Coming soon to a cat show near you --

You've all heard about dog agility competitions, and have thoroughly enjoyed watching the dogs whip through the obstacle courses with determination and speed. Amazing how they can climb up and down those high steps and race through those weave pole areas. Now, can you actually imagine a cat lowering its dignity enough to do that?

But, of course! Cats are definitely trainable and most are willing to follow a feather or dangling toy anywhere!

Cat agility trial competitions are in their infancy in the cat fancy. CFA started planning agility competitions late in 2004 and several clubs have jumped at the chance to set up an agility course at their cat shows. Exhibitors are standing in line to put their cats through its paces. And spectators are just loving it!

It's new! It's exciting! And, OK, we'll admit it can also be pretty funny to watch, too! Some cats take to the course like a duck to water, and have it down pat when it comes to running through tunnels and jumping through hoops. Others, though, seem to be more curious about the course, and will thoroughly inspect each obstacle before even thinking about tackling it. And then there are those competing cats who think the idea is to put their owners through the course paces, and give the humans a really good work-out while trying to coax them out of a tunnel or over a jump. Course completion times can vary between 2-3 minutes and 15 minutes, depending upon the curiosity level of the cat participant.

The first CFA agility competition was held in Portland, OR as part of the Oregon Cats February 2005 cat show. "Let the Cats Entertain You" had forty-five cats, both pedigreed and non-pedigreed, kittens, adults, neuters, and spays entered in the agility contest. Organizers, exhibitors, participants, and spectators all thoroughly enjoyed this new idea.

Show organizer, Kim Everett-Hirsch, says, "We had a huge gate which included guys in their leather outfits from the truck and motorcycle show in the next building who came to check this event out. Spectators were at the front door waiting to get in at 10:00 am sharp and crowded around the agility ring." She relates that, "One leather clad motorcycle gentleman got really caught up in the action and, as his favorite cat was rounding the course, he shouted 'Go Girl Go!' His wife was by his side, cheering on her own favorite."

"Another spectator," says Mrs. Everett-Hirsch, "wrote to the club and said she had attended the show for many years and felt this was the best show yet because of the added agility contest where the bluebloods compete evenly against the household pets."

"Every cat and owner pair were entertaining and the crowds cheered them on. Children attending the show were delighted to see the cats running the course and their parents weren't far behind in their enthusiasm. Vendors were selling out of toys which the public bought, as did the exhibitors."

Agility is a pre-entered competition, open to any cat, so a household pet could be the overall winner as easily as could a top winning grand champion or perhaps a litter mate of a grand champion who does not do well in the conformation classes but is a star in the agility class.

Recent agility competitions were held in Raleigh, NC (view 28 second MPG video) and Kansas City, MO and resulted in equal enthusiasm. First place at the Kansas City show, in a blazing 40 seconds, was awarded to Kyattsuai Mabuchi, a Japanese Bobtail owned by Mary Newmarch. Obviously, they've been practicing at home!

Upcoming shows where cat agility can be entered or visited can be found listed on the CFA cat show schedule and will have a small logo beside the show listing.

by Karen Lawrence
Photos courtesy of Steve Baylus.
Taken at the Tarheel Triangle Cat Fanciers Show, Raleigh, NC