Abbreviation | TICA |
---|---|
Formation | June 22, 1979 Branson, Missouri, U.S. |
Founders | Georgia Morgan Larry Paul Arthel Schuermann |
Location |
|
Area served | Worldwide |
Members | 4,000 |
President | Vicki Jo Harrison |
Vice President | Ralph Stadter |
Akiko Ishimura, Jeff Shi, Liesbeth van Mullem, Kurt Vlach, Nicky Goulter, Liz Brown, Lisa Dickie, Brenda Russo, Carol Barton, Christian Cherau, Elaine Hawksworth-Weitz, Luiz Paulo Faccioli, Jim Armel, Rene Knapp, Laurie Schiff | |
Website | tica |
The International Cat Association (TICA) is considered the world's largest genetic cat registry. Originally a North American organization, it now has a worldwide presence. The organization has a genetic registry for pedigreed and household pet cats and is one of the world's largest sanctioning bodies for cat shows.
TICA's activities include: [1]
Breeding catteries register their cattery name following the TICA naming standards. [2] Certificates are awarded to Outstanding Catteries that meet strict health codes for the cats and their environment. As of this writing,[ when? ] 32 catteries meet these requirements. [3]
TICA administers the rules for the licensing and management of hundreds of cat shows annually in 104 countries. [4] The TICA show season runs from May 1 to April 30 of a given year at which point all Regional and International Award points are reset. All TICA shows are open to the public.
A TICA cat show is a number of smaller shows all running at the same time in various “rings” throughout the show hall. Each ring is run by a licensed TICA judge who evaluates each cat based on a written standard that describes the ideal for each particular breed. [5] Household pets and household pet kittens (cats of random or unknown breeding, or pedigree cats that for one reason or another cannot show in championship classes), are not judged against a standard but instead are evaluated on overall condition, health, appearance and personality. [6]
TICA recognizes cats for competition in 8 classes. [7] Each class is judged separately. For example, alters are not judged against kittens. Each cat entered in the show is assigned an identifying number based on its class and coat length so that exhibitors know when their cats are needed in a ring.
Class | Description | Numbers |
---|---|---|
Kittens | Kittens of breeds and colors recognized by TICA for championship status. Kittens must be between 4 months and 7 months old on the day of the show. Kittens may be whole or spayed/neutered. | Longhair: 1-50 Shorthair: 51-100 |
Championship | Adult cats of breeds and colors recognized by TICA for championship status. Cats must be 8 months of age or older on the day of the show. In this class the cats can not be spayed or neutered. | Longhair: 101-200 Shorthair: 201-300 |
Alters | Adult spayed or neutered cats of breeds and colors recognized by TICA for championship status. Alters must be 8 months of age or older on the day of the show. | Longhair: 301-350 Shorthair: 351-400 |
Household Pet Kittens | Non-pedigree kittens or pedigree kittens that can not be shown in kitten class for some reason. Household Pet Kittens (HHP Kittens) must be between 4 months and 7 months old on the day of the show. HHP Kittens may be whole or spayed/neutered. | Longhair Kittens & Adults: 401-450 |
Household Pet Adults | Non-pedigree cats or pedigree cats that can not be shown in an adult class for some reason. Household Pets (HHPs) must be 8 months old or older on the day of the show and must be spayed or neutered | Shorthair Kittens & Adults: 451-500 |
Preliminary New Breed | This is a special class for the evaluation of new breeds. The intent of the new breed classes is the eventual recognition of these breeds for championship competition. Preliminary New Breed is for those breeds who are at the beginning of this process. | 501-550 |
Advanced New Breed | This is a special class for the evaluation of new breeds. The intent of the new breed classes is the eventual recognition of these breeds for championship competition. Advanced New Breed is for those breeds who have demonstrated merit to advance in the program. | 551-600 |
New Traits | This class is for the evaluation of new traits, such as new colors or hair lengths of existing recognized breeds where these traits are not currently recognized for championship competition. The intent of New Traits class is the eventual recognition of these traits for championship competition. | 601-650 |
In the rare instance where there are more cats than fit in the range of numbers, the next class starts with the first available number. For example, if there are 55 longhair kittens, then those kittens are 1-55, the shorthair kittens would start at 56.
A typical judging ring is usually made up of an L- or U-shaped arrangement of cages, with the judge's table in the center. Three people normally work in each judging ring: the judge, clerk and steward. [8]
All TICA judges are trained and licensed to thoroughly evaluate each breed of cat in order of how well they represent their individual breed standard.
The clerk acts as an executive assistant to the judge. They are responsible for the accuracy of all records of the ring. Each clerk keeps a marked catalog of the results of the ring and validates that what the judge writes in their own records is how the awards were presented in their evaluation to the audience. [9]
A steward helps keeps the cages clean and disinfected in between cats in order to prevent illnesses from spreading.
There are two types of judging rings at TICA shows, Allbreed and Specialty. Allbreed rings will have all longhair cats and shorthair cats within each class judged together in competition with one another. In a Specialty ring, longhair cats within each class are only judged against longhair cats and shorthair cats are only judged against shorthair cats.
Regardless of the ring type, each judge evaluates every cat entered in the show.
The cat show competition is structured like a pyramid. First, all of the entries are divided into their respective classes. [10] Within each of these classes, cats are called to the judging ring according to breed, division and color/pattern. [11]
The judge handles each cat placed in the judging ring. Each cat is taken from their cage, placed on the judging table and evaluated against the written standard for the breed. Some judges will use toys to get a better look at a cat's eye shape, ear size and placement and overall balance.
Although some associations make a cat's title known, the only information provided to a TICA judge about each cat is its: breed, color, sex and age. The judge has no way of knowing if it is the cat's first show or how it has performed in other rings.
After the judge is done evaluating each cat in a breed group, they will hang a colored ribbon on the cat's cages to award Best of Color and Division. TICA does not have Best of Breed ribbons but the judge will announce their choices and also note their selections in the Judge's Book. The clerk will also write down each of these selections for the record. [4]
Place | Color | Division |
---|---|---|
Best | Blue | Black |
2nd | Red | Purple |
3rd | Yellow | Orange |
4th | Green | - |
5th | White | - |
All Household Pets and Household Pet Kittens will receive a Best of Color award regardless of how many cats of a particular color there are.
Household Pet Kittens do not receive division awards.
Household Pet and Household Pet Kittens do not receive breed awards.
After the judge has seen all of the cats in a particular class, they decide on their best exhibits of each breed and then ask for them to be returned to the ring for a final. Finals are essentially a "Best in Show" for that particular ring.
Earlier placements are taken into consideration during finals as a cat that came in Second of Breed cannot place higher than a cat who was Best of Breed and so forth.
The judge will then explain their placings – between Top 5 and 10 depending on how many cats are competing. If there are 20 cats or less competing in one class the judge will award a Top 5, 21 cats are a Top 6, and so on, up to 25 cats or more which awards a Top 10. The only exception to this rule is the Household Pet and Household Pet Kitten class where a maximum of 10 places are awarded regardless of the number of cats in competition. So If only 8 Household Pet Kittens/Cats are competing the judge will award 8 placements.
All points earned are tracked by the TICA Executive Office in Harlingen, Texas. Points are awarded for placing in Color, Division and for each final awarded. Points are calculated ring-by-ring and tracked from the Judge's Book, a copy of which is sent to the Executive Office after a show.
Title points start accumulating with a cat's first adult show. Any balance of points from a previous title will be applied toward the next title. If a Championship Cat is altered it can keep the titles and points won as a whole cat or they can choose to start over.
Points are assigned best on color and division awarded in each ring. Points are not earned for breed placements. [12]
Color | Division | Points |
---|---|---|
Best | Best | 25 |
2nd | 2nd | 20 |
3rd | 3rd | 15 |
4th | - | 10 |
5th | - | 5 |
Points are also assigned based on the cat's placement in a final. The scores are different between Allbreed and Specialty rings.
Place | Allbreed Points | Specialty Points |
---|---|---|
Best | 200 | 150 |
2nd | 190 | 140 |
3rd | 180 | 130 |
4th | 170 | 120 |
5th | 160 | 110 |
6th | 150 | 100 |
7th | 170 | 90 |
8th | 130 | 80 |
9th | 120 | 70 |
10th | 110 | 60 |
For example, if a Chocolate Spotted Ocicat were to be awarded Best of Color and Best of Division, he would earn 50 points. First of color and second of division, would be 45 points and so on. If that same Ocicat were awarded Best Allbreed in a final, they would also earn 200 points on top of the 50 points for Color and Division.
Title points are computed by using the final award points plus Best of Color and Best of Division Points. Cats also need to earn a certain number of finals to achieve each title. With the exception of Championship Kittens and Household Pet Kittens, each class has its own set of titles although they are tiered equally and the requirements to reach them do not change. All cats begin their show career as a Novice (NOV), once a show is scored and titles are conferred by the Executive Office, the cat can add the title abbreviation to their registration.
Cats registered in isolated areas which do not see as many shows as other areas (as in Alaska) only require half the point values to achieve the titles and a lower number of finals.
Championship | Alter | Household Pet | Points Needed | Plus | Isolated Area |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Champion (CH) | Champion Alter (CHA) | Master (MS) | 300 | Finals from 4 different judges, one must be AB | Finals from 2 different judges |
Grand Champion (GRC) | Grand Champion Alter (GCA) | Grand Master (GRM) | 1000 | 6 finals from 4 different judges, 3 in top 5 SP or top 10 AB | 3 finals from 2 different judges, 1 in top 5 SP or top 10 AB |
Double Grand Champion (DGC) | Double Grand Champion Alter (DGCA) | Double Grand Master (DGM) | 2000 | 1 final in top 5 SP or top 10 AB as GRC/GRCA/GRM | 1 final in top 5 SP or top 10 AB as GRC/GRCA/GRM |
Triple Grand Champion (TGC) | Triple Grand Champion Alter (TGCA) | Triple Grand Master (TGM) | 3000 | 1 final in top 5 SP or top 10 AB as a DGC/DGCA/DGM | 1 final in top 5 SP or top 10 AB as a DGC/DGCA/DGM |
Quadruple Grand Champion (QGC) | Quadruple Grand Champion Alter (QGCA) | Quadruple Grand Master (QGM) | 4000 | 1 final in top 5 SP or top 10 AB as a TRC/TGCA/TGM | 1 final in top 5 SP or top 10 AB as a TRC/TGCA/TGM |
Supreme Grand Champion (SGC) | Supreme Grand Champion Alter (SGCA) | Supreme Grand Master (SGM) | 6000 | 1 BEST as a QGC/QGCA/QGM | 1 BEST as a QGC/QGCA/QGM |
Note: The Supreme title cannot be earned on the same day of the show as the Quadruple Title
All TICA-registered kittens, cats, alters, HHPs and HHP Kittens can compete for Regional and International Awards during the show year. For adult cats, the Top 50 rings are used in computing season scores. For all kittens the top 30 rings are used. If a cat reaches the ring cap, the lowest score will be dropped in favor of a higher score. Points are computed by using the final award points PLUS cats defeated.
Color and Division points are not used for scoring Regional and International Points.
Regional and international points are computed by using the final award points plus cats defeated. For example, if there were 58 cats competing and your cat got 6th place in an Allbreed final the cat would earn 202 points, 150 (6th place) + 52 (as 5 cats placed higher and you placed higher than 52 of them) = 202 points towards Regional and International Awards. The same rules would apply in a specialty ring using the SP Ring finals chart.
The highest scoring cats, kittens, alters, household pet kittens and household pets are honored with Regional and International awards. Regional awards are presented at an award banquet hosted by each of the TICA regions. International Awards are presented at the Annual Convention and Awards Banquet on Labor Day weekend.
Each region takes turns hosting the Annual Convention. The Annual has previously been hosted in Bellevue, Washington, [13] Worcester, Massachusetts, [14] Columbus, Ohio, and Salzburg, Austria. Also presented at the banquet are the Best of Breed Cats for the show season.
As the world's largest genetic registry of pedigreed cats, TICA currently recognizes seventy-one breeds of cats for championship competition. In addition, the number of breeds can change as new breeds are developed. [15]
Listed in alphabetical order by breed, as of 2015: [update] [16]
Breeds of cats that have been accepted for championship and are recognized as being eligible to compete in TICA sanctioned shows and eligible for appropriate titles and/or computation of Annual Awards. These cats must be eight months of age or more and may be male, female, neuter or spay. Pedigreed kittens (under eight months of age) do not earn titles, but are eligible to compete in TICA sanctioned shows and may earn points towards Annual Awards.
The second level of the Championship Advancement Class Program. These breeds are eligible to be shown in TICA sanctioned shows but do not earn titles or points towards Annual Awards and must follow specific rules to be eligible for championship status.
The beginning level of the Championship Advancement Class Program. These breeds are eligible to be shown in TICA sanctioned shows but do not earn titles or points towards Annual Awards and must follow specific rules to be eligible for the next step in achieving championship status.
TICA accepts cats for registration only. Under this status the association agrees to provide registration facilities for development of the breed in question. There is no guarantee that TICA will accept the breed for advancement. [20]
This class consists of Household Pets and Household Pet Kittens. Household pets earn titles comparable to Championship cats and are eligible to compete in TICA sanctioned shows and may earn points towards Annual Awards. Household pet kittens do not earn titles, but are eligible to compete in TICA sanctioned shows and may earn points towards Annual Awards.
The Experimental Record is for tracking the parentage of cats not yet recognized in TICA for the Stud Book or Foundation Registries. Tracking of these proposed breeds will provide a precise chronicle of the proposed breed's progress and development. Records will include analysis of any genetic problems inherent in a particular breeding program thus proving or disproving its future acceptance as a viable, healthy breed.
TICA is divided into of 14 regions. Regions are grouped together geographically. [23]
Japan, North Korea, South Korea [33]
Australia, Brunei Darussalam, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand. [37]
The International Cat Association publishes the TICA Trend, an official bi-monthly magazine that is distributed to the association's members as part of their membership. [38] The Trend contains current TICA news, a calendar of upcoming shows, and articles on cat health and care, breeding and showing. The magazine also spotlights cats that have earned titles at shows.
The Trend also contains board of director meeting minutes, financial reports for each region, and a list of all licensed and trainee clerks and judges.
Judith Milling is the current editor of the Trend.
The British Shorthair is the pedigreed version of the traditional British domestic cat, with a distinctively stocky body, thick coat, and broad face. The most familiar colour variant is the "British Blue", with a solid grey-blue coat, pineapple eyes, and a medium-sized tail. The breed has also been developed in a wide range of other colours and patterns, including tabby and colourpoint.
The Siamese cat is one of the first distinctly recognised breeds of Asian cat. Derived from the Wichianmat landrace, one of several varieties of cats native to Thailand, the original Siamese became one of the most popular breeds in Europe and North America in the 19th century. Siamese cats have a distinctive colourpoint coat, resulting from a temperature-sensitive type of albinism.
The Exotic Shorthair is a breed of cat developed as a short-haired version of the Persian. The Exotic is similar to the Persian in appearance with the exception of the short dense coat.
The Manx cat is a breed of domestic cat originating on the Isle of Man, with a mutation that shortens the tail. Many Manx have a small stub of a tail, but Manx cats are best known as being entirely tailless; this is the most distinguishing characteristic of the breed, along with elongated hind legs and a rounded head. Manx cats come in all coat colours and patterns, though all-white specimens are rare, and the coat range of the original stock was more limited. Long-haired variants are sometimes considered a separate breed, the Cymric.
The Cymric is a Canadian cat breed. Some cat registries consider the Cymric a semi-long-haired variety of the Manx breed, rather than a separate breed. Except for the length of fur, in all other respects, the two varieties are the same, and kittens of either sort may appear in the same litter. The name comes from Cymru, the indigenous Welsh name of Wales, even though the breed is not associated with Wales. The name may have been chosen to provide a "Celtic" sounding moniker for the breed. While the breed's Manx bloodline originated from the Isle of Man, the long-haired variant is claimed to have been developed by Canada. The breed is called the Longhair Manx or a similar name by some registries.
The American Bobtail is an uncommon breed of domestic cat which was developed in the late 1960s. It is most notable for its stubby "bobbed" tail about one-third to one-half the length of a normal cat's tail. This is the result of a cat body type genetic mutation affecting the tail development, similar to that of a Manx cat. The breed is not related to other short-tailed breeds, such as the Cymric cat, or the Japanese Bobtail or Kurilian Bobtail, despite the similar name and physical type—the breeding programs are entirely unrelated, and the genetic mutation causing the bobbed tail are known to be different, as the mutation causing the American Bobtail's short tail is dominant; comparatively, the Japanese Bobtail, for example, has a tail mutation that is recessive.
The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) was established in the United States in 1906. The CFA is currently the world's largest registry of pedigreed cats. Originally headquartered in Manasquan, New Jersey, the CFA moved to Alliance, Ohio in 2010. The association's stated mission is preserving and promoting pedigreed breeds of cats while also enhancing the well-being of all cats. CFA's first licensed cat shows were held in Buffalo, New York and Detroit, Michigan in 1906. The association today has a known presence in Europe, China, and Japan along with its well-established activity in the United States and Canada.
The Oriental Shorthair is a breed of domestic cat that is developed from and closely related to the Siamese cat. It maintains the modern Siamese head and body type but appears in a wide range of coat colors and patterns. Like the Siamese, Orientals have almond-shaped eyes, a triangular head shape, large ears, and an elongated, slender, and muscular body. Their personalities are also very similar. Orientals are social, intelligent, and many are rather vocal. They often remain playful into adulthood, with many enjoying playing fetch. Despite their slender appearance, they are athletic and can leap into high places. They prefer to live in pairs or groups and also seek human interaction. Unlike the breed's blue-eyed forebear, Orientals are usually green-eyed. The Oriental Longhair differs only with respect to coat length.
The Chausie is a domestic breed of cat that was developed by breeding a few individuals from the non-domestic species jungle cat to a far greater number of domestic cats. The Chausie was first recognized as a domestic breed by The International Cat Association (TICA) in 1995. Within the domestic breeds, the Chausie is categorized as a non-domestic hybrid source breed. Because Chausies are mostly descended from domestic cats, by about the fourth generation they are fully fertile and completely domestic in temperament.
The Donskoy cat, also known as Don Sphynx or Russian Hairless, is a hairless cat breed of Russian origin. It is not related to the better-known Sphynx cat whose characteristic hairlessness is caused by a recessive mutation in the keratin 71 gene. The Donskoy's hairlessness, on the other hand, is caused by a dominant mutation.
The Chantilly-Tiffany or Chantilly/Tiffany, also known as the Chantilly or the Foreign Longhair, was a breed of domestic cat which originated in the late-1960s in North America. The Chantilly breed never got off the ground and has always been rare. It was near-extinction in the late-1980s and again in the late-2000s. Since 2015 the breed has been considered extinct with the passing and neutering of the last two cats of the Chantilly lineage, and with no intact Chantilly cats the inevitable resulting discontinuation of the breeding program.
The Oriental Longhair is a variety of domestic cat closely related to the Oriental Shorthair. The Oriental Longhair in some registries, such as The International Cat Association (TICA), it is considered a separate breed. In others, such as the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), it is a division, along with the short-haired variety, of a merged breed, the Oriental. With no globally recognised naming convention, other cat fanciers may refer to this type as Foreign Longhair, Javanese or Mandarin. It was formerly known as the British Angora before being renamed in 2002 by British cat fanciers in order to avoid confusion with the Turkish Angora.
A cat registry or cat breed registry, also known as a cat fancier organization, cattery federation, or cat breeders' association, is an organization that registers domestic cats of many breeds, for exhibition and for breeding lineage tracking purposes. A cat registry stores the pedigrees (genealogies) of cats, cattery names, and other details of cats; studbooks, breed descriptions, and the formal breed standards ; lists of judges qualified to judge at shows run by or affiliated with that registry, and sometimes other information. A cat registry is not the same as a breed club or breed society. Cat registries each have their own rules and usually also organize or license (sanction) cat shows. The show procedures vary widely, and awards won in one registry are not normally recognized by another. Some registries only serve breeders, while others are oriented toward pet owners and provide individual as well as cattery memberships, while yet others are federations only deal with breed clubs or even other registries as intermediaries between the organization and breeders.
The British Longhair is a medium-sized, semi-long-haired breed of domestic cat, originating in Great Britain.
The Kurilian Bobtail is a cat breed originating from the Russian Kuril Islands, as well as Sakhalin Island and the Kamchatka peninsula of Russia. Short- or long-haired, it has a semi-cobby body type and a distinct short, fluffy tail. The back is slightly arched with hind legs longer than the front, similar to those of the Manx. The breed is also called the Kuril Islands Bobtail, Kuril Bobtail and Curilsk Bobtail, and may be referred to without "Bobtail". It is sometimes also spelled Kurilean. The original short-haired variant is a natural breed, known on the islands for over 200 years. As selectively bred pets, they have been popular in USSR and to some extent other parts of Europe, especially for their rodent-hunting abilities, since the middle of the 20th century, but remained rare in North America as of 2011.
The Canadian Cat Association is a non-profit organization in Canada whose mission is to promote the welfare of all cats in Canada, maintain a registry of pedigreed cats in Canada, and further the improvement of all breeds of cats in Canada. CCA-AFC is Canada's only globally-recognized national cat registry, with its pedigrees and registrations accepted by major global associations such as the Cat Fanciers' Association, The International Cat Association, and Fédération Internationale Féline. To date, CCA-AFC has registered over 190,000 cats.
Traditional Persian is one of several names for a group of cats that are considered to be essentially the original breed of Persian cat, before the variety was selectively bred to have extreme features. Other everyday usage names are: Doll Face Persian, Classic Persian, Old Fashioned Persian, Long-nosed Persian, Old-style Longhair, Traditional Longhair and Original Longhair.
The Persian cat, also known as the Persian Longhair, is a long-haired breed of cat characterised by a round face and short muzzle. The first documented ancestors of Persian cats might have been imported into Italy from Khorasan as early as around 1620, however, this has not been proven. Instead, there is stronger evidence for a longhaired cat breed being exported from Afghanistan and Iran from the 19th century onwards. Persian cats have been widely recognised by the North-West European cat fancy since the 19th century, and after World War II by breeders from North America, Australia and New Zealand. Some cat fancier organisations' breed standards subsume the Himalayan and Exotic Shorthair as variants of this breed, while others generally treat them as separate breeds.
iliate)