Let's Go To a Show!
What is a cat show?
As a club registered with the Cat Fanciers Association, we, the Cat Fanciers of Hawaii, are able to host shows within our "Hawaii" region and are recognized as part of the overall Southwest Region 5.
What is the purpose of a cat show? As breeders, we try to follow the standards for our breed(s) as best we can. The standards guide us in what the optimal cat for that breed should look like. When we produce a cat that we feel is outstanding, we enter it into the show so we can earn titles that reflect highly upon our catteries. Different titles we earn can help us get recognized within our state, within our overall region, and if possible, in the nation (extremely rare as we don't hold enough shows within Hawaii, we don't have the cat counts we would need, and being ocean locked does not allow us to travel easily to other states to attend more shows). In layman terms, it gives us "bragging rights" to say that we have produced top cats that were recognized in our registering association and that we have purebred cats from great lines.
Who can enter a cat show?
There are FOUR classes that are judged at a show, the Champion class, Premier class, Kitten class, and the House Hold Companion class. The Champion class is for breeders who have intact/ unfixed cats. The Premiership class is for our customers/ pet owners who have fixed cats. The Kitten class is for those who have kittens aged 4 - 8 months. And the House Hold Companion class is for those who have unregistered/ non-pedigreed cats or pedigreed cats that have defects that disqualify them from the Premiership class. We welcome everyone with cats to come and join us in entering a show. If not for a little competition, at least for a little fun and socialization with people who love cats. Although it is a "competition", of course in Hawaii we are full of ALOHA and support each other in all wins, even if it isn't ourselves.
If you're interested in joining us at a show, contact us for more information.
Shows are held in October, January, and April.
*Unless entered in the show, please DO NOT bring your cats with you. Entry NOT permitted.*
What are those ribbons?
There are usually four to five rings in a show, with a different judge per ring. Each class will be judged in every ring.
What are they judged on? Again, for each breed, the judges are looking to see how well each cat meets the standard for their specific breed. First, long hairs and short hairs in each class (Champion and Premiership) are judged separately. Within the long and short hairs, each breed within the coat type are judged. Within the breeds being judged, the judge ranks them according to best of gender within a color class, overall best of color class, and overall best of breed. From there, the judge picks their top 10 cats in the class a whole. They then enter the finals round where the top 10 cats of the class, as well as the top 3 longhair and shorthairs are recognized. Getting to the finals rounds is important as this is where we earn points that help us rank each cat statewide and regionally.
During the finals, the top ten cats (plus top longhairs/ shorthairs) in each ring are awarded these beautiful ribbons (note: each ring has a different color). These ribbons are then hung on our benching cages (where the cats are held if not in a judging ring). Spectators enjoying the show can identify which cats are recognized as best of their breed standards, and can inquire with that specific breeder for more information on available cats/ kittens.
The Cat Fanciers of Hawaii is a non-profit club founded in 2015 in Hawaii that brings together people who just love cats. We don't care if you like purebred or rescue cats, all are welcome!
Our goal is to promote and support the well-being, education, and appreciation of all cats. The breeders of the CFH also follow the Cat Fanciers Association's goal of focusing on breed preservation, producing the best versions of our breeds as possible is just a part of it.
Through various community events, we want to educate the public on the purpose of our club and foster relationships with other community partners.
Our club relies heavily on member participation, with our great team members chipping in their energy in getting things done when needed.
We try to hold at least quarterly club meetings and have a blast at our annual Christmas party.
Our biggest event of the year is our CFH Annual Awards Ceremony and Banquet. This is where we recognize the top cats in Hawaii for the show season. For this past show season, May 2024- April 2025, our upcoming banquet will be held on August 23, 2025. We also absolutely love joining in on our mainland counterpart's annuals as well. For the Southwest Region's annual, it was held in Ontario, CA in early July 2025, and the association's big overall annual was held in Orlando, FL in late July 2025.
If you are interested in becoming a member, please complete the FORM and your inquiry will be reviewed.
