Breeder of third generation Minuet and Minuet Tall cats, the pride of cat lovers, and the kings and queens of the cat world.

Tiny Lions Napoleons is committed to promoting the Minuet breed among cat associations. In May of 2016, Minuets (the short legs) were accepted into Championship status in The International Cat Association (TICA). Although the two US associations that accept Minuets (Napoleons) are TICA and Cat Fanciers Federation (CFF), we are more active in TICA because of our geographic location. CFF is mainly in the Northeastern region of the United States, while we are located in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Therefore, we attend TICA shows.

In order to continue advancing Minuets among cat associations, it is important to enter these beautiful cats in association-sponsored shows. We intend to do that with our cats in every show we can conceivably go to. Our primary intention is not to compete for points, but to show that Minuets are amazing cats deserving of recognition, regardless of their version (Minuets or Minuet Talls).

We started showing locally in 2015, at Denver’s Romo Cat Club, with Bing and Josie entered in the Advanced New Breed (ANB) Class. At that time, Minuets were in the ANB Class, which is an experimental time to see if Minuets could hold their own in showing. It was important for Minuets to show in this experimental phase so they could be advanced to Championship status. In May 2016, that happened. Only the short legged version of Minuets can now show in championship! But there’s more work to be done with Minuets in showing. The next step is to get TICA to accept the Minuet Talls to show in championship.

Tiny Lions Napoleons will be at the following shows:

Now begins the 2024/2025 show season and while I have gotten all the cats I have their top titles, I will still take them out here and there until I can get a couple more show girls to add to my program.

At this time, I am focusing all my energies on trying to get the Minuet Talls (long-legs) accepted into championship, and this has been and is still a long journey. But hopefully, we can get the application before the December 2024 TICA’s Judge Meeting for a decision.

The following are the shows we are scheduled so far to go to:

Nov. 10, 2024, Denver Cat Fest

Nov 22-24, 2024, Shaumberg, IL

Jan 4-5, 2024, Corpus Christi, TX

Garden of the Cats

We have put on the TICA schedule our next show, which will be at Under the Sun Dog Training and Event Center in Colorado Springs, CO on April 5-6, 2025.  

To view TICA’s show calendar, click here.

Sunflower State Showdown, Wichita, KS, September 10th to 11th, 2016

Claude and I went to the Sunflower State Showdown in Wichita, KS on September 10-11, 2016, which was Claude’s first show. He adapted well to the strange environment and showed some of his tricks while playing with the judge. He took first in breed three times in judging during the two days.

He also proved that he’s a good little traveler, provided that he doesn’t have to spend all that time in his carrier. He loves riding in the car and exploring the hotel room, but he missed his dad, my husband. We also returned Riddler to his mom, who was attending the show. Claude was sad to see him go and so was I.

Claude’s next show will be in Oklahoma City, OK, on October 15-16, 2016. We’re hoping Claude will captivate the judges there, too.

Red River Rascals Kitty Roundup at the OK Corral, Oklahoma City, OK, October 15 - 16, 2016

The whole family gang went to Oklahoma City to attend the Red River Rascals, Kitty Cat Roundup at the OK Corral on October 15-16, 2016. That meant four dogs, two adult cats, and two five-week old kittens, along with Claude, who was the only one who was entered in the show. There were forty-seven kittens and Claude finaled three times: fourth, eighth, and ninth over the two days. Much better than his first show. I was thrilled.  

It was the kittens’ first road trip and they did extremely well. Kubi and Gidget had to stay in a travel playpen at the hotel–flipped over, since Kubi proved to be a quick study at escaping. He climbed up the side in an instant and tried to tumble over the top.

Claude’s next show is not so far away, in Denver, which is only two hours away, a blessing.

Rocky Mountain Cat Club Spooktacular at Denver, CO, October 28th to 30th, 2016

My husband went to Denver with me, Claude, and Bing to attend the Rocky Mountain Cat Club Spooktacular on the weekend of October 28-30, 2016. There were forty-four kittens in total and Claude went to finals twice, despite a poor attitude. Even with Bing in his corner, he was grumpy for some reason. Still, I was happy with two finals, even though he probably would have gotten more with a better attitude.  

We got some positive feedback from a few judges after the fact and that was encouraging. Claude’s next show is far away, in Corpus Christi, TX, on Thanksgiving Day weekend.  My son, Kyle, will be going with me. Claude only has two more shows before he becomes old enough to compete in adult championship, which starts when a cat is eight months old.  

Catmas on the Beach in Corpus Christi, TX, November 25th to 27th, 2016

My son, Kyle, accompanied me with Claude, Bing, and Josie to Corpus Christi, TX for the Catmas on the Beach show. Claude had his best show ever, finaling five times. I was so proud of him. Despite busting my lip open on the glass door of the hotel, I had a great time with my son and cats.

Coatamondi Cat Club in Tucson, AZ, December 2nd to 4th, 2016

My husband and our four dogs went with me and the cats to Tucson, AZ for a Ragdoll congress cat show. Coming off his best show in Corpus Christi, we were truly disappointed with his results. He had to go up against 51 ragdolls, along with all the other breed kittens (101 entries), and he did not final even once. I shouldn’t make excuses for him, but we were benched next to a female cat that proved to be in heat. That got Claude’s hormones raging and he was a little rambunctious, which didn’t make the judges happy. The good new is that he appears to be all male.  

Claude’s failure to final in Tucson meant the end of his showing as a kitten. His next show appearance will be as an adult, and no doubt, much tougher competition. He’ll be showing against the big boys now.

Chili Cats in Racine, WI, January 14th, 2017

Claude’s first show in adult championship was also his first show in 2017. We made a trip out of our region, to the Great Lakes region, so we could return Riddle Me This (Riddler) to his owner, Samantha McConnell, of Pawcity Cattery. A friend who raises Norwegian Forest cats went with us and we had a blast.

My goal with Claude was to get him used to being in the show hall and around other cats, to make him more comfortable.  He showed more ease with the judges and amid all the hoopla.  Our next show is in Deer Park, TX, January 28-29, 2017. This is back in our region, the South Central Region. If you’re in the area, please stop by and visit us.

Feline PAW Foundation in Deer Park, TX, January 28th to 29th  2017

Claude and I went to Deer Park, TX (Houston area) for his second adult show, on January 28, 2017. He did relatively well on his own, finaling four times, which got him his champion status!  The show was fantastic, one of the best ever, and Claude was stellar with the public. He is developing a fan club all on his own.

Claude’s tolerance with other cats is slowly getting better. We either walked around among them, or he stayed on the benching table, where people could get to know him better. Our next show is in Brighton, CO (Denver), on the weekend of February 4-5, 2017.  This is basically in our backyard and we would love to see you if you’re in the area.

We would love to see you at these cat shows. If you are in the area of any of the shows listed, don’t hesitate to stop by and mention that you’d like to see our cats in person. Keep an eye out for the shows that we are definitely going to.

Claude had his third adult championship show in Brighton, CO.  It was great because we didn’t have to travel far, just two hours away. Our friend, Brenda, was there as well, with her Norwegian Forest Cat, Nyx. We had a great time, despite some car trouble.  Claude behaved very well, getting better with his growling habit. Some trouble with the microphones and speakers gave a lot of cats anxiety, including Claude, but that’s just part of the process.

The accompanying picture is Claude the day after the show, just chilling out.

Econo Cat Club, Love in the Rockies, in Brighton, CO, February 4th to 5th, 2017

Thunderkatz, Happy St. Catrick’s Day, in Oklahoma City, OK, March 17 to 19th, 2017

Claude and I went to Oklahoma City for his fourth adult championship show. It was a three-day show and it was hectic on the first day. We got into town only an hour ahead of judging and had to switch hotels at the last minute, before we headed for the show hall. I got to the show hall literally minutes before the first ring was called. Claude took everything in stride and finaled three times during the weekend. I’m happy to say that he made enough points that weekend to reach grand champion status. We had a fantastic weekend together after the rough start.

Our next show is a one-day show in Denver, on March 25, 2017. Again, if you’re in the area, stop by and say hello. We’d love to see you.

Romo Cat Club, Mile High Madness, in Denver, CO, March 25, 2017

Denver was another local show for Claude and me, a one-day show in Denver, which made it easy for us. We picked up Reagan, a beautiful Norwegian Forest Cat that was showing in Alter class. Reagan’s mom, met up with us midmorning to show Reagan and to keep us company.

I didn’t expect good results with Claude at this show, since the judges that day had never finaled him before, but we were surprised when Claude finaled twice that day. With those finals, he should have gained enough points to make Double Grand Champion. Go Claude!  

We have a break for a while, as the show season is coming to an end for the year, but our next show before that is Nashville, TN. It will be a hard show to final in, as that region is tough on Minuets, but we’re going for the fun. Brenda will be bringing Reagan and traveling with us.

!!! Breaking News !!!

Clawed Lemieux of Tiny Lions (Claude) received his triple grand champion title on April 22, 2017. We are so proud of him. His next title to shoot for is quad grand champion.  Go Claude!!!

Claude, Josie, and I went to Nashville with Brenda and her Norwegian Forest Cat for this wonderful show out of our region.  It took us two days to drive there but we had a great time, and seeing the country is always a pleasure. I brought Josie, hoping she would go into heat for Claude, but no such luck. Still, we had an outstanding time.

Claude finaled twice during this weekend, an eighth place and a second. A second! His highest place ever, and out of 51 cats. What an accomplishment. I was so proud of him.

The picture to the left is one I took of Claude after several judgings and two jars of turkey baby food. He’s hopped up on triptophan.

Our friend, Brenda, really cleaned up with finals. She was showing a beautiful Norwegian Forest Cat in Alter Class (not competing against Claude) and placed first four times. Congratulations, Reagan. Reagan supremed over the weekend, the highest title to achieve in showing. So proud of you, Brenda and Reagan. Thanks for sharing the weekend with us.

Claude’s next show is in Albuquerque, NM on May 13-14, 2017. Join us if you’re in the area.

Music City Cat Club, 50’s Sock Hop Bash, in Nashville, TN, April 28-30, 2017

!!! Breaking News !!!

Clawed Lemieux of Tiny Lions (Claude) received his quadruple grand champion title on May 1, 2017. We are so proud of him. His next title to shoot for is Supreme Grand Champion.  Go Claude!!!

Enchanted Cat Club, A Feline Fiesta, in Albuquerque, NM, May 13-14 2017

In a rare occasion, my husband accompanied Claude and me to the Albuquerque show. The dogs and other cats, including little Jasper, came as well. We had an amazing time together and Claude was able to interact with Jasper, his baby, for the first time. The two became fast friends and ran around the hotel room as they romped and played. There was a downside to that, though, since Claude had to leave his newfound friend behind to go to the show hall. He didn’t like that one bit. However, Claude did manage to final an amazing six times: three times in third place in special breed, twice in second place in special breed, and taking a fourth place in all breed. I was so proud of him, but also frustrated, because he was like a teenager who wanted to get his way.

Thanks, Scott, for coming along.  We loved having you and wished you would come more often.

Fort Worth Feline Fanciers, Texas in Bloom, in Dallas, TX, May 20-21, 2017

Claude and I were back alone on the road when we went to Dallas, TX for a Pet Expo show.  Still, as always, we had a great time and met new friends. Claude did well, finaling three times on this two-day show. He took fifth and second in special breed, and sixth in all breed. Good job, Claude!

!!! Breaking News !!!

Clawed Lemieux of Tiny Lions (Claude) received annual regional awards for the best longhair Minuet (chocolate mackerel tabby and white) of the South Central Region, 2017, and best Minuet kitten and best Minuet cat of 2017, South Central Region.  You go, Claude!!!

Summer Holidays, Econo Cat Club, in Aurora, CO, June 17 - 18, 2017

Claude and I went to the Aurora, CO Summer Holidays cat show on June 17 - 18, 2017, but we were joined intermittently by several friends. Lynn Brown from Montana brought her two Minuet girls, who were also entered in the show. My husband came by on Saturday to spend time with us, and Brenda brought her beautiful Norwegian Forest Cat, which competed in Alter class. During this show, Nyx, Brenda’s cat, supremed. Way to go, Nyx.

Claude finaled multiple times. He finaled fifth once, fourth once, and third three times in special breed, and tenth twice in all breed. We were very happy with the outcome. In the meantime, we tried our hand at vending. Because there’s a lot of downtime during a show, I’ve been thinking of what I can do to keep busy. I came up with the idea of vending some homemade products, and we tried it for the first time in Aurora.  Although there wasn’t a lot of public traffic (given that it was Father’s Day weekend), we still did a modicum of business. More importantly, I was kept busy. We’re going to try it again at the Cheyenne show.

Claude is always exhausted after a show, as you can see from the picture.  

Wild West Herding Cats Show, Prairie Winds Cat Club, in Cheyenne, WY, July 8 - 9, 2017

The whole family took the opportunity to go to Cheyenne, WY for the first show ever of the newly minted cat club, Prairie Winds. Hubby came along, which means all the dogs and cats–including Bing’s two little kittens, joined us. It’s part of our socializing training with the kittens to get them travel happy, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. Both Buster and Brinn enjoyed the new experience and got a chance to meet all the dogs.

As for the show, Claude didn’t do well. There was no air conditioning in the building and he had a horrible time dealing with the heat. In the picture to the right, he’s laying on an ice pack wrapped in a towel and spreading his legs for air from a fan. He was cranky when he was taken away from his only relief and not appealing to the judges. He also had his routine mixed up a bit, because I was conscripted to clerking, while my husband ran him to the rings. Still, he finaled third with one judge, which is more than I expected.  

Aside from the heat, Prairie Winds did a spectacular job putting on a friendly, well-run show. They promise that the building will be air conditioned next year, so we look forward to going again.

Headed for the Beach, Fort Worth Feline Fanciers, in Cleburne, TX, August 5-6, 2017

One thing we learned in showing one cat is that there is a lot of downtime between rings. So, to combat boredom, we decided to make a few things out of wood from our property and homemade cat toys and see how they sell. We received great praise for our crafts and have been invited to several other shows, so we feel like we’ve found a niche to fill. This gives us something to do while showing Claude.

Claude finaled twice in the Cleburne show, taking 10th out of 42 cats and 4th out of 15 long hair cats. He probably could have done better without the attitude, but he still grumbles when the judges take him out of the judging cages. I don’t understand it, because he’s a doll with spectators at the show and a sweetheart everywhere else. It’s just in the judging ring that he changes his tune, and this is why I’m looking for another cat to show. Once I have one, I’ll retire Claude from showing. It’s a shame, because he hasn’t supremed yet–and probably won’t because of his attitude–but he’s not having fun with the judges. However, he really does love traveling. He has a blast at the hotels and in the car.  

Inaugural Show, High Country Cat Club, in Denver, CO, August 19th - 20th, 2017

High Country Cat Club is a new cat club based in Denver, CO, which we at Tiny Lions are founding members of. Our inaugural show was on August 19-20, 2017, and I made the cat judging tables for our club. They received a lot of good remarks and I am very proud of them, and I hope they get a lot of use in the future. The picture to the right shows one of them, with enough space to hold a Maine Coon and cat scratching posts for cats to play on.

Claude didn’t do very well at this show, mostly because I was clerking on both days and running him to rings when I could. I didn’t have a lot of time to play with him, so I blame myself for his lack of high finals. I didn’t mind much because it was about making a good first impression with the public for our first show and I believe we did. This show was in conjunction with the Denver Pet Expo, where there were tons and tons of dogs walking around among the cats, which probably had an effect on Claude’s performance as well. I certainly wish I had the time to go through the vendors to see what was there, but alas, I barely had time to breathe.

Claude did final four times, all in special breed. He took fifth once, fourth twice, and third once. With his showing days coming to a close soon, I hope he will get a first at least once to end as a supreme.

Chisholm Trail Fall Roundup, Austin Cat Fanciers, in Temple, TX, Sept. 30th - Oct. 1st, 2017

Ellie is my new show cat. Her first show was in Temple, TX, on September 30, 2017. I was so excited to bring her, along with Claude, and show her off to the public. While Claude is usually a grump when it comes to showing, Ellie is a little doll. She was nervous at first but then she became curious about everything going on. She even hammed it up with the judges. She was the little darling of the show, drawing attention from spectators and other exhibitors throughout the weekend.  

Ellie didn’t final during this show, which is not unusual. Cats, even kittens, are judged according to their conformation to the breed standards. At four months old, a kitten has not developed into their breed standard. Ellie was up against some older kittens, which looked more like their cat counterparts, and those were more likely to final. Still, Ellie was gorgeous and is likely to take many finals as she grows.

Claude, even being a grump with the judges, finaled once, fifth in special breed. He is an amazingly beautiful cat that should final more if it wasn’t for his poor attitude on the table. Several judges have said that they would have finaled him if he hadn’t been grumbling. He loves traveling but he is not a fan of being judged (who is?). I think his last show will be the Denver show in October (2017) since he is not enjoying the circuit. By then, Katy will be able to show and can keep Ellie company.

Spooktacular, Romo Cat Club, in Denver, CO, October 20-22, 2017

A lot of things happened this weekend, and not all of them were good. What was great was that we had plenty of Minuets show up at the Denver show. Lynn Brown, of 406Paws Cattery, brought three of her Minuets and agented another one. I brought three myself: Claude, Ellie, and Katy–her first show–for a total of seven Minuets in the show. Unfortunately, Claude proved to be unhappy to be there and I pulled him after only a few rings on the first day. He had finaled once, seventh out of forty-two cats, but it was obvious that his anxiety in showing was affecting him. I came to the decision that I would not show him anymore. Very sad, but probably best for him overall.

Ellie and Katy went up against some serious competition with Lynn’s kittens. Lynn’s kittens were much larger and more developed in age than Ellie and Katy. Lynn took a few finals, which was awesome, since it made an impression for Minuets. I was thrilled for Lynn and I’d love to show with her again, especially when my kittens grow up.

!!! Breaking News !!!

Clawed Lemieux (Claude) will be retiring from showing. He is too interested in breeding with his girls than showing off his handsomeness. I will be showing Ellie (Gabrielle Landesclaw) and Katy (Catrice Purrgeron) from now.

Christmas in the Desert, Coatimondi Cat Club, in Tucson, AZ, December 1 - 3, 2017

This was my first show without Claude and it was rather bittersweet going without him. But I had Ellie and Katy with me, and we had a great time traveling. However, something in the hotel got Katy sick, causing her eyes to water and for her to sneeze atrociously, so we left early, not showing on Sunday. She miraculously got better after a few hours on the road, proving that something had been in the room that bothered her. She did final once on Saturday, taking eighth out of forty-four kittens, and it was her first final ever. Ellie wasn’t so lucky this weekend.  

Some of the events of this weekend made me realize that I have to choose my shows more carefully.  For the time being, we will be limiting our shows to those in the state of Colorado.

Valentine Show, Econo Cat Club, in Brighton, CO, February 3 - 4, 2018

Katy, Ellie, and I went to Brighton, CO (Denver) on the weekend of February 3 - 4, 2018. Only Katy was entered in the show because Ellie had had surgery the week before to remove a foreign object from her stomach. But she was in great spirits and health to attend the show to keep Katy company, despite having been cut the whole length of her underside.

I didn’t think Katy had much of a chance of finaling, since her tummy was a little swollen for some reason, but she surprised me. She finaled five out of six times the first day: twice in fifth place, once in fourth place, once in second place, and a best kitten!! First place. On the second day, competing against many more kittens, she finaled three out of six times, once in tenth place, once in eighth place, and once in fifth place. I was amazed and delighted.

Check out her adventures on her Facebook page, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/142238163163429/

I had hoped to go to more shows, but they are proving few and far between until the end of April. Our next show will be in Denver, CO, on April 28 - 29, 2018, where I hope to show both Katy and Ellie.

Feline Fiesta, Enchanted Cat Club, in Albuquerque, NM, May 12-13, 2018

I took Ellie and Katy to the Feline Fiesta cat show in Albuquerque this weekend, where they competed against each other in adult cat championship for the first time ever. Katy did great, finaling eight times, while Ellie finaled five times, more than I thought she would, seeing as though she still needs to beef herself up. Although she doesn’t have the bulk that Katy does, she has a fabulous face and structure. Katy got two seventh and a sixth best cat in all breed, and a third, three seconds, and a best cat in special breed! Ellie got three fifth, one fourth, and one third best in special breed. This means that Ellie would have made champion and Katy would be a grand champion.

Katy was a little grumpy on the first day, but she was fantastic on the second day. Ellie was always in a ring with a boy that tried to woo her, but she was having none of it. She definitely wants only Claude.

5 Tribes Cats, MuskogeeCats Cat Club, in Shawnee, OK, May 26-27, 2018

Ellie and Katy joined me in Shawnee, OK, for a show put on by the Muskogee Cat Club. There were more cats competing against them than usual, so it was tougher competition (around 50 cats).  Katy got four finals: tenth, sixth, fourth, and third, while Ellie didn’t final this time. She was given best of breed a few times, but those judges didn’t final her. There were more longhairs in this competition, but the judges were overall in favor of the shorthair cats. Boo! It’s tough to show longhairs, given the grooming, but so go the breaks. Can’t do much to change opinion.

I was very happy with Katy’s results. She is truly an amazing girl, although Ellie has–in my opinion–a better face. The judges like heftier cats, and Katy is more bulky than Ellie, ergo why she doesn’t final over Katy. But we work with what we have.

Still, we had a great time. The girls love the different hotels and spend a lot of time running around the room, chasing each other. They also like to wake me up in the middle of the night for some play time. As long as they love traveling, we’ll keep going to shows.

Cat Roundup, Wild West Cat Fanciers, in Salt Lake City, UT, June 2-3, 2018

Katy and Ellie joined me at the cat show in Salt Lake City, put on by the Wild West Cat Fanciers. I couldn’t go last year, even though I’d entered the show, because Bing was due with kittens that weekend. However, I got to go this year with my two new girls and it was a great weekend. Not because of the show, but because my wonderful husband had set up a surprise for me. He arranged for my son and his family to drive in from Seattle to spend the weekend with me. What a wonderful surprise!! And my son brought Ceviche, one of our kittens, to see how he’d grown.  

The last time I’d seen Ceviche in person was when I’d sent him home with Ryan at 12 weeks old. Now, Ceviche is a year old and looks amazing. Half his face looks exactly like Bing, his mom, and the other half looks like his dad, Claude.  

Oh, how did my girls do, you ask? Katy finaled only two times, tenth and sixth.  She wasn’t in her best mood, so I’m sure that had a lot to do with it. I certainly hope she changes her attitude so I can keep showing her.

Ellie, unfortunately, didn’t final, which is just wrong. She got a few best of breeds over Katy but she didn’t final in those rings. She needs to gain some confidence in the ring and beef up.

(Left picture: Ceviche in the hotel)

Katy on the ride home from Salt Lake City. Just too exhausted.

Cat Show in the Rockies, High Country Cat Club, in Aurora, CO, June 16-17, 2018

We did something different at the Aurora show. I asked to show my son’s cat, Nygma. Because Nygma is a Minuet Tall, he could only show in Household Pet. He did well, but who took the show was Duchess, one of Claude and Bing’s kittens. Sadly, she had to show in Household Pet as well, being a Minuet Tall, but she wiped up the competition with six best cats, one second, and a third. William did an excellent job grooming Duchess, but she is a stunning cat all on her own. The judge even knew she was a Minuet and gave the best compliment ever. She was saddened that Duchess had been spayed because she was an excellent example of a Minuet that could have passed on perfect genes.

On our part, Katy was having a bad weekend with her heat cycle coming upon her and making her cranky, so she didn’t final. However, Ellie did. She finaled five times. I’m so proud of her. She’s going to give Katy a run for her money.

At the right is Duchess getting her first best cat ever, with William, her dad. He was so proud of her. Needless to say, so was I.

Yellow Rose Cat Club, in Denver, CO, July 14-15, 2018

Duchess and William joined us for a one-day show at the Yellow Rose Cat Club show in Denver on July 14, 2018. I only showed Ellie, as Katy was recovering from anemia, but we had a wonderful time with friends. Ellie finaled three times: tenth once and eighth place twice. I was happy for the finals, as each one helps Ellie climb in ranks to our ultimate goal of becoming the number one Minuet internationally. Katy had a shot at it, since she currently holds the first place, but Katy will be altered for health reasons as soon as her doctor gives the green light. I’ll show her as an alter then and shoot for her to become the number one alter Minuet internationally, while Ellie takes over the goal for number one in adult championship.

South Central Regional, Econo Cat Club, in Denver, CO, August 11-12, 2018

I showed my son’s cat, Nygma, in this show, as a household pet since he’s a Minuet Tall. I also showed Ellie, although I didn’t have much hope that she would final. I believed she was pregnant, which made her a little off for the show.

As expected, Ellie didn’t final at all, but Nygma did very well. He finaled 10 out of 12 times, getting a first once. He truly is a beautiful cat and should be allowed to show in championship, if the rules would be changed. As for Ellie, this will be her last show for a while, until her kittens go to their new families–if all goes well with the pregnancy. I guess her taking over first place internationally is not in the cards.

!!! Breaking News !!!

Clawed Lemieux (Claude) received two awards from the South Central Region for last season (2017): Best Minuet Cat of the South Central Region and the fourteenth best long hared cat in the region. Katy received an award as well, the best Minuet kitten in the South Central Region. Congrats, Claude and Katy!

Sunflower Show, KansasKatz Cat Club, in Wichita, KS, September 15-16, 2018

A friend and neighbor, Mary Rish, joined me, Katy, and Nygma in our travels to Wichita, KS for a cat show being put on by KansasKatz Cat Club. We were vending as well, with Mary’s help, and there was going to be several Minuets in attendance. Samantha McConnell and her mother, from Pawcity Cattery, were there with five Minuets, of which two were competing against Katy. Another Minuet was competing against them as well.

Katy did not do well with the competition and I suspect it was because she wasn’t feeling well.  I know that in retrospect, after getting her home and a visit to the vet, but it wasn’t something that was evident during the show.

However, Mary and I had a great time with Sam and her mom, and Janet Hayes from Windemere Napoleon/Minuet Cattery showed up as well. We discussed our intentions of trying to get Minuet Talls into championship.

Mary and I vended as well and did a modicum of business, but it was all about good times with good people. Mary and I did some networking for our new club, Garden of the Cats, in our preparations for our first show in March 2018.

With Katy moving towards becoming an alter and Ellie missing out on critical shows while tending to her beautiful babies, it is unlikely that either will receive an international award. But it is more important to take care of the health of our cats than to chase awards. We’ll let other people have them this year. We can’t lose sight of our program.

Chisolm Trail Roundup, Austin Cat Fanciers, in Temple, TX, October 6-7, 2018

I had the pleasure of taking Claude out of retirement in order to show a cat in Temple, TX. Since Ellie was with her babies and Katy was still recovering from anemia, that left me only Claude. I must say, he looked spectacular. His hair was like rabbit fur and he was behaving well. However, fate wasn’t in his favor–and I have no idea why not–but he only finaled once. A tenth place. Not impressive. I truly believed he was going to knock it out of the park with the way he looked. But shows are fickle and there’s no telling how well a cat will do in a show, so those are the breaks. It was just disappointing that he wasn’t viewed any better than he was. I do have to say that the show was fun and well done, so no complaints there. As always, we had a great time with far-away friends coming together.

Our friend, Mary, came with us and kept us company. She also helped us vend. Mary is an invaluable asset in all aspects. She is a great friend and a wonderful help.

Claude was the perfect little traveler as well. He enjoyed the drive and settled into the hotels like they were home to him. He can adjust to absolutely anywhere and hasn’t lost his knack for traveling.

Feline Fall Fest, Thunderkatz, in Stillwater, OK, November 10-11, 2018

I took Katy and Josie to Stillwater, OK on November 10-11. Katy was showing for the first time as an Alter and she did fantastic! She finaled eight out of twelve times, and she deserved it. She looked amazing and she was on her best behavior. I want to thank the judges who finaled her and the club for putting on a fantastic show. She took 2 third best long hair and a fourth best long hair, and fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, and tenth best allbreed.

Our drive home was less wonderful, hitting a snowstorm in Pampa, TX, where we stayed over on the way home. What a traumatic drive the next day, which should have only taken five hours. Instead, it took eight hours, crawling across frozen roads. But we made it home safely, even after spinning out twice on black ice. White knuckle driving.

Our next show will be in Waxahachie, TX, on December 10-11, 2018.

Turkish Van Cat Connection, in Waxahachie, TX, December 8-9, 2018

I took Ellie and Katy to Waxahachie, TX with me on December 8-9, 2018. We were vending as well and did great at that. However, the show results themselves weren’t good. Katy only finaled once, placing six in allbreed, but I expected her to do much better. She was gorgeous and frisky, but something just wasn’t right with the circumstances. Ellie didn’t final at all, but I understand that. She wasn’t as bulked up as she have should been after having her babies and that made finaling pretty impossible. However, there was an ulterior motive for taking her to Texas that weekend. Her babies were going to be leaving and I wanted her to get used to being without them. I knew she was going to be depressed once they left, so I was trying to take her mind off them.

Our next show will be in Denver, February 2-3, 2019, by Econo Cat Club. Not sure who I’ll be taking, but I know our new kitten, Sydney Clawsby, will be showing in kitten class for the first time. I’m excited for the show.

Garden of the Cats, in Colorado Springs, CO, March 23-24, 2018

This was my show with our own new cat club in Colorado Springs, bringing it closer to home!  My first attempt at putting on a show and it went really well.  Although I was super-busy with putting on the show, I still had Claude, Sydney, and Josie showing in it.  A special thanks to Ann Boyle for all her help with running my cats to the rings so I could focus on everything else. It was Ann’s first time at any kind of cat show and she flew in from New Jersey to be a part of it. I couldn’t have done it without her help, so a big shout out to her.  Sorry, I didn’t have time to take pictures, although we had a lot of news coverage from two local television stations.  It was a thrill to be a part of the behind the scenes in putting on an international cat show and I can’t wait for it to happen again.  Thanks for all the hardworking people of Garden of the Cats for making it possible.

By the way, my cats all finaled.  Congrats to all of them.  This is the end of the 2018 show season.

Enchanted Cat Club, in Albuquerque, NM, May 11-12, 2019

This was the start of the 2019 season and I have my eyes set on an international win. Why not, right. I have some pretty good prospects.

Mary Rish and William Feigt joined me for the weekend in Albuquerque. We were vending and showing four cats, my Sydney, Katy, and Josie, and William was showing Duchess, one of Bing’s babies. We all did amazingly well, but Katy did the best of mine.  Little Katy, my “kitten” with a big heart. She was best cat in alter twice. I had tears in my eyes when she was called that. Who would have thought that my little kitten, who was on her death bed so many times and wasn’t expected to live, would be best alter cat in a show. She is my miracle baby.

Sydney showed for the first time in adult championship and did very well, especially since she just turned 8 months old and was competing against more mature cats.  I have high hopes for this one.

Josie was showing in Household Pet and was a little shy, which goes against her. But she finaled half the times. Unfortunately, she was always beat by Duchess, who is a very hard cat to show against.  Duchess is absolutely stunning.

Our next show is the following weekend, in Lenexa, KS.  My same three cats will be going, as well as my son’s cat, Nygma.  Good times!

Kansas City Cat Club, in Lenexa, KS, May 25-26, 2019

Mary Rish and William Feigt joined Katy, Sydney, Josie, Nygma, and I when we went to Lenexa, KS for a first-time show for the new Kansas City Cat Club. William brought Duchess Noel and we had a great time with friends from Texas. As always, Katy did very well, with a couple Best Cats in Alter class.  Josie did amazing in HHP, as did Duchess.  Sydney is in the toughest class–adult championship–and struggled a little against the fully matured cats, since she’s only eight months old. Just wait until she fully develops.

The weather was frightening, with tornados in other parts of the state, but we only had severe thunderstorms. Driving home was a nightmare, but we got back safely, and that’s all that matters.  Our next show is in Salt Lake City.

Wild West Cat Fanciers, in Salt Lake City, UT, June 1-2, 2019

Mary Rish and my daughter’s son, Maison, came with us to Salt Lake City, UT for the Wild West Cat Fancier’s yearly TICA show. I brought Katy, Sydney, and Josie to show, and agreed to take Duchess for William. My girls did great. Josie got a much needed best cat in Household Pet to get her supreme!  Duchess did amazing–of course–and she’s on the road for an international win this year.  Even best international household pet, shall we dare?  Of course.

It was a wonderful trip. The weather was great and the drive was absolutely beautiful. It is my favorite drive to make to any show simply because of the scenery.  Not a large show but very well put on.  Plenty of good people and good times.

Our next show is in Amarillo, TX in a couple of weeks.

Yellow Rose Cat Club, in Amarillo, TX, June 15-16, 2019

The trip to Amarillo, TX for the Yellow Rose Cat Club show was a fantastic time. Mary Rish and William Feigt rode with my cats and me in the car (with Duchess Noel, of course), and my husband and daughter, and her son, followed in the RV with the boy cats.  That made a total of 7 cats coming to Amarillo, as well as my dog Kodiak and my husband’s dog, Jenny.  Good times.

It was a great show and we racked up finals.  My biggest accomplishment was catching my white whale–Claude’s Supreme Grand Championship.  He finally got it! I was almost in tears.  I brought him out of retirement for this show because I had a way to get him to Amarillo without being around the girls and he was able to room with Mary during the weekend.  So it was more than worth it.

As always, Katy did wonderfully well, finaling in all rings.  Claude got three finals and Sydney only one.  But Sydney was up against Claude, so that really wasn’t fair. I forgot to enter Josie, so she fell behind in her points, which means I have to take her to Las Vegas for the Annual.  My daughter showed her cat, Banksy, in Household Pet–his first show.  Banksy finaled in every ring and was vying for best HHP of the show with Duchess.  We’ll see who wins when the report comes out.

Our next official show is Reno, NV, but I might send Josie to Temple, TX with William Feigt to catch up for the missed show in Amarillo.

Austin Cat Fanciers, in Temple, TX, June 29, 2019

We didn’t have any intention of going to Temple, TX for a one-day show, but William was going and my husband had to pick up a boat in Oklahoma City, so … It just seemed fated. We took Katy, Sydney, Josie, and Banksy to the show, which was a quick one-day show fifteen hours away. Katy finaled 6 times, Banksy 7, and Josie finaled 8 times. Poor Sydney didn’t final but I think she wasn’t feeling well. She had just come out of heat (which we didn’t breed her), and wasn’t in the best shape. She needs to tack on some weight to satisfy the judges.

It was a good time with good people. Plus, Josie got a chance to pick up some points that she didn’t get in Amarillo because I forgot to enter her in that show. Our next show is in Reno, NV, where there are big points at stake. I’m the only one going with William, but it should be a fun time.

Sophisticats Cat Club, Reno, NV, July 13-14, 2019

Our trip to Reno, NV, the Midwest Regional show, wasn’t the best weekend I’ve had. I had extreme tendonitis in both knees from some stupid running in the mountains and I could barely walk, which made it a very painful time. But I had several cats entered in the show and I wasn’t going to miss it. I was taking Katy, Sydney, Josie, and Nygma. William Feigt was coming as well with Duchess, and I was driving. Imagine my surprise when I woke up on Thursday and started getting ready for a normal day at home, when William texted me and said he was on the way to the house. I had totally forgotten that we were leaving that day for Reno. I hadn’t even bathed my cats, which I had planned to do that day.

I got the car packed in record time, and by the time William had arrived at the house, we were pretty much ready to go–sans the cat baths. We were planning on staying over in Salt Lake City that night and that’s when I had to bathe four cats in the hotel. Not fun, kneeling on a hotel floor for hours with tendonitis. And a trip to Home Depot to snake out the bathtub after hair clogged it.  Another 45 minutes on the bathroom floor while making sure that hotel tub was in better shape than when we’d gotten there.

Nygma on the way back from Reno, NV.

Red River Rascals, Stillwater, OK, August 3-4, 2019 (SC Regional)

A bunch of us friends went to the South Central Regional show on August 3-4, 2019, in Stillwater, OK. Mary Rish, William Feigt, April Leitte, and Mary Killen (other members of Garden of the Cats) accompanied us to the regional show that weekend. We had a great time at the show and the banquet on Saturday, where our cats were honored in various ways. Katy received her Best Minuet Longhair award (pictured right) and I was so proud of her. My little girl who wasn’t meant to live was the Best Minuet Longhair in the South Central region. The South Central region is huge, encompassing Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, and all of Mexico. So yes, Katy is amazing.

If you ever think about showing, a regional banquet is a must to attend. That’s where the year’s awards for the best cats are given and a communal atmosphere of friends and acquaintances is shared. I have met many friends in my career of showing and the people of the South Central region are amazing.

Jazzy Cats Cat Club, in Las Vegas, NV, Aug 31-Sept 1, 2019 (Annual)

Our whole family went to Las Vegas, NV for the TICA Annual show, and having the whole family for the weekend in Vegas was absolute fun. We got to walk the strip and shop and play around, but then there was the show on Saturday and Sunday.

The show was huge and there were a lot of beautiful cats, but it was our worst show ever. Katy, at the time being the number 1 Alter in the world, didn’t even final once. Because of that show, Katy fell from her number 1 position and probably won’t recover it. We will stick with our regional shows, as the experience with the people from our region is much more fun. If it wasn’t for the presence of my family, it would have been a miserable weekend.

Josie managed to final three times, which surprised me. Josie is being dismissed a lot lately because she shows in Household Pet class and the judges can tell that she is a pedigreed Minuet. Josie has to show in HHP because her great-grandmother in her pedigree is a domestic cat, which is all right to use to breed a Munchkin (which is in her pedigree), but not for a Minuet. It doesn’t make sense, but it is the rules.

KansasKatz Cat Club, Wichita, KS September 14-15, 2019

Going to Wichita, KS on September 14-15, 2019 meant returning to the regular showing season, with all the Regionals and the Annual in the background. It was good to get back to the basics and I was able to vend during the show. Unfortunately, this trip was riddled with bad luck. The Expedition, which pulls my trailer, wasn’t working, so I was stuck trying to trailer a ton of vending equipment with a Jeep Liberty. Leaving in the morning, in the dark, it turned out that our trailer lights weren’t working. Because of that, Mary Rish didn’t want to go, so she bailed out. I picked up William at his place and we braved the road with no trailer lights, pulling a huge trailer with a small car. We had to stop every two hours for gas. Banksy decided to puke on Katy, both of whom had already been bathed for the show. At least we didn’t get stopped for having no trailer lights.

The next day, since William was clerking, I had to run five cats to rings, while vending, and dealing with a mobile mechanic who came to the show hall to fix my trailer lights. Our luck had turned and I had one of the best shows ever. Sydney did amazing, taking best cat out of 40 competing cats. It was the turn of her show career from getting only the occasional final to sweeping the board. She had finally hit her development burst and started to look like an adult Minuet.

Austin Cat Fanciers, Temple, TX, October 5-6, 2019

William, Mary Rish, and I went to Temple, TX the week before our own show, to campaign for our show. It was a busy weekend, with our own showing looming. I was doing a lot of paperwork during that weekend on my laptop and trying to get people to come to Colorado Springs for our show. It worked, as we got a lot of last minute entries. We had a great showing with the cats and Sydney even Supremed!  You go, girl. Unfortunately, my new Supreme girl and my Supreme stud (Claude) hate each other. I don’t think we’ll ever get them to breed.  Just my luck.

Garden of the Cats, Colorado Springs, October 12-13, 2019

Finally, our own show in Colorado Springs. It wasn’t a huge show, but it was modest and it was quite a feat to pull off. We had a great time. We were in costume and the decorations were on point. We had a lot of games and some wonderful vendors. I had all my cats except Bing, who had a new litter born only three days earlier. I tried Claude out but he was too much a boy and I had to send him home with my husband. His show career is over, at least until I end up neutering him in several years and might try him out in Alter class. But that’s years from now, I hope.

Sydney and Katy did really well with finals and Josie didn’t do too bad. I broke out Ellie for the show, since she wasn’t pregnant, but she isn’t as well defined in the body as Sydney, who she was competing against. Still, Ellie managed to get three finals, most likely because she has an amazing, surreal face. I hope she can still breed, but if she can’t, she will be spayed and I will start to show her in Alter class. Before that happens, I will take her to a reproductive specialist in Denver to see if her breeding days are over.  She only had two litters and I’m afraid that the vet might have ruined her during her C-section to get out her second baby in that litter.

Feline Paw Foundation, Midlothian, TX, November 9-10, 2019

William Feigt and I took Duchess, Katy, Sydney, Josie, and Banksy to Midlothian, TX (outside Dallas) for a cat show on November 9-10, 2019. We had a great time and there were a lot of finals for everyone on our end. Josie pulled off the best finals, but Sydney was a close second with the eight she got.  She was able to keep all the points from the eight finals since she only had 42 show finals so far. She is allowed to keep 50 finals and the 8 she got this weekend put her at 50.  Now she has to get higher points in subsequent finals to even matter.

Katy got a number of finals but they weren’t good enough to drop any of her previous ones. The Alter cat count wasn’t high, which made the points low.  Plus, she wasn’t feeling her best, I imagine.  She was cranky this weekend.

This was a Veterans Day show and it was very much evident in the show hall. There was a great tribute to veterans both past and present and as a daughter of a WWII veteran, I was thrilled to see.  I brought my own patriotic cat. Sydney is a red point, which means she is red, white, and blue (eyes).

We got to meet Lynn and Stefan Hill, who also showed a Minuet. They are great people and Stefan is a Vietnam Veteran (Marine).  It was wonderful to have them at the show and their little black smoke Selkirk Rex kitten was absolutely adorable. It won #1 Fan Favorite!

Thunderkatz Cat Club, Stillwater, OK, November 23-24, 2019

I got a chance to get back to my roots of showing, going by myself with just three of my girls, Katy, Sydney, and Josie. It was probably for the best, since the drive was treacherous and I wouldn’t have wanted to put anyone else in danger. We left on Thursday to get there in time on Friday to set up vending, but when I woke up on Friday morning in Ellis, KS, my car was buried in snow. I was faced with a 99 mile drive across a snow laden I-70, trailering a large trailer of stuff. It took 3 hours to drive that 99 miles and it was white knuckling it all the way. But it was well worth it.

All my girls finaled, but since it was a small show, Josie’s and Katy’s finals didn’t earn them many points they could use. But Sydney did well again against 40 other cats and picked up 8 out of 12 possible finals. She will be dropping several of her lower finals from her past shows with some of the finals she got in Stillwater.

As for the show itself, it was a great time with good people. The girls loved the Residence Inn, where we stayed in a studio suite. Very nice place. The drive home was a lot better, with decent weather. Overall, worth the horrible drive to the show.

Our next show is on December 14-15, 2019, in Waxahachie, TX. I’ll be taking the same girls. Hopefully, the show will grow in the meantime.

Turkish Van Cat Club, Waxahachie, TX, December 14-15, 2019

Sadly, the weekend of the show in Waxahachie, TX, by the Turkish Van Cat Club, was a nightmare.  Not with showing–that was a success. But I got within miles of the show hall on Friday afternoon to set up and my car engine light went on. Long story short, it looked like my fluids hadn’t been checked as well as they should have been (Scott). My husband, Scott, told me that it might be the radiator fluid, and I checked it when I got to Waxahachie.  Lo and behold, there was none. I got up early the next morning to get radiator fluid and put it in the reservoir for a temporary fix, then went to the show with five cats (Sydney, Josie, Katy, Banksy, and Duchess). During the show, while also vending (why, oh why, was I vending), I had to deal with getting my car–along with the trailer–towed to a shop. After the show, I had to hitch a ride back to the hotel with another exhibitor–with my five cats.

Turns out, the radiator fluid had overflowed and corroded the seals. Luckily, the shop was able to fix the problem and I picked up the car Saturday night, which meant I had my own transportation back to the show on Sunday and home, which was hundreds and hundreds of miles away.

Sydney did great at the show, finaling seven times, with a best long hair cat among her finals. Katy did even better, finaling nine times, with a best long hair alter. Finally, Josie did good as well, with seven finals. I was showing Duchess for William, who couldn’t make it, and she did great–as always. Banksy is always a hit at shows in Household Pet, and did awesome.  He’s my daughter’s cat.

So not too bad of a weekend, when you think about it. If that was the end of the story.  But as I tried to make my way home, fifteen miles south of Fort Worth–a far cry from Divide, Colorado–my engine light went on again. I had to pull over and stay the night in Fort Worth, then tried to find a shop Monday morning. After several attempts to get my car into a shop pronto, I managed to have a mechanic check out the problem.  More seals were corroded but it could be fixed that day.  I asked if I could stay at the shop because checkout at the hotel was noon. And oh, by the way, I have five cats with me. Thankfully, the people at the mechanics shop liked cats, so I got a ride back to the hotel, packed all my belongings (a bunch) and the cats, and headed back to the mechanic shop.  The cats and I–and my luggage–occupied their waiting room for five hours, while the car was fixed.  It was a great relief when it was done and we were able to pack up and head on home again. Thankfully, no further problems happened.

That weekend might have been a great show weekend, but it ended up costing over $2400 in car bills.  Boy, what a nightmare that was.

Gulf Coast Feline Foundation, Deer Park, TX, January 24-26, 2020

William and Duchess came with me to Deer Park, Texas for our next show, the first show of 2020. Does anyone know where Deer Park is? It is otherwise known as Houston, down on the Gulf Coast.  A looooong two-day drive for us, but we made it without car troubles. I took Katy, Josie, Sydney, and Banksy.

It wasn’t Sydney’s best show, but she finaled five times. She didn’t final as high as she normally does, but she was beautiful. Josie did great, with seven finals, one being a best cat in Household Pet. Katy wasn’t feeling well. She kept overheating and I had to pull her out of the show shelter so she could cool down. Still, she finaled five times. Something just wasn’t right with her. I planned to take her to a vet when we got home to check her blood levels.

After the nightmare of a show in Waxahachie, this show was a pleasant return to normal. Good friends and an easy time. William did a lot of socializing with the exhibitors after the show but I hung out with the cats in the hotel, taking it easy.  I’m not big with people or groups, so it wasn’t a bad time. The cats and I got to watch Forensic Files late into the night.

Our next show is going to be in our neck of the woods, in Brighton, CO (Denver), in February.

Econo Cat Club, Brighton, CO, February 1-2, 2020

It’s so nice to go to a local show, even if it is two hours away. But I took my crew of cats to the Econo Cat Club show in Brighton, CO, otherwise known as Denver. I was vending as well. Why not, since it was so close to home. Great friends showed up and it’s always good to see Colorado local exhibitors. The weather was amazing–70s–with a blizzard set to hit on Monday. Typical Colorado weather.

I took Sydney, Katy, Josie, and Banksy, my daughter’s cat. This was to be Sydney’s last show, since she was newly pregnant, and once a female cat starts breeding, it’s hard to get her back to show condition between breedings and nursing. But since Sydney was already the number one Minuet LH in the world for this show season, which was set to end April 30, I wanted her to get as many points as possible before she had to stop showing.

Sydney finaled six times that weekend, although none were enough to get her very many points. Pregnancy must have been taking its toll at that point. Josie did great, with six finals, but at this point, she was dropping these finals. Katy did the best, by far, finaling eight times. Boy, she is an amazing cat, even with all her internal health problems.

Our next show will be in Corpus Christi, Texas, a huge show, in March 13-15, 2020.  Can’t wait.

Note: I could not go to the Corpus Christi show, as expected, even with all our fees paid. Sydney was due the same day I was supposed to leave. I was hoping she would have her babies a day early, so I could see if it was safe to leave her with my husband; but that Thursday I was supposed to leave, she wouldn’t leave my side and kept crying. I canceled my plans and stayed with her until she had her babies that night.

Our next show is our very own show, Garden of the Cats, on April 25-26, 2020, in Colorado Springs. Can’t wait.

Breaking News

March 16, 2020, Covid-19 strikes and the show season ends prematurely. There is no idea of what will happen with the new show season or when shows will be able to resume.

Breaking News

June 25, 2020: The 2019-2020 TICA South Central Regional Awards were announced. Tiny Lions cats received many awards for this year’s show season.  Congratulations to our following cats:

RW SGC Clawed Lemieux of TinyLions: Best Chocolate Mackerel Tabby/White Minuet Longhair (SC Region)

                                                      Second Best Minuet Longhair (SC Region)

QGC Judyscuties Gabrielle Landesclaw: Best Chocolate Silver Mackerel Tabby/White Minuet Longhair (SC Region)

                                                      Third Best Minuet Longhair (SC Region)

IW SGM Queen Josephine: Fifth Best Household Pet (SC Region)

RW BW SGCA Blueskies Catrice Purrgeron: Best Minuet Longhair Alter (SC Region)

                                                           Sixth Best Alter (SC Region)

RW BW SGC Blueskies Sydney Clawsby: Best Red Lynx Point Minuet Longhair (SC Region)

                                                        Third Best Longhair Cat (SC Region)

                                                        Seventh Best Cat (SC Region)

                                                        Best Minuet Longhair (SC Region)

Breaking News

It is with immense regret and copious tears that I make the announcement of Katy’s (Catrice Purrgeron) passing. Her health steadily declined after her last show and she was not responding to the old medication or a new course of treatment. She passed away at home with her family beside her on May 25, 2020. I still grieve for her and will probably do so to my dying days. She was an incredible cat. Katy had not even made it to her third birthday.

Blueskies Catrice Purrgeron of Tiny Lions

June 21, 2017 - May 25, 2020

I love you, Katy, and miss you every day.

Breaking News

July 8, 2020: The 2019-2020 TICA Annual Awards were announced. Tiny Lions cats received many awards for this year’s show season.  Congratulations to our following cats:

RW SGC Clawed Lemieux of TinyLions: Best Chocolate Mackerel Tabby/White Minuet Longhair of the Year (2020)

RW QGC Judyscuties Gabrielle Landesclaw: Best Chocolate Silver Mackerel Tabby/White Minuet Longhair of the year                                                        (2020)

IW SGM Queen Josephine: Fifthteen Best Household Pet of the Year (2020)

RW BW SGCA Blueskies Catrice Purrgeron: Best Minuet Longhair Alter of the Year (2020)

RW BW SGC Blueskies Sydney Clawsby: Best Red Lynx Point Minuet Longhair of the Year (2020)

                                                        Best Minuet Longhair of the Year (2020)

Tiny Lions’ Show Diary

Econo Club Cat Club, Denver, CO, February 2-3, 2019.  Missing entry.

Me with Claude and Judge Joe Edwards after Claude got his Best Cat for his Supreme Grand Championship title. Yes, I’m crying.

The first show of the new season that I went to was well into the 2020-2021 show season, on November 7-8, 2020, and that’s because of Covid.  Most shows had been and still are being canceled because of the ridiculousness of the pandemic. In my humble opinion, I believe the whole Covid scare has been far exaggerated and will go down in history as a panic that was far too politicized. But this is supposed to be about showing Minuets, so here goes.

I took Ellie, Josie, and my new kitten, Lexie all the way down to Sequin, TX, a two-day drive for us, but anxiously awaited for. I was thrilled to show off my new kitten, Lexie, and this was the first show she could go to that was anywhere near us.  I had high hopes for her, since she was turning out to be spectacular, and Sequin would be the proof of it.  Ellie had had a litter in the time of Covid, but she is Lexie’s best friend, so she went along for company. I took Josie just for fun, since I show her in Household Pet.

The show was great, even though we had to do the silly social distancing and mask wearing (doesn’t work!). Ellie wasn’t in the best of shape for showing, after her kittens, but she finaled once, an eighth place.  Josie did well, as she always does, finaling in half the rings.  I don’t know how long I will continue to show her, as she is becoming a grump at the shows. She reminds me of showing Claude.

My biggest success was Lexie.  She finaled in half the rings as well, and it was her first show!  There were 42 kittens and she got two tenth places, a seventh, sixth, fifth, and a second place. She was only 5 months old, and usually, young kittens don’t do well against older kittens.  She was fantastic. It was a little overwhelming for her but she adjusted to the process very well.  Our next show is in Waxahachie, TX next month.

Mission City Cat Club, Sequin, TX, November 7-8, 2020

Turkish Van Cat Club, Waxahachie, TX, December 12-13, 2020

December 12-13, 2020, I went to another rare-occurring show during Covid, this time in Waxahachie, TX. I took Ellie, Lexie, Josie, and Sydney.  Sydney’s last kitten had gone home just a week earlier and I was happy with Sydney’s health, so I thought about taking her to a show. It wasn’t about advancing her any farther in her titles, since she was already a Supreme Grand Champion. But I wanted to give her a weekend away with her friends after raising her kittens, so it was more about having fun than accomplishing anything. She wasn’t in her best condition after having two litters and I didn’t think she would do well at all, but she did final–three times.  She got a tenth, seventh, and a sixth place.  Excellent, Sydney.  

(Far left) Josie’s ribbons, (center) Ellie’s and Sydney’s ribbons, respectively, and (right) Lexie’s ribbons.

Gulf Coast Feline Foundation, Deer Park, TX, January 29-31, 2021

After a long wait between shows, I took Lexie and Bing to a three-day show in Deer Park, TX (by Houston).  I signed up to become a clerk trainee, so I got the opportunity to clerk twice during the show, running my two girls in between. What a new and whirlwind experience.  From the pictures below, you can see how great my two beautiful girls did.  It was Bing’s first show ever and she was a little apprehensive, but she went with it. She also had a great time traveling. I think she likes a little adventure in her life.  And an adventure it was. Because we had bad weather reportedly coming into Colorado, and I was supposed to go to Alabama the next weekend, we decided to go straight to Alabama after Deer Park, not going home in between.  

It was only an eleven hour drive from Deer Park, TX to Anniston, AL, and I had four days to do it in, so the girls and I stayed in New Orleans for a couple of days. Unfortunately, because of COVID, most places were closed and Mardi Gras was canceled, so I got to do only a little bit of sightseeing.  Went to Marie Lavoueax’s Voodoo shop in the Quarter and toured some cemeteries, which was pretty cool. But then we headed to Anniston for our next three-day show.

Upper left, Lexie relaxing in the hotel after a busy show day.

Bottom left, Bing’s ribbons from her first show.  She showed in Household Pet and was a hit.

Bottom right, Lexie’s ribbons from her first adult championship show.  She did great!

Alabama’s Paws and Claws, Anniston, AL, February 5-7, 2021

The two girls and I went from the Deer Park show in Texas to the Anniston show in Alabama, without going home.  It was a long trip on the road but I had a fantastic time with my ladies. The two, Lexie and Bing, were great traveling companions and adapted well to the change in plans.  We had to stay in many hotels along the way and put in several hours on the road, as well as lost my credit card, but it was pure fun.  Bing enjoyed sightseeing at times, then napping inside her open carrier on the front seat. Lexie was a little more mobile but mostly let me do the driving while she napped.  

As for the show, we had a great one.  I clerked as a trainee in the program and ran my girls in between rings, but it really passed the time quickly.  Clerking is a great experience and I need to do it if I am going to advance on to Master Clerk, which my own club needs.

Due to the lack of shows, many of our friends showed up in Alabama as well. It’s always fantastic to have friends to share your experiences with, and this weekend was no different. For anyone who doesn’t appreciate showing cats, it is a great social experience.  I’ve never learned so much about cats than I have at shows.  And now I have friends across the country.

Our next show is a month away–eeek! Corpus Christi is a three-day show, which I will be driving too, as well.  At the same time, I’m considering of flying to Richmond, VA for a show after Corpus.

Above left, Bing enjoying some drive time through the bayous of Louisianna.  Not much of a navigator, though.  She’s facing the wrong way.

Above right, Bing napping in my suitcase. Of course, unexpectedly being on the road for two weeks, I had to do laundry, and wouldn’t you know, she decided to nestle in the clean laundry.

Bottom center, Lexie’s and Bing’s ribbons, respectively. Lexie did better during this show than in Deer Park.  I’m so thrilled for her.

United Cat Club, Richmond, VA, February 27-28, 2021

Does the banner above really say Richmond, VA?  Yes, you read it right, Richmond, VA.  Due to the scarcity of shows because of COVID, I had to decide whether I wanted to fly for the first time in ten years in order to show.  Lexie was doing so well that I couldn’t let COVID stop us. So I flew with a friend, April Leitte, to Richmond.  She was showing a Sphynx kitten and I was showing only Lexie.  The cost of flights were expensive, added to what it costs to travel with a pet in cabin, but it was well worth it.  Lexie finaled six times that weekend, getting as high as a third place against 43 cats.  Great job, Lexie.  We’re trying to get a top 25 International Award this year.  

International Feline Showcase, Corpus Christi, TX, March 12-14, 2021

I was so happy to go to this show, since I wasn’t able to go last year because Sydney had her first litter on the very day I was supposed to go.  Oh well, got to go this time and I took Lexie and Bing.  Lexie was showing in Adult Championship and Bing was showing in Household Pet.  Still having high hopes that Lexie will be a top 25 International winner this year, since she is climbing the ranks very quickly.  And she just started showing as an adult.  

Lexie finaled six times during this weekend and Bing finaled eleven times. Sounds like Bing did better?  In terms of finals, yes, but Lexie was up against 51 cats while Bing was up against only 22.  Great job, girls.

United Cat Club, Chesapeake, VA, April 10-11, 2021

Once again, I boarded a flight with Lexie and headed to Virginia, this time to Chesapeake and this time alone. Trying to get that ever-difficult top 25 International award, but my chances are slipping away, as I missed a couple of shows that I was planning on because of Ellie’s difficult litter.  Ellie’s milk dried up and we needed to take over feeding the trio of kittens by hand, even tube feeding them, so I couldn’t abandon my husband to go to shows. This means Lexie will have to do twice as well as she has been to keep up her gradual climb into the top 25 cats.

Sadly, Lexie had her worst show ever.  She only finaled three times during the weekend, and very low finals at that. All the top cats are out in these last months and it is very difficult to get into finals when everyone competing has been the best cats of the seasons in only a few shows due to COVID.

Gulf Coast Feline Foundation, Houston, TX, April 23-25, 2021

The last show of the season!  Lexie’s final chance to try and claw her way into the top 25 cats International, but it is very unlikely now.  With having missed two critical shows, it is hardly likely that she would be able to do it. The best cats are out and trying the same thing, so while we hope for a miracle, I doubt it will be possible. Still, I’m trying to get her a best cat to complete her titling.  She just needs a best cat to reach Supreme Grand Champion.

I took Lexie and Bing to Houston for some good times.  It was a two-day drive and while I started early on the second day (first show day starts at 3 p.m.), I ran into horrible traffic on I-45.  We got to the show hall ten minutes before judging and I had to scramble to get the girls set up, then head up to one of the rings that I was clerking for.  Talk about a scrambling.

It was a fantastic weekend, but not miraculous.  Lexie did amazing, finaling nine times, even getting a second and a third place among 48 cats, but not a best and not enough to get her into the top 25 cats International. Bing did great, too, in Household Pet, finaling seven times.  

We have to wait for the final tally of scores to come out from TICA to see where Lexie and Bing land on the International list, but I know Lexie didn’t make it into the Top 25 International Cats.  So bummed about her falling short.  

Breaking News

May 5, 2021: The scores from TICA came out for International Ranking.  Lexie did not get into the Top 25 Cats International.  She landed #31.  So close.  If it wasn’t for those missed two shows, she would have done it, without a doubt.  But fate wasn’t meant for us to get it.  However, she did make the Top 25 Longhair Cats International, so that is a big accomplishment in and of itself.  Congratulations, Lexie.

Fort Worth Feline Fanciers, Mesquite, TX, May 29, 2021

Now that the new show season began, I was going to give Lexie one more shot to get a best cat.  She’d been so close in the past, but it was getting close to needing to breed her, as she was constantly in heat. So Mesquite, TX (Dallas area) was offering a one-day show.  I was willing to give it a shot, and boy, am I glad I did.  Lexie finaled first in three rings (best cat three times!). She also finaled second and fourth in two other rings.  Lexie got her Supreme title!!!  She was absolutely gorgeous and on her best behavior. Good going, Lexie, well deserved.

I brought Bing along to show in Household Pet. There were only three cats entered in her class and she bounced around with her finals.  Two best LH HHP and a mix of second or third places.  All three entries were beautiful.

I also brought a friend, Jessica Mace, along for her first show.  She breeds and shows Maine Coons. She’s a wonderful person.

Breaking News

June 15, 2021: The 2020-2021 TICA Regional Awards were announced. Tiny Lions cats received many awards for this year’s show season.  Congratulations to our following cats:

IW RW SGC Pawcitys Alexis Ovechkitten Tinylion: Twelfth Best Kitten of the Year (2021)

                                                             Best Minuet LH of the Year (2021)

                                                             Second Best Longhair Cat of the Year (2021)

                                                             Fifth Best Cat of the Year (2021)

RW BW SGC Blueskies Sydney Clawsby: Second Best Minuet LH of the Year (2021)

QGC Judyscuties Gabrielle Landesclaw: Third Best Minuet LH of the Year (2021)

IW RW SGC Pawcitys Alexis Ovechkitten Tinylion: Best Chocolate Lynx Point/White Minuet Longhair of the Year (2021)

RW BW SGC Blueskies Sydney Clawsby: Best Red Lynx Point Minuet Longhair of the Year (2021)

QGC Judyscuties Gabrielle Landesclaw: Best Chocolate Silver Mackerel Tabby/White Minuet Longhair of the year (2021)

SGM Lady Byng of Vimy: Ninth Best Household Pet of the Year (2021)

SGM Queen Josephine: Sixteenth Best Household Pet of the Year (2021)

Econo Cat Club, Aurora, CO, June 26-27, 2021

Breaking News

July 1, 2021: The 2020-2021 TICA International Awards were announced. Tiny Lions cats received some awards for this year’s show season.  Congratulations to our following cats:

IW BW RW SGC Pawcitys Alexis Ovechkitten Tinylion: Second Best Minuet LH Kitten of the Year (2021)

                                                          Best Minuet LH of the Year (2021)

                                                          Twelfth Best Longhair Cat of the Year (2021)

                                                          Best Chocolate Lynx (Tabby) Point/White Minuet LH of the Year

RW BW SGC Blueskies Sydney Clawsby: Best Red Lynx (Tabby) Point Minuet LH of the Year (2021)

QGC Judyscuties Gabrielle Landesclaw: Best Chocolate Silver Mackerel Tabby/White Minuet LH of the Year (2021)

Finally, a show in Colorado since COVID started.  I took Lexie, Bing, and Josie.  So excited to have a show with friends who are local and see all their wonderful kitties again.  Jessica with her beautiful Maine Coons and Mary Killen with her Savannahs.  Even William Feigt showed up with Duchess Noel.  We hadn’t seen them in over a year. And other friends as well that we haven’t seen in ages.

Lexie finaled 6 times with almost 50 cats competing.  Excellent.  Bing was competing against her sister, Josie, in Household Pet, and the two of them went up against Duchess, Bing’s daughter.  Josie made out better than the others, but it was still fun having bragging rights in each ring.  Bing made off with 9 finals and Josie got 10, which allowed her to squeak ahead of Bing in who did better during the show.  Overall, it was a fantastic weekend.

Gulf Coast Feline Federation, Deer Park, TX, August 27-29, 2021

Turns out that Lexie wasn’t pregnant from her second breeding attempt with Claude, so I took her, along with Bing, to the Regional show in Deer Park, TX.  Just me and my two girls for a birthday weekend.  I clerked all three days, while Lexie got seven finals (46 cats) and Bing got ten.  On Saturday, because of Covid, they couldn’t have the usual awards banquet but there was a presentation for the South Central winners for the previous season (2020-2021).  My girls received awards, including Josie as the 16th best Household Pet of the region, Bing as the 9th best Household Pet of the region, and Lexie getting 12th best Kitten and 5th best Cat of the region.  Our region covers Colorado, Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and the whole country of Mexico.  Congratulations, girls.  All well-deserved wins.

KansasKatz Cat Club, Wichita, KS, September 11-12, 2021

Tiny Lions Mochi Yeboah being judged by TICA judge, Adriana Kajon and judge-in-training, Tammy Aldorf.

Wow, where do I begin? I went to the Wichita, KS show this weekend with a friend, Jessica Mace, who brought her Maine Coon girl to show in adult championship.  I took Lexie and Bing and – get this – one of our Minuet Tall kittens (formerly referred to as nonstandards), Mochi, to show in New Traits.  He is the first Minuet Tall to show in TICA on the long road to try to get them accepted into championship.  I was a little apprehensive about the reception, as I had heard that I would experience a lot of push back.  But that didn’t happen at this show.  Although I know it will be an uphill battle to get these beautiful cats into championship, the Kansas show was a breath of fresh air.  Every judge seemed excited to see Mochi, a beautiful longhaired red point 4-month old kitten.  He seemed to be the star of the show, since many exhibitors came up to me and said he was the cutest cat they’d ever seen.  In truth, Minuet Talls are very elegant cats and stunning to look at.  I am proud to spearhead the effort.

As for Lexie, she got eight finals, out of almost 50 cats.  Bing got 12 finals, but there were a lot less cats competing in Household Pet (18).  Still, Bing got three best cats and several high finals (second and third places).  Can’t sneeze at those.

We had a tremendously great time.  Mochi proved to be a great traveler and we had a fantastic time with friends from Texas.  I would say it was an overall successful trip.  Our next show is in a few weeks, in Temple, TX.

Austin Cat Fanciers, Temple, TX, October 2-3, 2021

I went on my own with Bing and Lexie to Temple, TX for the Austin Cat Fanciers cat show.  It was a no-nonsense show, as there was a lot of ACF club members who were not available at that time to help put it in, which is a lot of work.  Still, the show was done very well and I had a great time with friends.  I clerked for great judges during the weekend and Lexie had a good show.  She finaled 7 out of 10 rings, and Bing finaled in every ring in Household Pet.  

This may be Lexie’s last show.  I plan on taking her to Montana to breed with Lynn Brown’s boy, Indy.  If I can get her pregnant, she won’t be showing anymore.  But if not, I will take her to Waxahachie in December.  

Anyway, we did relatively well in Reno, even though it wasn’t as good as I expected. We were out of our region and the one thing we realized from that weekend was that we truly love our region, the South Central region. People are different in our region, much more tightly knit, and family oriented.  That wasn’t the case in the other region we showed that weekend.

Top right, Sydney

Below center, Katy

Below right, Josie

Pawcity Alexis Ovechkitten of Tiny Lions (Lexie).

Ellie was up against Sydney and Sydney has always done better than her, but Ellie didn’t come home a loser. She got a seventh in long hair championship cats. I’m glad Ellie got recognized because she is a beautiful cat. She just doesn’t have the bulk that judges like.

Josie did great as well, but because she is a grouch during shows, I am thinking that this will be her last trip with us. She finaled nine times, taking best HHP LH twice. A good end to her showing career but it won’t be enough to get her a regional award.  Maybe I will continue to show her a few more times this season so she can get an award.

Lexie was the reason why I was going to shows at all this season, even though she was a kitten. Kitten showing is training for when they become adults, so this was important. And the competitor in me really wanted to try to get her to be best Minuet LH kitten this season.  She finaled an amazing 10 out of 13 times and I was giddy with excitement. Two judges paid high complements to her, including one saying that she was the best Minuet she’d seen in five years. Very thrilling to hear.  Lexie took two best kittens in specialty and was overall the fourth best kitten in the show. She also finaled ninth, seventh, sixth, fifth, third, and second, and a fifth in specialty. There were 39 kittens showing.  Amazing!

My hopes that she would be the best Minuet LH Kitten of 2020 were dashed when they canceled the Gardland, TX show, which would have been her final kitten show before she turned eight months old. Covid ruined her chances and another kitten who currently occupies the first position (having shown in three shows this season), will hold onto the position. Lexie only needed 750 points to usurp that position and Garland would have accomplished that. Booooo!  Our next show will be Lexie’s first adult championship show, and I have to take her all the way down to Deer Park, TX.  Ho boy, two and a half days of driving all the way down to the Gulf Coast. That will be at the end of January.

(Left) TICA Judge Fate Mays with me and Alexis Ovechkitten (Lexie) getting her best cat for her Supreme Grand Champion title.

(Right) TICA Judge Harley Devilbiss with me and Lexie getting another best cat on the same day.

Turkish Van Cat Connection, Waxahachie, TX, December 11-12, 2021

I took my beautiful non-breeding Lexie and Bing to Waxahachie, TX this weekend for a cat show, in the hopes of throwing Lexie into heat.  Unfortunately, that did not happen, but Lexie kicked butt with finals.  She looked fantastic and had some of the best grooming I had ever done.  She finaled 8 times, one being a best cat! She’s still got it.  Bing came along for the ride to show in Household Pet and did even better than Lexie, finaling in 12 rings.  She took best cat in Household Pet four times!  Everyone loves Bing.  She’s such a sweet cat.

I’m currently working to put on our own cat show in Colorado Springs, which is scheduled for April 22-24, 2022, at Under the Sun Training and Event Center.  So excited for it.

PracTICAl Cats, Grey Summit, MO, January 15-16, 2021

I decided to take Bing and Lexie to the Grey Summit show in Missouri since the weather was not going to be tooooo bad, only snow once I got there. I had bought and put on snow tires for the winter and I was ready. But overall, it was a bad trip.  Somewhere in no-man’s land, along I70 in Colorado, someone shot out my passenger window. Luckily, although the window was completely shattered, it hadn’t fallen out.  I duct taped the crap out of it and to the frame so it wouldn’t fall out because, of course, it was going to snow where I was going.  Then, at the show, we all had to wear masks.  This was new for me because where I’m from, things with COVID are relaxing. Putting the mask back on was so disappointing and discouraging.  Next, Lexie had one of her worst shows, only finaling three times. Bing was competing against only 3 household pets and she didn’t even do well. Not because they didn’t look good, but it’s been said that the Great Lakes region is not kind to Minuets. Perhaps it is a curse.  On the way home, my car started having trouble starting but I limped it home.  So not a very good weekend after all.  Only to get it into the shop to replace the window and learn that the motor to operate the window is also broken.  Yay me :(.

Maybe we’ll have some better luck back in our own region in February, when we go to Stillwater, OK.

Red River Rascals, Stillwater, OK, February 12-13, 2022

The luck I was hoping to regain in Stillwater struck. I took Lexie and Bing to the Red River Rascals cat show in Oklahoma and both cats did spectacularly. Lexie got a best cat from Toni Meisberger and we are truly grateful. Lexie was looking fantastic, if not for being in heat, poor girl.  But a lot of cats were in heat or going into heat, so it was pretty funny.  Overall, Lexie got 8 finals, some pretty high up. She ended up being the fourth best cat in the adult championship cat class for the whole show, out of 52 cats.  Way to go Lexie.

Bing wasn’t competing against so many but she did wonderful. She ended up being the second best household pet in the show.  Great job, Bing.

As for car trouble, bad luck, or poor weather, we didn’t get any.  Just one small traffic tie-up with a huge flock of turkeys crossing the street in Simla, CO.

Our next show is in Brighton, CO, local for all intents and purposes.  That show, I will bring Sydney along and pit her against Lexie.  Mind blown.

Lexie getting her best LH cat from TICA judge Toni Meisberger.

Breaking News

June 21, 2022: The 2021-2022 TICA Regional Awards were announced. Tiny Lions cats received many awards for this year’s show season.  Congratulations to our following cats:

IW RW SGC Pawcitys Alexis Ovechkitten Tinylion: 2022 Regional Winner, Second Best Longhair Cat of the Year                                                                      (SC Region)

                                                                    2022 Regional Winner, Ninth Best Cat of the Year (SC Region)

                                                                   2022 Regional Winner, Best Minuet LH of the Year (SC Region)

                               2022 Regional Winner, Best Chocolate Lynx Point Minuet                                                                    Longhair of the Year

RW BW SGC Blueskies Sydney Clawsby: Second Best Minuet LH of the Year (2022)

RW BW SGC Blueskies Sydney Clawsby: Best Red Lynx Point Minuet Longhair of the Year (2022)

SGM Lady Byng of Vimy: Ninth Best Household Pet of the Year (2022)

Econo Cat Club, Brighton, CO March 18-19, 2022

As I said, I brought Lexie and Sydney to the Denver show in Brighton, CO, to see who would do better.  I also brought Bing along.  As for Lexie, she kicked Sydney’s butt.  She got six finals, including one Best Cat (First, Third, three fourths, and a sixth place), while Sydney got three finals (one fifth and two sixth places). At this show, Lexie also got ranked overall 3rd Best LH Cat. Way to go, Lexie.  Bing, showing in Household Pet finaled numerous times, including one first place (First, three thirds, fourth, fourth fifths, seventh, and two ninth places).  The next show they will go to will be our own show in Colorado Springs.  Oh my!

Garden of the Cats, Colorado Springs, April 22-24, 2022

TICA Judge Steve Lawson judges Tiny Lion’s very own Tiny Lions Asia Marie in her first ever show, being shown as a kitten.

So much to say about this show. My very own club put this on and it was a huge show. We had cats from Mexico, France, and China competing and it was spectacular. My club worked wonderfully and my whole family spent the entire weekend helping out. Even my son came from Seattle to help. Running the show was so exhausting that I didn’t get the opportunity to show my cats as well as I could. But no worries. It was all about the huge accomplishment.  I put all my cats in except Claude and Ellie, who was pregnant, just so everyone would compete against each other.

Josie wasn’t having it, so she was a grump and didn’t final in Household Pet. Her sister, Bing, though,got four finals (fifth, two eighth, ninth). Syndey, going up against Lexie, didn’t final, but Lexie got eight finals, including a Best Cat (Best, Third, Fifth, Sixth, two sevenths, and two ninth places). This was the biggest number of cats Lexie went up against.  

Feline Paw Foundation, Garland, TX, August 12-14, 2022

Regional Show and Banquet

Despite gas prices being around $4.50 an average per gallon, I couldn’t pass up going to the South Central Regional Banquet, since my cats were getting awards.  There was a three day show and I took Lexie and Bing. I wasn’t really meaning to compete but since I was going, I was going to bring some cats. So Lexie and Bing it was.

Apparently, the judges are expecting me to show another cat, since they have seen Lexie so much. She did not final much, only three times, and not high (one eighth and two tenth places), so if I show Lexie, it will only be if I don’t have anything else to bring out.  Bing did better, finaling twelve times (third, two fifths, two sixths, eighth, six tenth places).

A lot of my friends were at the banquet on Saturday, where the South Central Regional awards were given out. I was floored that I was named Clerk of the Year and our Garden of the Cats Kitty Prom 2022 was awarded Best Show of the Year.  What a night.

I really don’t have a cat to show at the moment but Econo Cat Club is having a show in Denver on August 27-28, 2022 and they are our sister club in Colorado, so I will be bringing Lexie and Bing out again to help out.

Econo Cat Club, Aurora, CO, August 27-28, 2022

What great fun we all had at the Econo show in Aurora, CO on August 27-28, 2022.  Most of the Garden of the Cats club members went to Denver and showed in this show, and we had a fantastic time hanging out.  A lot of madcap adventures happened and most will not be publicly reported.  As for the show, it was wonderful. Bing showed in Household Pet and finaled in every ring.  She ended up being the third best Household Pet of the show.  Good job, Bing.  As for Lexie, she did better than her last showing in Garland.  She finaled eight out of 12 times and was the fifth best championship cat in the show.  

Our next show is Temple, TX on October 1-2, 2022.  Maybe I’ll have a new kitten to show.  Maybe not.  We’ll see.

Austin Cat Fanciers, Temple, TX, October 1-2, 2022

I took Bing, Lexie, and my brand new stud kitten, Peter Fursberg to Temple, TX for a show on October 1-2, 2022. While Bing and Lexie showed both days, I could only show Peter on Sunday, since that was when he reached 4 months old and could officially show. Sadly, he didn’t final and that was to be expected, since brand new kittens don’t usually final because they haven’t developed their standards that young. However, I was especially disappointed that Lexie only finaled two times. I think the judges are getting bored with seeing her. But taking her had a two-fold purpose. I was going to leave her with a breeder with a stud to try to get her bred. Bing had a great weekend and finaled in every ring. She looked fantastic, as always.

Our next show is in Temple, TX again, on October 22-23, 2022.

Austin Cat Fanciers, Temple, TX, October 22-23, 2022

I really should save photos of the shows, but I was training as master clerk at this show, so there wasn’t much time to take photos.  I took Bing and Peter back to Texas and agented another Minuet kitten for Melanie Cornwall. Her darling little girl was 406Paws Primrose and she was going up against Peter.  I must say, while Peter was two months younger than Prim, Prim stole the show with the judges with kisses.  She got 5 finals while Peter only got 2. But we will take them. Bing finaled in all but one ring and finaled mostly high, with a Best HHP and a couple second places.  We did not take Lexie, since she was with Dawn Lott in an attempt to be bred to her champion boy, Tequilla.

Our next show is in Salt Lake City, on October 29-30, 2022.

Wild West Cat Fanciers, Salt Lake City, UT, October 29-30, 2022

While this is usually my favorite show because we get to stay at the hotel where the show is being held and the drive is absolutely spectacular over the mountains, I went home very sullen. There were six Minuets in attendance at the show and they all did very poorly, for some reason.  Not all were my cats, so it just seemed like the judges weren’t feeling the Minuets at this show.  Grumble, grumble.  However, Bing did great as a Household Pet and I’m pleased about that.  Prim, who I was agenting again at this show, was the only Minuet kitten I brought who got a final. Peter got skunked.  I wonder if they like Prim’s sweet face over Peter’s grumpy cat look.  Hmmmm.

Our next show is a one day show in Denver on November 13, 2022

High on Cats, Denver, CO November 13, 2022

Denver is always a show I will go to because it is in our backyard (2 hours away).  This was a one-day show at a Cat Fest but it was still doable.  I brought five cats, including Prim, who I was agenting for the last time as a kitten. Otherwise, I took Lexie, who I had gotten back from Texas, Bing, Josie, and Peter.  Bing finaled five out of five times, as did Josie, and Peter finaled twice–finally.  Lexie did best by finaling four out of five times but was second best cat in championship class.  Good going, Lexie.

Our next show is in Waxahachie, TX, on December 10-11, 2022

Generations Cat Club, Waxahachie, TX, December 10-11, 2022

I went by myself to Waxahachie, TX for the Generations Cat Club show, taking only Peter.  He was still showing as a kitten and up against 40-50 kittens.  My little guy did great, finaling six times.  He got a sixth place, seventh place, two eighth places, a ninth and tenth place.  He is looking absolutely magnificent and I hope he continues to do well.  We have one more kitten show for him to go–-Deer Park in January 2023–and then he will age out and have to show in adult class.  But we are thrilled to give him this opportunity to try to wrack up some points for a kitten award.

East Coast Feline Foundation, Deer Park, TX, January 27-29, 2023

It seems like such a long time since the show in Waxahachie, TX, with Christmas and New Years between then and now, and losing Lexie’s two kittens, which were a crushing blow. Lexie recovered well after that tragedy so I thought I’d take her out of the house and away from her thoughts and get her back to showing. She wasn’t in tip-top form for a show but she looked good.  And she was making friends with Peter, so of course I was going to bring Lexie to the cat show in Deer Park at the end of January.  It was a three-day show and the last show Peter would show as a kitten.  I wanted to try to get him as many points as possible to hold onto his Best Minuet LH Kitten international position.  It was a good thing I did.  Peter made seven finals and probably secured his spot for the season, unless another Minuet kitten starts to show in the few months left of the season.  Lexie did well for her situation.  She finalled five times but the point was getting her out and about, so she got away from thinking of her kittens.  (And me as well). Bing did well herself, after a health scare and leaving her behind for Waxahachie until she could see a cardiologist.  But the results of her EKG and discussion with the cardiologist said that Bing could do anything she wanted, and I know Bing enjoys getting out of the house.  She finalled 10 times in Deer Park and showed that the issues she had that kept her down for a while are well in the past.  Our next show is the following weekend, in Denver.  Peter will have his first show as an adult cat.  He will be competing against Lexie and Sydney.  Let’s see how things turn out.

Econo Cat Club, Brighton, CO, February 4-5, 2023

Since Brighton (Denver area) is a little over two hours from us, I decided to bring all the cats to this show and have some fun.  In that case, I was pitting Peter, Lexie, and Syndey against each other in adult championship. Bing and Josie were going up against each other in Household Pet.  Ellie was also there with her new mom, since I had re-homed her to a friend who lives locally.  It would be Ellie’s first show in a long while and first time showing in Alter class, since she was spayed.  We had most people in our club also showing, so it was a great weekend.

How did my cats do?  Well, Minuets finaled in every ring and not really how I would expect it.  Sydney acted as the spoiler, taking 6 rings and higher finals than Lexie, who also finaled in six other rings. Peter got only two finals, but it was his first show as an adult.  He still has some developing to do to do better than the girls. Hey, he’s only 8 months old.  Josie acted as the spoiler against Bing.  Josie got 10 finals and higher finals than Bing, who got 9 finals.  But most of all, I’m so proud of Ellie.  She finalled in all but two rings, which has been her best show ever. I’ll be taking Ellie with her new mom to Stillwater, OK this weekend to see if it was a fluke or if she’s on her way to a wonderful show career.  For me, I’m taking Peter and Lexie and Bing.

Red River Rascals, Stillwater, OK, February 11-12, 2023

Had a wonderful weekend with a new friend going to Stillwater, OK for the Red River Rascals cat show.  I took Bing, Lexie and Peter, and I was agenting Whisper for a friend who couldn’t make it herself.  Along for the ride with Tina, who I re-homed Ellie to and she has started showing Ellie in Alter class.  Tina is a wonderful person and Ellie is so much more happier in a home with less cats and dogs and a new momma who loves her immensely.  And I get to still see Ellie.  

Tina is so fun to be around and all she wants to do is be active, so we had a full weekend.  At the show, Lexie got four finals and Peter got three.  They were competing against each other in adult championship and there were almost fifty cats.  Not bad for Peter but Lexie is dragging.  I’m trying to get her to be the #1 Minuet LH of the Year again.  It would be the third year in a row.  I am also working on her Lifetime Achievement.

Bing finaled 11 out of 12 times but it was a small Household Pet class.  I’m also working on her Lifetime Achievement award and it is very competitive in the Household Pet Class.  Tina showed Ellie in Alter class and it was her second show in that class.  Ellie finaled four times.  Going into the weekend, she needed only three finals and a Best Cat to get her Supreme title.  Sadly, she got a second best cat and fell short.  Now we are only hoping for a Best cat for her Supreme title.  Come on, Ellie.

I master clerked at this show and busted my butt.  Tina was a great help getting my cats into the rings when I was buried in paperwork.  Don’t know if I will do that again, but I need one more time to go forward to get my Master Clerk license.  I’m thinking of flying to Monterey, CA at the end of the month to see if I can boost Lexie’s points.

Mission City Cat Club, Seguin, TX, April 1-2, 2023

After a month’s hiatus with no shows to go to, I took Bing, Lexie, Peter, and Ellie to the show in Seguin on April 1-2, 2023.  We had a wonderful time that weekend, above and beyond the showing part.  Just good people to hang with and a fun time.  Bing finaled 10 out of 12 times, and Lexie finaled 4 times.  Lexie was up against 50+ cats, so I’m thrilled that she got that.  Peter, sadly, didn’t final this weekend, but I’d like to see him hit his growth spurt.  He’s only 10 months old and still not fully filled out.

Our next show is OUR show in Golden, CO.  Only 2 short weeks before putting on this show and showing in it. Eeeeek, gotta do many duties during that show.

Garden of the Cats, Golden, CO  April 14-16, 2023

Our club’s kitchen staff during the show, left to right: Robyn Briceno-Rudy, Carlos Rudy, Jason, Mary Killen, CJ Killen, baby Charlotte.

I am so proud of my family and Garden of the Cats for putting on our own International pedigree and household pet cat show in Golden, CO on April 14-16, 2023. What an amazing accomplishment for everyone involved. An incredible effort by these people makes me feel special to have them in my life.  A wealth of experience and endless energy made this show possible.  I could not have done it without them.

As for the show itself, it was spectacular. We had 187 entries and some of the best cats in the world show up to vie for the final points of the season. It was tough competition, but we had 18 judges and 6 congresses to give the most to exhibitors as possible.  While I was busy with show management, I had family and friends run my cats to the rings.  A special thanks to my son, Ryan Jimenez, who came from Seattle to help out.  He even MC’ed the show when we had technical difficulties.  

Going up against almost 70 cats, Peter finaled four times, twice in congresses, and Lexie finaled 7 times.  A great accomplishment, given the competition.  Bing did the best of my cats, finaling 12 times in Household Pet class. We are so proud of our cats, the club, and my family.  Everyone showed up and made it happen.

Colorado’s own TICA Judge Jackie Rose judges a Russian Blue in the Alter class

Above, TICA Judge Hisako Yamada, from New Mexico, judges Wolfie, a long hair Household Pet.

Left, TICA Judge Debbi Brown examines kittens after having physically handled them on the judging table.

Right, exhausted Marley Briceno-Rudy finds any nook or cranny to take a nap during the show. She behaved admirably for those three long days.

TICA Judge Charlotte Shea, from Texas, uses a toy to get a good look at a pair of pedigreed cats from the same breed to choose the best of the breed.

KansasKats Cat Club, Blackwell, OK, May 27-28, 2023

Our first show of the 2023-2024 season was a small show in Blackwell, OK.  I hoped to bring Peter and try for a best cat (competing against 40 cats) so we can Supreme him, and I also brought Bing for company, although there were only a handful of household pets showing.  But lo and behold, Sydney went into heat a few days before leaving and I was hoping she would breed with Peter, so I anticipated bringing her along as well. But in the few days before leaving, Sydney wanted nothing to do with Peter. However, I contacted a friend in Iowa to see if I could bring Sydney to her to see if she would breed with one of her boys  She said yes. So I left a day early, headed to Iowa to drop off Sydney, and then went on to the show in Blackwell, OK.

The show was knowingly going to be a small show because it is the beginning of the show season.  But that’s okay. We went into it knowing that.

Still, Peter was up against almost 40 cats and he did great, although he didn’t get a best cat to Supreme.  We don’t mind, as I love traveling and showing him, and it’s always a great time to get back to the community feel of showing.

Bing was only up against a literal handful of household pet cats, so she finaled in every ring.  Unfortunately, she was the only long haired household pet, so all her first places were by default.  Doesn’t matter, as she was there as a companion for Peter, and they are becoming fast friends.  That’s a good thing, since Lexie was left at home, ready to pop with a week away from her due date.  She has been rather hormonal to Peter and he doesn’t understand why his friend is so angry with him now.

Above, Sydney at the breeder’s house in Iowa. She has made friends with the boy we want her to breed with but she unfortunately went out of heat before she got there. We will wait for her to cycle again.  Right, Peter’s haul for the weekend at the Blackwell, OK show.

Breaking News

July 2, 2023: The 2022-2023 TICA Regional Awards were announced. Tiny Lions cats received many awards for this year’s show season.  Congratulations to our following cats:

IW RW SGC Pawcitys Alexis Ovechkitten Tinylion: 2023 Regional Winner, Thirteenth Best Longhair Cat of the                                                                         Year (SC Region)

                                                                      2023 Regional Winner, Fourth Best Longhair Cat of the Year                                                                       (SC Region)

                                         2023 Regional Winner, Best Minuet LH of the Year (SC                                                                        Region)

                                           2023 Regional Winner, Best Chocolate Lynx Point Minuet                                                                        Longhair of the Year

RW BW QGC Kittensmitten Peter Fursberg: 2023 Regional Winner, Second Best Minuet Longhair of the Year                                                                       (SC Region)

                                              2023 Regional Winner, Best Minuet Longhair Kitten of the Year                                                               (SC Region)

                                                             2023 Regional Winner, Best Seal Point/White Minuet Longhair of                                                                the Year (SC Region)

RW BW SGC Blueskies Sydney Clawsby: 2023 Regional Winner, Third Best Minuet Longhair of the Year (SC                                                               Region)

                                               2023 Regional Winner, Best Red Lynx Point Minuet Longhair of the                                                           Year

SGM Lady Byng of Vimy: 2023 Regional Winner, Eighth Best Household Pet of the Year (SC Region)

Breaking News

July 11, 2023: The 2022-2023 TICA Annual International Awards were announced. Tiny Lions cats received many awards for this year’s show season.  Congratulations to our following cats:

IW RW SGC Pawcitys Alexis Ovechkitten Tinylion: 2023 International Winner, Second Best Minuet LH of the                                                                         Year

                                  2023 International Winner, Best Chocolate Lynx Point                                                                         Minuet Longhair of the Year

RW BW QGC Kittensmitten Peter Fursberg: 2023 International Winner, Best Minuet Longhair Kitten of the                                                                Year                                                               

                                                           2023 International Winner, Best Seal Point/White Minuet Longhair                                                              of the Year

RW BW SGC Blueskies Sydney Clawsby: 2023 International Winner, Best Red Lynx Point Minuet Longhair of                                                           the Year

SGM Lady Byng of Vimy: 2023 International Winner, Seventeenth Best Household Pet of the Year

Econo Cat Club, Denver, CO, August 11-13, 2023

South Central Regional Show and Banquet

I had the privilege of agenting 406Paws Primrose of Oakwell at the South Central Regional Show and Banquet in Denver, CO. Her mom, Melanie Cornwell, asked if I would try to title her and while Prim didn’t do well in the one-day show in Colorado Springs, she did spectacular at this show. Because Peter had already supremed in the last show, I didn’t show him the whole show, but I did show Prim. She was much recovered from her illness a couple weeks earlier and it showed. She finaled 9 times.  Fantastic job, Prim. Congrats to Melanie.

Peter did show in a few rings and finaled 4 times.  Showing him now will only be in an attempt to get an annual award for him, since he is titled as high as he can go.  I hope to have fun with him.

Bing finaled in every ring, simply because there weren’t a lot of Household Pets. I believe she is getting tired of showing and I decided only to bring her out for our shows. Otherwise, she will stay home and enjoy retirement. She has earned enough titles and awards to receive her Lifetime Achievement award.  I need to get off my butt and fill out the paperwork.

I will not be able to go to the Kansas show because Lexie is due to deliver on that weekend. I cannot afford to miss being there for her. Our next show might be Reno, NV, depending on how well Lexie is doing with her kittens. If not, definitely our show in Estes Park, CO on October 14-15, 2023.

Garden of the Cats, Colorado Springs, CO, July 29, 2023

Some fantastic news from our one-day show in Colorado Springs, at the Colorado Springs Cat Fest 2023.  Peter not only supremed at this show with a best cat, but he was the best cat in the whole show. What an amazing feat.  I do not know any show to date where a Minuet was the best cat in show.  He got a first, two second places, and two third places.  Awesome.

We had the opportunity to also show a cat from Melanie Cornwell, but she wasn’t doing well, as in she wasn’t feeling well.  While Peter beat her in all rings, it was an unfair advantage due to her being somewhat under the weather. In fact, she missed a ring because she went to the vet for some tests.

Sophisticats Cat Club, Reno, NV, Sept 30=Oct 1, 2023

Mid Pacific Regional Show and Banquet

Reno was fun.  My son, Kyle, accompanied me to Reno and we took Ellie and Whisper with us to agent.  My other son, Ryan, was going to meet us in Reno with Peter, back from his romantic international liaisons with some Canadian girls.  

I got Peter back and immediately had to give him a bath for the show.  I was totally flabbergasted when he blew his whole coat during that bath.  And right before the show.  I was expecting a poor show with him when he lost enough hair to make another cat.  In fact, I was thinking of collecting all his lost hair and showing that instead of him.

However, Peter did awesome!.  He got 7 finals out of 14.  Not bad for a cat who just shed all his hair.  He even got a best cat! I could not be more proud of him.

And it was definitely a great weekend with my sons.  We had some good times together and it was good to see them.  Don’t always get that chance.

Our next show is our own show in Estes Park.  Oh my heavens, it’s coming up so soon.  And a logistical nightmare, being three and a half hours away from home base.

Garden of the Cats, Estes Park, CO, October 14-15, 2023

The Purring: Here’s Kitty!

What can I say about our show in Estes Park.  What a wonderful time and over the top. The Halloween decorations were fantastic and the participation in everything, from costumes to the cat costumes, was out of the park. Everyone had a great time and could not say anything bad about the weekend. The weather was outstanding and the elk were in town, bugling for mates. We even got to see a herd of over 50 does with their bulk walk through the event center while we were setting up.  The fall colors were still in vibrant bloom.  

It is so hard to know how well your cat does when you are managing a show. I only know after the fact, when I gather the tabs from finals.  Peter did remarkably well, finaling nine times, with even a best cat. Bing finaled in every ring in Household Pet. Melanie Cornwall came from Iowa to show four cats, including 2 Minuet talls in New Traits. I borrowed two Minuet talls from Eloise Rich and showed along with Melanie, where we got a chance to talk to judges as to why we believe the talls should be allowed to show in championship.  It went well.

I am so proud of all the members of my club and my entire family, sans my husband, for showing up and doing their all to make this a spectacular event.  My husband, Scott, had to stay home with the new kittens and Sydney, who may be pregnant and we don’t want stressed.  I’m sure he was happy to take it for the team.

I look forward to doing another show closer to home.  Less stress of being so far away from home.

Yellow Rose Cat Club, Denver, CO, November 12, 2023

Cat Fest

The whole club went up to Denver for this one day cat show on November 12, 2023.  Only a few judges (five), but I took Peter.  He finaled three times, with one as a best long hair cat.  Way to go Peter.  Our next show wont be until January 5-7, 2024, in Corpus Christi, TX.

The International Feline Foundation, Corpus Christi, TX, January 5-7, 2024

The International Feline Foundation hosted a three day show in Corpus Christi, TX on January 5-7, 2024.  I took Peter and agented Ellie for her mom.  While Ellie only finaled a couple of times in alter class (she was missing her mom), Peter fared a little better. He finaled seven times, with a best cat out of 53 competing cats. Awesome, Peter.  Let’s see how far up in the rankings he can go.  Our next show is in Deer Park, TX (Houston), at the end of the month.

Friends and Felines, Deer Park, TX, January 27-28, 2024

Peter and I flew to Houston this weekend for the Deer Park, TX show, which was being put on by Friends and Felines.  I had a great weekend with my boy, just by ourselves.  He really needed it and I think he enjoyed the personal time with me.  He didn’t have his best show, but there were 59 beautiful cats competing.  He finaled four times over the two days and not very high finals, but you can’t win them all. He is looking fantastic, but all the awesome cats are now coming out to compete.  Overall, I was happy with his results. Our next show is in two weeks, in Stillwater, OK, on February 10-11, 2024.

Red River Rascals, Stillwater, OK, February 10-11, 2024

Took Peter to Oklahoma for a show on the weekend of February 10-11, 2024 and met up with Melanie Cornwall of Oakwell Minuets. We had a great weekend socializing and planning out some breedings, while showing cats. Peter took five finals with a Best Cat in one ring.  Awesome that he still has it.  Looking forward to going to Monterey, where I will be showing one of our tall kittens in New Traits.  That will be at the end of the month.

East of Eden Cat Fanciers, Monterey, CA, February 24-25, 2024

My first California show! But there was a method to my madness. I flew Peter to San Jose, we drove up to Walnut Creek and picked up Smudge from his new mom. Smudge is one of our tall kittens from Peter and he is absolutely gorgeous. I wanted–no, needed–to show him in another region in New Traits on the long journey to try to get the talls accepted into championship. Rachel, his mom, had even bathed him for the weekend.  

We had a fantastic time, just the three of us (Smudge, Peter and me). Peter finaled four times, with a best cat in one ring.  Wonderful!  But the big win was Smudge. Although he wasn’t “competing” against the other cats in New Traits (a black smoke bengal and two straight haired Selkirk Rexes), he took the merit award 12 out of 15 times. Looking good for getting these beautiful cats into Championship.  But still a long way to go.  Thanks, Rachel, for letting me borrow your little beauty for the weekend.

Crazy Pants Cat Club, Brentwood, NY, March 2-3, 2024

A week after Monterey, Peter and I hit the opposite side of the country by going to Brentwood, NY (Long Island). It did not start out well once we got off the plane, as we arrived at 8 p.m. and it took almost two hours to get our rental car. By the time we got to our hotel, it was midnight and there was a long line of people checking into the hotel.  We didn’t get to bed until 2:30 a.m. and it was a quick nap before getting ready to go to the show.

The show was well done and we had a good time, but Peter only finaled 4 times and the highest was a 2nd best cat. Still, I got to see my sister and niece on Monday before flying out with a quick trip into New Jersey.  I also got to take a very interesting genetics seminar at the show, so overall worthwhile.  Our next show isn’t until April, when we go to Seguin, TX–during the solar eclipse.  Had to get a hotel early and 30 minutes from the show hall.

Mission City Cat Club, Seguin, TX, April 6-7, 2024

This was an interesting trip, since it was the same weekend as the solar eclipse, right at ground zero for the viewing. Gas prices were inflated and traffic through the small towns to get to our destination were packed. I took Peter and always enjoy this show.  Peter finaled 9 times, but not particularly high.  Competition is getting tough as compaign season continues.  Still, to get 9 awards is great.  Our next show is OUR NEXT SHOW, in Colorado Springs.

Garden of the Cats, Colorado Springs, CO, April 20-21, 2024

My very own cat club’s show finally arrived. A lot going on and very little time to prep the cats. Bing, Peter, Sydney and Lexie were all showing.  Melanie Cornwall and Amy Systma came from Iowa with their Minuets. My whole family, sans Kyle, were there to help out, as always.  Exhibitors were great and even came to help out set up. We couldn’t have done it without them. Got the gym set up by 11 p.m., got a shower at the hotel, and had my first after midnight dinner at a Waffle House with the kids. Then up at 6 a.m. to prepare for the first day of the show.

I pulled Peter and Lexie from half the rings in the hopes of getting some finals for Melanie and Amy, but with all the top cats there, it was extremely difficult. However, they manned the Minuet Breed booth and got to make lots of contact. I held my Minuet Breed Seminar on Sunday and Dr. Shumack was there to talk about the study we are doing with the dwarf cats.  

Overall, Peter finaled four times in the 8 rings he was in and Lexie, who competed against him, finaled 3 times. Bing competed in Household Pet and finaled 8 times, with once being a best cat. Sydney, who competed for the first time in Alter, finaled 6 times, and our friend showing Ellie in alter, finaled twice. We had a blast but we were all exhausted, and even now still trying to recover from the hard work.

KansasKatz, Blackwell, OK, April 27-28, 2024

I took Peter and his son, TinyLions Oliver Thomas, to the last show of the season in Blackwell, OK the weekend after our show in Colorado Springs. I must admit that it was a challenging show in the sense that the weather was the worst ever. Horrendous rainstorms and tornado warnings. Once, the civil defense siren went off outside the show hall because a tornado was nearby and we all had to shelter with our cats in the hallway until the tornado had passed. Then back to the show.

Oh, did I mention that I had to deliver a litter of kittens at 2 a.m. the morning I was supposed to leave for a 10 hour drive to Blackwell? Yep, that I did.  The litter belongs to Amy Systma, who left me Darla in the hopes of having a wet nurse in case Lexie had gotten pregnant. Unfortunately, Lexie did not.

I showed Oliver Thomas as a cat I bred (my first ever) in alter class, as part of the requirements to apply to the judging program. His mom, Pam, graciously loaned him to me for the weekend to see how he would do and he did amazing. He finaled 12 out of 14 times, with a best cat. My boy!  I am so proud of that guy.

Peter did well, finaling times in adult championship. However, Peter had a blast in the hotel with his son.

And a Mouse Cat Club, Elma, WA, June 15-16, 2024

I took Pawcity Ruby Red of Oakwell Cattery (Ruby) to the show in Elma, WA as one of our last requirements for showing talls (long legged Minuets) in our effort to get them accepted into championship.  Thanks, Melanie Cornwall, for letting me take her for the weekend.  She was a wonderful kitten to travel with.  This has been a long journey and still a long way to go yet.  Mostly paperwork and campaigning to get them accepted.  WE LOVE OUR TALL MINUETS!

My next show with my own cats will be in Denver, at the end of June. Ooops, that’s next week.

Econo Cat Club, Aurora, CO, June 22-23, 2024

At this moment in time, I do not have much to show. I have completed showing Peter and Bing is just over it at 9 years old. I spayed Sydney but I didn’t want her to compete against Ellie, who is trying to get her best cat to complete his titles, so I didn’t take any of those cats to the Denver show in Aurora. Even though we bred Lexie a couple of weeks ago, she was my only option, so I took her and she finaled 9 out of 12 times, with two best cats! She’s still got it.  We’ll see in a couple of weeks with an ultrasound if she is pregnant, but I probably wont be able to bring her out in the meantime.  

Speaking of in the meantime, I now have an Oriental Shorthair kitten that I will be showing for a few months in the hopes of getting him to quad grand champion. If so, that will complete my requirements to apply to TICA’s judging program.

Breaking News

July 26, 2024: The 2023-2024 TICA Regional Awards were announced. Tiny Lions cats received many awards for this year’s show season.  Congratulations to our following cats:

RW BW QGC Kittensmitten Peter Fursberg: 2024 Regional Winner, Best Minuet Longhair of the Year                                                                       (SC Region)

                           2024 Regional Winner, Second Best Longhair Cat of the                                                                       Year  (SC Region)

                                                                      2024 Regional Winner, Eighth Best Cat of the Year

                                                                  2024 Regional Winner, Best Seal Point/White Minuet Longhair of                                                                        the Year (SC Region)

IW RW SGC Pawcitys Alexis Ovechkitten Tinylion: 2024 Regional Winner, Second Best Minuet LH of the Year (SC                                                                        Region)

                              2024 Regional Winner, Best Chocolate Lynx Point Minuet                                                                        Longhair of the Year

RW BW SGC Blueskies Sydney Clawsby: 2024 Regional Winner, Third Best Minuet Longhair Alet of the Year (SC                                                                            Region)

IW SGM Lady Byng of Vimy: 2024 Regional Winner, Tenth Best Household Pet of the Year (SC Region)

RW DGC Tiny Lions Oliver Thomas: 2024 Regional Winner, Second Best Minuet Longhair Alter of the Year (SC                                                                        Region)

Breaking News

July 27, 2024: The 2023-2024 TICA Annual Awards were announced. Tiny Lions cats received many awards for this year’s show season.  Congratulations to our following cats:

RW BW QGC Kittensmitten Peter Fursberg: 2024 International Winner, Best Minuet Longhair of the Year                                                                   2024 International Winner, Best Seal Point/White Minuet Longhair                                                                    of the Year

IW RW SGC Pawcitys Alexis Ovechkitten Tinylion: 2024 International Winner, Best Chocolate Lynx Point Minuet                                                                     Longhair of the Year

DGC TinyLions Oliver Thomas: 2024 International Winner, Third Best Minuet Longhair Alter of the Year.

KansasKatz, Wichita, KS, September 21-22, 2024

It seems like such a long time that I did not show since the Econo show in June, but I actually did show twice in July. Once in Wooster, OH and the other time in Colorado Springs, breaking out the Oriental Shorthair male that I am showing as a requirement for trying to apply to the TICA judging program.  However, I am excited to break out my new kitten, Mattie for the Wichita, KS show on September 21-22, 2024. She is tiny but beautiful, and on her first show, she finaled five times, once with a Best Kitten.  What a breakout show for such a beauty.

This picture was taken by Melanie Cornwall, who was also at the show with her Minuets. Her cattery is Oakwell Cattery.

Our next show is the Regional Awards show in Temple, TX in October.

Austin Cat Fanciers, Temple, TX, October 19-20, 2024

Our next show was the South Central Regional Awards Banquet Show in Temple, TX on October 19-20, 2024. It was a wild time, since I and a few GOTC club members took the RV for the trip. On the way through New Mexico, we stopped by the Capulan National Monument and drove a 24’ RV up to the top of a defunct volcano.  We stopped overnight in Amarillo and ate at the Big Texan, then headed to Kileen for the weekend. Friday night, I dragged Mary Killen, Tina Martin, and Jasmina Waltz to the Silo of Screams in Temple, TX, and terrified Mary with five haunted houses. Then the show, where we can’t forget showing our cats. Mattie only got one final and it was a little disappointing, but we couldn’t regret the memories we had.  The theme was Day of the Dead and it was done to the hilt.  We couldn’t have asked for a better trip.

Our next show is in Abilene, TX, on November 2-3, 2024

Friends and cat fanciers: Jessica Mace, Jasmina Waltz, Priscilla Kohutek, and Tina Martin.

South Central Feline Fanatics, Abilene, TX, November 2-3, 2024

Well, not all trips can be as fun and flawless as our RV trip to Temple, TX. I went by myself to Abilene, TX for a show on November 2-3, 2024. Might not have gone, since we were on an evacuation order because of a forest fire that started when a crazy neighbor blew up her house the Monday before. Although we were on evacuation orders, my husband and I decided to stay put–and then the fire department closed the only road out of our area. That stayed in place until Wednesday and then things calmed down. But since I missed bringing some cats back to Melanie after x-rays for our orthopedic study, I had to bring them to her on the way to Abilene–via Kansas. So a long drive to the show.

The show itself was a success. I brought Peter out just for the fun of it and Mattie, and the Oriental Shorthair I am showing. Peter did great, finaling six times, but Mattie beat him with seven finals, including a best kitten. Our next show is a one day show Cat Fest in Denver on November 10.  

However, snow was coming in on the way home and they blocked all the roads leading from New Mexico into Colorado that I could normally use (Raton Pass).  After trying to sneak my way into Colorado and coming up on road blocks, I checked the weather app and saw that the storm hadn’t hit the mountains in New Mexico. So adding five hours to my way home, I found a road into Colorado through the mountains and got home very late Monday night.  

Yellow Rose Cat Club, Denver, CO, November 10, 2024

I took Mattie and Kona (my Oriental SH cat) to the one-day show in Denver, CO on November 10, 2024, which was in conjunction with a Cat Fest.  Incredible crowds and a great time with Garden of the Cats club members. Mattie did great and finaled four times, with another best kitten.  She was a star with the crowds because she is absolutely darling.  Our next show is in Shaumberg, IL (Chicago) in a couple of weeks.  Fingers crossed for good weather.

Windy City Cat Club, Schaumberg, IL, November 22-24, 2024

Mattie, Peter, and Kona joined me on a long drive halfway across the country to Schaumberg, IL (Chicago) for a three-day show. I was excited when we signed up for the show, because it was supposed to be an all-in-one show and hotel, and those are amazing, because you stay in the same place you show. But weeks before the show, The Marriott management of the Renaissance Hotel, where the show was going to be in conjunction with a dog show, decided they didn’t want cats in their hotel. The dogs, yes, but not the cats. So we all had to get new hotel arrangements off the premises while the dog people could stay.  So angry with Marriott for making such a decision.

Anyway, the show itself was great. Mattie did wonderful and got ten finals, including a second best kitten. There were upwards of 60 kittens competing. I am so proud of her. Sadly, Peter only got 2 finals.  He just wasn’t having his best show, but that’s okay. I brought him to join me on the trip mostly. Kona, the Oriental SH I am showing for the judging application, got enough finals toward his quad grand championship but still needs some point.  Oi, eventually.  

I will not be showing in December because we expect Lexie’s kittens to come on Thanksgiving and they will need handraising. So my next show will be the first weekend of January 2025, in Corpus Christi.