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With all the posting I did recently about cat shows and CFA, I want to infodump about the lesser-known Household Pet competitive class.

While most people think of pedigreed purebreds when they think of cat shows, and that does make up a large majority of cats in CFA and TICA (the two major international cat showing associations), but many don't know that nearly any cat is eligible to compete in a cat show. About 95% of all pet cats are non-pedigreed, and the Household Pet (HHP) class, also known as Companion Cat, is the class where you can enter any cat you happen to have at home.

Note: I currently show in CFA, so all my info is CFA-specific, but TICA also has a Household Pet class.

Competitors in the CFA HHP class are all judged as one big group, rather than by divisions like the pedigreed classes, but are eligible for the same awards and distinctions and can go on to regional and national competitions (the latter of which, I'm told, also gets you invited to the fancy end of season awards dinner because at the end of the day we're still pretentious cat people). This includes a "Grand" title, which means the cat has accrued a certain number of points from placing in a finals round across six judges (scoring for cat shows is highly variable, but mostly depends on how many other competitors a certain cat beat out in placement).

HHP cats are also registered the same way pedigree cats are (although it's cheaper for HHPs because they don't have any papers - as of writing this, I believe Companion Cat registry costs about $20), meaning you can give them a silly registered name if you want to and they are added to the database of CFA-registered animals, with a breed designation of Domestic Shorthair (DSH) or Domestic Longhair (DLH).

Here's Loki, a 2022/2023 season Grand Household Pet (though I believe she will be retiring after this season), being judged in the ring at a CFA show.

[IMG ID: A white cat with black cow spots (including a sideways splotch on her nose) stands on a table amongst toys and a scratching post. She is being petted by a bespectacled, blonde judge in a red cardigan as she judges the cat's body condition. END ID]

(I've met her, she's a sweetie)

(Cont'd under the cut)

Household Pet is a lot of fun. While in the pedigree classes, judging is done based on a 100-point rubric comparing the cat to its breed standard (a specific list of criteria the "ideal" example of the breed should adhere to, a combo of aesthetics, genetics, and health), Household Pet judging does not rely on any kind of rubric or specific criteria, and instead the judges are encouraged to judge the cats on their own unique merits. This is also why earning a Grand title requires the input of 6 judges (for pedigree breeds, it's 3), to compensate for the fact that the judges are using arbitrary criteria to judge the cats.

Judges do generally follow a set of base guidelines generally expected of any show cat during the HHP judging process to assess competitors:

1. Good health - cats should be a healthy weight and free of disease or parasites

2. Clean and groomed appearance - you don't have to give your cat a blowout or anything, a bath and brushing will do. Additionally, all show cats must have trimmed nails while in the show hall (for handler safety and so no one gets caught on anything).

3. Good show temperament - the cat must be amenable to being picked up, handled, and generally disturbed by strangers. While many judges will tolerate a little hissing, especially from first-time contestants, cats who attack a judge are disqualified (this goes for the pedigree cats, too). Temperament is a big factor in HHP judging, as cats who are able to display their best personal qualities in the show ring are most likely to catch the eye of a judge when they are picking their finals. The best HHP cats can make the judges see all the qualities their owners love about them.

Past these three baseline assessments, judges are encouraged to choose their favorites by whatever metric(s) they'd like. Some qualities that can bring a Household Pet into a final include (but aren't limited to):

- interesting or unique characteristics: while genetic mutations are not allowed in pedigree classes (the exception being mutations found as part of the breed standard, such as rex-coated cats or [le big sigh] Scottish Folds), Household Pet allows for one (1) genetic mutation. Kitties with polydactyly or nonstandard coat expression are often of interest in Household Pet.

(and anecdotally, quite a few judges have the same reaction as any of the rest of us when they see a cat with thumbs 😊)

- being a head-turningly pretty or endearingly ugly cat: sometimes judges will give deference in their finals to a particularly well-groomed specimen, an especially pleasing coat or eye color, or an outstandingly scrunkly creature.

- interesting history: shelter kitties, senior cats, and seasoned show veterans are often very popular in HHP

- being a kitty kissass: Kissing up to the judge is not worth much in pedigree judging, as temperament is only one part of a far larger picture, but in HHP, it can account for the whole rubric. An affectionate and friendly "people cat" can easily win the heart of many judges - not to mention the audience!

While the vast majority of standard issue cats are eligible for Household Pet competition, CFA does have a short list of requirements for Household Pet contestants. These include:

- no aggression. Judges will not judge a cat that poses a risk to them, for obvious reasons. Some cats just don't react well to the show environment.

- no declawed cats. CFA is rightfully vehemently against declawing and will not allow a declawed cat to be shown.

- only one genetic mutation is permitted. I'm not 100% sure why this is the cap, but if I had to guess, this ties into CFA's cat health standards and negative attitude towards experimental breed showing.

- cats must be fixed (assuming they are old enough). This encourages spaying or neutering your cats and ensures backyard breeders don't recieve CFA recognition by showing in HHP. As kittens may be shown in CFA starting at 4 months, kittens between 4 and 8 months old may be shown intact.

- cats must be able to stand on their own. This is probably a safety thing, since limb differences are allowed in HHP and cats are judged on a table. In my experience they're pretty lenient with this one - a regular contestant in my region is a cat with relatively severe front leg deformities, and he is allowed to compete (he mostly kinda shuffles. It's very endearing).

Household Pet is a great way for people interested in cat showing to get involved, with a low barrier of entry and often fun to watch. While a small minority of cat show people can get snobby about Household Pets, the vast majority of exhibitors and judges in any given show hall either have a non-pedigree cat at home or have loved one in the past, and Household Pet is generally known as the class to celebrate what we as cat fanciers love about cats everywhere, acknowledging that every cat is, in fact, the best cat.

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