buttons drawings of cats gambling. Very cute! The clubs had a great raffle with a special raffle of cat portraits done by a local artist, Jennifer Cullings. (see right)
 Also of note was the two Bengal kittens in the Miscellaneous class. They were adorable and I have included a picture of one of the kittens in Vicki Nye's ring.
Seattle Cat Club will hold a second one day show in Longview, Washington on September 23rd. We are looking forward to this annual show.
The International Show is now open for entries. The show is being held in Portland, OR this year at the Portland Expo Center. The dates are November 18-19, 2017. This is one show this year so be sure to get your entries in early for the Early Bird pricing. We are so excited to have the show on the West Coast this year. Please join us for this terrific event.
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by Kathy Black, Regional Director
The Gulf Shore Region is a very large region, and a large portion of it is on the Gulf of Mexico. And that can be problematic when hurricanes come to visit. Harvey hit our region like no other hurricane in recent history has. Over 11 million people and 53 Texas counties were hit hard by Harvey.
But just as large as our region is, so is the size of our heart. People volunteering their time to help their neighbors; our cat fancy family checking in so we know they are safe; people sending donations, water, food, blankets, clothing - whatever they could to help those in need. People volunteering at shelters to help the lost and left-behind animals.
I am happy to report that the members of our cat fancier family have checked in safe and sound. We are very thankful for this. We know they have family and friends who were not so fortunate. Houston and the surrounding area is going to be a mess for a long time to come. Please keep those in this region in your thoughts and prayers as their daily lives will not be "normal" for a long time to come.
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Carolyn Owen with Laura Loomis and Carissa Altschul's winning cats
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Hurricane Harvey heading toward Houston that did not stop some of our most faithful exhibitors from attending the Cenla Cat Fanciers show in Alexandria, Louisiana. There were two walls of raffle table items, great comradery between the exhibitors, excellent Cajun food provided by Eric Paul, and wonderful cats on display. Warren Joubert and his hard-working club members produced another wonderful hotel show.
Thanks to Mike Altschul's Facebook advertising, this show saw more spectators than ever before. Most were first time cat show attendees and their excitement of seeing the cats was infectious. One spectator drove from the Dallas area to visit the show. That's over 4 hours! Most of the visitors were young people which is the age group we are trying to market and hopefully interest new
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GP, NW Abizaq Exacta of Idlemaine
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exhibitors. Thank you to all the exhibitors who took the time to explain the show, your cat, and cultivate an interest with these first-time attendees. Pat Idleman brought Zack as a "pet me cat." And said he was exhausted after all the handling from the visitors. But he loved every minute of it. Thank you, Pat, for making the trip with Zack and giving the visitors a thrill to meet such a wonderful example of the Maine Coon Cat.
Our region's next show is September 30 - October 1 in Loveland, CO. Foot of the Rockies and National Maine Coon Cat Club are planning a wonderful 8 ring show for you. Be sure not to miss this one!
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by John Colilla, Regional Director
Our region is very active in social media with a Facebook page as well being a member of Pinterest. Please stop by and check out what is going on in our region here.
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Banners featuring Great Lakes cats and the YFEP program
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Show Reports
Monroe Shorthair Club Sunday, August 20, 2017
The Monroe Shorthair Cat Club hosted their annual show on Sunday, August 20th with over 160 entries. It has been quite a few years since the count has been this high! The club thanks our Great Lakes Region members for their support as well as our neighboring regions! The club was also excited to have one of the local TV stations drop by and record footage that appeared throughout the day on their 24-hour news channel. Attendance for this show also increased, in part to the increased sponsorship from CFA which allowed the club to continue advertising in local pennysavers and increase targeted Facebook advertising. The discount coupon on the Great Lakes Region website, along with coupons run with ads continue to be successful! Monroe Shorthair thanks CFA for the sponsorship and the Great Lakes Region for continuing the have the discount coupon online!
National Siamese Cat Club 
On behalf of the National Siamese Cat Club, I would like to thank everyone who visited Rochester, NY this weekend and supported the club! Without the numerous exhibitors who came from around the world, the club would not have a reason to host a show. THANK YOU! Without the many friends and club members who came early on Friday for set up, and stayed a little late Sunday for tear down, THANK YOU! To the judges who judged our cats and gave us your honest opinion on said cats, THANK YOU! And our clerks and stewards, who keep things running smoothly - THANK YOU! It takes a village to host a cat show. Many friends who help with set up, gate, raffle, advertising, printing, tear down and other tasks, are not even members of the club. The club is ever so grateful to all the wonderful people who step up and step in when a job needs to get done.
For those who haven't heard, the club suffered a loss toward the end of the day on Sunday. The cash box which contained all incoming spectator cash along with the coupons and ticket role went missing around 3pm. It was last seen around 2:30pm. Unfortunately the amount of cash contained in the box is unknown. Which also leaves the club not knowing exactly what the spectator count or income for Sunday was. A police incident report was filed. Anyone with any information either when/where they might have last seen the cash box or what might have happened to it is asked to contact Betsy Arnold. In the meantime, the club will be discussing what direction to head.
Again, thank you to everyone who made this show possible. It is nearly impossible to name everyone individually - because there are so many people who made this wonderful show possible!
Donations
The GLR donated $500 to the Hurricane Disaster Fund and also issued a challenge to the GLR members to donate.
Be sure to mark your calendar with our upcoming shows:
- Sep 16 -- Thumbs up Cat Fanciers , Taylor MI, 5AB 1SP HHP
- Sep 23 -- Queen City Cat Club, Wilmington OH, 5AB 1SP
- Oct 07 -- Kentucky Colonels Cat Club, Louisville KY, 5AB 1SP
- Oct 14 -- Clevelan Persian Society, Parma OH, 4AB 2SP 6HHP
- Oct 15 -- Clevelan Persian Society, Parma OH, 4AB 2SP 6HHP
- Oct 28 -- Hallmark Cat Club, Brockport NY, 4AB 2SP
- Oct 29 -- Hallmark Cat Club, Brockport NY, 4AB 2SP
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by Lisa Marie Kuta, Regional Director
Big "thank you!"s to Opposites Attract and Hemet Feline Fanciers for
producing such fun, relaxed shows. At both I kept hearing about what a
good time everyone was having.
Fall may almost be here but it is still warm and sunny in the Southwest
Region. We have plenty of opportunities for you to come visit us. First up on
October 7-8 is the Santa Monica Cat Club's show, at the Los Angeles County
Fairplex in Pomona, CA. The Ontario airport is just a few miles away and
LAX, Orange County and Long Beach are also in the area.
Then it's on to Phoenix for Superstition Cat Fanicers' show on October 21.
Superstition always produces a great show, so make time to visit
Phoenix!
With the CIS being on the West Coat this year, Poinsettia is moving up
their show from Thanksgiving weekend to October 28, in Glendale, CA.
Partnering with Abyssinians International, the clubs are planning a
festive show. Time to take advantage of the early bird discount of $5 off
each entry. Hurry and get your entry fees in before the October 2
deadline.
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by Mary Auth, Midwest Regional Director
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Susan Retzer and her new husband (seated) are just back from their honeymoon.
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American Gothic Cat Club held their 41st show in Peoria, Illinois in the first week of September to a marvelous gate and wonderful weather. As always, the raffle was outstanding and fun. The region's next show is at the end of September with Twin City Cat Fanciers in Crystal, Minnesota, with a Super Bowl theme. Richard Katris will be there shooting cats (with his camera, of course). Please note the early closing date of Monday, September 18.
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Jeff Phipps came into Peoria to help with the clerking for Cathy Dinesen
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The region will once again offer up 4-ring shows in 2018. The first will be in Lawrenceville, Indiana - in the furthest most southeastern corner of the Midwest Region - practically in the Great Lakes Region. The first 4-ring show will be an all specialty show on January 6. Stay tuned for more details.
The Midwest Region is in the process of determining how to help financially with the hurricanes' aftermaths. We will be making a total donation of $1000 to an as yet unidentified group that is helping cats in Florida and Texas. Jan Pitelka collected cat food at the Peoria show to deliver to the flood-ravaged areas of Texas.
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by Jean Dugger, Regional Director
Fall has finally brought shows to the Southern Region again! In the past few weeks we've had shows in Timonium, MD (Hidden Peak); Griffin, GA (Rebel Rousers - also a new venue!); Oakwood, GA (Ocicats International and Regional Fundraiser), and Chantilly, VA (National Capital). Then next weekend we will have shows back in Timonium (Freestate Feline Fanciers) and Sanford, FL (Cat Club of the Palm Beaches). More about a couple of these shows later in this report.
The region recently lost one of its great lights recently with the passing of Pat Hawke. She retired from breeding Sphynx a few years ago, and passed quietly in her sleep at the age of 92.
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Jo Ann Miksa-Blackwell, Teresa Keiger, and Jean Dugger with the plaque honoring Graham Stevens |
I would like to extend a special note of thanks to Graham Stevens for all of his hard work and years of service as Southern Region Treasurer. I wish we could have presented this award to him in person but I wanted him to know how much I personally appreciated everything that he did for me as regional director. Thank you Graham again for everything!
I am pleased to announce that Chandler Bussey will be our region's new YFEP coordinator and we look forward to his growing the program in the region.
 2018 Fundraising Activities
We have several fundraising activities going on at present. You all know about the wonderful pines that we have. Jennifer Herr has created and donated a wonderful fur-tipped cat toy with the Annual name on it. And best of all - we have a raffle going on for not just one, but TWO Amazon Echo devices!! (thank you, Krista Schmitt, for donating them!) Read about them here (and wouldn't they be great for monitoring queens and kittens?).
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Amazon Echo Show
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You can order any and all of these items from Karen Boyce and they will be available at the upcoming shows in Timonium and Sanford. Complete details are on the region's website. Remember: you're not just purchasing an item - you're helping to make the upcoming Annual a memorable event!
Show Stories
Ocicats International/Southern Region Fundraiser
from Jacqui Bennett, show manager
The Little Show that Could or HOLD MY BEER
When a traditional show that averages 180 entries tries to do a fundraiser for the region and gets a count of 114, it looks pretty grim. But when hurricanes and a variety of things conspire to make murphy proud hits all at once and hits your gross profit by several thousands of dollars, the amazing people of the Southern Region come through with a vengeance.
Small, but mighty, the show went on with great fun, great cats and unparalleled comradery. I can't thank enough the amazing generosity of the show team including judges and clerks and club members, our great local exhibitors who donated raffle items, helped with set up and tear down, as well as helping decorate 2 of our rings, and even stepped in and ran the concession on Saturday while I was judging and took care of gate and raffle tickets.
I am also thankful of the amazing appetite of our 69 exhibitors who ate all the home cooked food for the concessions making sure I didn't have to bring home any pork, beef, chicken, cole slaw, or macaroni and cheese!
So how do you make manage a successful fund raiser for the region with 114 entries?
- Homemade rosettes
- Homemade concessions
- Homemade show service
- Blood, sweat, and tears
- And the SIMPLY OVERWHELMING SUPPORT from our amazing Southern Region!
National Capital Show
from Mark Hannon, show manager
 National Capital held its show last weekend in suburban Washington, DC. It was the largest CFA show held so far this show season. There are many extras that make this show so special. Each year the show features one or two breeds. This year the Exotic was the featured breed. The show tries to both educate and entertain the many spectators and this year the show had its best gate ever. There was a Breed Presentation Ring, lots of breed booths, Agility, and a very popular feature at this show over the years has been the Meet & Greet area right by the front door. Two or three cats and their owners are at a table where the visitors can pet the cats and ask questions of the owners. The exhibitors take turns throughout the day so the cats don't tire and the owners can enjoy other aspects of the show. There was a crowd at this area all weekend. 
The slate of judges include some of CFA's most popular judges and that included Danny Tai who flew in from Hong Kong to judge his first USA assignment. Danny is very popular at CFA shows in Asia and the National Capital exhibitors had many compliments about this fresh face judging in Region 7.
With Hurricanes Harvey and Irma on our minds, Regional Director John Colilla conducted a 50/50 Raffle to raise funds to help felines in need. He raised more than $1,400 which was split between the winner and the relief fund. The lucky winner was kind enough to donate back $200 from their winnings so more than $900 went to the cause.
How did the show attract such a large gate? The show placed ads in the Washington Post and commercials on a local radio station, as they have in the past. This year they advertised heavily on Facebook and tried out Groupon. 220 tickets for two or for a family were purchased via Groupon and the show achieved more than 95,000 views on Groupon. While Groupon tickets are sold at a discount and the company takes some of the sale price for themselves, the show likely was exposed to many people who would not have known about the show otherwise.
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Kayoko Koizumi, Regional Director
no report received
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Dick Kallmeyer
CFA ID Chair
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Banquet ballroom (above) and award recipients (below) |
The International Division awards banquet was held in Bali, Indonesia on August 19 with over 290 attendees. Kuwait sent a delegation of 10 attendees for the first time.
Volunteer Yohanes Wempy did an outstanding job with the banquet decorations (Yohanes does flower decorations for the Indonesian government palace).
An Indonesian dance troupe (below) provided entertainment as part of the awards ceremony. Later in the show 4 male dancers performed a modern version of a traditional New Guinea folk dance - the visual and audio effect was similar to The Village People performing YMCA.
The Johor Bahru Cat Club had a show in Selangor, Malaysia, August 12. The next day, they had a special "Fun Show" with only Bengals. 64 Bengals showed up, the first time Malaysia exhibitors had to compete and have their Bengals evaluated by 'real' judges.
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| Judge Alan Raymond with the Best Cat at the Johor Bahru CC show |
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| Tired exhibit and exhibitor at the Malaysia Bengal Fun Show. |
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| The first show in Fushun, China was hosted by the Sunshine Cat Club which was also their first show. |
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| Great West China Cat Fanciers show, September 2-3, in Wuxi, China |
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| Edward Maeda returns to CFA judging at the Cat Advocates and Troupers Society show in Selangor,Malaysia on September 2. |
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Highest scoring cat at the Angel Fairy Sphynx show in Tianjin, China on September 2.
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| Feline Fanciers Society of Singapore show in Tangerang, Indonesia on September 2, sponsored by Purina Fancy Feast. |
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Have a question or a comment about the CFA Newsletter?
Feel free to contact me at
tkeiger@cfa.org
Thank you for being a subscriber!
Teresa Keiger
CFA Newsletter Editor
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