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Cats Competition History

Assets reference: Cat Section history
Date: 1874
Collection: Competition histories

Cats first appeared in competition at the Show in the late 19th century with exhibits shown sporadically in ‘extra exhibit’ classes attached to the Poultry section. In 1874 Mrs Laughnan entered White Persian cats, while in 1876 Mrs Coar entered a Fancy cat (blue).

 

In 1892 the Poultry section offered an ‘extra class for cats’, the first time cats were specifically mentioned in a class of their own. Two Cyprus, two white Persian cats, and two white Persian kittens were apparently shown.

 

A stand-alone cat competition was finally instituted in 1929 and has been a consistent part of the Show ever since.

 

In 1998 the Kitten Carnival started, and in the year 2000 classes for companion cats were introduced.

 

The Cat section awards five perpetual trophies. The longest running trophy is the EJ Lonsdale Memorial Perpetual Trophy which was first awarded in 1962.

 

 

Timeline for the introduction of different breeds at the Show

Note: many breeds have not appeared continuously at the Show since they were first introduced. This list records the first time they are mentioned in RAS catalogues. The first appearance of different ‘colours’ of breeds have not been recorded.

 

1929      Persians (Blue, Black, Smoke, White, Masked Silver, Silver Tabby, Red Tabby, Brown Tabby,

Chinchilla, Shaded Silver), Siamese, Long hair, Any other breed

1949      Royal Sacred Siamese instead of Siamese

1959      Burmese

1960      Abyssinian

1968      Manx, Russian Blue, Chestnut Brown (European equivalent of Havana Brown), British Shorthairs, Foreign Shorthairs

1969      Havana, Himalayan, Birman, British Blue (now known as British Shorthair

1971      Rex, Korat

1972      Cornish Rex

1974      Manx (SR)

1975      Devon Rex

1976      Colourpoint Shorthair

1977      Russian White

1979      Russian Black

1981      Sydney Silver

1982      Turkish Van, Orientals

1984      Balinese

1985      Exotic Shorthair

1986      SR Cymric

1987      Spotted Mist (now Australian Mist name changed in 1998/1999)

1988      Sydney Silver Shorthair

1990      SR Scottish Fold

1993      Marked Persian, Self Persian

1994      Abyssinian/Somali, SR Ragdoll

1995      Maine Coon

1996      ER Burmilla

1997      Somali becomes own breed

1998      Bengal

1999      Norwegian Forest Cat, Australian Mist, Singapura

2003      Oriental Long Hair, Scottish Short Hair, Burmilla Long Hair

2004      Siberian, Selkirk Rex

2005      Tonkinese, Ocicat

2006      American Bombay, Sphynx, Egyptian Mau

2007      Bombay, Munchkin

2008      Asian Self, Japanese Bobtail, Selkirk Rex Longhair, Foreign White Longhair

2010      Bombay (American), Bombay (Australian)

2011      La Perm

2012      Chartreux, European Shorthair, German Rex, Scottish Longhair

2013      Pixie Bob

2015      Peterbald, Toyger

2016      Oriental Longhair (Javanese), Pixie Bob Longhair, La Perm Shorthair

2017      La Perm Longhair

2019      Mandalay, American Shorthair, Snowshoe, Munchkin Longhair

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