May 2017
In This Issue
Quick Links
CFA Central Office Staff
Featured Cat
Our banner cat for May is CFA's Best Cat, Region 1-9 GC, BWR, NW Velvetkist Designer Genes, cream and white Bicolor Persian male. (photo by Chanan)


DEADLINES

June 1 - CFA Directors At Large ballot must be RECEIVED in CO by this date

June 1Club fees & membership list must be RECEIVED in CO by this date for a club to remain on CFA's membership roster.

June 2, 2017 - Deadline for Delegate book ads

June 29 - July 2, 2017 CFA's Annual Meeting at the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park, Chicago, IL.

June 2, 2017 - Deadline for room block reservations

June 22, 2017 - Deadline for breakfast and dinner reservations


 

Happy New Season to all CFA Newsletter readers! It looks as though the 2017-2018 show season has gotten off to a great start. Best of luck to everyone in the new season, and remember: it's about the cats.

April was a very busy month, and not just because of it was the end of the show season (although Dick Kallmeyer noted that there were a record-breaking 50 shows held in April!). CFA hosted the 2017 World Cat Congress in Las Vegas last month. Mark Hannon and Allene Tartaglia cover the event in their reports below. Be sure to catch Lorraine Shelton's coverage of the show and its associated seminars in the June issue of Cat Talk magazine.
 
Teresa

 

CFA hosted the World Cat Congress in Las Vegas in late April.  Representatives from the nine member registering organizations around the world flew in to view CFA hospitality at its finest.  Friday had seminars scheduled all day, and approximately 60 visitors attended.  The delegates had expressed interest in seeing a uniquely American breed so we included a presentation from Grace & Joe Ruga who are the founders of the American Curl.  The day was chock full of interesting presentations on a variety of subjects.  Saturday and Sunday CFA hosted a 6x6 show which included six guest judges from other associations.  The event was held in the Rio Hotel, which provided a wonderful show hall.  Royal Canin was the main sponsor, with additional sponsorships provided by Dr. Elsey's and Sturdi.  All three had large booths at the show.  Many people contributed to the event's success including CFA's Special Events Coordinator, Allene Tartaglia, who was assisted by her husband, Kent.  Rhonda Avery served as show manager, entry clerk and master clerk.  Lorraine Shelton coordinated the seminars.  Darrell Newkirk and Ellyn Honey provided a tremendous amount of local coordination and assistance.  Numerous others pitched in, and we are grateful.

Best In Show winner at last weekend's Oriental Diamond CF show in Shanghai was GC Cat Life Moonface

The first week of May found me flying to China.  This was my first-ever trip outside the USA and I was apprehensive, but my fears were unwarranted.  I traveled with my friend Wain Harding who has lots of experience visiting locations around the world and, in particular, many visits to China.  Allen Shi proved to be a wonderful host who made sure I was well cared for.  It was an incredible experience which provided me with information about this fascinating country and lots of terrific memories.  I never knew jellyfish tasted so good. Read more about my trip to China elsewhere in this newsletter.

I am happy to report that for the show season just ended, we saw an increase in both the number of shows and entries. 

 The chart below was created by CFA's IT Systems 
Administrator, James Simbro.  Hopefully, the increase in our registrations this past season will translate into more entries for our shows in the new show season.

 
 
 
Shows 15/16
Entries 15/16
Shows
16/17
     Entries 16/17
U.S. Mainland
164
27228
163
26507
 
Japan
28
2617
32
2978
 
Hawaii
3
107
3
135
 
Europe
25
2699
32
3408
 
International
112
18416
139
21051
 
Totals
332
51067
369
54079
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Increases
37
3012
 
 
69 China Shows in 2015-2016
89 China Shows in 2016-2017

My personal congratulations to all our Regional, Divisional, and National winners from the 2016-2017 show season.  Please be sure to make reservations for the various awards events and to submit photos for the awards presentations.  It is always disappointing when photos are missing and the winners are not present to accept their accolades for a job well done.



Terri Barry
CFA Executive Director
    
Well, the 2016/2017 show season is now one for the history books.  The closing of this show season for C.O. has been the smoothest since the implementation of the new computer system.   A thank-you needs to go out to all the U.S. judges that assisted C.O. by bringing show packages from overseas and mailing them in the U.S.  I'd also like to thank Dick Kallmeyer and Annette Wilson for their assistance in reminding the judges to do so when able.   All shows but one had arrived at C.O. by the Wednesday after the last show weekend of the season.   With the increase of shows and awards over last year, C.O. worked hard to process all reports as quickly and accurately as possible. 

In the mist of the end of the show season, CFA hosted the World Cat Congress in Las Vegas, April 20 - 24 and continued to focus on the upcoming Annual being held in Chicago, June 26 - July 2, 2017.   I have asked Allene to bring all of you up to date on this and will turn the rest of my column over to her.

World Cat Congress 2017 - A Success
The World Cat Congress cat show was held on April 22-23, 2017, in Las Vegas, NV. Leading up to the cat show, WCC delegates from around the world started arriving as early as Tuesday, April 18. CFA was the hosting association this year, and we were ready!  The delegates thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality suite every night Wednesday-Sunday, which offered them the opportunity to relax and interact as a group.  CFA treated them to a tour of Hoover Dam on Thursday, a Cirque du Soleil Friday night and a Mob Museum tour over the weekend with dinner on Saturday night.  Topping it off was the Educational Seminar on Friday and the cat show on Saturday and Sunday.

The seminar was well attended and informative.  The cat show was beautiful and spectacular.  The show hall was resplendent with a variety of vendors and beautiful ring decorations provided by area clubs.  Royal Canin debuted their new booth which contributed greatly to the overall look of the show hall.  Royal Canin also hosted a photo "activation" where Richard Katris, Chanan Photography, did a quick photo shoot in an area of Royal Canin's booth specifically set up for this purpose, and the cat's owner was provided with a thumb drive containing the pictures of their cat immediately following the session.

The number of spectators was steady throughout both days. For many visitors it was their first cat show.  It was mentioned by exhibitors that the show reminded them of a mini-International show.  The entire event could not have taken place without all the volunteers. 

Annual Meeting Countdown
53 days until the Annual Delegate meeting on Friday, June 30.  Dinner reservations are coming in, official award notices will be sent out soon, duplicate award orders are already being received and all this activity is pointing to a well-attended Annual.  Hotel prices are a bit higher than in recent years but are a great bargain for downtown Chicago as anyone knows who has done a bit of searching online for hotels in Chicago during their peak season. 

The Midwest Region has a fun hospitality suite in store for you on Friday night, and the delegate bags they are putting together are shaping up nicely.  CFA is planning a party to take place immediately after the awards banquet.  Make your plans to explore Chicago, treat yourself to some of that deep-dish pizza for which Chicago is known, reserve your dinner for Saturday night, order your duplicate trophies and rosettes; and before you know it, you'll be on your way to Chicago.

In closing, Allene, I and others from C.O. will see you in Chicago.  Travel safe!  



Delegate Booklet Ads
DON'T WAIT!

Get your ad in for the 2017 Delegate Book before June 2, 2017

Congratulate your friends, promote your breed clubs, and of course, to toot your own horn "and all that jazz!"

Promote your upcoming show, with our show flyer special.

Information available here.
Some Facts
on Grands and Catteries of Distinction

Dick Kallmeyer, CFA Vice-President
  • 73,039 Grand Champions and Grand Premiers
    • 70.7% of these are GC
    • 33.6% of these are GP
    • 4.3% are both GC and GP
  • Only 3.5% of CFA cats registered have become Grands
    • 2.5% GC
    • 1.2% GP
    • 0.2% GC/GP
  • 3,675 cats are Distinguished Merit
    • 0.2% of CFA registered cats
  • 2.7% of CFA catteries have attained Cattery of Distinction (CoD) status
    • 19 Catteries receive CoD awards this year, 56 for the first time
  • Catteries with CoD represent
    • 82.5% of all DMs
    • 9.3% of cats with a grand title
    • 69.1% of cats with GC title
    • 70.7% of cats with GP titles
    • 7.1% of cats with both GC and GP titles
Level
CoDs
% CoDs
Level
CoDs
% CoDs
1
776
39.63%
5
8
0.41%
S
531
27.12%
5 S
15
0.77%
2
295
15.07%
6
1
0.05%
2   S
164
8.38%
6 S
7
0.36%
3
44
2.25%
7
1
0.05%
3   S
78
3.98%
7 S
1
0.05%
4
6
0.31%
8
2
0.10%
S
29
1.48%
8 S
0
0.00%



Delegate Registration - Is your club registered to have a delegate to our upcoming Annual Meeting?  The first step is to either snail mail/fax the delegate form to the Central Office or handle it online but there is a very important second step ... verify that it was received.  It does you no good to send a delegate to the meeting if we did not receive the necessary information.  We have a list on the CFA website of the clubs who have a registered delegate.  Check it out   We don't want your delegate to show up at the Annual and receive the bad news that the notification arrived too late or not at all. They had to be sent by May 2, 2017.  Questions should be referred to CFA's Deputy Director, Verna Dobbins 

Club Dues - Is your club in good standing?  That means your club must have submitted to the Central Office its dues and membership list (including a notation of the officers).  They were due back in January.  If your club's dues and membership list is not received by June 1, 2017, the club will be dropped from CFA membership.  Every year we have clubs who thought everything was in order only to learn that their club had been dropped.  The CFA website lists clubs in good standing.  Check it out.  Questions should be referred to CFA's Deputy Director,   Verna Dobbins  .

Change of Region - When clubs apply for CFA membership there are assigned to the Region where the secretary resides.  The Regional assignment is automatically changed when a new secretary resides in a different Region for five consecutive years.  CFA permits an exception upon the request of a club and approval of the CFA Board.  Atlantic Himalayan Club has requested approval to be reassigned from Region 7 to Region 1 where their current President and Secretary reside.  This is simply for your information.  If your club has comments, please submit them to Carol Krzanowski.

Cat Talk
Teresa Keiger
Editor

The June issue of Cat Talk is wrapping up production and on schedule to be in your hands near the beginning of June. Just in time for summer vacation, this issue features pedigreed cats who like a little adventure in their lives as they go hiking, swimming, camping, and hanging out in train stations with their owners (safely, of course!).  We continue our "What You Don't Know About..." series by taking a look at the British Shorthair and Tonkinese breeds.
Tritrichomonas foetus has become another concern for breeders, and we look at indentifiers and cures. All this, and our regular columns too! Make sure that you are up to date on your subscription (and if you're not a subscriber, we offer both a print and a digital version.  Check here for subscription details!)

Advertising Special!!
sample ad

Don't miss this great opportunity! 

Place an advertisement in BOTH the 2018 Yearbook AND the August issue of Cat Talk magazine for ONE low price. 

SPECIAL RATES 
$350.00 for a full page ad - BOTH publications
(regularly $300 for yearbook only)
$200.00 for a half page ad  - BOTH publications
(regularly $165 for yearbook only)
Same ad in both publications

_PLUS_
The 2018 Yearbook is bringing back 
the popular breed articles!

This yearbook will feature the American Shorthair and the Ragdoll. Advertising is a great opportunity for those breeders and exhibitors to include themselves in this special feature!


DEADLINE for this special offer is JUNE 15, 2017 OR when quota is met

Limited space available, send your ad in early. Once our quota is met, we will not be able to accept any more ads for this special combo. 

Information can be found here  or email Shelly Borawski  with any questions.
Wagging Tailz - id bands and collars for kittens and puppies

Winn Logo

WINN FELINE FOUNDATION
by Vicki Thayer DVM , Winn Executive Director


A list of our donors contributing $100 or more in April is available  


Thank you to CFA for hosting the World Cat Congress:  Dr. Vicki Thayer, Winn's Executive Director, spoke about several significant and recent Winn-funded cat health studies at the World Cat Congress in Las Vegas on April 21st. She referenced the recent clinical trials at University of California-Davis where they are evaluating a new type of therapeutic drugs, protease inhibitors, in cats to treat the wet form of FIP.  Smokey, one of these surviving FIP Warriors, was featured.
 
About 45 days and counting to hear about FIP and Smokey the FIP Warrior. Winn's Symposium Registration is open : Our speaker is Dr. Niels Pedersen from the University of California-Davis. The 2-hour symposium on June 29th at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago will be dedicated to current information about FIP. Register now since we plan for a large crowd. Details to register are here.  Cat clubs that have donated $500 or more since July 1, 2016 and through June 25, 2017 will receive one free registration for a club selected member to attend the Symposium.
 
2017 Winn Grant Announcement: Eleven feline medical research grant awards totaling $214,017 were announced on April 12 by Winn Feline Foundation. 
 
GENERAL STUDIES
 
Generating and using adult stem cells to treat feline diabetes. (W17-004)
Principal Investigator: Mandi Lopez DVM, MS, PhD, DACVS; Louisiana State University; $23,825.
 
Evaluating new treatments for feline hepatic lipidosis. 
(W17-015)  
Principal Investigators: Hedwig Kruitwagen, DVM, Bart Spee, PhD; Utrecht University, The Netherlands; $12,987.
 
Evaluating the prolonged use of an antacid, famotidine, in cats.   (W17-017)
Principal Investigators: M. Katherine Tolbert, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, Adesola Odunayo, DVM, MS, DACVECC; The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine;  $19,668.
 
Evaluating the effect of probiotic therapy on feline Tritrichomonas foetus infection. (W17-018)
Principal Investigators: M. Katherine Tolbert, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, Rachel Dickson, DVM candidate; The University of Tennessee; Jody Gookin, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, North Carolina State; $17,864.
 
Mechanisms by which feline mesenchymal stem cells regulate T-cell activation and proliferation. (W17-026)
Principal Investigator: Dori Borjesson, DVM, PhD, DACVP; University of California-Davis; $13,000.
 
Cryopreservation of feline red blood cells for transfusions using different solutions. (W17-030)
Principal Investigators: Marcelle Hon, MS, DVM, Elizabeth Thomovsky, DVM, MS, DACVECC; Purdue University; $11,666.
 
Shelter cat adoption in families of children with autism. (W17-031)
Principal Investigators: Gretchen Carlisle, PhD, Rebecca Johnson, PhD; University of Missouri;  $24,996.
 
Foraging behavior under threat and enrichment in confined cats. (W17-033)
Principal Investigators: Melissa Bain, DVM, DACVB, DACAW, Tony Buffington, DVM, PhD, DACVN; University of California-Davis; $24,780.
 
BRIA FUND STUDY
 
Analysis of plasma to identify biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of FIP. (W17-021)
Principal Investigators: Gregg Dean, DVM, PhD, DACVP, Kelly Santangelo, DVM, PhD, DACVP; Colorado State University; $25,000.  
Ricky Fund Study: Sponsored by Holly Aglialoro in memory of Augustus)
 
Growing heart muscle cells in a dish in the lab to test HCM treatments. (W17-008)
Principal Investigators: David Connolly; The Royal Veterinary College; Debbie Guest; The Animal Health Trust; Cesare Terracciano, Imperial College London;$17,158.
Speckles Abdominal Cancer Study: (Sponsored by 
Kitty Kollarâ„¢ in memory of Quasimodo)
 
A viral gene expression analysis towards preventing feline lymphoma. (W17-011)
Principal Investigators: Julia Beatty, PhD, Mahdis Aghazadeh, PhD, Vanessa Barrs, PhD; University of Sydney; $23,073.
 
Sponsorships are easy:   Simply pick one of the projects below seeking sponsors ($250 minimum donation). 
Go to our website  for more information on the project and to make your sponsorship donation online or download a donation form to mail to: 637 Wyckoff Ave., Suite 336, Wyckoff NJ 07481.
 
W17-011: Preventing gammaherpesvirus1 and lymphoma in cats
 
W17-021: Plasma analysis to identify biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of FIP (Bria Fund)
 
W17-031:  Shelter cat adoption in families of children with autism
 
Planned Giving (Tax) Tip for May:   Now that tax season is behind us, it's time to review the amount of income taxes withheld from your paycheck.  If you owe too much money when you file your return you may face penalties for underpayment.  However, if you received a large refund you may wish to lower your withholding and have more take-home available now.  While some people opt for a bigger refund they are, in essence, making an interest free loan of their money to the government.  If you are overpaying and wish to have more money available now complete Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate, and submit it to your employer.  If you underpaid your income taxes you can submit a new W-4 to increase your withholdings.





 
New Jersey Pet Dealer Bill Conditionally Vetoed But Not Dead


Governor Christie conditionally vetoed Senate Bill 3041 on May 1, 2017, returning the Pet Dealer Bill to the Senate.  This bill, sponsored by Senator Raymond J. Lesniak (Dem., District 20), has a long history beginning with companion bills SB 63 and AB 2338.  Senate Bill 3041, like its predecessors, could make many pedigreed cat breeders and purebred dog breeders a pet dealer for selling 10 or more cats or dogs to consumers in the state in one year .  Although dealt a blow, SB 3041 is not necessarily out for the count.  With a conditional veto, it now faces three possible scenarios.
 
One possibility is the legislature may try to override the veto with a passing vote of two-thirds of the legislators.  If successful, the version of the bill sent to the governor would become law.  The legislature may also choose to let the vetoed bill die by taking no action.  These are the options a legislature has with an absolute veto as well.  A conditional veto, or amendatory veto, provides a third option. The governor may amend the bill and return it to the originating house for consideration.  Amendatory vetoes are authorized by the constitution of seven states: Alabama, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana,  Pennsylvania,  West Virginia, and New Jersey.  Using a conditional veto, Governor Christie returned SB 3041 to the legislature with amendments that would make the bill acceptable to him.  The Legislature now has the third option of re-enacting the bill with the governor's amendments.  If the Legislature passes the bill with the Governor's changes, the amended bill goes back to the Governor for his signature. 
 
In his letter to the Senate, Governor Christie states SB 3041 would "require the Division of Consumer Affairs to engage in costly, and potentially unconstitutional, regulation of pet dealers, breeders, and brokers throughout the country."  It would also have the "unintended consequence of restricting consumer access to pets, even from responsible breeders."  Governor Christie recognized that the Pet Protection Act passed in 2015 made "New Jersey's already strict laws protecting consumers purchasing pets among the most restrictive and stringent in the country."  He further observed that the Legislature chose not to wait a reasonable amount of time to assess the impact of the Pet Purchaser Protection Act; rather it sought to overhaul and expand the Act shortly after it went into effect. 
 
Also included in the letter to the Senate are Governor Christie's recommended amendments that would make SB 3041 acceptable to him for signing.  The first of these suggested amendments is the deletion in its entirety of the lengthy "findings" reciting many allegations made against so-called "puppy and kitten mills."  He also restricted the definitions of breeders and pet dealers to people who are required to be licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture.  For those still meeting Governor Christie's revised definition of breeder and pet dealer, he substantially revised the three-strike rule to avoid the unnecessarily severe consequences for "innocuous" errors contained in the bill.  These recommendations and the multitude of other proposed changes indicate Governor Christie understood the far ranging impact of SB 3041 as passed by the state legislature.
 
Fanciers should not rest comfortably, however, as Senator Lesniak has vowed to override the veto on May 25, 2017 rather than accept the Governor's changes according to Colleen O'Dea in her article "Christie Sends Back Puppy Mill Bill, Cites Constitutional Concerns" (
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/17/05/01/christie-sends-back-puppy-mill-bill-cites-concerns-about-constitutionality/ ). New Jersey residents should be contacting their legislators and urging them to oppose a legislative override of the SB 3041 veto.  Find your legislator at http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/legsearch.asp   Residents should also be writing Governor Christie thanking him for his conditional veto of SB 3041.




Please report legislation happening in your area to the Legislative Group -  legislation@cfa.org  
Visit the  CFALegislativeNews Facebook page to see the current legislative news.


CFA Ambassador Program
by Candilee Jackson
CFA Ambassador Program Chair 


You're Invited!  The Ambassadors are hosting a snack and chat on Thursday, June 29th from 3:00pm to 4:00pm, at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago.  You will have plenty of time to make it to the Winn Symposium at 4pm, so stop by and say "hi!"
 
Many thank yous to everyone who has been following my open-heart surgery journey:  your prayers, cares, notes, posts and letters of support have been an incredible part of my recovery.  Yes, it DOES take a village, not just raise our children correctly, but to support one another in times of need.  Thank you, CFA family!
 
Region 1:  Chris June
S eacoast Cat Club had another successful show on May 6-7, in Concord, New Hampshire, which reached out to the public in some great ways.  Plenty of spectator handouts including breed and show guides, kids handouts, about  kids.cfa.org  site, puzzles and coloring pages.  There was a jar to collect email addresses for our mailing list, and contact information for those who may be interested in exhibiting with us next year (9 spectators indicated an interest!!)  There was free face painting, a Cat Face Selfie Board photo area, Stuffed Animal Contest, free ice cream social, breed presentation, lots of vendors, agility, a fantastic raffle, a cafe area where visitors could rest and snack, a Spectator's Choice Award, and of course our very popular Pet Me Cat area!  
 


Most of our PMCs were benched in an area with extra wide aisles to accommodate the crowds who want to snuggle with our cats. Often the visitors were 5-6 deep, waiting to touch and hug our babies.  The club partnered with Siamese Rescue, the Manchester Animal Shelter, and collected donations for the NH Food Bank for $1 off gate fee.  

The Club prides themselves in making their show fun for their exhibitors, but also as inter-active as possible for their visitors so they just don't wander up and down the rows of benched cats, but handle them (Pet Me Cats), learn about the cat fancy, and showing in breed and HHP classes.  
 



The club enjoyed a huge gate, and the judging rings were always crowded with guests watching the competition.  "We are blessed to always have a great slate of judges who not only are favorites among our exhibitors, but speak well to the public, making the show informational and entertaining!  Personally, it was a joy to work with some challenged kids who were thrilled to pet our cats.  We also enjoy a very special time with a daughter who brought her mom who suffers with Alzheimer's," stated Chris June.
 
"It is always a truly rewarding experience to help CFA grow with the amazing support of the Ambassador program.  The yellow Pet Me Cat banners and "We Are Here to Help" banner make our Pet Me Cat area eye catching and successful."
 
Region 5:  Shari Millar
 
The World Congress Show was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was very well attended. One Ambassador Cat was present in the back corner of the show hall. Many exhibitors enjoyed watching the foreign judges handle the cats, and many breeds they had never seen before were present. It was also interesting to watch the growing Veterans class. Shari enjoyed discussing this special class with the judge from New Zealand, Christine Lowe (NZCF). She said they have a Veterans class which they call "Companion Cats," and there are from 30-40 entries per show. The Veterans Class is more popular than the HHP class in NZ.
 
Region 6:  Candilee Jackson
The MWR ended the show season with a bang!  Frontier Felines hosted a 2-day show at the county fairgrounds in Gardner, Kansas, on April 22-23, and the gate was terrific!  Beautiful cats, friendly exhibitors and ambassadors working the gate like the troupers they are.  The final show for the season was hosted by America's Heartland on April 29-30.  AHL is a composite of 5-6 clubs who come together each year to hold the season's final show.  The venue, the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois, is a fave for MWR exhibitors:  bright and airy, lots of windows and natural light, awesome vendors in the Vendor Shopping Mall, and of course, a terrific concessions stand known for grilled pork chop sandwiches and BBQ pulled pork.  Although it was a VERY soggy weekend (6" of rain on Saturday!), the gate still came out to investigate all the beautiful cats.  Ambassadors were on hand to help new exhibitors as well as funnel people to the row of kitties for adoption presented by the Sangamon Animal Control volunteer group.  Congratulations to all the season's winners!
 
Region 8:  Masanari and Takako Kojima
Region 8, Japan, presented their final show of the season, "Something Hearts Season Final Show," at the Tokyokuritsu Sangyo Boeki Center, Tokyo, Japan, in April 23, 2017.  This 6-ring show proved to be a difficult show for American Shorthairs because there were many in championship.  As a result, a cameo tabby male was awarded the Best American Shorthair, and a silver tabby-white male was second best of breed, and a silver tabby make was third best of breed in Region 8.  The show enjoyed a large number of entries who enjoyed the many fantastic presents gather for exhibitors, including 10Kg, 4Kg and 2Kg Royal Canin dry foods, cat beds, toys, and travel bags.


" There were several spectators who are breeders from other association.  I spoke to some of them, and shared our Ask Me pamphlets. One couple was looking for nice exotic shorthair and the other girl was looking for white Persian," reported Takako.  "I suggested they watch some nice Persians and Exotics which are campaigning this season. When they left show hall, I asked them if they found nice cats.  They said they certainly found very nice cats, however, they stated they could not speak to owner because they felt CFA breeder/exhibitor was too uppity to speak with. I told them that's not true.  I asked them, if they had time, I would take them to owner together.  However, they did not to do so, I was so sorry. I am sure most of breeders/exhibitors are so friendly and kind to all spectators.  Unfortunately, this was final show in this season and some exhibitors were a little bit nervous.   I hope they will come to CFA show again in the new show season and enjoy it." 

Takako also reported that a friend came to show hall to have him register her friend's cat.  The owner wanted to show her HHP in June. "I think it's very nice way to begin showing with HHPs. Off course, I registered her cat, Sora, as an HHP:   it's great we can register HHPs quickly on the website with cheap price!" stated Takako.



Reflections on...
My First Trip to China
by Mark Hannon
CFA President

I rarely fly, averaging one flight per year for the past decade or more and I have never flown outside the USA.  Yet the first weekend of May found me flying to Shanghai, China.  I know most of our judges have flown numerous times to shows around the world but for the average American exhibitor my experiences might be of interest.  I acknowledge that my experience is based on visiting only one city and one cat show, so I am careful not to make too many generalizations about China or their cat shows based on my very limited experience.  Shanghai has more than 24 million people which makes it the largest city in the world.  It is also a very international city.
 

Flying to China requires not only a Passport but also a Visa issued by the Chinese embassy.  I was advised to use one of the services that for a fee will process the paperwork and I followed that advice.  That company provided me with the assorted forms that needed to be completed by me and returned to the service so they could walk them through the embassy.  Fortunately, I submitted my paperwork far enough in advance that there was enough time to resolve any issues and there were several.  I received the return of my Passport as well as the Visa only a couple days prior to my departure. 
 
I flew to San Francisco where I hooked up with Wain Harding who would accompany me.  The trip from San Francisco to Shanghai took 13 hours.  There were no delays and we arrived right on schedule.  We were met by Allen Shi who was the show manager for that weekend's Oriental Diamond CF show, an 8-ring back-to-back show held as part of a large Pet Expo at the Shanghai World Exposition & Convention Center the first weekend of May.
 


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Region 1
by John Adelhoch,  Regional Director 

   Congratulations to all our 2016/2017 winners and to a wonderful show season! Once again the show season has come to a close, and we should be proud of all our winners.

The region's traditional shows, Sign of the Cat and Nova, presented our region's last show of the season, as always beautifully orchestrated by Jill and Karen.  Exhibitors were hoping for some of those final points to get them a bit higher in the standings. I also heard cheers for new grands that will go forward in the new show season, hoping to become a RW or NW this year.  Let's keep in mind you have to show in order to win; and let's all get out there and support our clubs. It's not all about showing - clubs also need members and help to continue producing a show. Be proactive and ask the next time if you can lend a hand in the set-up or mechanics of a show.

    We have had a fabulous response to our 50/50's that are taking place at our shows. It's really starting to help our bank account, and we need that for our upcoming Annual. Thank you to all the clubs that have permitted us to share their weekend and letting the Region run a 50/50.

Just a few reminders: make your reservations for the banquet and hotel room!  We have a limited block of rooms, and we are only able to seat 150 at the banquet. Remember your friends and sponsor an award. It's all on the NAR link on CFA's website.

Remember - these are the good times; get out there, make friends and show!

Region 2
Terri Zittel, Regional Secretary  

On May 6, Region 2 held their annual NoCal picnic in Sacramento, CA, at Foothills Park.  The weather was on the cool side but that didn't stop the fun with the auction and bingo!  Lots of cats will be eating well since, Evangers and Weruva donated food for the auction.  Thanks, Evangers and Weruva!  Both companies have been big supporters of our auctions and raffles in Region 2.
 
This weekend North Pacific Siamese will hold their annual cat show, "Suddenly It's May."  This is an event that we look forward to as starting the new show season.  The show always has lovely decorations in a really nice venue.  
 
Our annual NW Regional Awards Banquet will be held on June 10, 2017, at the Seven Feathers Casino in Canyonville, OR.  This year we will have a banquet and awards program without a cat show in conjunction with the event.  This is a trial experiment and we will see how it works out.
 
Tammy Roark is taking sponsorships for the NW regional winners.  A list of opportunities to sponsor can be found on the regional website:  cfanorthwest.org.
 
Upcoming events for the summer include the Upper Northwest Region Fundraiser Picnic on August 12th in Rainier, OR, at Hudson-Parcher Park.  The flier for the picnic is on the region's website under show calendar.

 Also, Seattle Cat Club is planning a summer show to be held in Portland, OR, on July 29th. Be looking for details about this show. 
Region 3
by Kathy Black, Regional Director   

The end of the season has come and the hard-working members of the Gulf Shore Region are putting together a fantastic show and banquet for everyone to attend. Please put our show on your to do list for June 10-11, 2017.

It's a hotel show! It's the Hyatt! 8 ring show and the banquet on Saturday night all under one roof. We welcome you to our "Celebrity Ball". Check it out on our website at www.CFAGulfshore.org .
Before we ring in the new season and plan for the Awards banquet, we had some wonderful traditional shows in the Region. Foot of the Rockies held their April show in Denver Colorado. It was a bittersweet show as having recently lost two long time Colorado exhibitors with Mark Delman and Dennis Allen. The exhibitors and club members all show love and support for Trudie and Sally. There were a few tears shed, but these ladies know they are loved.

We had a lot of celebrating to do also, as this was Jimmy Thompson's last Colorado judging assignment. There were lots of gifts and fun to make it a memorable day for Jim. We will miss him so much as he closes out his 40-year judging career. Our awards banquet will be his last judging assignment so we welcome everyone to come and give him a fantastic send off to his long and notable judging career.

Region 4
by John Colilla, Regional Director
Our region is very active in social media. We are a member of Pinterest and have our own Facebook page. You can check out what is going on in our region through these social media sites at: https://www.facebook.com/cfagreatlakes and https://www.pinterest.com/carmencitamarie/great-lakes-region-cfa/ 
 
Show Report

The Great Lakes Great Maines club and the Great Lakes Region joined forces to produce a New Year's Eve show at the end of April.  "The Celebration of Holidays" was the theme for GLGM's ring decorations.  Spectator turn-out was awesome and the spectators voted for their favorite ring.    The Easter theme by Michelle Chaffee and Jenna Staehr was judged best and won the $50 prize. On Saturday, Great Lakes Great Maines had a HCM clinic conducted by a local cardiologist, Dr. Boddy,  and 21 cats were ultrasounded.

Exhibitors entered from 6 of the 7 US regions.  Comradery, smiles, and laughter and were the rules for the weekend. There was great food but the concession stand ran out on Saturday.   Grand cakes were plentiful and filled the gap. 

 
Be sure to mark your calendar with our upcoming shows:
 
More information can be found online at www.catshows.us/greatlakesregional/  
  • May 20       -- Almost Heaven Cat Club, Charleston WV, 5 AB , 1 SP
  • May 27       -- Golden Triangle Cat Fanciers, Cambridge ON, 5AB, 1SP
  • June 24-25 - Great Lakes Regional Award Show, Akro, OH 6AB, 2SP, 8HHP

Region 5
by Lisa Marie Kuta, Regional Director 

Congratulations to all our regional winners! We look forward to
celebrating at the regional show and banquet on June 17 in Phoenix, AZ.

Honor a friend, special cat you've been admiring or your favorite breed by
sponsoring an award. All the info is posted here:
http://cfasouthwest.org/awards2017. The sponsorships page is up-to-date
with the awards' placements and current sponsorships. If you prefer to
pay via check or cash email me. Also, if you pay online and PayPal
doesn't give you a box to fill in your message please email it to me.
Region 6
by Mary Auth, Midwest Regional Director

The Consortium of Clubs - commonly known as America's Heartland -- finished off the show year in Springfield, Illinois.  It was Jimmy Thompson's last Midwest Region show and we wished him well in his retirement.
 

 
We also said "Goodbye" to Mary Margaret Richardson with a short memorial.  Mary Margaret was a very visible character at the shows, always with a witticism and a camera in hand.  She died unexpectedly in April.
 

 
Because the Midwest Region is hosting the annual this year, we are delaying our Regional Awards show and banquet until July 15. The show and banquet will be held at the Coralville Marriott and Conference Center, which is geographically in the center of our region. This is the first time a show has been held in Coralville, so the city is looking forward to welcoming us.
 















The Midwest Region is hosting the hospitality room at the Annual in Chicago and is planning a special competition. Regional Family Feud pits regional teams against each other for $1,000 in prize money.  Prizes will be awarded for First and Second Place, and a special competition challenges regions to really get into the fun.  Categories are Best Themed Team, Most Enthusiastic Team, Best Fan Base and Most Popular.  

Region 7
by Jean Dugger, Regional Director

The new show season opened in the Southern Region with Rebel Rousers' traditional show on Saturday. On Sunday, the newest club to the Southern Region, New Vision Cat Club, made up of breeders of our newest breed, the Bengals, held their very first CFA show. All of the club members were very enthusiastic and their show was a success! Rebel Rousers advised me that they have already decided to do it with the New Vision Cat Club again next year!

Our next shows will be the Colonial Annapolis Cat Club show in Parkville, Maryland, followed by the Southern Regional Awards Show in Roanoke, Virginia! Visit cfasouthern.org and click our Southern Stars tab to find everything you need to know about entering our show, sponsorship opportunities, the banquet, and more! I hope that you can join us!

Region 8
Region 9
by Michael Hans Schleissner 


The 2016/2017 show season has ended and the new season has already started. It was my pleasure to do both the first and last show in region 9, Europe.

My personal highlight was at the last show, held by Chatte Noir Club in Moscow, Russia, on April 30, 2017. My friend and European fellow judge, Irina Kharchenko, arrived, totally unexpected, at the show hall during the day. We haven't seen each other for a long time because of her illness. There was lots of emotion in the air and I was happy to hold her in my arms. Irina is back!

Pam, Irina and I had the pleasure of lunching together and enjoyed visiting with each other. Irina will judge her first show at the end of May, 2017, in China (where else....). I want to wish her all the best, and a continued fast improvement of her health situation. Irina, we have missed you and we cross our fingers that everything will work out well.

International Division
Congratulations to the International Division winners from the 2016-17 show season. It's time to have a big party to celebrate!  You are cordially invited to celebrate at the Banquet 2017 will be held in Bali (Indonesia

Award Banquet Information
Date: August 19, 2017
Location: Seminyak, Bali - Indonesia
Banquet Hall: The Trans Resort Bali
http://www.transresortbali.com
Theme: Cultural Diversity Night
Dress Code: Colorful & Cultural
Deadline: June 16, 2017

** Hotel & Flight Arrangement
For hotel room with special rates and flight tickets with special deals; please contact :
JENDELA TOURS AND TRAVEL and mention our personalized booking code, CFAJT-17
Jl. Radio Dalam Raya No 7B Keb. Baru Jaksel
Phone +62-21-2702702
Hotel & Flight Reservation Form :  https://goo.gl/forms/DIprvH8bTVHMZH9D3
Attn. Mr. Wahyu Ari / +6281586606045
The order form and invitation letter will be send to each winner soon.

Our congratulations again on your fine achievement.  Hope to see you all in the 2017 CFA International Division Award Banquet in Bali, Indonesia on 19 August 2017.
Best Regards,
ID Banquet Committee


Around the International Division...

Cyndi Byrd giving a presentation on British Shorthairs at the Oriental Diamond Cat Fancier show in Shanghai China on May 6-7. This show was held at a large pet fair at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition Convention Center.

New clerking school graduates from a school conducted in Foshan, China on May 12.













Show hall setup for the Cat Fanciers' Society of Indonesia show in Bogor.

Judges and club members at the Feline Fanciers Society of Singapore Easter show on April 14.
Judges and committee at the Chocolate Heart show in Beijing China on May 6-7.













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Teresa Keiger
CFA Newsletter Editor