Pet Tales: Sid the Kid (the cat) is back
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Sid the Kid, Ralph and Alice Schepp's Maine coon cat.
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Fans of Champion Catgo's Sid the Kid Crosby will be happy to hear he'll be back in action next month. The Maine coon cat was a big hit with people who read about him in Pet Tales and went to a cat show to meet him.
Sid will be meeting, greeting and competing Feb. 11-12 in two Steel City Kitties shows at the Shoppes at Northway Mall, McKnight Road, Ross.
Steel City Kitties is a new cat club, and these are their first shows, sanctioned by The Cat Fanciers' Association Inc. In recent years there have been CFA shows every March in the Pittsburgh area. Last year, the show did not go on. This year there will be shows on two weekends.
Western Pennsylvania Cat Fanciers shows will be March 17-18 at the Iceoplex at Southpointe, also sanctioned by CFA. Some of the members of that club broke away last year to form Steel City Kitties.
Sid the Kid is owned by Ralph and Alice Schepp of South Fayette. The couple carries their love of hockey over to the names of their Maine coon cats. There is Fleury, who is a champion, and Mati, who is named for Matt Cooke, although she's a female. Mati will compete in the kitten class.
"My husband's afraid I'm going to end up with the entire Penguins lineup," Mrs. Shepp joked.
The couple also has two pets that don't compete in shows: a 16-year-old former stray cat named Mitchell and Fredo, a Maine coon whose color is "cameo classic tabby with white."
Sid was only 10 months old and already a champion when he was featured in a March 2009 Pet Tales column.
"So many people came to the show wanting to meet Sid," Mrs. Schepp said. "He loved the attention" from people but did not love the judges that day and did not show well. Her male cat was distracted by the female cats at the show, she said.
Sid was neutered, which improved his manners. He went on to earn the Champion Premier title, which is what the CFA awards to top-performing neutered cats. Now he's working toward the next title -- Grand Premier.
Although Sid will be at the Steel City Kitties show, Mrs. Shepp is not sure which Sid will show up.
"I have to gauge his temperament to see if he'll allow me to show him. He's always good in the benching area and loves the attention of all the people who ask to pet him. It's just judges that he doesn't like. Figures."
Never pet a show cat without asking for the owner's permission. Most will say "yes" but only after the cat has been judged. The hands of spectators can deposit dirt and oils on the coats, and mar hours of elaborate pre-show grooming.
If you're looking for Sid, he's a big boy -- almost 23 pounds. His long fur is white and black and brown, which cat fanciers call "brown classic tabby with white."
Bushy-tailed Maine coons originated in New England more than 150 years ago. There is no truth to the myth that the breed originated when wild cats mated with raccoons. That would be biologically impossible. They're typically people-oriented, playful and generally get along well with dogs, children and other cats.
All breeds of cats have different personalities, and you can learn about them by talking to breeders and owners at the show.
Show hours for Steel City Kitties are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 11 and 12. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for children age 6 and older. Younger children get in free.
Seventeen vendors will sell food, treats and toys for cats and jewelry, scarves and other items for people who love cats. There will be an "ask the vet" booth, and representatives from a local shelter will be on hand to help people who want to adopt a new pet.
Go to www.steelcitykitties.com for further information, including how to enter the show online. Cats don't have to be purebred to enter -- There's a Household Pets competition. Household Pets must enter at least 10 days before the shows. The fee is $52 for the first class, and rates go down if multiple cats are entered.
Feline contestants must be vaccinated and free of parasites, fleas or fungus. CFA is opposed to declawing, so cats at the show must have claws on all four paws
Go to www.cfa.org for further information about the organization that is the registry for 42 breeds of purebred cats. The CFA's top 10 breeds, by registration, are Persian, Maine coon, exotic, ragdoll, sphynx, Siamese, Abyssinian, American shorthair, Cornish rex and Birman.
Their newest breed is the Burmilla, and the registry includes the rare Chinese Li Hua. Information about all the breeds are on the site.
First Published January 14, 2012 12:00 am
