Debbie Grad and her cat, Maverick. (Reporter photo)
By Catman Stu Clampitt
news@readthereporter.com
There’s a new Cat Fancier’s Association (CFA) club in Hamilton County, and it’s named after llamas. No Drama Llamas held a cat show at the Llama Barn at Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds, 2003 Pleasant St., Noblesville, on Saturday, April 18, and it was purr-fect.
The Reporter spoke with Co-Show Manager Jim Wuersch and No Drama Llamas Co-Founder Melinda Rumschlag about cat shows in general and this one in particular.
“There’s two or three people who live in this area who are forming the club,” Wuersch said. “They were looking for a space that would work and a price range that fit the budget. There had been a cat show in the fairgrounds here a few years ago, but not in this building.”
Rumschlag is the one who found the venue.
“I found the show hall, and it was a perfect show hall,” Rumschlag said. “We hadn’t had a cat show up in this area for a while, so we decided to try it.”
The show had a total of 91 entries, which was very close to maximum capacity for this club.
“We have people from Wisconsin, from St. Louis, from Kentucky, from Missouri, and even somebody from East Pennsylvania,” Rumschlag said.
Cats and their owners compete for points at CFA shows across the show seasons each year. The current CFA season ends at the end of April and a new one will begin in May.
“Every year they compete for points for bigger titles and awards,” Wuersch said. “Awards are trophies and acknowledgement. It’s not cash or anything like that. Basically, it is a hobby because there is no cash reward. It’s all personal because a lot of these people are breeders, too. They’re trying to improve their breed and show it.”
Indiana is in Region 6.
“It doesn’t just include people in the region,” Wuersch said. “If you’re in another region and this show looks good to you, you can come here and show your cat. The Cat Fanciers Association has the United States, Europe, and Asia divided into regions. Each region has its clubs and its regional director.”
According to Wuersch and Rumschlag, the point system on which cats are judged is based on the appearance and temperament relative to an “ideal” cat of that breed.
Wuersch said the event has a great turnout.
“This has been a great show as far as spectators. It exceeded our expectations,” Wuersch said. “The entries were about what we expected. We could have taken a few more, but we really couldn’t have done it comfortably. We have had a lot of people comment that they have never been to a cat show before, so I think people have been very curious about what it is, and they learned that it has really cool people in it.”
If you did not attend this No Drama Llamas CFA cat show, given the level of support the community provided, they will likely be back at the Llama Barn again. Wuersch had some basic information for what new cat show attendees can expect if they come back here or travel to one elsewhere.
“You’re going to see a variety of cats, including some breeds that you’ve probably never seen before,” Wuersch said. “You’re going to get to interact with the person who’s showing the cat – oftentimes the breeders – about their breed’s temperament. If you’re looking for a kitten, that’s a good place to start the search. It’s fun to learn how the show rules fall in and what the cats are judged on.”
Learn more about the CFA at cfa.org.
Reporter photos
