Cat owners take part in the shows for

In the United States, increasing number of local, regional and national cat shows are held throughout the year. Hundreds of cats compete for awards. Owners show their cats for fun and gain a reputation among other exhibitors and breeders. Cat shows typically do not award monetary prizes and the entry fees and travel expenses can be expensive. Although exact show rules and procedures vary from association to association, the general format is the same. There are four categories of competition: pure bred kittens, pure bred dogs, pure bred alters, and household pets. A single cat show may have as many as 20 or more different judges. Usually a cat is judged by every judge in the show. At cat shows in the United States, each judge has his or her own ring, this is an area consisting of 10 to 15 numbered cages at a judging table. Cats wait in cages and another area of the show hall called the benching area. The owners bring the cats to the ring when called and place them in the judging cages. The judge takes each cat out of its cage in turn, places it on the judging table and examines the cat carefully to make sure that it is healthy and meets the standard for that breed. After judging each cat within a particular breed, the judge gives out preliminary awards, such as best of color or best of breed. After judging all the cats in the category, the judge gives top awards to the 10 best cats in that category.