Digging and Leveling in Adam’s Garden: Women and the International Cat Fancy

Abstract

If you are traveling on a commercial airliner on any weekend in March or April, you are probably sharing cabin space with a feline passenger or two whose sexual escapades are more closely monitored and highly priced than those of any Mayflower Madam. March and April mark the end of the international cat show season when the “campaigners” head for the final shows of the year. Larger cities boasting shows with higher cat counts (the number of cats entered in the particular event) are the preferred destinations, but some cats will be entered in several shows, with the owner-handier making her final selection at the last possible minute based on the number of show entries in class. Women and their cats focus all this competitive calculation on winning a regional or national title.